A moderate NE breeze blew across the harbour in the very early hours, prompting a sound recording session up on Ballard Down and the chance of some decent vis-mig (visible migration) totals. Although the breeze eased off pretty quickly (by 8:30am), the time in between (5:30am – 8:30) proved very productive. With a big push of 100+ Meadow Pipit and roughly double of numbers Swallow too. Other birds on the move early included 76 Linnet, 15 Goldfinch, 11 Siskin, 8 Greenfinch, 2 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Tree Pipit and 6 Grey Wagtail. I’ll be uploading a few recordings over the coming days of migrants on the move. Grounded migrants up on Ballard included 30+ each of both Chiffchaff and Blackcap, 10+ Whitethroat, 2 Wheatear, 1 Redstart, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Dartford Warbler, 10+ Goldcrest also 2 Peregrine, 1 Sparrowhawk and 1 Buzzard all present. At Greenland’s Farm 2 Tree Pipit passed overhead and present in the bushes were 8 Chiffchaff, 5 Blackcap, 1 Whinchat and a Spotted Flycatcher. At Holes Bay there were large numbers of hirundines feeding above Upton CP, also a Dartford Warbler near the railway line (very rare here), 4 adult Yellow-legged Gulls in the bay, also c280 Black-tailed Godwit and c200 Wigeon. At Lytchett Fields the Wood Sandpiper and Curlew Sandpiper remained.
This morning heralded the first proper Redwing arrival of the autumn with flocks ranging between 20 -200 individuals…
Find out moreIt seems the harbour managed to avoid the worst of the weather today with torrential rain just north…
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