29th October

Overnight cloud didn't do the trick today and for the most part it was noticeably quiet both overhead and on the ground. Apart for the almost expected spread of Yellow-browed Warblers - 2 were at Broadcroft and singles at Blacknor and Church Ope Cove - the main feature of the day was an arrival of shorter distance wanderers, with 11 Long-tailed Tits, 5 Bullfinches and a Treecreeper at the Bill and several more parties of Long-tailed Tits and single Bullfinches scattered widely elsewhere. Other oddities included at least 14 Firecrests dotted about the island, single Hawfinches at East Weare and Reforne, single Ring Ouzels at Pennsylvania Castle and East Weare, a Siberian Chiffchaff at Bottomcombe, singles of Black Redstart and Mistle Thrush at the Bill and a late Sand Martin at Bumpers Lane. A notable concentration of 70 Goldcrests and 20 Chiffchaffs was discovered at East Weare, but for the most part commoner migrants weren't particularly plentiful anywhere.

On a cold and windy night the immigrant moth tally dropped to just 6 Silver Y, 2 Vestal and singles of Rusty-dot Pearl and Delicate.

A couple of nice little video clips of the Broadcroft Yellow-browed Warbler and the Bottomcombe Siberian Chiffchaff © Dave Foot:



One of a party of Long-tailed Tits at Southwell © Debby Saunders:



And one of the wintering Purple Sandpipers back at the Bill tip © Roger Hewitt: