12th and 13th September

Still a few showers whipping through on the 13^th but nowhere near as wet as race day there were however, few new arrivals with a Barred Warbler at Rue the highlight along with 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 2 Garden Warblers, a Blackcap, 8 Willow Warblers, a Goldcrest and 3 Lapland Buntings.   Some good wader counts were centred round the flooded fields at Cauldhame again with 3 Grey Plovers, 3 Little Stints, 2 Curlew Sandpipers, 90 Ruff, 65 Black-tailed Godwits, 24 Bar-tailed Godwits and 279 Redshank.

                Offshore 22 Sooty Shearwaters, a Great-northern Diver, a Red-throated Diver and 34 Arctic Terns passed by while 5 Herons were on the island and the Marsh Harrier, a Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel were seen.

Ruff,  photo Simon Davies

                While the rest of the country was being battered by storms the 13^th was a lovely, calm day with a light NW breeze with a selection of new arrivals including our second Ortolan Bunting of the year found at dusk near the Obs, a very flighty Barred Warbler around Ancum/Burray/Brigg, 2 Common Rosefinches at Holland and Phisligar, a Stonechat (continuing the great year for this species) and a Wood Sandpiper which dropped into Ancum.

                Other landbirds included the first Hen Harrier of the autumn, single Merlin and Kestrel, 3 Blackcaps caught at Holland, 2 Garden Warblers, a Lesser Whitethroat, a House Martin, a Reed Warbler, 3 Sedge Warblers, 12 Willow Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs and 7 Lapland Buntings.   Also of note were 2 Little Stints and 2 Curlew Sandpipers again, even better counts of 101 Ruff and 106 Black-tailed Godwits and a least 6 Water Rails running round Ancum squealing away.

Reed Warbler,  photo Simon Davies