Total now reaches 420 species

A further 16 species have appeared in Britain and Ireland in the past two weeks pushing the total number of species now recorded in 2009 to a very impressive 419 species minimum. The most recent additions include -:

1) OLIVE-BACKED PIPIT (several on Shetland)

2) PECHORA PIPIT (at least 7 recorded on Shetland)

3) AMERICAN BUFF-BELLIED PIPIT (singles on Foula and in County Clare)

4) CEDAR WAXWING (the first for Ireland on Inishbofin Island, County Galway)

5) RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL (the first two of what will presumably be another wave of this ever-increasing vagrant with singles in Shetland and in Suffolk)

6) PIED WHEATEAR (a first-winter male at Horsey, Norfolk)

7) VEERY (two birds on Shetland)

8) EYEBROWED THRUSH (the first for many years on North Ronaldsay, Orkney)

9) BLACK-THROATED THRUSH (the first today on Shetland)

10) PALLAS'S GRASSHOPPER WARBLER (one on St Kilda)

11) LANCEOLATED WARBLER (several on Shetland)

12) RADDE'S WARBLER (five recent records including one on Scilly)

13) WESTERN BONELLI'S WARBLER (one on Shetland)

14) BROWN SHRIKE (up to three different birds including a well-twitched first-winter at Staines Moor)

15) RED-EYED VIREO (one on Orkney Mainland)

16) BLACKPOLL WARBLER (one in SW Ireland in County Cork)