Woolly Hat Weather

Forget all the usual signs of early autumn; post-juv dispersal, Swifts silently vanishing, Swallows roosting, post-breeding flocks of finches, return passage of waders etc, the best and most reliable sign is when you first have to put your woolly hat on! And that was this morning. As soon as I got out of the car at the obs and felt the chill air of clear skies and a light southeasterly wind, I had to put my woolly hat on for the first hour!

It was very quiet this morning as the ringing totals of just seven birds testifies, although the juv. male Sparrowhawk did liven things up a little. All were new and the seven birds were as follows:

Wren - 2
Willow Warbler - 1
Robin - 1
Dunnock - 2
Sparrowhawk - 1 male

 Sparrowhawk

 Dunnock

The only grounded migrant was the Willow Warbler that I ringed, which wasn't surprising given the clear skies overnight, and visible migration wasn't much better with just three Pied Wagtails, three Snipe, a Swallow and a Golden Plover heading south.

The forecast is looking good for the Swallow roost tomorrow so I'll have some more Swallow news then.