Thursday 13th October 2022
	An incredible day in which the ultimate fantasy became reality: a Blackburnian Warbler on the Isles of Scilly. New for those islands and only the fourth to be recorded in Britain it was discovered on Bryher early in the afternoon and showed into the evening. The eleventh species - and twenty-third individual - of Nearctic landbird to be located across Britain and Ireland this autumn since 26th September. Otherwise on Scilly there was Radde's Warbler on St Agnes, Olive-backed Pipit, Melodious Warbler, and Barred Warbler on St Mary's, and the possible Two-barred Greenish Warbler remained on Tresco. On the Shetland Isles the Black-winged Stilt was still on Yell, Ring-necked Duck on Mainland, and Hornemann's Arctic Redpolls on both Fair Isle and Unst. Discoveries elsewhere included a Long-billed Dowitcher in Lothian at Musselburgh Lagoons, White-rumped Sandpiper on the Western Isles on South Uist, and the Collared Pratincole seen yesterday in Northumberland, was relocated today at Saltholme, Cleveland. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Myrtle Warbler in County Clare, Black Scoter in Northumberland, Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll on the Western Isles, Ferruginous Duck in Warwickshire, and Lesser Yellowlegs in both Cornwall (2) and Cleveland.
-  Chris Batty, RBA