What a disappointing month October proved to be with relatively low numbers of both common and scarce migrants. A slight increase in wildfowl reports over last month, most tantalising was a possible Red-breasted Goose which flew south off Minsmere on the 7th. A few skeins of migrating Pink-footed Geese were noted, largest totals being c500 over Lowestoft (15th) and c750 over Barsham (23rd). A Velvet Scoter was noted north past Minsmere and then amongst a Common Scoter flock off Dunwich (15th), nine Whooper Swans flew over Carlton marshes (22nd), Tundra Bean Goose south at Lowestoft (10th), Smew at Minsmere (31st) and nine Goosanders on Thorpeness mere (31st). A Great Northern Diver was seen close inshore off Benacre on the 27th, a Slavonian Grebe was seen on a reservoir at Aldringham on the 16th. October is usually a good month for sea watching but mainly unfavourable winds prevailed, seabird reports were as follows, two Sooty Shearwaterssouth at Minsmere (2nd), south past Southwold (12th), north past Minsmere (15th), Manx Shearwater reports were north past Minsmere (15th) and north past Lowestoft (23rd).  A Shag flew south at Benacre on the 27th. A Cattle Egret was noted amongst cows at Eastbridge on the 5th, it then commuted between here and Minsmere until the 17th. Another or the same Cattle Egret was seen further south at Botany marsh, Snape on the 18th-20th and four Great Egrets were counted on the Alde estuary (15th). Three Ospreys were again counted on the river Alde at Hazelwood marsh on the 3rd, Merlins were noted at North Warren on the 3rd and 11th. Wader reports were on the decrease through October with an adult Lesser Golden Plover species seen at Hazelwood marsh on the 3rd, Pectoral Sandpiper at Carlton marshes 10th-17th, three Purple Sandpipersat the Ness point, Lowestoft on the 22nd. After the glut of records of Long-tailed Skua over the past two months October produced only one, a single north off Lowestoft on the 23rd. The only outstanding gull record for the month concerned a third winter Glaucous Gull, first observed in pig fields at Reydon it was later seen to fly off towards the Blyth estuary 9, two Caspian Gulls were at Minsmere on the 17th. Strong winds in the North Sea are normally responsible for displacing Little Auks which, if lucky, can then be seen trying to reorientate. This months observations all involved single individuals which were as follows, Sizewell, Minsmere, Southwold and Lowestoft all on the 23rd and south at Benacre on the 26th. On the 23rd a very probable first winter Eastern Yellow Wagtail was seen on Peto’s marsh at Carlton marshes, a single Shorelark was at Hopton on the 11th. In previous Octobers reports of Yellow-browed Warbler have been almost too numerous to record individually, this is this years reduced crop, Gunton Warren (6th), Lowestoft (7th), Thorpeness (8th), Lowestoft, Carlton marshes, Gunton and Dunwich (all 9th), Lowestoft and Orford (10th) Lowestoft and Southwold (15th), Waveney forest (16th), Kessingland (17th) and Pakefield (24th), the latter bird sharing the same bushy gully with this months only Pallas’s Warbler. Radde’s Warblers appear to almost annual in Suffolk theses days and one was present on the cliff slope at Lowestoft north denes on the 9th-10th, a Siberian Chiffchaff was seen at the same location on the 13th. Two Lapland Buntingsflew over Aldringham on the 16th and  began to arrive from the 23rd, single at Lowestoft (23rd-25th), three at Kessingland (24th), four at Minsmere (24th) increasing to six (27th).