Total of species has now risen to 350 species

May 2009 has proved exciting and challenging as some ace quality vagrants have turned up. Since my last update, a further 33 species have occurred in Britain and Ireland, bringing the total to a formidable 350 species. One record (Semipalmated Sandpiper or Western Sandpiper in South Devon) is still under review.

The additions are thus -:

1) Cory's Shearwater
2) European Storm Petrel (first returning migrants)
3) Leach's Petrel (10 off Aird an Runair, North Uist)
4) LITTLE BITTERN (female on Scilly)
5) SQUACCO HERON (elusive first-summer in Suffolk)
6) PALLID HARRIER (juvenile photographed in East Norfolk)
7) Common Quail (the odd early migrant)
8) Spotted Crake (a few calling males on breedng territory)
9) COLLARED PRATINCOLE (well-twitched bird in North Norfolk)
10) BLACK-WINGED PRATINCOLE (well-twitched bird at Stodmarsh NNR, Kent)
11) Red-necked Phalarope (early migrant on Tiree)
12) Long-tailed Skua (typical numbers on the West Coast)
13) LAUGHING GULL (1-2 adults on Shetland)
14) Roseate Tern (several)
15) WHITE-WINGED BLACK TERN (6+ vagrants)
16) PALLED SWIFT (an unusually long-stayer at Seaforth/Crosby and a further vagrant on Scilly)
17) EUROPEAN BEE-EATER (several vagrant groups seen briefly)
18) CRESTED LARK (well-received vagrant at Dungeness, Kent)
19) TAWNY PIPIT (photographed bird in Suffolk)
20) CITRINE WAGTAIL (first-summer female at Cley NWT, Norfolk)
21) THRUSH NIGHTINGALE (6+ vagrant males)
22) BLYTH'S REED WARBLER (brief bird in North Norfolk)
23) Marsh Warbler (one very early migrant)
24) GREAT REED WARBLER (vagrant on Scilly)
25) Icterine Warbler (good spate of passage migrants)
26) Melodious Warbler (unusual number of spring vagrants)
27) GREENISH WARBLER (2+ singing males)
28) HUME'S LEAF WARBLER (spring bird at Kilnsea)
29) EASTERN BONELLI'S WARBLER (vagrant on Portland, Dorset)
30) Red-backed Shrike (several migrant males)
31) ORTOLAN BUNTING (male at Flamborough Head)
32) RUSTIC BUNTING (vagrant male on Shetland)
33) BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD (vagrant on Fair Isle for three days - seen by just 41 observers)