One of the first ‘autumnal’ feeling days for quite some time, and in mid-October no less! One summer migrant was clearly as taken back with the discovery of a late Osprey drifting south over the South End in the evening. An equally late addition to the yearlist.

The Great Spotted Woodpecker movement continued today with at least four birds on the island, including a young male which was trapped and ringed at the Obs

Traditional late autumn migrants did also appear with a Black Redstart and a male Ring Ouzel at Cristin, and one Firecrest at the Plantation.

Seabirds passing the west and south coasts include one Red-throated Diver, one Great Northern Diver, one Balearic Shearwater, 79 Gannets, four Teals, 29 Common Scoters, two Great Skuas, 13 Mediterranean Gulls, one Little Gull, 599 Black-headed Gulls, 30 Common Gulls, 314 Kittiwakes, and 352 Razorbills.

The Hooded Crow is now back in residence on the Narrows

As well as the high count of four Great Spotted Woodpeckers other migrants totalled two Sparrowhawks, one Buzzard, two Kestrels, two Merlins, one Water Rail, two Golden Plovers,  one Purple Sandpiper, 21 Turnstones, nine Skylarks, nine Swallows, three Grey Wagtails, three White Wagtails, one Wheatear, nine Song Thrushes, eight Redwings, four Blackcaps, six Chiffchaffs, 47 Goldcrests, 40 Coal Tits, ten Blue Tits, seven Great Tits, 28 Choughs, four Rooks, one Hooded Crow, 63 Starlings, 79 Chaffinches, ten Siskins, 228 Goldfinches, seven Lesser Redpolls, and two Reed Buntings.

...and good numbers of Chough are still being seen daily.