Christmas Briefs

The adult RING-BILLED GULL is showing this lunchtime at Westcliff-on-Sea, Southend (Essex), a wintering LITTLE BUNTING is present in a garden at Dunnet, 8 miles east of Thurso (Highland Region), the juvenile BAIRD'S SANDPIPER is still SE of Dunbar and just north of Barns Ness at White Sands Bay (Lothian), a CATTLE EGRET is 3 miles west of Barnstaple (North Devon) at Yelland in the horse field at Lower Yelland Farm (SS 492 323), an adult drake FERRUGINOUS DUCK is at Barton Broad (Norfolk) as is another just west of Pugney's Country Park (West Yorks) (along with a first-winter drake RING-NECKED DUCK), a YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER present for a third day at Westhay Moor NNR (Somerset) at the south end of Lewis's Drove and a WHITE STORK of suspect origin just south of Flamborough (East Yorks) in the field by the Timoneer Hotel. In South Devon, the adult RED-BREASTED GOOSE is again just north of Fishers Mill Bridge, Topsham, and in North Norfolk, the adult GREATER SNOW GOOSE just south of the A149 at Titchwell. The first-winter GLOSSY IBIS continues to survive at Holt Fen (Worcs) and the GREAT WHITE EGRET remains at Pitsford Reservoir (Northants).