The first day of light Northerlies after two days of SW airflow and the best day of the autumn so far for hirundines with c3500 along the cliffs early on. Very difficult to count as 100’s were out over the channel too so a conservative count of mostly House martin but 100’s of Sand matin and Swallow mixed in. In addition to a common Swift, Firecrest, 2 Tree pipits, 3 whinchat, a juv Cuckoo and the first Reed Bunting of the autumn over Fan bay.
The bird of the day however was found with a stroke of luck as I walked home along a path I very rarely use. Just above the harbour at the western end of Langdon cliffs I noticed some activity in a flowering Ivy, a Lesser whitethroat and Reed warbler were catching insects when I saw the back end of larger pale bird with marked under-tail coverts disappearing into the Ivy and Hawthorn cover. It clumsily moved about and sat just obscured but I could see well enough that it was a Barred warbler! Not an easy find on the mainland.
A moment later it was chasing/being chased by a Blackcap and suddenly hopped out onto the front of the bush and gave exellent views.
After this I saw it once again briefly but it didnt show again. Ive found a few on Shetland previously and seen a few down south but very happy to find one on the patch, another decent day here on light North winds.
PERDIX BIRDER 