Saturday 16th October 2021

Razorbill

 Overcast from first thing but it remained very calm with the feather-light breeze in the SE; there was a selection of birds across the area but nothing was in great numbers and there wasn't anything too unusual despite the somewhat elevated expectations.   On or over the land there were 319 Goldfinches, single Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Goldcrest, 3 Grey Wagtails, 5 Little Egrets, 10 Redwings, 6 Jays, a Reed Bunting, 3 Siskins, 10 Skylark, 6 Song Thrushes, 2 Sparrowhawks, 185 Starlings in off, 13 Swallows and a Short-eared Owl at dawn.

Over or on the sea birds included 7 Brent Geese, 14 Common Scoter, 62 Cormorants, 28 Gannets, 2 Arctic Skuas south, a Guillemot, a Kittiwake, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 2 Razorbills, 31 Red-throated Divers, 4 Shelduck, 5 Teal and 675 Wigeon.

Ringing: Robin 3, Redwing 1, Blackbird 1, Blue Tit 2, Chiffchaff 1 

Dark Chestnut is a winter flyer now starting to appear

Friday 15th October 2021

Four-spotted Footman is a nationally scarce species noted here on a dozen previous occasions

 Overcast first thing with a couple of spots of rain but this narrow front quickly moved through leaving another fine, calmish day with plenty of sunshine; there was again, few grounded migrants which today comprised a Garden Warbler, 5 Blackcaps, a Brambling, 3 Chiffchaff, 7 Chaffinches, a Grey Wagtail, 4 Skylarks and 2 Sparrowhawks.

Ringing: Blackbird 1, Song Thrush 1, Blackcap 1, Garden Warbler 1, Wren 1

Thursday 14th October 2021

Bramblings

 Another kind-of-average, not-much-to-mention day with light westerlies and varying cloud cover; the light smattering of birds through the morning comprised 221 Goldfinches south, a Stock Dove, a Rock Pipit, a brief Yellow-browed Warbler which called just twice, 12 Chaffinches, 3 Grey Wagtails, 8 Skylarks, 2 Reed Buntings, 4 Siskins, 3 Blackcaps, 8 Chiffchaffs, 15 Song Thrushes, 13 Redwings, 2 Bramblings and 4 Swallows.

Ringing: Song Thrush 1, Redwing 2, Blackbird 1, Grey Wagtail 3, Robin 2, Dunnock 1, Chiffchaff 2, Chaffinch 1, Blue Tit 2, Great Tit 1, House Sparrow 1, Blackcap 1

Another autumn flyer is Mallow; this species 'does what it says on the tin' and lives on Mallows

Wednesday 13th October 2021

Cool light north-westerly to start the day. A few 'turdus' types appeared to be arriving during the morning. Migrants included 25 Blackbird, 25 Mipit, 15 Song Thrush, 5 Brambling, 5 Redwing, 4 Chiffchaff, 3 Chaffinch, 2 Blackcap, Swallow & Woodcock plus a visit from another Great Spotted Woodpecker. Vis mig includes southbound 48 Goldfinch, 15 Mipit, 4 Reed Bunting, 3 Skylark, 2 Grey Wag & Chaffinch. Offshore very quiet.

Green-brindled Crescent is another October flyer noted here in low numbers.

Ringing: 8 Blackbird, 3 Song Thrush, 2 Blackcap, 2 Blue Tit, 2 Redwing, 2 Wood Pigeon, 1 Brambling, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Great Tit.

Tuesday 12th October 2021

Getting a tad late in the season for Brown Argus.

Cooler north-westerly breeze seems to have resulted in more birds leaving than arriving. Some vis mig with southbound 504 Goldfinch, 102 Linnet, 18 Mipit, 6 Chaffinch, 6 Siskin, 2 Grey Wag, Little Egret & Stock Dove plus 4 Skylark in off the sea & a Rock Pipit heading north. Offshore southbound 58 Black-headed Gull, 28 Cormorant, 6 Common Gull, 5 Teal, 3 Sandwich Tern, 2 Brent, Guillemot & Red-breasted Merganser with northbound single Common Scoter & Sandwich Tern. Migrants on site included 12 Chiffchaff, 4 Redwing, 3 Song Thrush, Blackcap, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Mistle Thrush plus a couple of new Wrens.

Red-green Carpet is another classic October flyer but here only in very low numbers.

Ringing: 4 Chiffchaff, 2 Wren, 1 Blackcap, 1 Song Thrush.

Monday 11th October 2021

Turnstone

 Clear and sunny again with a little NNW breeze, slightly brisker and chillier than of late; the little spread of birds on or over the land comprised a Redpoll (overdue first of the autumn), a Fieldfare, 9 Chaffinches, 2 Sparrowhawks, a Snipe, a Jack Snipe (also first of the autumn), 260 Goldfinches, 14 Siskins, 50 Meadow Pipits, 20 Robins, 15 Chiffchaffs, a Goldcrest, a Rock Pipit, 5 Skylark, a Reed Bunting, a Great-spotted Woodpecker, the male Stonechat, a Blackcap and a Wheatear.

It was quiet offshore but birds did include 2 Brent Geese, 3 Teal, an excellent count of 26 Sandwich Terns for the time of year, 4 Pintail, a Gadwall and a Razorbill.

Ringing: Blackbird 1, Chiffchaff 7, Wren 1, Robin 1, Blue Tit 1, Goldcrest 1

An addition to the site list is Stigmella anomalella mining Dog Rose.   This may have been overlooked in the past although a fairly thorough search has only found nine mines spread across the entire site

Sunday 10th October 2021

Stonechat

Fairly clear first thing albeit a bit hazy with mist and murk just inland but it clouded over a few hours in bringing some drizzle (dawn would have been better for that!), there was a nice little selection of random migrants across the area highlighted by 2 Yellow-browed Warblers (which steadfastly avoided all nets), a Dartford Warbler by the cottage, a Stonechat and a Woodlark.

Other birds included 39 Chaffinches, 4 Grey Wagtails, 3 Rook, 2 Jackdaws, 4 Bramblings, 19 Skylark, 9 Siskin, a Mistle Thrush, a House Martin, 8 Swallows, 2 Lapwings, a Reed Bunting, a Goldcrest, a Great-spotted Woodpecker, 25 Robins, 3 Blackcaps and 20 Chiffchaffs.

Ringing: Blackbird 3, Robin 4, Blackcap 2, Chiffchaff 11, Chaffinch 2, Blue Tit 1, Dunnock 1

Common Marbled Carpet is a common and widespread species at this time of year but is in low numbers here this autumn