12th October

The wind had switched to a westerly direction and was refreshingly light though the forecast of occasional showers might have better read 'occasional dry spells' as it turned into an unexpectedly wet day. It was still one of the better ones of the autumn so far with some real highlights, headlined by the fifth island record of Woodlark which flew over the Kirbest/Holland area late afternoon. An Olive-backed Pipit in thistle fields near Kirbest was a predictable find - but still nice, a Red-breasted Flycatcher was discovered late on at Cursitter and the Great Grey Shrike was still near Hooking. Without the wind, seeing birds was much easier and counted were 2 Tree Pipits, a Grey Wagtail, 15 Robins, the Redstart showing characteristics of the eastern form samamiscus again, 3 Whinchats, a Ring Ouzel, 42 Blackbirds, 27 Fieldfares, 73 Song Thrushes, 472 Redwings, a Reed Warbler (trapped at Holland gardens with another frustratingly elusive and brief Acro sp at Nether Linnay which may have been a Blyth's Reed or Paddyfield Warbler!), 32 Blackcaps, 8 Yellow-browed Warblers, 16 Chiffchaffs, 2 Siberian Chiffchaffs (Howar and Stennabreck), 4 Willow Warblers, 184 Goldcrests, 9 Chafinch, 38 Bramblings, a Siskin, 4 Lapland Buntings and 242 Snow Buntings. Groups of Whooper Swans passed south early on totalling 21 birds with 135 Pink-footed and 5 Barnacle Geese also recorded. At least 4 Short-eared Owls and 3 Kestrels were seen, as were 7 Jack Snipes, 7 Woodcocks, the Common Sandpiper and 5 Black-headed Gulls while investigations into the identity of the wing of a Swift sp found underneath the Lighthouse are currently ongoing.

 


Olive-backed Pipit (photo Mark Warren)