10th October

Another breezy and stunningly clear day saw a couple of much desired migrants gracing our shores. A Yellow-browed Warbler at both Southwell school and Thumb Lane were accompanied by a lone Firecrest at the Obs, a Ring Ouzel in the hut fields and a Black Redstart in the front garden. The supporting cast of 13 Wheatears, a Whinchat, a Jack Snipe and a pair of Merlins were also of note. Thrushes continued to trickle through with a slack handful of Song Thrushes and a flock of 10 Redwings. Alba Wagtail and Meadow Pipit migration was much reduced on recent days although small groups continued to move throughout the morning.

Over the past few days we have been treated to a wide variety of 'alba' Wagtails, with 'Pieds' now vastly outnumbering the White Wagtails we saw passing earlier in the season © Erin Taylor 

...and how tricky can some of them be? © Martin Cade 

Unfortunately, it still hasn't really been happening on the moth front, with the much-vaunted warm spell failing - at least so far - to produce the immigrant goods. Another Radford's Flame Shoulder - the fourth of the last fortnight has been the pick of the oddities, with immigrants otherwise in unexceptional numbers. As much if not more interest has come from the variety and numbers of unseasonable species putting in appearances in the traps; most have appeared on odd occasions at this time of year at some time in the past but a few such as this Chalk Carpet a couple of morning's ago look to be entirely unprecedented for October © Martin Cade: