Thursday 21st September 2023
	A truly incredible record-breaking day for Nearctic landbirds in Britain and Ireland with 23 individuals of nine species seen: in Pembrokeshire the second Bay-breasted Warbler for Britain on Ramsey Island, the Magnolia Warbler still at St Govan's Head, and a tyrant flycatcher species (presumed to be an Alder Flycatcher) and a Bobolink together on Skokholm, on the Western Isles a Tennessee Warbler and two Red-eyed Vireos on Barra, in Gwynedd a Black-and-white Warbler on Bardsey, on the Isles of Scilly a Black-and-white Warbler and Red-eyed Vireo on Tresco with a Cliff Swallow and another Red-eyed Vireo on St Mary's, in County Galway a Baltimore Oriole and a Red-eyed Vireo on Inishbofin, in County Clare two Cliff Swallows together at Kilbaha, further Cliff Swallows in County Cork at both Garinish Point and Glengarriff, and other Red-eyed Vireos in Cornwall (Sennen Cove), Devon (Lundy), Glamorgan (Sker), County Kerry (Skellig Michael), and County Mayo (Achill Island). On the Shetland Isles both Lanceolated Warbler and Blyth's Reed Warbler were on Fair Isle, Arctic Warbler new on Yell at West Sandwick, and on Mainland a Pallid Harrier at Tingwall and Citrine Wagtails at both Lerwick and Spiggie. Other discoveries included an American Buff-bellied Pipit on the Western Isles on St Kilda, a Pallid Harrier in Essex at East Tilbury, a Blue-winged Teal in Clyde at Frankfield Loch, and a Lesser Yellowlegs at Tacumshin, County Wexford. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Brown Booby in Cleveland, Forster's Tern in Dorset, Paddyfield Warbler in County Waterford, Baird's Sandpiper on the Wirral, Blue-winged Teal and Lesser Yellowlegs together in Lincolnshire, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, and Bonaparte's Gull in County Cork, Semipalmated Sandpiper on the Western Isles, Red-footed Falcon in Northumberland, Red-flanked Bluetail in East Yorkshire, Blyth's Reed Warbler on the Orkney Isles, King Eider in Lothian, Lesser Yellowlegs in County Donegal, Bonaparte's Gull in County Down, and Ferruginous Duck in Warwickshire.
-  Chris Batty, RBA