Another of those cold mornings at Fly Flatts with moderate W>4 increasing to strong NW>6 with white horses across the water. Around 30 % cloud but clear blue skies to the west with patches of sunshine at 7 degrees.
No geese today other than a small skein of Greylags high and >SE whilst a single Cormorant headed >NE. Very little on the move but a flock of early moving Woodpigeons >SW and the first few small squadrons of Starlings heading in their usual migration direction of >NW in fast migration mode.
At 0945 hrs as I was starting to pack, up due to the strengthening wind, I was just scribbling notes in my notebook when a small bird seemed to be blown past me and land with a bump on the floor about 3 feet away, amazingly a Black Redstart, which quickly gathered itself up and flew into a nearby Willow tree. Grabbing the camera I headed towards the tree but no sign of the bird meaning it had gone out of the other side or gone to ground in the wind.
This bird is just a couple of weeks later than my first last year when I had 6 probable different birds through up to the 9th Oct with 3 present together in the same area on one day.
PS Big twitch going on in MCs area for a Common Nighthawk, see link to Oxon birding
Vis Mig
47 Starling..............>NW
1 Cormorant...........>NE
sev Mipits..............>S
8 Chaffinch............>E
22 Woodpigs..........>SW
16 Greylag.............>SE
5 Golden Plover.....>W
Present
1 Buzzard
4 Tufted duck
1 Raven
3 LBB gull
3 Stonechat
1 Black Redstart
BS