1st November

November opened - as it often does these days - with a pigeon-fest, as Wood Pigeons that had been delayed by several days of turbulent weather took advantage of the beginnings of a clearance to depart in quantity: c39000 was the logged estimate although they were coming so thick and fast at times that there was a feeling that this underplayed the true total. The finches and other movers that were accompanying them were certainly undercounted but included mid to high three figure totals of all the usual late autumn suspects; a lone Hawfinch was the morning's bonus scarcity. With most of what few eyes that were in the field looking skyward for so long other sightings were at a bit of a premium but 5 Redpolls, 3 Black Redstarts, 2 Firecrests and singles of Yellow-legged Gull and Wheatear on the ground and 2 Red-throated Divers and an Arctic Skua through on the sea were additions of interest.

The pigeon-fest © Martin Cade:


The Southwell Barn Owl © Pete Saunders...


...and one of the Bill Black Redstarts © Geoff Orton: