17th September

Although the wind had eased away a little it remained largely clear and sunny which allowed plenty of opportunity for passage to continue. A Rosy Starling roaming the Windmills/Haylands area was the best of the new arrivals, whilst the Wryneck tally increased to 2 with a new bird at the Obs Quarry an addition to the lingering individual at Barelycrates Lane; odds and ends of further interest included an unidentified ringtail harrier heading high north over the Bill at midday. Routine migrants were a little less plentiful than yesterday but the selection was certainly varied and included the first Reed Bunting of the autumn over the Bill; among the numbers there were 75 Wheatears, 50 Chiffchaffs and 20 Blackcaps grounded at the Bill, where 16 Grey Wagtails and 15 Tree Pipits passed overhead.

It was far too clear and breezy overnight for yesterday's immigrant moth arrival to be sustained, with totals at the Obs dropping to 54 Silver Y, 8 Rush Veneer, 2 Rusty-dot Pearl and singles of Diamond-back Moth, Olive-tree Pearl, Vestal and Dark Sword Grass.

As this view from Cheyne Weare indicates today was a pretty perfect day to be out birding © Ted Pressey


The Rosy Starling was the pick of the day's new arrivals © Roger Hewitt


...whilst the Barleycrates Wryneck continued to entertain © Ted Pressey


On the ringing front it was a lovely day to show visitors what we get up to © Peter Morgan


...and it was nice to catch a Robin bearing a nice shiny - recently fitted? - Brussels ring as potential evidence for where some of the current crop of migrants might have hailed from © Peter Morgan


The oddest catch of the day was this juvenile Peregrine: it downed but didn't kill a young Kestrel and on investigating the din from the latter we discovered the pair of them on the deck in the Crown Estate Field; by sneaking up whilst the Peregrine was intently mantling its potential victim we were able to grab the pair of them by hand! © Peter Morgan