A very quiet morning, despite a brief thrush rush as the sun rose. The rest of the mornings observations were hard work, with a lot of the interesting records being out to sea. A few duck passed, with a tufted duck heading upriver, 3 pintail and 7 shelduck south and 14 common scoter north. A red-throated diver was present on the sea in the afternoon, and a snipe was on the reserve in the morning, along with 2 purple sandpipers on the jetty, 2 ringed plover and 3 sanderling.
7 redwing and 10 song thrush were a nice sign of some passerine movement, as was a fresh blackbird and robin in the observatory compound. 2 chaffinch flew south and another was present in the observatory compound. 33 goldfinch flew south along with 19 swallows and 10 meadow pipits. A few new great tits have ventured down from the town and a solitary goldcrest was on site.
Red-green Carpet is another mid-October specialist in low numbers this year.
Birds Ringed: Blackbird 1, Goldcrest 1, Great Tit 2, Redwing 3, Robin 1, Song Thrush 1.