17th-18th September

A couple of days of calmer weather bought about some drift passage migrants, but not an awful lot too shout about. Our first Autumnal Jack Snipe was seen at Brides on the 17th along with a female Yellow Wagtail, the Marsh Warbler was present again in the Lurand crop accompanied by one of four Willow Warblers seen that day.
Another couple bumper counts one of 362 Snipe and the other 110 Lapland Buntings gave us hope of better things to come, but it wasn't quite to be, despite that it's given us clear indication that Lapland Buntings have had a very good breeding year and are now erupting out of Scandanavia and making their way South.
Passerine migrants proved harder to catch up with than we'd of liked, but the highlights include 1 Tree Pipit, 4 Rock Pipit, 2 Whinchat, 1 Song Thrush, 3 Lesser and 1 Common Whitethroat, 5 Garden Warbler, 3 Blackcaps, 1 Pied Flycatcher, 26 Twite and 2 Chaffinch.
Non-passerine wise the offerings were as expected really, singles of Pintail, Ruff, Kestrel, Peregrine and Curlew Sandpiper were backed up by 4 Whimbrel and 2 Merlin.
The 18th offered a little more scarcity wise, our first Crossbills of 2016 were seen heading out South from Kirbest, the usual passerine suspects were present, 3 Whinchat, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, 2 Garden Warbler, 6 Willow Warblers, the same Pied Flycatcher as the previous day, a long staying Robin was trapped again in Holland Gardens, as was another long stayer in the form of a Chiffchaff.
The other highlights included a Corncrake at Longar, a Common Rosefinch in Holland that evaded mist nets and our second and third Yellow-browed Warblers of the autumn rounded things off nicely.
All together not a bad couple days but there's a general feeling we have something to come yet!

Lapland Buntings - George Gay

Common Snipe - George Gay

Sanderlings - George Gay


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