16th September

Another excellent day's birding today with more Honey Buzzards and Wrynecks, at least one Ortolan Bunting and plenty more common migrants, with the continuing glorious sunshine and warmth a more than welcome bonus. Single Honey Buzzards passed over the Bill, Southwell and Blacknor, a new Wryneck at Wallsend increased their tally to three, whilst Ortolans overhead at Weston and Southwell Business Park perhaps involved the same individual. It was maybe too much to hope that the conditions would have dropped anything like yesterday's numbers on the ground but that loss was more than compensated for by plenty on the move ahead, where both Swallow and Meadow Pipit reached four-figure totals at the Bill and the likes of Tree Pipit were well represented. There was still bags of variety on the ground but, for example, the Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler totals dropped back to 50 and 25 respectively at the Bill. Two Balearic Shearwaters provided some of the only interest on the sea.

Whilst hardly matching the probably once in a lifetime events of late September 2000, three Honey Buzzards over the island on one day - they were all juveniles - was something to get very excited about; this one passed over Southwell early in the afternoon © Pete Saunders:


The presumably new Wryneck at Wallsend © Roger Hewitt:


There might not have been lots of grounded migrants but there was plenty of variety if you went out looking, including several Whinchats © Pete Saunders and at least one Pied Flycatcher © Roger Hewitt: