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Recordings recommenced (after a short summer break) in July - eleven nights, from the 20th - and were immediately productive. Most interestingly, Arctic Terns were recorded on no fewer than seven nights: 19th, 20th, 21st, 23rd, 25th, 26th and 27th, often with substantial flocks involved.
To put this into context, this was the sixth autumn I've been nocmigging from the village, and I've had no more than a handful of Arctic Terns recorded in a given year (and then usually just a few calls); something was clearly going on with their post-breeding overland movements this year. The (usually more numerous) Sandwich Terns were also recorded on 21st, and Common Terns on 24th and 30th.
Early movements of waders were also evident, with a flock of Redshanks on 21st, Dunlins on 22nd and 24th, Common Sandpipers on 19th and 22nd (with a substantial flock on the former date), and Turnstones on 23rd. Other species picked up included Black-headed Gulls, Oystercatchers, Skylarks, Robins, Moorhens, Meadow Pipits and Song Thrush; a very productive early run.
A total of 27 nights were recorded during a productive August, with plenty of decent returns, including eleven species of shorebird: Dunlins on three nights, Ringed Plovers on two (including two on 14th), Whimbrel on 10th, flocks of Knot on 13th and 18th, flocks of Sanderlings on 16th and 17th, Turnstone on 17th, two Redshanks on 19th, an early Golden Plover on the same night, duos of Curlews on 20th and 21st, Whimbrel on 25th, and Oystercatchers on the majority of nights. Other species picked up included Skylarks, Moorhens, Grey Heron, and two Song Thrushes on 26th.
Not as fruitful (owing largely to periods of poor conditions), September was still reasonably productive, with highlights including a flock of Bar-tailed Godwits on 28th, Common Scoters on 30th, good movements of Pink-footed Geese beginning on 17th (with eleven skeins on 19th), two more groups of Arctic Terns on 4th, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Curlew, Whimbrel, Redshanks and Golden Plovers in small numbers, and pulses of passerines, which were headlined by Song Thrushes on nine nights, as well as Skylarks and a Redpoll on 17th.
The first half of October saw movements of Pink-feet continued in earnest, while numbers of Redwings went from one on 1st, to 58 on 8th, to 757 on 12th and then to a month-high of 1447 on 13th - the same busy night that also produced a Ring Ouzel, groups of Sanderling and Common Scoter (with a further flock the previous night, and two more the following night), 62 Song Thrushes, two Robins and 21 Blackbirds.
Song Thrushes continued to prevail throughout the month, with double figure counts on the majority of nights from thereon with a peak of 64 on 14th; Redwings were also regular in small numbers, as were Blackbirds (spiking at 64 on 14th and 122 on 15th). A Brambling on 16th, a flock of Knot on 29th, and Common Snipe on 11th were also notable.
Much of the action in November was centred around a few consecutive nights at the end of the first week of the month. After a quiet start, movements began to pick up on 5th, with 439 Redwings, 218 Blackbirds, 26 Song Thrushes, two Curlew, Wigeon and two Meadow Pipits; on 6th, Redwings numbered 897, Blackbirds 107 and Song Thrushes 113, with three Fieldfares, two groups of Wigeon, Golden Plover, Dunlin and plenty of Pink-feet.
A Hawfinch was a welcome scarcity on 7th (the second of the year, after none previously), as was a Shelduck, with 572 Redwings, 188 Blackbirds, 28 Song Thrushes and a flock of Wigeon also recorded. Thereafter, Redwings peaked at 138 on 14th and 168 on 15th, Blackbirds at 122 (also on 15th), and Pink-feet continued top move in good number on several nights, while more Common Scoters were picked up on 15th.
The rest of November petered out with small numbers of thrushes still trickling over, with a total of 18 nights recorded during the month, concluding another decent autumn's nocmig in the village.
