Houghton-on-the-Hill 0630-1000

Prior to leaving for my chosen destination today, I took Toby for his early morning walk around Merton Common.  This walk started about an hour before sunrise, the distant tops of trees silhouetted against the red horizon.  It was about 12 degrees and quite calm.  The walk produced 3 Tawny Owls, a calling male, and two calling female birds.
I set off for Houghton, arriving about 0625, the sun was rising and the sky was clear, however, as the morning wore on cloud increased, as did the wind, from a moderate to fresh southerly.
One of the first birds heard was scolding Jays, this behaviour told me they had found an Owl or raptor species, within minutes a young Sparrowhawk flew through woodland and briefly alighted on the church tower where it occasionally called from.
With this being the final day of meteorological summer, I wanted to check the area for evidence of migrant birds and my visit revealed the following:

70+ Swallows
15+ Whitethroats
12+ Blackcaps
Chiffchaffs

The Warbler numbers given here are a low estimate as many more would have gone unseen.
As expected, good numbers of Whitethroats and Blackcaps were seen and heard, these arrivals were typically seen in association with fruiting bushes within hedgerows, in particular Elder, in which birds were seen to take the soft fruits.
Swallows began arriving from the north, these, and other birds starting feeding low over crops in search of insect prey.

Whitethroat - a typical view of a restless bird, looking back before flying to cover.

Typical views of Whitethroats seen this morning were of birds actively in and out of hedges, rarely settling, behaviour indicating probable recent arrivals in a constant search for food.
Blackcap numbers were similar, these comprised female/juvenile birds, and a smart looking male seen in Elder.
Tomorrow, the first day of September, and of course the first day of meteorological autumn, will see an increase in activity involving migrant Warblers moving through, and being a pivotal month as far as migration in concerned, the first incoming winter migrants will be seen with outgoing summer migrants.