20th September

Migrant-friendly conditions - good for migration that is, rather than good for anyone hoping to see many of them - continued to prevail and it remained relatively quiet on the ground. The autumn's first Firecrest was an on cue arrival at the Bill where the best of the rest included 3 Short-eared Owls and a Grasshopper Warbler. The crystal-clear sky was busier, with in excess of 1000 Meadow Pipits through over the Bill; variety was limited though, with hirundines in particular far fewer than might have been expected. Despite the seemingly unhelpful offshore breeze a waterfowl medley provided some interest off the Bill, where 15 Wigeon, two each of both Pale- and Dark-bellied Brent Goose and a lone Teal bolstered a list of more routine fare that included 14 Balearic Shearwaters and an Arctic Skua.