21st October

A brilliant, classic autumn day with thousands of birds across the island; the bulk of the numbers were typically Thrushes with counts of 400 Blackbirds, 1,025 Fieldfares, 1,468 Redwings and 32 Song Thrushes most noteworthy.   The highlights in amongst the multitudes included a Little Bunting briefly at Gravity, a Barred Warbler and a Crossbill trapped at Holland in the morning, the Richard's Pipit still at the north end and the first Iceland Gull of the autumn with another influx of Great Black-backed and big, dark agentatus Herring Gulls.   The rest of the numbers consisted of 37 Robins, 108 Blackcaps, 16 Chiffchaffs (most pale abietinus birds), 4 Black Redstarts, two Ring Ouzels and a Long-eared Owl while the totals of 172 Bramblings and 232 Snow Buntings were forming big orange and white mixed flocks flitting across the fields.   Other bits and pieces included an influx of wildfowl with 7 Whooper Swans, 13 Barnacle Geese, a Goldeneye and 9 Long-tailed Ducks noted and the long staying Wood Sandpiper and Black-tailed Godwit.

Barred Warbler