Autumn roles on, as do the season firsts. This morning up on Ballard Down the harbours first Ring Ouzel of the autumn was seen in scrub along the top ridge, and last night the first 6 Redwing passed over, calling as they went. This is now the final phase of autumn migration with the autumn/winter thrushes now arriving, with autumn migration having started all those months ago back in early July when the first Green Sandpipers started to appear. Through October, with the winter thrush’s come finches too and up on Ballard 417 Goldfinch were logged, but only a handful of Linnet and Siskin. After yesterdays Yellow-browed Warbler at the Carey Secret Garden ringing station, we commented that hopefully we wouldn’t need to wait long before another appears somewhere. We didn’t expect the second to be almost exactly 24 hours later, at the same site, in the same net! And yes, it was a different individual as todays new arrival wasn’t wearing a ring. So 2 in 2 days…not bad. This morning 27 Cattle Egret came out of the Pergins Island roost in Holes Bay along with 2000+ Jackdaw and 200 Rook. The west harrier roost settled down a bit this AM with ‘only’ 11 Marsh Harrier coming out today as apposed to yesterdays 20. An Osprey caught a fish in Lytchett Bay this afternoon and another was in Middlebere. The PCW Drain held c70 Common Chiffchaff and a Spotted Flycatcher. Finally, a juv Goshawk settled briefly on one of our harbour Osprey nest platforms this morning in the north of the harbour.
Second Yellow-browed Warbler in 2-days at Carey Secret Garden Ringing Station
Juv Goshawk on Osprey nest platform in harbour north
Redwing calls from early October a few years ago
Sonagram of Redwing call
Not quite sure how it’s managed to go from one extreme to another in less than 24 hours,…
Find out moreHappy New Year everyone! What a way to start the year, with a near force 10 gale. Thankfully…
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