Sunday 11th November 2018
	The influx of rare swifts continued with a Little Swift accompanying a Pallid Swift in Cleveland at Hartlepool Headland and watched roosting there into darkness. Other Pallid Swifts were identified today in Cleveland at Seaton Carew, County Durham at South Shields, East Yorkshire at both Flamborough Head and Kilnsea, Lincolnshire at Goxhill and in Suffolk at Thorpeness where two were watched together. In addition, unidentified Pallid or Common Swifts today were noted in County Durham, Essex (2), Gloucestershire, Greater Manchester, Kent (2), North Yorkshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. There has been a total of eighteen Pallid Swifts identified in Britain and Ireland since 17th October. Rarities elsewhere in England comprised a Pied Wheatear in Cornwall at Trevose Head, the Black Scoter still in Northumberland, King Eider in Norfolk, Dusky Warbler on the Isles of Scilly and Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset. In Ireland a Baird's Sandpiper was new at Tacumshin, County Wexford as was a Lesser Yellowlegs in County Cork at Clonakilty whilst the Forster's Tern showed in County Galway, Spotted Sandpiper was confirmed in County Sligo and three White-rumped Sandpipers remained together in County Londonderry. Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Suffolk), Barred Warbler (Shetland Isles), Red-backed Shrike (London), Ring-billed Gull (Argyll), Lesser Snow Goose (Highland), Dotterel (Kent), Glossy Ibis (Somerset), three Hoopoes, four each of Pallas's Warbler, Richard's Pipit, Lapland Bunting and Ring-necked Duck, 10 Rough-legged Buzzards, 42 Shorelarks and a total of 206 Cattle Egrets.
-  Chris Batty, RBA