There was a welcome improvement on the bird front today. As has often been the case recently, the majority of today's notable sightings were recorded within the first few hours of daylight during a period of overhead passage, with the southerly headwind being light enough to allow 98 Skylarks and ten Grey Wagtails to move through. They were joined by a sprinkling of finches, notably the first four Bramblings of the autumn and four Crossbills, two of which dropped down briefly into Cristin Withy. The 'classic' first two Redwings of the autumn were in the Observatory garden mid-morning, five days earlier than their first appearance in 2017, whilst two Willow Warblers made a late appearance. The highlight of the day was the brief appearance of a House Sparrow for a few minutes in the courtyard at Nant. 

Two Teals, seven Common Scoters, two Sparrowhawks, a Buzzard, two Kestrels, a Merlin, three Peregrines, a Water Rail, a Purple Sandpiper, three Dunlins, a Snipe, a Bar-tailed Godwit, two Whimbrels, 40 Curlews, 13 Redshanks, 56 Turnstones, an Arctic Skua, 56 Mediterranean Gulls, 377 Black-headed Gulls, 14 Common Gulls, 300 Kittiwakes, a Common Tern, 420 Razorbills, a Woodpigeon, a Little Owl, a Swallow, five 'alba' Wagtails, 36 Robins, five Stonechats, two Wheatears, three Song Thrushes, seven Blackcaps, 15 Chiffchaffs, 26 Goldcrests, a Firecrest, three Coal tits, six Blue tits, three Great tits, ten Rooks, a Starling, eight Chaffinches,, two Siskins, 32 Goldfinches, 80 Linnets and two Lesser Redpoll.

The results of Sunday's Bird Observatory Bird Race are up! Congratulations to Gibraltar Point for winning the Mainland League with a scorching 122 species, and an equally well played to North Ronaldsay for coming joint first place with yours-truly in the Island League.