29th October

A bit more about today with some late in the night rain dropping a good little arrival of Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests in particular; thrushes, however, remained far fewer than would usually be the rule at this time of year. The Chiffchaff and Goldcrest tallies were likely up to 100 and 25 respectively around the centre and south of the island, where less frequent migrants included the likes of 8 Firecrests, 8 Black Redstarts, 3 Dartford Warblers and singles of Merlin, Ring Ouzel, Cetti's Warbler and Yellow-browed Warbler, as well as the lingering Wryneck and late singles of Reed Warbler and Whitethroat. Overhead passage continued apace, with 855 Goldfinches, 746 Starlings, 228 Wood Pigeons, 167 Linnets, 134 Meadow Pipits, 94 Chaffinches, 87 Redwings, 36 Skylarks, 20 Bramblings, 17 Siskins, 7 Fieldfares, 7 Redpolls, 2 Woodlarks and a Hawfinch amongst the miscellany through over the Bill. The feeding flock of upwards of 500 Gannets remained off the Bill.

Immigrant moth numbers remained on a par with recent nights, with totals from the Obs garden moth-traps of 46 Rush Veneer, 36 Rusty-dot Pearl, 21 Turnip, 13 Scarce Bordered Straw, 6 White-speck, 3 Hummingbird Hawkmoth, 3 Cosmopolitan, 2 Olive-tree Pearl, 2 Dark Sword Grass, 2 Small Mottled Willow and singles of Tomato Leaf-miner Tuta absoluta, Vestal and Silver Y.

Unaccountably, we still haven't trapped a Crimson Speckled in the Obs garden moth-traps but at least two were discovered by day today (social media channels reported a third but we don't know any details about that one): the first was in the Crown Estate Field © Martin Cade...


...whilst Dave Chown and Pete Akers came across another at Suckthumb Quarry © Duncan Walbridge:


A particularly fine Black Redstart at Southwell today © Dan Law:


The Obs Quarry Wryneck remained in residence © Alan Josey: