Wednesday 11th October

Seawatching saw at least 400 Gannet head south in four hours but the movement continued through the day, also moving two Balearic Shearwater, nine Arctic and five Great Skua, 80 Common Scoter, just seven Kittiwake, a Great Northern Diver and a late juvenile Hobby.

Elsewhere a Merlin made a couple of hunting attempts around the Bight and Warren Point before heading high off towards Exmouth, with summer migrants dwindling to four Swallow and single Chiffchaff and Wheatear. Counts from the estuary included 1930 Wigeon, 431 Curlew, 261 Great Black-backed Gull, 201 Redshank, 185 Dunlin, 145 Dark-bellied and 19 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 93 Black-tailed and 27 Bar-tailed Godwit, 32 Grey Plover, 10 Knot, nine Mediterranean Gull, a Little Stint and the Slavonian Grebe.

Merlin - Lee Collins