A better day at Holme today. The highlight was a vocal Siberian Chiffchaff that was in the willows along the river Hun just east of the standing caravan, west of the NWT payhut and the Redwell Marsh footbridge. Although it was mobile and elusive reasonable views were obtained, with the bird showing all the characters consistent with tristis with the typical Dunnock-like 'hiiiiip' call. In the afternoon a Lapland Bunting flew east over the dunes in front of the observatory and R.R. and me located what was perhaps the same individual at Thornham Harbour in the evening before it carried on east. Overhead passage was pretty good although I missed the best of it by oversleeping. From 08:30hrs onwards totals (all west) were 153 Skylarks, 320 Chaffinches, 4 Bramblings, 1200 Starlings, 2 Siskins, 1 Redpoll sp, 75 Meadow Pipits, 5 Rock Pipits, 15 Reed Buntings, 30 Jackdaws and 6 Snipe. Thrushes were arriving and then leaving to the west, with day totals of 150 Blackbirds, 80 Fieldfares, 50 Redwings and 10 Song Thrushes. Other grounded migrants included 35 Robins, 1 Great-spotted Woodpecker and 1 Jay. An afternoon seawatch produced 3 Goosanders west, as well as 9 Red-breasted Mergansers west. Also of note was a Clouded Yellow that showed well in front of the observatory.
Dad had a walk around Wells Wood during th afternoon, where he saw a Mealy Redpoll and a male Bullfinch.
