19th September

 A mixed bag of a day as we saw a continuation of yesterdays strong north-easterly winds and intermittent cloud cover. A downturn in the hirundine passage we've been experiencing was oddly countered by an increase in raptors including Hobby and Merlin. Waterfowl and waders continued to dominate the unusual records as we saw our first Wigeon past the Bill as well as a lone Pintail and two each of Teal and Eider. Golden Plovers delighted those who got to the Bill Common in the early morning along with a probable Curlew Sandpiper. A reduction in Chiffchaff numbers left the land feeling much quieter than in recent days but the arrival of four Spotted Flycatchers, three each of Firecrest and Goldcrest, a single Redstart added some much appreciated variety. In terms of rarity, the best we could do was a single Turtle Dove and the lingering Rosy Starling. Overhead, Siskins remained the common denominator and we finally saw a piece of the Lapland Bunting action that the rest of the UK has been experiencing. 

Just some of the wader selection from today as well as further signs of Firecrest movement: Golden Plover and Curlew Sandpiper © Pete Saunders, mixed wader flock and Firecrest © Debby Saunders