6th October

Precious little change today with the increasingly balmy conditions doing nothing to jazz up migrant numbers. A Grey Phalarope was a surprise find off Chesil and, given the benign sea state, it even more surprisingly later relocated to Ferrybridge where it showed extremely well. The sad state of affairs migrant-wise continued, with even visible passage reduced under the clear, sunny sky. Linnets have now reached almost par with Meadow Pipits but neither topped 400 over the Bill, where all the other usual suspects were represented but none in great quantity; in terms of this post-Trichomonosis era a total of 7 migrating Greenfinches were, sadly, well worth a mention (only one Greenfinch was logged at the Obs during the whole of September). The less said about the grounded migrant situation the better, with the only event worth passing comment being a small arrival of new Blue and Great Tits at the Bill. Singles of Balearic Shearwater and Arctic Skua passed by off the Bill.

The Grey Phalarope put on a very good show © Martin Cade: