9th October

Nice quiet and largely overcast conditions made for easy birding again today. Highlights weren't exactly plentiful but included yet another Yellow-browed Warbler - this one again at the Obs - and a few seasonable less regulars of the likes of a Great Spotted Woodpecker at the Bill/Southwell, singles of Ring Ouzel and Firecrest at the Bill and a Lapland Bunting over Blacknor. It was again the numbers that were more impressive, with off-passage gatherings of more than 1500 Linnets at the Bill and strong southbound movements there of several hundred each of alba wagtails and Linnets.

The overnight immigrant moth tally at the Obs included 29 Rusty-dot Pearl, 18 Delicate, 2 Rush Veneer and singles of Pearly Underwing, Silver Y and Red Admiral butterfly.

When it comes to sound recording, Ring Ouzels are something we usually seem to be in the wrong place at the right moment for; today though we jammed one that pitched into a hawthorn tree right above our head at Culverwell when we popped up to do a small job there - we were far from equipped for a recording but it's amazing how good the voice recorders on phones are these days:


The off-passage gatherings of Linnets in our stewardship crops are really impressive just at the moment © Pete Saunders: