31st October

Coverage plummeted today but a morning of fair weather before wind and rain set in through the afternoon allowed for the stalwarts to accrue a pretty respectable tally, amongst which it was overhead passage that again provided all the numbers. The day's highlight was for most a frustration: an ultra-elusive Radde's Warbler in thick cover near the Obs could at times be heard calling from only a few feet away but, aside from occasional flight views, was seen just once fully in the open all day. Far from comprehensive coverage of the ground revealed a few spots with quantities of birds, including 22 Chiffchaffs and 8 Goldcrests at Pennsylvania Castle/Wakeham, but the overall impression was that new arrivals weren't numerous; 10 Firecrests, 9 Black Redstarts, 2 Merlins, a Cetti's Warbler and a Yellowhammer were the best of the well-scattered selection of oddities on the ground. Overhead passage was strong for the first few hours of the morning, with the 2.5 hours after dawn at the Bill returning totals that included 994 Goldfinches, 958 Starlings, 760 Wood Pigeons, 562 Linnets, 324 Jackdaws, 214 Chaffinches, 211 Meadow Pipits, 135 Skylarks, 38 alba wagtails, 35 Siskins and 21 Greenfinches. The sea was noticeably quieter than in recent days, with 2 Velvet Scoter and a Balearic Shearwater the best from the Bill.