Weekend round up

It's been a stormy weekend with Storm Amy (Ex-Humberto) moving to the north and bringing a strong westerly airflow. I tried a bit of seawatching on Friday afternoon but not much, just a couple of Common Scoters and a few Auks continuing the theme of late autumn. The other guys had a couple of Sooty and Balearic Shearwaters yesterday morning and a couple of Arctic Skuas today but overall - just a lot of empty wind. 

It was basically too wet and windy for anything much yesterday but today the wind had calmed down a bit and there was a bit of vis-mig over the garden HERE including a garden record of 65 Siskin and a few other migrants. 

This afternoon I did a quick check of a few wader hotspots including Mill Lane Marsh, Ferry and Snowhill Marsh (trying to use up the credit on my annual pass). A couple of Green Sandpiper on Ferry and 5 Greenshank were the highlights HERE. There's more Shoveler around with birds now on Ferry in addition to Mill Lane Marsh and I also four Shelduck on Ferry on Friday afternoon (the first in months that I've seen there).  

The moth trap has been very quiet but still getting a few late autumn NFYs including Beaded Chestnut and Yellow-line Quaker. Now on 551 for the year and 621 all time. 

Greenshanks at Snowhill (above and below). Up to 9 recently. 

Green Sandpiper on Ferry- the new landscaping is nearly finished and plenty of water birds are being attracted

Increasingly wintery scenes out in Chichester Harbour near East Head with Brents and increasing numbers of Redshanks and Blackwits

Beaded Chestnut (above) and Yellow-line Quaker (below). Must be running out of possible new addtions for this year. Can't remember seeing any Flame Brocades this year so far which might still be on the cards. 

I took advantage of the windy conditions by getting some work done in the garden, picked the pumpkins and the last of the peas and got the centre bed weeded and also started collecting seeds from the sunflowers and peas for next year.