Some visible migration this morning as birds made use of the fine conditions, only to be grounded when thick fog drifted in from the south. Some totals included 246 Fieldfare, 429 Starling, 20 Chaffinch and three Brambling through.

There are good numbers of Skylark and Meadow Pipit in the area at the moment and Bullfinches continue to be in evidence at many sites. Birds at Eakring Flash today included a male and female, then a group of three males dropped in. Three were also at Penny Pasture Common and two at Red Hill.

Visible migration counts included Wood Pigeons (374) uncharacteristicly moving north, whilst all other species generally headed south. Flocks of low-flying Fieldfares eventually amounted to 208 south, with at least two decent flocks present in the Red Hill and Kneesall Road areas. Bramblings were also present at the latter site (two) and Eakring Meadows (one) whilst 12 flew south. Bramblings on the ground here are unusual and hopefully numbers may build-up during the coming weeks. Other counts included 265 Starling west, seven Blackbird, 23 Greenfinch and 12 Redpoll south, with eight Song Thrush south-west including a flock of seven.

A drake Goosander flew south over Eakring Flash and one Water Rail was again calling there this morning. Two Common Buzzards were along the Kneesall Road.

A Peregrine was also in the area early morning and initially causing havoc with the unusually large number of gulls the area is currently attracting, before flying off south. Six Brambling also flew south and south-west today, but there was little else moving through.

A very late Chiffchaff was in the Sallow scrub at the southern-end of Eakring Flash. It was present late morning and during brief views showed characteristics of the race abietinus.

Greenfinches were moving south and south-east with 47 noted. There were smaller numbers of most other finches including three Siskin through, but there were much larger numbers of Starlings (730) heading west. The manner of flight suggested that most had not flown too far and had probably been disturbed from sites east of the recording area.

The only wildfowl on Eakring Flash were seven Teal, with another 17 dropping in briefly later.

53 Meadow Pipits were at Eakring Flash and there were Goldcrests at Eakring Flash (three) briefly and Eakring Meadows.

News of the bird was phoned through to me by Mark Speck (via Mike Hodgkin) that the bird was in fields at SK 663618, which is to the right of the minor road leading to Eakring, as approached from the A614 and adjacent to the former Bilsthorpe Pit.

The bird was quite approachable whilst remaining in a car, but took flight when approached on foot and then remained at distance. It was sporting a (probable silver) ring on it's right leg. Several flight feathers were missing in both wings.

At Eakring Flash, 42 Teal were present and still at least one Water Rail calling along the eastern-side of the water.

Elsewhere in the area, the White Stork (rung with the letters A J) was still in the west of the area and sometimes getting over the fence onto Bilsthorpe pit-top.