135 species so far this year

138 species by this time last year

14th

Seven Common Scoters flew east. There was a Lapwing on the shingle and Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel and Curlew were also noted.

13th

Cloudy with a fresh NE wind. Difficult conditions with little over the sea and the small birds near invisible in the wind. Six Common Scoters flew east and waders were represented by singles of Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover and Curlew.

Butterflies included Painted Lady and Green-veined White and there was a Sliver Y moth on the playing field.

11th

Light cloud, moderate NE wind. There was one Great Crested Grebe offshore, an immature Gannet, 15 Common Scoters and three Sandwich Terns flew east. The Green Woodpecker was again heard calling and a Swift flew east.

Butterflies included only a single Marbled White. Good numbers have been seen this year but it appears that there season is almost over.

9th

Sunny, very warm, SE breeze. Two immature Gannets flew east, there were three Little Egrets resting on the shingle by the mouth of the brook and four Oystercatchers on the beach. A Turnstone resting on the groynes was surely the precursor of many more to arrive later in the month. An adult Common Gull landed on the sea and a very vocal Green Woodpecker was calling from the churchyard and the nearby estate.

8th

Sunny, very warm, light NW wind. A Gannet, four Oystercatchers and a Sandwich Tern flew east and four Common Scoters flew west. There were 30 Great Black-backed Gulls on the beach. Also noted were three Swifts west and a Sand Martin that flew north out to sea.

A male Brimstone by the Obs was unusual. Here, at least, they are much more frequent in the early spring.

7th

A single Turnstone flew west, there was a movement of 100+ Swifts early morning and a Mistle Thrush, that flew over the trees along the brook, was our first this year.

6th

Sunny, very warm, light SW wind. There were three Oystercatchers, 26 adult Mediterranean Gulls and 24 Great Black-backed Gulls on the beach. Also noted were three Swifts and a Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard along the upper brook.

Three male Common Blue butterflies were knew for the year whilst Gatekeepers were numerous and Small Skipper and Marbled Whites were declining in numbers.

4th

Sunny, very warm, light SW wind. A flagged and ringed Curlew, asleep on the beach early morning, was the same hand-reared bird, released at Elmley in July 2024, and subsequently seen here on 24th October 2024. There were also four Oystercatchers and 13 Mediterranean Gulls on the beach. A Sedge Warbler was seen well along the east bank, a Cetti’s Warbler was heard briefly and a Lesser Whitethroat sang briefly along the east bank.

2nd

Cloudy, moderate SW wind. There were eight Oystercatchers on the beach and seven Curlews flew west. Also noted were eight Swifts, a Sand Martin and three Swallows west and a Reed Warbler in song along the east bank.

1st

Sunny periods, light NW wind. A Black-tailed Godwit which flew west at 7.10 am was our first of the year, there were four Oystercatchers on the beach and a Curlew flew west. Also noted were two juvenile Kestrels together, c40 Great Black-backed Gulls, four Swifts, and three Swallows west.

A good start to the month for butterflies with 11 species noted although none were new for the year.