Thursday 23rd March 2023
	The highlight of the day was the discovery of an adult male Lesser Kestrel on the Isles of Scilly on St Mary's; the third individual on that island this millennium following others in 2002 and 2020. The Alpine Swift influx continued with 41 logged today across 15 counties comprising 24 in Britain, 16 in Ireland, and one on the Isle of Man. In Britain birds were in Argyll, Devon (5), HertfordshireKent (4), Lincolnshire (3), Lothian (3), North Yorkshire (2), Norfolk (4), and Suffolk, and in Ireland in County Antrim, County Cork (3), County Down (2), County Dublin (2), County Waterford (3), and County Wicklow (5). Other rarities included the Ross's Gull still in Aberdeenshire, Black Scoter and Richardson's Cackling Goose in Northumberland, Pallid Harrier in Norfolk, Coues's Arctic Redpoll in County Antrim, two Penduline Tits together in Kent, Long-billed Dowitchers in both Cheshire and Norfolk, King Eider in Cleveland, and Lesser Scaups in Argyll, Oxfordshire, and Somerset. Scarcities included Serin (Kent), Richard's Pipit (Scilly), Little Bunting (Hertfordshire), Ring-billed Gull (County Antrim), American Wigeon (Northumberland), Great Grey Shrike (Highland), Shorelark (East Yorkshire), two each of both Rough-legged Buzzard and Lapland Bunting, three Green-winged Teals, 10 of both Ring-necked Duck and Glossy Ibis, and a total of 14 Waxwings. Incoming summer migrants included 12 Garganey, four Ospreys, three Ring Ouzels, two each of both Hobby and Arctic Skua, and a Yellow Wagtail.
-  Chris Batty, RBA