Thursday 6th February 2020
	The highlight of the day was the discovery of a first-winter American Herring Gull in County Cork at Castletown Bearhaven, the third to be found between Britain and Ireland since 15th January, whilst in Essex a Ferruginous Duck was new at Abberton Reservoir. Rarities elsewhere comprised the White-winged Scoter still in Lothian, American Buff-bellied Pipit, Pacific Diver and Lesser Scaup all in Cornwall, Black-throated Thrushes in both Bedfordshire and Lincolnshire, Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Northumberland, West Siberian Stonechat in Cheshire, two Penduline Tits together in Dorset, Black Duck in Highland, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cumbria, and Bonaparte's Gull in County Wexford. Scarcities included Purple Heron (Lancashire), American Golden Plover (County Kerry), Hoopoe (Hampshire), Yellow-browed Warbler (London), Ring-billed Gull (Cornwall), Grey Phalarope (East Yorkshire), Glossy Ibis (Devon), two each of both Surf Scoter and Lapland Bunting, three of Rough-legged Buzzard and Green-winged Teal, six Shorelarks, eight Great Grey Shrikes, and a total of nine Ring-necked Ducks.
-  Chris Batty, RBA