20th October

While we were swanning about in shorts and t-shirts under blue skies and blazing sunshine it was barely believable to read that great swathes of the rest of the country were being battered by incessant wind and rain; not only was our weather glorious but the quality of the birding and mothing left little to be desired. A nice arrival of scarcities included 3 Yellow-browed Warblers (2 at Culverwell and another at Wakeham) and an eastern Lesser Whitethroat (in the Crown Estate Field), whilst a scatter of the likes of 4 Black Redstarts, 2 Ring Ouzels and singles of Jack Snipe, Short-eared Owl and Firecrest were all there to be enjoyed. A slightly unconventional arrival of commoner migrants included large numbers of grounded Dunnocks and parties of tits dropping from the sky, along with a steady overhead passage of Wood Pigeons, Skylarks and Chaffinches. 

A few of today's oddities: Yellow-browed Warbler, eastern Lesser Whitethroat and Jack Snipe © Joe Stockwell...




...and Ring Ouzel © Martin Cade: