A dawn start at Holme produced quite a bit of overhead passage, with 4 Grey Wagtails, 3 Crossbills, 40 Meadow Pipits and a Rock Pipit (my first of the autumn) west, as well as 6 Siskins east, while grounded migrants included 2 Bullfinches, 15 Robins, 4 Chiffchaffs and 5 Song Thrushes. The sea was reasonable as well, with 2 Arctic Skuas, 1 Great Skua, 1 skua sp, 1 Greylag Goose (first time I can recall seeing one on a seawatch here!) and 1 Red-breasted Merganser west, as well as a Brent Goose east (my first of the autumn), 10 Red-throated Divers (6 west, 4 east) and 20 Gannets. With it feeling quite good an emergency plan was made to head out to East Hills. A Spotted Flycatcher at the end of the Warham track was a good sign. Song Thrushes darted out of bushes and Robins ticked away from the denser patches of cover, while Greenshanks seemed to be constantly flying overhead, calling loudly. A few other species were added to the growing tally of migrants as we headed deeper into the cover, with the highlight being a Yellow-browed Warbler in the sycamores. A decent tally of stuff without being too exceptional. Grounded migrants: 1 Yellow-browed Warbler, 2 Redstarts, 2 Spotted Flycatchers, 3 Wheatears, 12 Song Thrushes, 20 Robins, 5 Chiffchaffs, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 1 Common Whitethroat. Other sightings included 15 Greenshanks and a Kestrel. A chance stop at Snettisham RSPB as we neared home came good, as we arrived to find people watching the previously elusive Wryneck. It showed well in the side of a dead elder before flying deep into cover, an excellent end to a solid September day.
East Hills: - ***SAFETY ADVISORY*** Do not go out here without good local knowledge, the timings of tides etc. explained and, preferably, having been shown the way by someone who knows- at least once!
