Finally, finally, finally! Lovely calm conditions produced the first decent passage morning of the autumn with a fine selection of birds moving south including some typical autumnal species that have usually made an appearance before now. Totals included 44 Swallows, 23 Bramblings (first of the autumn), 44 Chaffinches, 41 Siskins, 315 Linnets, 935 Goldfinches, 18 alba Wagtails, 5 Grey Wagtails, 3 Rock Pipits, 496 Meadow Pipits, 6 Greenfinches, 13 Skylarks, a Woodlark (a Landguard tick, after missing a few over the last couple of days), 2 Jays, a Merlin which came in off the sea carrying prey and a Peregrine which went south out at sea.
Offshore, a few birds also went south including 178 Black-headed Gulls, 48 Common Gulls, 3 Mediterranean Gulls, 7 Gannets, 80 Brent Geese, 15 Dunlin, 9 Teal, 5 Shelduck, a Curlew, 6 Wigeon, 5 Sandwich Terns, a Knot, 6 Red-throated Divers, a Razorbill (north) and 16 Common Scoter.
Meanwhile on the deck, migrants comprised 15 Chiffchaffs, 12 Blackcaps, a Redwing (the first of the autumn), 6 Song Thrushes, 2 Wheatears and a Lapwing.
A walk out around the fields and river along Kingsfleet in the afternoon produced a nice mix of species including a Merlin, a Green Sandpiper, 55 Teal, 10 Golden Plover, a Bar-tailed Godwit, 36 Skylarks, 6 Swallows, a good 65+ House Martins over the woods (a large count for so late in the year), a Grey Wagtail and 2 Rock Pipits.
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