BAIRD'S SANDPIPER makes top billing

In East Norfolk, an adult BAIRD'S SANDPIPER is present for a third day, feeding with 2 Ringed Plovers and an adult summer Little Stint on Rush Hills Scrape, visible distantly from the hide on the Weaver's Way footpath, a mile walk eastwards from Potter Heigham church. The waders on the scrape are very flighty due to the continual presence of a breeding pair of Hobbies.

In Hampshire, a SPOTTED CRAKE remains on the main Farlington Marsh Lagoon, favouring the mud at the extreme east end of the pool visible distantly from the sea wall adjacent.

The juvenile CATTLE EGRET continues at Chew Valley Lake (Avon), favouring fields by Heron's Green Pool, with the resident drake Ferruginous Duck visible with roosting Aythyas in the adjacent bay.

MARSH WARBLERS have bred for the second year running at Spurn Point (East Yorks), that same location attracting 1-2 BARRED WARBLERS yesterday afternoon.

The adult PECTORAL SANDPIPER remains at the Frampton Marsh RSPB (Lincs), along with 4 Wood Sandpipers, but with no sign of yesterday's moulting adult COLLARED PRATINCOLE.

Two COMMON CRANES spent part of the day at Kynnersley Moor (Salop), with the GREAT WHITE EGRETS still present at Hen Reedbeds (Suffolk) and on Meare Heath scrapes (Somerset).

The long-staying adult LESSER YELLOWLEGS continues to show well just downstreal of the wooden bridge by the main car park at Aberlady Bay (Lothian).

In Fife, both summering rare species of wildfowl are still to be found at Lochgelly Loch - the drake FERRUGINOUS DUCK and the eclipse drake RING-NECKED DUCK (view from the steps on the north side of the loch), whilst in Aberdeenshire, the adult PECTORAL SANDPIPER remains at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB reserve.

A juvenile PURPLE SANDPIPER was an excellent inland record for Rutland Water (Leics), showing from the Dunlin Hide on Egleton NR Lagoon 4, with 36 Little Egrets present in the North Arm.

Of minor interest, large numbers of Marsh Harriers are now on the move post-breeding, along with numerous Wood Sandpipers (including up to 5 juveniles at Weir Wood Reservoir, Sussex). A Wood Warbler was an excellent local record in Alexandra Park (London), with another at Warden Point, Sheppey (Kent), with light easterlies inducing a trickle of drift Pied Flycatchers, especially on the Norfolk coast.

EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARDS have had an excellent breeding season in Britain with birds now showing again at Wykeham Forest (North Yorks) and at Welbeck Park (Notts)

RECENT NEWS

The first AQUATIC WARBLER of 2009 was trapped and ringed at Thurlestone Ley (South Devon) on Thursday, with the first BARRED WARBLER at Firth (Orkney) on 6. An adult ROSE-COLOURED STARLING was in Bude (Cornwall) on 6 and a male RED-BACKED SHRIKE at Blakeney (Norfolk) on 9.

KENTISH PLOVERS appeared at Canvey Island (Essex) on 7 August, with another at Dawlish Warren NNR (South Devon) on 9, with a moulting adult WHITE-WINGED BLACK TERN with 22 Black Terns at Staines Reservoirs North Basin (Surrey) on 7 and at Snettisham RSPB (Norfolk) briefly on 6 and a juvenile MARSH SANDPIPER with 2 Common Greenshanks at Bough Beech Reservoir (Kent) on the evening of 6.