two sites:
SN Reservoirs 0645-0915 MJP, LP
mild, mainly bright; patchy cloud early, then sunny. light W.
visible migration:
Rock Pipit - 1
Meadow Pipit - 35
Brambling - 8
Siskin - 13
Redpoll - 2
Chaffinch - 92
Greenfinch - 20
Goldfinch - 22
Grey Wagtail - 13
Yellow Wagtail - 1
alba Wagtail - 39
Song Thrush - 17
Mistle Thrush - 24
Redwing - 12
House Martin - 2
Swallow - 1
Reed Bunting - 5 (3 over, two down)
also:
Peregrine - 1 female
Reed Warbler - 1
Wigeon - 1
Kingfisher - 1
Chiffchaff - c6 (inc. a dull, greyish bird with wing bars).
Walthamstow Marshes 1000-1200 MJP
sunny, warm. light W.
Skylark - 2
Meadow Pipit - 16
Willow Warbler - 1 singing
House Martin - 2
Siskin - 3
Linnet - 5
An enjoyable and varied morning at the Reservoirs, where arriving in time for dawn (as is often the case at this particular time of year) brought rewarding results overhead. After a dull and cloudy start, the sun gradually broke through, and by 0730 the skies were mainly sunny; much of the flyover activity, again as is usually the case, was early on, the majority of birds moving between 0700 and 0800.
Particularly impressive were finches and wagtails, with record site counts this morning for Chaffinch, Siskin, alba and Grey Wagtail - the latter including two small groups, a surprising occurence. Flyover Bramblings, Siskins and redpolls were also all the first of the autumn. Pipits were also on the move, with the autumn's first Rockit and Mipits moving in small numbers. Thrushes were out in force, with many Blackbirds down in the scrub, and Redwings, Song & (especially) Mistle Thrushes moving and often dropping into cover.
Otherwise, late migrants included another Yellow Wagtail and a Reed Warbler, and single Peregrine, Kingfisher and Wigeon were all present.