21st October

A lot of thrushes and other migrants had cleared out, but reasonable numbers still remained. Notable passerines included a new Yellow-browed Warbler at Westness, a Crossbill, 3 Lapland Buntings, 2 Greenfinches, 50 Bramblings, a Ring Ouzel, 4 North-Western Redpolls and the same Arctic Redpoll. The American Golden plover was still with the Golden Plovers near the surgery.

Another Hornemanni Arctic Redpoll picture - but we'll never tire of seeing these birds up close. In the hand, this individual can be identified as a first-winter male.

And, from the opposite end of the Dulux redpoll chart, this large and dingy North-Western specimen is probably a Greenlandic Rostrata bird.