From Steven Stansfield, warden, Bardsey Bird & Field Observatory
Landguard
Rain most of day on & off. Handful of new goldcrests, 4 fieldfare, 2 redwing, brambling. Very mild so no incentive for birds to leave the continent.
North Ron
Better for migrants today with some new arrivals such as most of the 409 fieldfares. There were also 191 redwings, 85 blackbirds, 9 short-eared owls, a long-eared owl and a yellow-browed warbler among the birds recorded on the island. Another 29 whooper swans headed south, the great grey shrike and smew were both seen again and 7 little auks passed by on the sea.
Skokholm
A rather miserable and black night was perfect for a few late Manx shearwaters wishing to make their voices heard around the island; a minimum of 11 birds were logged as they made raucous passes through the drizzle. It dawned a cool, overcast and briefly drizzly day, but nevertheless a bit of decent birding was still to be had (in between a mammoth ringing data inputting session). Totals for the day came to 49 fulmar in broad sound (the first of the month), a shelduck, two kestrel, 15 water rail (the highest count of the autumn so far, although 14 were logged on five dates in october), a lapwing, a snipe, only 38 mediterranean gull, 110 black-headed gull and 78 kittiwake(but the majority of gulls frustratingly remained sat on the sea in very calm conditions, which at that range makes them very awkward to identify and count), three short-eared owls hunting roosting thrushes at the well this evening, 18skylark, a grey wagtail, 71 robin, five stonechat, what was probably the same wheatear (getting ever closer to the 1999 record), 28 blackbird, 95 fieldfare (a good count for Skokholm, but some way off the island record of 300), 52 song thrush, 66 redwing, a blackcap, nine chiffchaff, four goldcrest, only 289 starling (but with thousands visible over the mainland), nine chaffinch, 21 goldfinch, three siskin and 21 linnet.
Spurn
Flying south were 253 pink-footed geese, just 4 brambling, 3 siskin and 15 lesser redpoll flew south with 3 fieldfare and 40 starling coming in off the sea. Grounded were a yellow-browed warbler, 313 brent geese, 2 pochard, 3 water rail, 5 rock pipit, 1 grey wagtail, 145 fieldfare, 5 song thrush, 32 redwing, 1 blackcap, 9 chiffchaff, 22 goldcrest, 360 starling, 10 brambling, 8 siskin and 2 lesser redpoll. The American golden plover was still present as was one of the Caspian gulls.
Bardsey
A small arrival of birds comprised of four black redstarts, five woodcocks, a grey wagtail, 98 fieldfares, three mistle thrushes, firecrest and five bramblings.
Sandwich
A wet start with sunny intervals later. The continuing ssw airflow induced little movement however 2 bullfinch dropped in from on high and a raven cronked south along the shore. The scrape held 460 teal, 17 shoveler, a water rail and spotted redshank. The capture of a swedish-ringed goldcrest was the second in the country this autumn and points to the origin of the huge numbers that arrived all along the east coast in October. At Pegwell Bay, winter wader and wildfowl numbers are increasing with 530 wigeon,1840 lapwing and 620 golden plover plus 980 common, 2 yellow-legged and 2 caspian gulls. Our first twite of the autumn were found on the salt-marsh. Moth-wise, a rush veneer and dark sword-grass were possibly the progeny from the summer influx but a male gem could well have been new in.
Hilbre
Thrushes continue to arrive with fieldfares, redwings & blackbird, three bramblings, scarce on Hilbre these days, greenfinch & goldfinches passed through in small number and meadow pipits continue to move along with skylarks, starlings a few collard doves and a single woodpigeon. The brents totalled 71 today with 3 common scoter and a single teal being the only duck, the usual oystercatchers are still increasing along with redshank and turnstone. Grey plover, bar-tailed godwits, knot & dunlin are also present as well as purple sandpiper. Three little egrets were recorded but only 4 great crested grebes alighted on the sea, a peregrine harassed the wader flocks and only a couple of goldcrests were caught.
Gibraltar Point
A return to thick fog this morning was followed by moderate to heavy rain until the last hour of the day. a quick recce at that time confirmed that winter thrushes were again the main feature with a gathering of 200 fieldfares, also a late ring ouzel. gull umbers have been building up and this evening’s roost flight involved over 10,000 black-headed gulls.
Portland
A Swedish-ringed goldcrest.
Filey
A mild, often fogbound and pretty busy week so far at Filey, with a classic late autumn roll-call of migrants: highlights have included a water pipit, a tundra bean goose, a woodlark and two hen harriers - all barely annual here - plus firecrest, ring ouzel, black redstart, black-throated & great northern divers and a handful of lapland buntings providing good back-up. Totals of southbound pink-footed geese are well into four figures for the week, while whooper swans have bypassed on several days. Twite and snow buntings have made almost daily appearances, often arriving in off the sea, and waders have included several jack snipe, plenty of golden plover and regular woodcocks.
Flambro
There were very light southerly winds, a heavy overcast with mist. Seawatching was rewarded with 22 red-throated divers flying south, three shelduck, six gadwall, single shoveler, pochard and goosander. A bonxie lingered offshore and a little gull headed south. A flock of 220 common scoter briefly headed north before returning to Bridlington Bay. a total of 152 pink-footed geese flew south, whilst two pintail, 17 wigeon and six teal frequented north marsh. The greenshank was still at Thornwick Pool, along with single tufted duck, pochard, shoveler, little grebe and eight snipe. Migrants included one woodcock, a short-eared owl that hunted fields near the lighthouse, where a black redstart remained in residence, 82 fieldfare, 19 redwing, three stonechat, three grey wagtails and a snow bunting on the cliff top near old fall. West of the dykes, buckton attracted 45 golden plover and a merlin.
Fair Isle
Easterly winds brought a large fall of fieldfare, with 1105 recorded, along with 313 redwing, 202 blackbirds, 243 snow buntings, 16 woodcock and 2 long-eared owl, whilst lingering rarities included olive-backed pipit and ortolan bunting. Some impressive passage of whooper swans saw a total of 60 recorded.
Dungeness
The day began and ended with mote thick fog and as usual in these conditions there was little evidence of any migration although a Dartford warbler was seen in the desert and five firecrests were scattered around the point.
