Despite the expected drop in temperature, it was nevertheless a beautiful and crisp day on the island, with plenty of birds to provide suitable consolation for any discomfort caused by numb hands and toes for the first few hours of the morning. Whilst a flyover
Twite provided some nice scarcity interest, the real spectacle was another mass movement of
Woodpigeons with over 20,000 logged, plus lesser totals of 390
Chaffinches, 340
Stock Doves, 58
Redwing, 9
Brambling, 6
Fieldfare, 3
Golden Plover, 2
Lapwing and a single
Crossbill. The calm conditions seemed to encourage most of the current winterers out of hiding, with up to 6
Black Redstarts, 5
Purple Sandpipers and singles of
Firecrest,
Cetti's Warbler and
Water Rail all seen around the Bill. Elsewhere, a
Merlin was present at Ferrybridge plus belated news of a
Ring Ouzel from Blacknor yesterday.
Some late autumn sunshine was enough to encourage a few migrant Lepidoptera on the wing with Hummingbird Hawkmoth © Debby Saunders and Painted Lady © Mary Snell both seen today:
A Slender Burnished Brass from last night's moth traps was the highlight of an otherwise expected selection of common migrants during the recent spell of mild weather © Jodie Henderson:
