Saturday 7th October 2023

Lighter winds allowed for better vismig today. 827 goldfinch flew south along with 27 siskin and 3 lesser redpoll. 1 woodlark and 9 skylark joined them throuh the morning, with 40 meadow pipits and 16 pied and 3 grey wagtails. Highlight of the southward passage was 10 spoonbills, the largest flock recorded here. The Cetti's was singing again from the north end of the reserve and chiffchaff numbers seem to have slightly risen. Some goldcrest were still present in the holm oaks at the front of the observatory with at least one female fresh in. 2 young male sparrowhawks were upsetting the large mixed finch and starling flocks all day.

Birds Ringed: Blackcap 5, Chiffchaff 8, Goldcrest 1, Goldfinch 2, Lesser Redpoll 1, Meadow Pipit 2, Robin 1, Sparrowhawk 1.

Friday 6th October 2023

Stong westerlies made vismig pretty tricky today. Goldfinch continued to trickle through along with a single siskin and a few meadow pipits. Out to sea 25 brent geese and 49 wigeon passed through, but little else. A few goldcrest were new in, but single figures at best. Chiffchaffs are still the most abundant warbler with only one blackcap encountered all morning.

Green-brindled Crescent is a classic autumnal species.

Birds Ringed: Blackcap 1, Chiffchaff 4, Dunnock 1, Goldcrest 2, Sparrowhawk 1. 

Thursday 5th October 2023

Migration was slower than yesterday, with a guillemot heading south the highlight. Another 670 goldfinch headed south with smaller numbers of lesser redpoll, siskin, linnet and chaffinch. Chiffchaffs are now by far the most abundant warbler around, hardly surprising at this time of year, but the blackcap numbers aren't as high as we might expect. 

Birds Ringed: Blackcap 1, Chiffchaff 7, Grey Wagtail 1, Pied Wagtail 1, Wren 2.

Wednesday 4th October 2023

Wood Pigeon rear more young in the autumn than throughout the summer here.

Half decent vis mig movements this morning with southbound at least 681 Goldfinch, 210 Mipit, 134 Siskin, 120 Linnet, 49 Swallow, 11 Pied Wag, 11 Redpoll, 5 House Martin, 4 Greenfinch, 3 Chaffinch, 2 Crows, 2 Grey Wag & 2 Reed Bunting. Grounded migrants included 125 Linnet, 100 Goldfinch, 20 Chiffchaff, 8 Blackcap, 3 Wheatear, Garden Warbler, Merlin, Short-eared Owl & Spot Fly. A Grey Plover was on the jetty & 2 Cetti's Warblers are still with us.

Beaded Chestnut is an October flyer that is now on the Red List as "near threatened" due to population declines.

Ringing: 8 Chiffchaff, 6 Blackcap, 3 Lesser Redpoll, 2 Blue Tit, 2 Wren, 1 Blackbird, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Dunnock, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Robin.

Tuesday 3rd October 2023

Strong winds and rain overnight didn't seem to stop a significant clear out of migrants. The spotted flycatcher remained in the compound, feeding despite the wind, but a lot of the chiffchaffs and blackcaps had left. Meadow pipit numbers were down and we haven't heard any redpolls moving in a couple of days. Two Cetti's warblers remain on the site, a new site 'record number'. We have done well for this species this year.  A trickle of swallows passed south throughout the morning.

Common Marbled Carpet was almost non-existent on its first emergence, and does not seem to be doing well on its late emergence either.

Birds Ringed: Blackcap 1, Blue Tit 1, Dunnock 1, Grey Wagtail 1, Wren 1. 

Monday 2nd October 2023

A thick mist covered the reserve most of the morning. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, chiffchaffs and blackcaps were all over the site, with conservative totals of 30 blackcap and 40 chiffchaff. A spotted flycatcher was new in and spent a lot of time in the compound, feeding and bathing. A reed warbler was equally fresh in and perhaps less expected. 

We also had our fourth site record of the nationally rare, red listed Figure of Eight.

Birds Ringed: Blackcap 11. Blue Tit 2, Chiffchaff 17. Dunnock 1, Goldfinch 4, House Sparrow 1, Lesser Whitethroat 1, Linnet 3, Meadow Pipit 1, Reed Warbler 1, Robin 2, Spotted Flycatcher 1, Woodpigeon 1.

Sunday 1st October 2023

Southbound 128 Mipit, 122 Swallow, 28 Goldfinch, 13 Siskin, 11 Wigeon, 4 Brent, Chaffinch, Oyk & Pintail. On site 16 Chiffchaff, 12 Blackcap, 2 Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Woodlark and what is presumably the same Cetti's Warbler that has been noted intermittently. A Coal Tit at the cottage eluded racial identification.

First noted here in 2019 Musotima nitidalis is an adventive species accidentally introduced by horticulturists from the antipodes that has now become annual in occurence.

Ringing: 4 Blackcap, 4 Chiffchaff.