Isle of Wight September 22nd-27th
Back to my native IOW and an enjoyable week of migrant hunting with my Bro now also converted to birding in the last few years (sensible chap). It's no Isles of Scilly or Shetland, but if you are  in to finding your own good birds without crowds as well as enjoying the spectacle of general migration, then it could be for you. The scenery is pretty good too.
Best find was a Juvenile Rose-coloured Starling at St Catherines Point, on the 24th. We picked up an unusual call which didn't compute and then found the culprit circling the Lighthouse grounds, eventually it came down for a bit and began feeding on elderberries. It then flew off again to the North-west. St Catherines Point, located at the Southern tip of the Island is one of the more well known of the IOW's birding sites. Another part with a good track record is the extreme western tip; the Needles Headland and West High Down. A couple of visits here resulted in some quality migrants including single Lapland Bunting, Wryneck, Ring Ouzel and Firecrest. To be honest there are loads of places along the Islands coastline that could pull in migrants but one thing that makes it hard work is the amount of cover available for birds to hide in.
The IOW has a variety of Habitats including estuary and marshland. Brading Marshes RSPB reserve is a good site with reed beds and flood pools. I caught up with one of the two long staying Great White Egrets here as well as 3 different Marsh Harrier and 2-3 Hobby hawking dragonflies. Great to see Hobby, not something I come across very often now I'm based in Scotland. I even had one hawking insects over the back garden one day. The Island is attractive to raptors on migration, harriers, Osprey and Honey Buzzard can be seen departing out over the English Channel from the Islands south coast. On the 27th we had two different Marsh Harriers at St Catherines Point, one of which flew high south out to sea.

Find of the week and a welcome addition to my IOW list.

Crap record shot of the Wryneck, taken in very dark, murky conditions.

Bit of a novelty to go to somewhere where Yellow Wags are common. We had birds on a daily basis migrating overhead or feeding with the cattle.

We were walking along a footpath  at Brading Marsh when a Marsh Harrier erupted from the ditch alongside. This was the reason-it had just dispatched a Moorhen.