Westerly wind, cloudy all day.
The day belonged to a terrific vis-mig session overlooking the CP lake. Birds were moving from first light and most of them were Meadow Pipits, heading southwards in a broad front to the west and east of the lake (which is normal). Fortunately we were in position on the hill early and counting started at 7am. By 8am we had counted over 2000 birds and just a half hour later we were up to 5000 and new records were being made (the previous best count was of 4735 in September 2011). The 10,000th bird passed at 10.45am after which passage tailed off a bit but we stayed counting until 2.05pm by which time we had a grand total of 11,169. To put this fantastic passage into some context - this is the sixth highest count of migrant Meadow Pipits in the UK during the last ten years, only two sites in the whole of the country have counted more - Spurn Point on 4 occasions and Christchurch (Dorset) just once.
A single Tree Pipit and a single Rock Pipit went over us calling, clearly part of the same movement.
Other species seen heading southwards included;-
Common Buzzard 4, Peregrine 1, Kestrel 1, Pink-footed Goose 13, Golden Plover 23, Great Spotted Woodpecker 8, Skylark 26, Alba Wagtail 23, Grey Wagtail 1, House Martin 251, Swallow 169, Chaffinch 42, Goldfinch 46, Siskin 104.
The Juvenile Black Tern is still on the CP lake and it was joined by an adult Little Gull mid morning which remained all day. Shoveler 61, Goosander 2, Little Egret 1, Dunlin 1, Sand Martin 20.
Ringing;- a total of 71 birds were ringed including;- Blackcap 8, Reed Warbler 1, Chiffchaff 6, Goldcrest 5, Meadow Pipit 2, Chaffinch 20, Reed Bunting 6.
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