This is the year for Lapland Buntings. The numbers being recorded countrywide are huge and the first one in our area this year was reported over earlier in the week, predictably by the workers on the Nene Washes. However while I was watching the chats pictured below I heard an unmistakably 'pu' call and looked up to see four birds flying south over my head. This is not a species we get around here very often so I've listened to recording of the call every autumn for years to keep familiar with what to listen for. I always dreaded my first being a distant one calling just once and leaving you wondering if you were hearing things. But this was calls close by overhead and repeated several times. Couldn't want for better.
My 237th PBC species and 212th find for the area.
This is a very late date for Whinchat locally. In the past 10 years or more there is only one later record and that was on 13th Oct.
The Wheatear was one of two. Overall quite a lunchtime haul from this excellent little patch.
Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe
Whinchat Saxicola rubetra
Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77x20