17th October

Plenty more of the same today, notably with the flow of Firecrests continuing unabated. With rain setting in soon after midday only half the day was birdable but during that time the Firecrest tally got to around 50 at the Bill and another 20 or more elsewhere; the Red-breasted Flycatcher remained at Broadcroft, a Yellow-browed Warbler was at Sweethill, 2 Hawfinches made brief visits to the Bill and 2 Short-eared Owls and 2 Bearded Tits were amongst the variety of other new arrivals. Seasonable grounded and visible common migrants were numerous and varied, with noteworthy concentrations on the ground that included 45 Goldcrests at Wakeham, whilst the first signs of Wood Pigeon and Starling emigration were of note overhead.

Overnight moth-trapping was the ultimate in damp squibs, with what promise there might have been after yesterday's long range southerly winds and fall of Saharan dust evaporating in the teeth of an almost all night long gale; 3 Rusty-dot Pearl and singles of Vestal and Silver Y were the only immigrants making into the Obs traps.

This morning's Hawfinch at the Obs © Martin King: 

...and Firecrest and Yellow-browed Warbler at Southwell © Pete Saunders: 

And yesterday we forgot to post Joe Stockwell's great little recording of one of the Hawfinches calling as it zoomed around over the Obs - we do hear their 'normal' ticking call from overflying migrants from time to time but quite often this peculiar and rather more unobtrusive wheezy note seems to be the call of choice:

And finally the shortest of clips of today's Two-barred Greenish Warbler at St Alban's Head; we made a very quick tick and run trip for it in the rain this afternoon and were much more intent on just watching it than taking any video. We can't imagine it's going to go anywhere in the current grim conditions so there should be much better video of it to come © Martin Cade: