Tuesday 1st August 2017
	The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Baird's Sandpiper at Stanford Reservoir on the border Northamptonshire and Leicestershire. Elsewhere, lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the American White-winged Scoter in Aberdeenshire, Forster's Tern in County Louth, Marsh Sandpiper, Bonaparte's Gull and nine Black-winged Stilts in Kent, Bonaparte's Gull in Dorset, three Black-winged Stilts in Norfolk and the colony of seven Bee-eaters in Nottinghamshire. Seabirds again featured with Wilson's Petrels at sea off the Isles of Scilly (8) and County Kerry and totals of 22 Cory's and seven Great Shearwaters between Cornwall and County Cork, whilst a Sabine's Gull flew past County Durham. Scarcities included Night Heron (Northumberland), White-winged Black Tern and Pectoral Sandpiper (both Lincolnshire), Red-backed Shrike (North Yorkshire), White Stork (East Sussex), two Rose-coloured Starling (both Highland), two Surf Scoters (together in Aberdeenshire), a total of 14 Cattle Egrets, and at least 15 Glossy Ibises (including 14 in Cornwall and 7 in Devon). Significant late news concerned the confirmed breeding of Night Herons on the Somerset Levels at Westhay Moor where two adults present on 9th July were accompanied by two juveniles on 16th-26th July. Earlier in the summer singles had been seen at nearby Shapwick Heath on 4th June and Ham Wall on 16th-24th June.
-  Chris Batty, RBA