Main sighting: small flock of cross bills 20+ on 27/10/25 and 10 on 28/10/25

fragmented flocks of Fieldfare flying through.

Main sighting: Peregrine

Peregrine on pylon (another also on a pylon at Llanfoist); Goosander (2); Sparrowhawk (2); Little Grebe (5); Kingfisher; Grey Wagtail; Grey Heron; Red Kite; Buzzard (4); large flock of Canada Geese

Main sighting: Brambling

A gorgeous male Brambling feeding with Chaffinches this afternoon – my first of the autumn

Main sighting: Brent goose

on the foreshore – also 23 Ring plover + 6 Dunlin + Marsh harrier

Main sighting: Peregrine

The Gang of Four on the GOS walk toured Gilwern Hill in cold, breezy conditions. Best sighting was a Peregrine cruising past at close range, causing confusion among the local Jackdaws. Other raptors were a Sparrowhawk, mobbed by a Carrion Crow, and distant Kestrel and Buzzards. A passing flock of a hundred Woodpigeons looked like the start of the big seasonal movements.
On the second leg, to the Pwll Du quarry, we eventually picked up about 25 Fieldfares. There are still loads of berries…. Three calling Crossbills flying over were a surprise.

Main sighting: Grey Plovers

Cold, overcast morning with low light and windy. Car park – hide 2: wren, pheasant, bullfinch, blue tits, herring gulls, magpies, blackbirds, mallards, crows and robin. Hide 2: Canada geese, 4 little egrets, 2 herons, greylag pair a male kestrel hunting. Small flocks of chaffinches overhead on way to sea wall and woodpigeon flocks now in the thousands and growing. Seawall: high tide so not much bird life, 31 curlew, starling flock and a passing great black-backed gull. Hide remains: 69 dunlin, black headed gull walking around in circles, 30 grey plover, 6 teal, 10 lapwing, pied wagtail, meadow pipits, 1 snipe overhead calling, buzzard and moorhen. Marsh Platform: cettis calling and 13 shelduck. By hide 2 a female goldcrest feeding in the bushes and 9 skylarks overhead. Hide 1: lesser black-backed gulls, raven and stonechat. Jackdaws and a chiffchaff back at the car park.

Main sighting: Dipper

single bird

Main sighting: Hen Harrier

Late afternoon visit. Around 130 Fieldfares flew in to thorn scrub between the railway track and cycle path. On the moor: brief view of male Hen Harrier, Kestrel over, Stonechat.

Main sighting: Snow bunting

Snow bunting landward side of seawall opposite Mead farm, Redwick, dusk, feeding. Also Barn owl and Green sandpiper.

Main sighting: Malpas

Water rail

Main sighting: White Tailed Eagle; Gannet feeding frenzy; Wryneck

En route to Pool Harbour: Pheasant; Red Kite; Grey Partridge; Woodpigeon; Feral Pigeon;
Poole Harbour: White Tailed Eagle (excellent views); Brent Geese; Canada Geese; Mute Swan; Shelduck; Gadwall; Wigeon; Mallard; Teal; Red-breasted Merganser; Water Rail; Little Grebe; Great Crested Grebe; Oystercatcher; Avocet; Grey Plover; Lapwing; Curlew; Bar Tailed Godwit: Black Tailed Godwit; Snipe; Redshank; Greenshank; Dunlin; Sandwich Tern; Black Headed Gull; Common Gull; Herring Gull; Great Black-backed Gull; Lesser Black-backed Gull; Cormorant; Shag; Glossy Ibis; Spoonbill; Little Egret; Grey Heron; Sparrowhawk; Marsh Harrier; Buzzard; Kingfisher; Kestrel; Peregrine; Carrion Crow; Raven; Starling; Pied Wagtail; Rock Pipit; Meadow Pipit.
Additions at Portland Bird Observatory area: Barn Owl; Little Owl; Whimbrel; Kittiwake; Razorbill; Sooty Shearwater; Manx Shearwater; Gannet (over 2000 individuals in a feeding frenzy off the point); Guillemot; Common Scoter; Merlin; Jackdaw; Magpie; Blue Tit; Great Tit; Skylark; Swallow; House Martin; Chiffchaff; Blackcap; Firecrest; Goldcrest; Wren; Redwing; Blackbird; Fieldfare; Wheatear; House Sparrow; Dunnock; Linnet; Goldfinch; WRYNECK.
Additions at Ferrybridge: Ringed Plover; Turnstone; Sanderling; Mediterranean Gull.
Additions at Lodmore: Coot; Great White Egret; Moorhen; Shoveler; Jay; Rook; Cetti’s Warbler; Long Tailed Tit; Robin; Reed Bunting; Stonechat; Golden Plover (Great views of over 130 glistening individuals).
Additions at Chew Valley Lakes: Tufted Duck; Pintail.
(103 species in total.) Many thanks to GOS and all contributors to this great event.

Main sighting: Wheatears

Car park – hides: crows, herring gulls, mallards, pheasant, jackdaws, chaffinches and lesser black-backed gulls. Hide 1: distant flock of 150+ golden plover passing and following the coastline. En-route to hide 2: blackbirds and chiffchaff (contact call and only 1 today). Hide 2: starlings, Canada geese, 12 lapwing, raven, 1 shelduck, black headed gulls, 1 heron and goldfinch flock. En-route to seawall: buzzard, 3 stock doves, cettis, woodpigeons, male kestrel, magpies, blue tits, meadow pipits, long tailed tit flock and a robin. Seawall: 18 swallows passing, single redwing over, 7 wigeon, 1 black tailed godwit, 4 oystercatchers, 8 curlew, 76 teal (numbers almost doubled now), 17 grey plover passing low down with 8 dunlin mixed in and 2 shoveler. Rope by hide 3 remains (Phoenix hide be an appropriate name when new hide eventually erected) – 2 pairs stonechats, 5 more stock doves, wheatear on the fence post but no waders on the lagoon. Marsh platform: 6 skylarks calling and a single pintail overhead. Back at hide 2: little egret, pied wagtails, 2 wheatears on distant fence posts. Song thrush and moorhen back near the car park.