Sunday 20th October 2024
	The highlight of day was a Common Nighthawk delivered to St Mary's, Isles of Scilly by Storm Ashley; the ninth Nearctic landbird - and sixth species - to be found in Britain so far this autumn. Discoveries elsewhere included a Yelkouan Shearwater in Devon passing Berry Head, a Radde's Warbler in Fife on the Isle of May, two Dusky Warblers on the Shetland Isles both on Whalsay, and in Lincolnshire a Red-rumped Swallow flew over Gibraltar Point. Continuing rarities comprised the Isabelline Shrike species still in Dorset, Red-flanked Bluetail in East Yorkshire, Canvasback in Essex, Spotted Sandpiper in Fife, Long-billed Dowitchers in both Devon and Norfolk, Lesser Yellowlegs on Scilly, Pallid Harriers in Norfolk and Pembrokeshire, Bonaparte's Gull in County Cork, Lesser Scaup in Staffordshire, and Black-winged Stilt in Cambridgeshire. Significant late new from yesterday concerned the pale morph Booted Eagle reported again in Cormwall at Numphra.
-  Chris Batty, RBA