6th October 2024

 Weather: ESE force 4

An eventful start to the day, members told the story. ' We’d gone on early to look for the Tawny Owl from the other day - didn’t see it but found the Weasel in the Obs garden!  Later a Starling appeared again on the Motus and a Siskin passed over. At about 815am we went through the heli garden and a phylloscopus appeared at the box end, it was our 3rd Yellow-browed Warbler of the autumn. I was contacted and informed it was the 100th to be colour-ringed in the country this autumn'.

'Later on I was following a Raven off down the reef when it landed on a rock near little eye next to another large brown bird. I lifted my bins and realised it was a raptor sat on the rock … it was only when it lifted and flew a short distance I realised it was a Red Kite. It flew a short distance again and landed briefly on little then flew off from little around me and off to the South West … an amazing morning.'

 

 

'Rain arrived soon after and perhaps it had brought the warbler, a Sparrowhawk and the Red Kite in.  When I looked at my photos of the kite it appears to have some remnants of food from its bill … so maybe it had been eating some carrion - hence why it was on the ground and perhaps why the Raven was nearby.'  There were 2 Ravens this morning, the Sparrowhawk was a male. Apart from these exciting events very few new birds arrived. Counted were 120 Brent, 2 Eider, a Shag, 6 Grey Herons, 4 Great Crested Grebes, 40 Turnstone, 3 Knot and a Bar-tailed Godwit.

Photos SRW