15th and 16th October
Windy again on the 15th but it was a decent
day in the field with an excellent arrival of 168+ Whooper Swans
the main feature, birds arrived through the day and by the end of the day there
were 160 roosting on Ancum; other wildfowl included 785 Greylag Geese on the
move, 198 Wigeon and the Green-winged Teal still.
The
day’s other highlights included the Buff-breasted Sandpiper still on The Links, the Red-breasted Flycatcher and Siberian Chiffchaff in Holland,
the Arctic Peregrine again and a late adult Arctic Tern in Linklet
Bay while other migrants comprised 412+ Redwings, 4 Swallows, 6 Robins, 27
Wheatears, 3 Blackcaps, 2 Chiffchaffs, a Goldcrest, 7 Chaffinches, 5
Bramblings, a Lapland Bunting and an increased 22 Snow Buntings.
Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Simon Davies
The
wind mercifully and wonderfully dropped off to almost nothing overnight and
swung round into the east by lunchtime producing a brilliant day out and about
but then almost as instantly, the wind picked up to force 8 with rain by late afternoon. As yesterday, the record breaking total of 267 Whooper Swans was the main feature of the day with big flocks roosting on
Ancum and Brides before noisily and brilliantly making their way further south;
other wildfowl included 42 Barnacle Geese, a Pintail, 75 Tufted Duck, 6
Long-tailed Ducks, 7 Red-breasted Mergansers and the first 3 Goldeneye of the autumn.
Scarcities
through the day included the Buff-breasted Sandpiper,
Red-breasted Flycatcher and Barred Warbler all still in place, the
first Black Redstart of the autumn and randomly, an Ocean Sunfish drifting past The Lurn! Landbirds were mainly lingering birds with a
Kestrel, 2 Merlins, 17 Rock Pipits, a Grey Wagtail, 5 Robins, a Dunnock, a late
Whinchat, 14 Wheatears, 500+ Redwings, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 6 Blackcaps, 2
Chiffchaffs, 3 Willow Warblers, 3 Chaffinches, 15 Bramblings, 5 Lapland
Buntings, 6 Snow Buntings and a flyover Crossbill. The pick of the waders comprised 32
Black-tailed Godwits still, a Jack Snipe, 78 Sanderling and 3 Ruff.
Whooper Swans, Simon Davies
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