28th September

Despite no let up in the relentless blasting westerlies there were some surprises served up today, not the least of which was an out-of-the-blue reappearance of the Great Reed Warbler at the Obs; a few fortunate seawatchers also struck with a passing Great Shearwater off the Bill. The tally of more mundane fare was much as it's been for most of the week, with 22 Balearic Shearwaters, 2 Great Skuas and singles of Great Crested Grebe and Sooty Shearwater through off the Bill, a steady passage of Meadow Pipits and Swallows through overhead, a Firecrest at the Obs amongst an otherwise thin spread of grounded migrants everywhere and 5 Sanderling and 5 Bar-tailed Godwits the best of the waders at Ferrybridge.

As surprises go the reappearance of the Great Reed Warbler after a full 10 days of it not even being suspected to be still present takes some beating. In truth the weather has been pretty dreadful for all but the first day of that period and, if today's sightings are anything to go by, it's a very furtive bird: it was first spotted mid-morning and there followed a series of brief views over a half-hour or so before it completely vanished again © Martin Cade: