14th October

A very pleasant day had plenty of migrant interest and a good window of mist-netting weather. The day's highlights were a new Little Bunting and a Yellowhammer at Kirbist and a Slavonian Grebe in Linklet Bay. Thrush numbers were generally diminished, with counts dropping to 343 Redwings, 102 Blackbirds, 77 Song Thrushes, 14 Fieldfares and 3 Ring Ouzels, but Goldcrests increased to 77 and Bramblings to an impressive 218 birds. A variety of other noteworthy passerines included a Tree Pipit, a Redstart, a Whitethroat, 2 North-Western Redpolls, a (Mealy) Common Redpoll, 2 Goldfinches, 4 Siskins and 4 Lapland Buntings. The first Common Scoter for several months was in Nouster Bay, 6 Woodcocks were seen and 8 Jack Snipe were flushed from boggy areas at Kirbist and Ancum.

The excellent Brambling total included a spectacular flock of around 130 birds in the crop field at Kirbist.