19th November

A good feeling day with a brisk SE wind and extensive cloud cover; some increased coverage with the return of some more eyes, the highlight being the Hume’s Warbler which reappeared at Holland, calling loudly and seen briefly again at dusk and a female Velvet Scoter with a group of 7 Common Scoter off Brides (the first of the year).   There was a good selection of land birds seen including a Long-eared Owl flushed from in front of T4, 2 Merlin, 6 Woodcock, 12 Skylark, 2 Meadow Pipits, 5 Rock Pipits, 3 Robins, a Song Thrush, 7 Chaffinch, a Brambling, 85 Twite in the Kirbest crop, 7 Common Redpolls (three at Kirbest and four near Brides), 49 Snow Buntings and 10 Reed Buntings.

                Other birds included an exceptionally late Manx Shearwater passing the seawatch hide, 7 Red-throated Divers, a Great-northern Diver, 5 Herons, the four Pink-footed Geese, 5 Red-breasted Mergansers, 62 Sanderling, 49 Dunlin, 14 Bar-tailed Godwits, 3 Grey Plover (one on The Links and two in Nouster) and a Little Auk falling prey to a Great Black-backed Gull just off the north end.

Velvet Scoter                                         Simon Davies

Common Redpoll                            Simon Davies