clear, sunny, cold (ground frost). light NNW.
visible migration:
Ring Ouzel - 1
Fieldfare - 171
Lapwing - 3
Jackdaw - 2
Brambling - 5
Linnet - 2
Chaffinch - 31
Meadow Pipit - 4
Redwing - 25
Song thrush - 11
Siskin - 1
Starling - 375
Woodpigeon - 180
Stock Dove - 4
Pied Wagtail - 7
Grey Wagtail - 3
Skylark - 1
Also:
Water Rail - 1
Common Gull - 18
Black-headed Gull - 220
Herring Gull - 12
LBB Gull - 17
Teal - 1
Wigeon - 3
Great Crested Grebe - 4
Shoveler - 8
Magpie - 23+
Mistle Thrush - 6
A good morning for visible migration. The Fieldfare count is the largest for the site, and the Ring Ouzel - north-west with a group of Redwings - is the third site record (and the third in a month), after another bird (seen by LP) on 1st. The three Lapwings are the second record for the year, and finches were again varied. Interestingly, most flyover migrants headed north or north-west, unlike those on other days of visible migration recently, which headed mainly south and south-west; the direction of passage, at least recently, seems to correspond well with the head wind.
Today was the first day on patch where all six species of thrush were recorded. How long until the next? The cold weather both here and in northern/central Europe brought a few interesting ducks in (at last), with three Wigeon and a male Teal. Coots now number over 300, while counts of the commoner duck species remain unremarkable.
Additional - 1st Nov: 1 Ring Ouzel, 2 Brambling, 2 Fieldfare, 1 Redwing, 3 Jackdaw, c 150 Woodpigeon (LP).