A remarkable day with plenty of surprises amongst a total of 96 species recorded. Vis Mig provided the bulk of the highlights but plenty of wildfowl and gulls continued the excitement. Overhead the Wood Pigeon movement beat the previous site record with 53,690 counted mainly going south/south-west offshore in long lines, the largest flock 7450 strong; with them at least 73 Stock Dove but this was a significant under estimate. The surprises started with a Red Kite south at 9.10, closely followed by two juvenile White-fronted Geese at 10.15, and then the seventh Great White Egret for the recording area flew in off the sea and up the estuary at 10:50 (the same bird flew west past Abbotsbury, Dorset at 9.25). Other species included a very late Turtle Dove, 101 Jackdaw, 72 Skylark, 41 Chaffinch, 15 Bullfinch, six Mistle Thrush, four Redpoll and four Siskin.
Offshore a large feeding congregation attracted three adult Little Gull, two Arctic Skua, 110 Common Scoter, 95 Kittiwake, 35 Razorbill, 11 Eider, three Red-throated and two Great Northern Diver, a drake Tufted Duck and an immature Velvet Scoter. Counts from the estuary included 1150 Wigeon, 260 Teal, 210 Black-tailed Godwit, 159 Redshank, 48 Turnstone, 35 Dunlin, six Mediterranean Gull, three Pale-bellied Brent and the Slavonian Grebe.
Elsewhere the Bonaparte's Gull was offshore briefly before heading into the estuary, a Coal Tit was on site and a Cirl Bunting was singing along the Back Path.
Cirl Bunting - Alan Keatley
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