11th October 2022

 Weather:   SW force 4, decreasing force 2 later

One of the better migration days recently despite the south westerly. Small movements of Skylarks continued during the day, likewise a few Meadow Pipits came through and a couple of Siskins were heard and a Chiffchaff and Goldcrest were on the ground. The Rock Pipits are now ever present.

A Merlin was disturbed near the south of Middle, a Raven did a patrol of the island, the Kestrel was here and a Sparrowhawk was found in Telegraph house garden. 

 ......All we needed to complete the set was a Peregrine which sadly failed to materialise. 'Sea' birds today included 80 Common Scoter, 3 Red-breasted Merganser and 2 Guillemots. Waders featured the usual species: 89 Grey Plover, 6 Ringed Plover, 203 Curlew, 110 Dunlin, 28 Redshank, 43 Turnstone and 3 Bar-tailed Godwits. These and indeed all other birds are religiously counted by the regular observers, day in and day out and are the basis of the complete island coverage. There were 39 Shelduck about and the Brent reached a new high of 164 birds.

 Three Swans flew east, unfortunately too distantly to identify the species.

Photos AS