Yesterday morning it was overcast but very mild when I cycled over the Lairiere plains. I saw my first autumn flock of migrating lapwings --almost 30 of them moving SE. Four wheatears wer still in the fields and lower down near the bio farm was a cluster of passerines in the hedgerow including several chiffchaffs, a pair of blackcaps, a pair of stonechats, two robins and a whinchat. Meadow pipits were around in large numbers and I saw my first big flock of autumn finches, maybe a thousand birds or so near Artenac. They were mainly linnets but many goldfinches were with them. A male sparrowhawk was sat on a fence post nearby and a female hen harrier was quartering the fields.
In all, 34 species of birds made an appearance but there was no sight or sound of ring ousels, a rare but regular autumn migrant.
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