Friday 23rd March 2018
	Rarities today comprised the Black Duck still in Highland at Strontian for its twelfth year, a Coues's Arctic Redpoll still in Suffolk, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall and Ferrugionous Duck in Powys but im Lincolnshire the Snowy Owl could not be found. Scarcities were headlined by single male White-spotted Bluethroats in each of Kent, London and Suffolk with a supporting cast of Little Bunting (London), Serin (Essex), American Wigeon (Somerset), two Ring-necked Ducks, three Cattle Egrets, four each of both Great Grey Shrike and Glossy Ibis, six Ring-billed Gulls - including four together in County Dublin - and in Norfolk a flock of 29 Parrot Crossbills. Significant late news concerned a female Black-throated Thrush present on 17th March in Gloucestershire at Eastington and in recent days a Snowy Owl reported on Stronsay, Orkney Isles.
-  Chris Batty, RBA