20th October

Another awesome, autumn day of birding with a very light easterly breeze bringing with it mist and murk which drifted in and out all day (not so good for planes though!), there were thousands of birds right across the island producing an amazing spectacle; highlights included a cracking PALLAS’S WARBLER in the garden at Bewan House (really scarce on the island, the first one for many years), a very flighty Great Grey Shrike at Ancum (also new for the year), the Bluethroat again at Sandback and a fantastic total of 51 Ring Ouzels in amongst the hoardes of other Thrushes which totalled 4,136 Redwings, 710 Blackbirds, 268 Song Thrushes and 275 Robins.

Goldcrest

                Other migrants totals from the day included 5 Jack Snipe, 16 Woodcock, 4 Woodpigeons, 2 Long-eared Owls, a late Swallow, 4 Grey Wagtails, 2 Black Redstarts, 4 Redstarts, 8 Wheatears, 70 Fieldfares, 3 Mistle Thrushes, 2 Lesser Whitethroats (both probably blythi types), 23 Blackcaps, an arrival of 9 Yellow-browed Warblers, 29 Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler, 87 Goldcrest, the Red-breasted Flycatcher still, 14 Chaffinch, 114 Brambling, a Greenfinch, 3 Siskins, 7 Common Redpolls, 7 Lapland Buntings, 42 Snow Buntings and the second Yellowhammer of the year.

                There were still 26 Whooper Swans from last week’s big movement while other wildfowl included 170 Wigeon, the Green-winged Teal, 2 Pintail, single Scaup and Long-tailed Ducks and 3 Red-breasted Mergansers.   Notable wader counts comprised 850 Golden Plover, 20 Purple Sandpipers and 21 Bar-tailed Godwits while an influx of Gulls included 126 Common, 133 Herring and 207 Great Black-backs with a late Arctic Tern at the north end.

Pallas's Warbler

Bluethroat

Photos Simon Davies