Monday 9th October 2023
	The highlight of the day was the discovery of two Upland Sandpipers, one in Cornwall flew south over Cot Valley, the other in County Cork at Cape Clear Following yesterdays condusive easterlies East Yorkshire received two Red-flanked Bluetails at Filey. Shetland had it's fair share with another Eastern Stonechat and two Olive-backed Pipits on Fair Isle, Dusky Warbler at Baltasound, Pied Wheatear at Northdale, and two Hornemann's Arctic Redpolls at Norwick, Long-billed Dowitcher on Bressay. Orkney did too, with an Eastern Stonechat and Olive-backed Pipit and two Red-flanked Bluetails on North Ronaldsay, the Outer Hebrides contributed a Swainson's Thrush on Barra, and a Hooded Merganser at Ardvule. Closer to the Scottish mainland a Richardson's Cackling Goose was found in Argyll on Islay at Loch Gruinart, a Lesser Grey Shrike was also on Islay at Smaull, an Olive-backed Pipit was in Fife on the Isle of May. A Radde's Warbler graced Lincolnshire, with an individual being found at Wolla Bank, in Northumberland a Red-throated Pipit at Longhoughton, an Olive-backed Pipit on Inner Farne, and a Radde's Warbler on Holy Island, in Cleveland a Radde's Warbler at South Gare. The south east of the country was less fortunate, with the best being Black Stork in Kent at Lydd, further west a Red-eyed Vireo was found in Devon on Lundy. Across the Irish Sea there were highlights of a new Long-billed Dowitcher in County Wexford at Cahore Marsh Radde's Warbler at Sandsend, Blyth's Reed Warbler in Fife on the Isle of May, further Arctic Warblers in Northumberland, Norfolk, and the Western Isles, and further Red-flanked Bluetails in Borders, Fife, Lothian, North Yorkshire, Northumberland, and Norfolk. Lingering rarity highlights still present were the Azorean Yellow-legged Gull in County Mayo, Northern Harrier in Cornwall, Wilson's Phalarope in Norfolk, Semipalmated Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs together in Lincolnshire, Squacco Heron in Somerset, Pallid Harrier in Kent, Lesser Yellowlegs in County Cork, Ferruginous Duck in Bedfordshire, and Long-billed Dowitcher in Norfolk.
-  Ben Clark, RBA