Bird Sightings

At Skern Lapwing, Redshank, Grey Plover, Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Wigeon, Shelduck, Mallard, Brent Geese, Linnet, Starling, Pied Wagtail, Herring Gull, Black Headed Gull, Magpie, Rook and a Black Redstart ( thanks to Sue)..

At Northern Burrows Starling Linnet, Pied Wagtail, Magpie, Goldfinch and 4 Snow Bunting but now maybe 3 after one was chased by a Sparrowhawk and we didn’t see the end result.

A Grey Phalarope was seen and filmed at Sherpa Marsh this afternoon. Sadly not by me.

Ringed another 48 birds today, including 5 in-bound Song Thrushes (but no Redwings), 2 Chiffs, and a Blackcap. 16 Greenfinch. Retraps included a Kingfisher, a Goldcrest and a Reed Warbler, which I ringed a couple of weeks back weighing in at a solid 14.5 grams. Today it weighed 17.4! Enough for a one-hop flight to Africa?

Seen today were: in the estuary, 4 newly-arrived G-c Grebes, 50+ Pintail and 300+ Golden Plover, in the fields around Turf, a Cattle Egret, 250+ Fieldfares and 50+ Redwings, and, on Exminster Marsh, 2 Marsh Harriers and 250+ Lapwings. Water re-appearing and bird numbers rising.

Early morning on Crownhill Down. Fieldfares, Redwings, GWP’s and GSW’s,Coal tits along the bridlepath. Ravens a Kestrel and Stonechats on the moor top. A Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plovers together with c. 30 Golden Plover on the edge of TWL.

Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Green Woody, Redwing, Jay, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Firecrest, Goldcrest, Mistle and Song Thrush, Blue, Great, Coal & Long Tailed Tit, Chiffchaff and a late Swallow. I’m also certain I heard a Black Redstart but not confident enough to mark it as a year tick there. Just giving fair warning there might be one around.

A rather unseasonal feel to the birds this afternoon with Whimbrel & Whinchat new in and the juv Curlew Sandpiper still around. Also, Cetti’s Warbler heard again, 2 Reed Buntings, Bullfinch, Stonechat, Green & 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Snipe, Common Sandpiper, 7 Greenshanks, 52 Dunlins, 9 Wigeon & 4 Roe Deer.

Still some movement inc.Woodpigeon 1100 (760E 340W), Stock Dove 48W, Meadow Pipit 60 (40W & 20 grounded), Mistle Thrush 5 (4N & one grounded), starling 105 (65W 20E 20 grounded), Chaffinch 112W & Siskin 21W. Also: 2 Pintail, 8 Teal, Green & Great Spotted Woodpecker, 370 Skylark, Grey Wagtail, 18 Song Thrush, 31 Blackbird, 6 Fieldfare, 105 goldfinch, 6 Bullfinch, 44 Yellowhammer, 41 Cirl Bunting & 2 Reed Bunting.

Spent a large part of the day at our field having a bonfire. Lots of jackdaws and rooks and a couple of ravens. Two buzzards floating over us, but the biggest surprise was the number of butterflies, red admirals and peacocks, singly and in pairs. Must have been over a dozen of each. Little other birdlife or calls save for a resident robin and two male pheasants.

A new garden tick in the shape of a Black Redstart on my roof in Darwin Crescent. Picking off insects around the chimney. Also a Raven overhead.

A single late Swallow flying low over the burnt ground at Baggy earlier this morning. Skylark autumn song in the fields above.

A Chiffchaff calling from vegetation surrounding the pond.

No sighting of any Scoters yet.

A  substantial amount of lost habitat as a result of the gorse fire during the summer.

High tide visit of two hours,

1 Purple Heron, 1 drake Mandarin, 1 Spotted Redshank and a very busy hide.

A Yellow-browed Warbler in willows at the edge of the Maer long-stay carpark this afternoon. Still present 3pm at least. Also Firecrest and 3+ Chiffchaffs. On Orcombe Point – still 2 Dartford Warblers in the turnip field, and at Shelly beach – a male Black Redstart. Off Orcombe – 1 Red-throated Diver and 7 Common Scoters.

On Blaxton Meadow during this afternoon’s high tide: Curlew Sandpiper (juv) still, Turnstone, 8 Greenshanks, Snipe, Kingfisher, 2 Mediterranean Gulls (ad-w & 2nd-w) & 17 Wigeon. Great Spotted Woodpecker nearby.

Looks like the bulk of Woodpigeons went through yesterday (65,000 over Purbeck) with just 400E this morning at Soar. Also: 41 Stock Dove (20W 21E), 2 Pintail, 4 Teal, Fieldfare, Cetti’s Warbler, 250 Skylark grounded, Starling 83E, Jackdaw 3W, Chaffinch 33W & Goldfinch 7W. Siskins heard.

One of the Spoonbills was on the scrape again this morning, along with a Little Egret and a Grey Heron. About 50 Black-tailed Godwits – difficult to count as they have taken to feeding out on the grass and keep disappearing!

Walking around this morning, there were two ring ouzels feeding on hawthorn berries, then a sparrowhawk, flying close by, a jay feeding in a oak tree, four ravens and a buzzard calling,