Hot Patch....

Freeman’s Pool had Little Grebes, Coot, Grey Heron and two Kestrel. A quick stroll through the wood revealed Jays, Chiffchaff, Linnets and usual finches, Wrens, Robins, Blackbirds, Song Thrush, Blue, Great, Long-tailed and Coal Tits.

A good 900 BH Gulls present on the river, a fast incoming tide disturbed Canada’s, Curlews and Redshank. Two Ravens were flying about the patch. On the track saw Chiffchaff, Wrens etc, Skylarks flying over and a handful of Meadow Pipits, also 6 Swallow were busily feeding in the unseasonably hot weather, which also brought out plenty of butterflies and dragon flies. Three Little egrets were on the marsh, a Grey Wagtail near the pylons and a peregrine bombing over. 

Steve

Owtabout? Nowtabout!

A mid-morning visit was rather uneventful.

A small amount of visible migration was taking place, but not assiduously recorded!  As ever, meadow pipits were most numerous (circa 50 per hour), but eight skylarks, two alba wagtails and a siskin were also noted heading through, SE.

A lesser and two common whitethroats and a handful of chiffchaffs were also seen. A treecreeper was calling in the railway cutting area and a young peregrine was keeping Gull Bank free of waders.

Five shovelers were at Freeman's Pools.

DH

Not too late for a swift one

Given the calm conditions I thought I'd get out early and try clocking some visible migration.

The passerine movement had several lulls when dark cloud thickened, but in blue or broken skies there were some good pulses.

Between 0730 and 1130 the following flew over the estuary, mostly heading SE:

meadow pipit  535

swallow          315

swift                  1

skylark             28

siskin                20+

alba wagtail      30
grey wag            4
linnet                  4
goldfinch            7
chaffinch           10
jackdaw             3
reed bunting       2

The swift (lovingly pictured above) was pleasingly late in the year. It coincided with the heaviest swallow movement (280 SE in half an hour from 0840h).

The hedgerows were quiet-- perhaps understandably given the songbird exodus weather overnight, but two restless flocks of blackbird (8 and 7) and a coal tit were clear signs of Autumn, as was an acorn-bearing jay.

Long-tailed tits were also prominent.

Wader-wise, a bar-tailed godwit with a mangled leg (pictured), 30 dunlins and 15 golden plovers were the best I could muster. DH

The Majestic Meadow Pipit

Ouch



Migrating Skylarks



Fluff-on-a-Stick

One for the Lads

Without any sign of vagrant waders or much evidence of the magic of migration I had to be content with micro-birding nuances that only hardened Aldcliffers would appreciate.

Sixty lapwings were at the fringes of the flood this afternoon. Although the estuary and marshes often have hundreds and sometimes thousands of peewits, sixty at this particular spot is really something- eh patchers?

Another small pleasure was the discovery of 5 stock doves at Stodday ETW. I see one or two of this subtly attractive species down here every so often, but a quintet isn't bad at all. Eh, lads?

A greenshank was on the marsh and circa 10 dunlins, 12 ringed and 6 golden plovers were at Gull Bank.

DH

Planet Dearth

A damp and rather disappointing afternoon visit for Guy and myself.

Just a few each of robin, chiffchaff and goldcrest in the hedges. A wheatear flew downriver. A lesser whitethroat was heard to call.

Two green sandpipers were seen and two or three siskins flew over, unseen.

DH