8th September

A very mixed bag in terms of migration: after the dissipation of some morning cloud that had seen Siskin passage pushed down to visible height it was left to raptors to salvage interest out of an otherwise quiet day. The Siskin passage that has characterized the start of September continued, with 260 through at the Bill; hirundines and wagtails, however, were much reduced. Despite the Obs garden holding a smattering of migrants including both common phylloscsBlackcapsWhitethroats and a Pied Flycatcher the majority proved when re-trapped to have lingered from previous days. Away from the Obs, the clear skies and slack wind were perfect conditions for raptors: a morning Goshawk kicked off proceedings over Easton, swiftly followed by 2 Hobbys down the West Cliffs; the late afternoon was graced by an Osprey over Ferrybridge and the north of the island, whilst an unidentified harrier over Easton was the one that got away.

The lingering Pied Flycatcher was a popular performer at the Obs © Martin Cade: