First Redwings

Dungeness - 0800hrs - cool, sunny, ne 2 - October is my favourite month of the year, not only can it be brilliant for birds, particularly eastern vagrants, but the weather is often perfect, for me at least, being not too hot or cold. Overnight the wind shifted a touch to the north-east, as detected in the dead of night when we could hear the roar of the sea out in the bay.
  A zig-zag amble along the beach delivered a trickle of overhead Mipits, Goldfinches, Skylarks, Reed Buntings, two Siskins, a Grey Wagtail and our first 10 Redwings of the autumn. At least 20 Chiffchaffs were grounded in the scrub around the point along with a scattering of Robins, Dunnocks and at least 10 Stonechats. Regular scanning of the sea on the walk from the lifeboat station to the lighthouse revealed 100 Brents on the move in three parties, but I suspect many more went down-Channel today.

                                Two of the many Stonechats present this morning

Lade - An afternoon visit to the ponds was notable for a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a late Willow Warbler and 10 Chiffchaffs; surely there has to be a Yellow-browed lurking somewhere out there on the peninsula...