Monday 30th September 2013

An overnight fall delivered an arrival of common migrants with minimum counts of 34 Chiffchaff, 24 Blackcap, two Whinchat, two Wheatear, two Whitethroat, two Reed and a Sedge Warbler. Overhead a steady passage of 640 Swallow headed NE through the morning with a single Hobby, 90 Meadow Pipit, 11 Siskin, nine Skylark, five Grey Wagtail and three House Martin. Elsewhere counts from the estuary included 1020 Wigeon, 142 Brent Geese, again no sign of the Black Brant; 145 Dunlin, 97 Ringed Plover, 17 Sanderling, 12 Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit, six Snipe, five Pintail, three Knot, a Curlew Sandpiper and a Tufted Duck, presumably the Scaup reported yesterday.