Friday 27th July 2018
	The highlights of the day included a Marsh Sandpiper discovered in London at Rainham Marshes and a Semipalmated Sandpiper identified at Kilnsea, East Yorkshire. Elsewhere lingering rarities comprised the Franklin's Gull still in Cleveland, Lesser Yellowlegs in Norfolk, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, territorial Savi's Warbler in Suffolk, Baltic Gull in South Yorkshire and Black Kite in Cambridgeshire but the Sooty Tern could not be relocated in Aberdeenshire. Seawatching produced both a Fea's/Desertas/Zino's Petrel and a Sabine's Gull passing Porthgwarra, Cornwall and between Devon and County Cork totals of 97 Cory's and 373 Great Shearwaters. Scarcities included Icterine Warbler (Shetland Isles), Spotted Crake (Worcestershire), Red-necked Phalarope (Highland), Surf Scoter (Western Isles), Glossy Ibis (Kent), two each of both Purple Heron and Pectoral Sandpiper, five Cattle Egrets, and a total of nine Rose-coloured Starlings.
-  Chris Batty, RBA