21st October

Another day of good visible passage was dominated not by finches but by thrushes. The mornings observations amounted to 131 Redwings, 52 Song Thrushes and 14 Fieldfare over the obs (including the first Fieldfare trapped of the autumn). Although there was no big rare, small oddities continued to turn up throughout the day including a Bearded Tit at the Pulpit Bushes, a Tree Sparrow over Culverwell and the first Black Redstart of the season. Elsewhere, four Firecrests remained at Old Hill and a smattering of three Ring Ouzels were recorded across the island.

The Black Redstart in the hut fields had the plumage to rival even our best and brightest spring birds ©Roger Hewitt: