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Saturday 27th October 2018


Handful of new Blackies were coming in off the sea during the afternoon.

Distinctly cooler so 3 Swallows moving south need to get a move on. Far to much time spent starring out to sea than it deserved produced southbound 105 Teal, 90 Brent, 72 Wigeon, 48 Black-headed Gull, 29 Shelduck, 8 Common Scoter, 2 Gadwal, 2 Gannet, Guillemot, Oyk, Little Egret & Red-throated Diver with northbound 11 Brent, 8 Teal, 5 Common Scoter, 4 Wigeon & Curlew which sounds impressive but birds per hour was on the low side. 24 Common Scoter sat on the sea for a while & a Bonxie did some loitering in the distance. Passerines heading south over the reserve were 16 Goldfinch, 8 Mipit, Skylark & Rock Pipit plus 30 Skylark, 26 Redwing, 7 Fieldfare, Snipe and a few Blackies in off the sea. 812 Cormorant headed out to sea fishing early on as a male Peregrine hunted along the beach. Migrants on site hard to come across but included 25 Blackbird, Redwing & Snipe.

Ringing: 13 Blackbird, 2 Redwing.

Friday 26th October 2018

 Song Thrush on the reserve.

Overcast and a strong Westerly breeze. Noted on the reserve, 1,000 Starling, 15 Goldfinch, 12 Meadow Pipit, 6 Redwing, 4 Goldcrest, 3 Greenfinch, 2 Stonechat, 1 Great Skua, 1 Redpoll, 1 Rock Pipit & 1 Stock Dove. Going North, 1 Brent Goose, 1 Siskin & 1 Turnstone. Going out to sea East, 729 Cormorant. Going South, 40 Goldfinch, 18 Chaffinch, 8 Common Scoter, 7 Siskin, 7 Wigeon, 6 Brent Goose, 2 Med Gull, 1 Gannet & 1 Shelduck. Coming in off the sea going West, 24 Fieldfare.

The Streak has only been noted here on a couple of previous occasions, it lives on Broom.

11 birds ringed: Fieldfare 5, Redwing 3, Goldfinch 2, Woodpigeon 1.

Thursday 25th October 2018


Only the second Yellowhammer trapped here this century.

Glorious sunny late October day and probably far to nice to produce much. Southbound 9 Skylark, 2 Goldfinch, 2 Mipit, Curlew, Rock Pipit, Siskin with northbound 2 Curlew & 2 Siskin plus 39 Fieldfare in off. On site 23 Mipit, 15 Blackbird, 8 Redwing, 3 Brambling, 3 Tree Sparrow, 2 Blackcap, Fieldfare, Goldcrest, Rock Pipit & Turnstone.


Is this an unusual female Common Darter or something more interesting !

15 birds ringed: 7 Blackbird, 2 Blackcap, 1 Fieldfare, 1 Great Tit, 1 Greenfinch, 1 Meadow Pipit, 1 Redwing, 1 Yellowhammer.

Wednesday 24th October 2018


Starlings are one of the more impressive spectacles at the moment.

Fairly quiet morning. On the move southbound 49 Redpoll, 39 Stock Dove, 35 Wood Pigeon, 20 Goldfinch, 17 Siskin, 4 Carrion Crow, 4 Chaffinch, 3 Pied Wagtail, 3 Swallow, 2 Woodlark, House Martin, Skylark & Swallow plus 84 Fieldfare & 22 Mipit coming in off the sea. On site a handful of the commoner migrants in very small numbers including 6 Goldcrest, 6 Redwing, 2 Brambling & Rock Pipit. Offshore movements limited to 3 Common Scoter south & a Little Gull doing some loitering. Cormorant numbers heading out to sea to go fishing have picked up with 528 heading out early on.


Blastobasis laticolella was accidentally introduced via the horticultural trade and is fairly common here.

35 birds ringed: 18 Lesser Redpoll, 7 Blackbird, 2 Great Tit, 2 Robin, 2 Song Thrush, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Redwing, 1 Starling, 1 Wren.

Tuesday 23rd October 2018

Part of the Starling flock leaving roost in the morning.

A Blustery Northwesterly wind and overcast start to the day, the cloud clearing during the morning. Noted on the reserve, 2,000 Starling, 15 Goldfinch, 10 Meadow Pipit, 6 Goldcrest, 2 Greenfinch, 2 Med Gull, 1 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Redwing, 1 Stonechat & 1 Woodcock. Going North, 4 Turnstone & 1 Curlew. Going out to sea East, 274 Cormorant. Going South, 55 Goldfinch, 10 Common Gull, 6 Siskin, 5 Teal, 3 Med Gull, 3 Shelduck, 3 Skylark, 2 Oystercatcher, 1 Brent Goose, 1 Curlew, 1 Eider, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Lapwing, 1 Merlin, 1 Rock Pipit & 1 Wigeon. Coming in off the sea going West, 1 Curlew.

2 birds ringed: Blackbird 1, Lesser Redpoll 1.

Monday 22nd October 2018

One of the four Stonechat on the reserve this morning.

A cool Northeasterly breeze and clear sky. Noted on the reserve, 3,500 Starling, 12 Goldcrest, 8 Meadow Pipit, 4 Redpoll, 4 Stonechat, 1 Blackcap, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 House Martin, 1 Redwing & 1 Stock Dove. Going out to sea East, 191 Cormorant. Going South, 10 Siskin, 3 Blackbird, 2 Meadow Pipit, 2 Skylark, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Grey Wagtail & 1 Swallow. Coming in off the sea going West, 270 Black-headed Gull & 8 Cormorant.

Only the second record of Small Mottled Willow this autumn, it is a long distance migrant that is not seen here every year.

8 birds ringed: Lesser Redpoll 3, Goldcrest 1, Goldfinch 1, Great Tit 1, Sparrowhawk 1, Wren 1.

Sunday 21st October 2018

Today's Shorelark.

Some vis mig in the form of southbound 142 Goldfinch, 41 Chaffinch, 28 Wood Pigeon, 15 Linnet, 14 Skylark, 7 Greenfinch, 7 Mipit, 7 Redpoll, 4 Carrion Crow, 4 Swallow, House Martin, Reed Bunting & Rook. On site a small arrival of the usual mid-October culprits including 20 Mipit, 15 Blackbird, 12 Goldcrest, 4 Blackcap, 3 Reed Bunting, 2 Stonechat, Brambling, Fieldfare, Rock Pipit, Snipe plus a Shorelark towards the point. Offshore movements non-existent on a glorious sunny flat calm morning.

Spoladea recurvalis is a notable tropical species only previously noted here in 2011. This worn example looks like it has to come a long way to get here.

23 birds ringed: 9 Blackbird, 5 Chaffinch, 3 Goldcrest, 3 Wren, 1 Blackcap, 1 Great Tit, 1 Wood Pigeon.