Today brought bright and breezy conditions across the island, with a steady westerly wind keeping things fresh. Temperatures hovered around 11 degrees , and although cloud cover was variable, there were plenty of sunny spells throughout the day. Visibility remained excellent, and the wind, gusting up to 32 mph, added a lively feel to the otherwise pleasant autumn weather.

Away from recording birds, Emma and Steve have been packing up the Lodge for the winter and washing load after load of bedding - over 20 loads of sheets, duvet covers, mattress and pillow protectors and pillow cases, all washed, dried and folded in the past week.

one of the last loads of washing to be done

Offshore movement was notable first thing, with two Great Northern Divers seen off the West Coast, including one adult in full summer plumage again. A single Manx Shearwater headed south; Argentina-bound! while 34 Gannets and four Shags passed by steadily. Three Cormorants were on Carreg yr Honwy, and one Grey Heron was seen on the Narrows.

Wildfowl included three Wigeons and 14 Mallards on Solfach, while a female/imm Tufted Duck off the West Coast was the first of the year.

A single Merlin was over the north end, and a Water Rail was heard calling in Withies. Three Moorhens were at the Observatory.

Waders were again present in modest numbers, with 21 Oystercatchers at Henllwyn, four Curlews off the West Coast.

Gull passage was quite impressive today, with 228 Mediterranean Gulls moving along the West Coast, and as well as the spectacle, it was was particularly striking in the context of long-term trends. Between 1964 and 2004, we logged just 211 bird-days - 179 of those since 1998. But since 2004, the island has recorded a staggering 9287 bird-days (excluding this year). How times have changed.

Also seen were two Common Gulls, 14 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 43 Herring Gulls, and 17 Great Black-backed Gulls. One Arctic Tern was also recorded offshore, along with 126 Kittiwakes and a movement of 338 Razorbills.

Overhead passage included 74 Skylarks over the Observatory, 27 Meadow Pipits across the Lowlands and West Coast. A single Grey Wagtail was seen at the Observatory.

Resident and migrant passerines included six Wrens, four Dunnocks, four Robins, and nine Blackbirds. A lone Song Thrush was also present. Just one Chiffchaff today - at Ty Pellaf and two Goldcrests at the Observatory.

Long-tailed Tit

The tit flocks was still here, with 12 Long-tailed Tits, and singles of Blue Tit and Great Tit. 19 Magpies were logged, mostly around Ty Pellaf, and 24 Choughs were seen feeding on Solfach. 23 Carrion Crows were around the Narrows, and 14 Ravens were seen over the Observatory and the Mountain.

Starling numbers were down on yesterday's arrival, with just 600 moving across the lowlands. Finch passage included was also down, with 245 Chaffinches, one Brambling, 23 Goldfinches, 16 Siskins, and two.

The day ended with a great sunset over the Irish Sea.

Sunset © Steven Stansfield