October

           Total number of species for the year 175

31st

The month came to an end very quietly with 6 or 7 Goldcrests, 1 Firecrest, 1 Brambling and the 20plus Long-tailed Tit flock dashing about the Farm Wood.

27th

With the change in wind direction there was a movement south-west of 2462 Goldfinches but little else. In the area were 2 Stonechats, 1 Wheatear, 1 Ring Ouzel, 34 Goldcrests, 1 Firecrest, 4 Coal Tits, 50plus Redpolls (all Lessers), 3 Brambling and a Snow Bunting.

26th

A better day with an arrival of crests (95 Goldcrests and 4 Firecrests), 2 Wheatears, 1 Black Redstart and 1 Chiffchaff.

23rd - 25th

Very few birds of note apart from a summer plumaged Black-throated Diver flying north on 24th and 2 Twite over the Big Field on 25th.

22nd

In the first two hours after dawn large numbers of birds moved inland or north along the cliff-top. There were 2968 Starlings, 1493 Goldfinches, 310 Linnets, 57 Siskins, 36 Alba Wagtails, 3 Snipe, 2 Grey Plover, 1 Golden Plover, 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 1 Merlin, 1 Lapland Bunting and 'bird of the day' a Richard's Pipit.

In the area were 22 Fieldfares, 57 Song Thrushes, 18 Mistle Thrushes, 129 Redwings, 120 Blackbirds, 1 Ring Ouzel, 65 Robins, 3 Stonechats, 4 Chiffchaffs,

52 Goldcrests, 2 Firecrests, 5 Coal Tits, 39 Long-tailed Tits and 16 Yellowhammers.

21st

Less birds today, no doubt due to the clear overnight skies, although there had been an increase in crests with 4 Firecrests and 25 Goldcrests. Across the Big Field we had a Merlin, 15 Yellowhammers and a late Sand Martin.

A visit to the Pines Gardens produced our sixth Yellow-browed Warbler for the Autmn............where's that Pallas's.

20th

Everybody was out early today and more birds were found---- on the sea 5 Red-throated Divers, 288 Brent Geese, 6 Shelduck, 8 Teal, 9 Shoveler, 9 Wigeon, 7 Curlew and a Great Skua moved downchannel and around the area were 130 Blackbirds, 103 Redwings, 18 Song Thrushes, 39 Fieldfares, 1 Ring Ouzel, 1 Black Redstart, 3 Stonechats, 1 Blackcap, 6 Chiffchaffs and, found late on in the afternoon on the Leas, another Yellow-browed Warbler.

15th-19th

Throughout the week we were hard pushed to find more than a solitary Wheatear, 5 Stonechats, 3 or 4 Chiffchaffs and on friday a single Black Redstart.

14th

Early moring saw 1300 plus Starlings coming in off the sea and flying inland but apart from this there was very little movement. Around the area were 4 Wheatears, 6 Stonechats, 14 Chiffchaffs, 15 Goldcrests and 3 Firecrests.

13th

In the first two hours after dawn there was a movement north of 29 Alba Wagtails, 3 Grey Wagtails, 7 Tree Sparrows, 4 Brambling, 26 Redpoll and 1035 Goldfinches.

Around the area were 5 Stonechats, 2 Ring Ouzels, 8 Blackcaps, 18 Chiffchaffs, 7 Goldcrests and 5 Firecrests whilst some 300 plus hirundines fed over the fields.

From 10:00-12:00hrs a seawatch, where birds were moving downchannel, 3711 Brent Geese, 10 Teal, 58 Scoter, 3 Shelduck, 8 Red Breasted Mergansers, 11 Pochard, 15 Wigeon, 2Arctic Skuas and 121 Skylarks.

The afternoon, which was very quiet, finished with a Yellow-browed Warbler being found at the Gun Emplacement and the day ended wonderfully when we beat the French

11th

A very quiet day with no wind and very few birds, only 7 Swallows (over the cliffs) 

7 Stonechats, 3 Wheatears, 1 Ring Ouzel, 8 Chiffchaffs, 1 Blackcap and a small trickle of Goldfinches and Redpolls going north.

7th

Still more Goldfinches today with 1334 moving north and 42 Alba Wagtails but far fewer Redpolls, Siskins and Reed Buntings.

On the newly ploughed fields were 700plus Gulls mainly Black-headed and 265 Starlings.

Elsewhere were 5 Stonechats, 2 Ring Ouzels, 4 Blackcaps, 1 Lesser Whitethroat,19 Chiffchaffs, 13 Goldcrests, 1 Firecrest and 11 Yellowhammers....very little return for a hard days graft.

6th

After a week of lots of birds today was a little disappointing, [apart from us beating the Aussies] as nearly everything had cleared out overnight. Although in a couple of hours after dawn some 1468 Goldfinches flew north and a Snipe was flushed from the fields, we found very few migrants only 1 Ring Ouzel, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Blackcaps, 17 Chiffchaffs and 4 Firecrests.

5th

At dawn there was a movement northeast which included 50 Goldfinches, 80plus Redpoll and 6 Tree Sparrows. A Jack Snipe (new for the year) and Merlin came in off the sea. Fewer grounded migrants today only 5 Stonechats, 2 Ring Ouzels, 1 Blackcap, 23 Chiffchaffs and a Firecrest.

4th

Not as many birds as yesterday, a Marsh Harrier and 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers came in off the sea and around the area were 4 Ring Ouzels, 1 Woodlark, 1 Redstart, 2 Blackcaps, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Willow Warbler, 31 Chiffchaffs and a Firecrest. A solitary Hobby hunted across the fields.

3rd

Between 08:30-09:30hrs there was an enormous movement of birds north along the cliff-top which included 1763 Swallows, 177 Siskins, 242 Goldfinches, 220 Chaffinches, 65 Linnets and 21 Redpolls. Around the area there were 3 Stonechats, 1 Whinchat, 1 Wheatear, 1 Redstart, 3 Lesser Whitethroats, 1 Whitethroat,6 Blackcaps, 65 Chiffchaffs, 1 Yellow-browed Warbler and 14 Firecrests.

Thrushes were also present in good numbers with 4 Ring Ouzels, 6 Mistle Thrushes,

25 Song Thrushes, 63 Redwings and 21 Fieldfares.

2nd

Many Redwings and Fieldfares moving north and upwards of 500 Swallows feeding over the fields. 68 Chiffchaffs still present after the weekend's arrival and 6 Firecrests and 2 Ring Ouzels in the Paddock.