A change in the weather brought a change in the birds.
On Monday Clive had 2 Common Sandpipers and a peak of five were seen by John Beak on Saturday. Clive also had a Redstart and 2 Green Sandpipers flyover on Wednesday and Andy Clark had 2 Ringed Plovers on Saturday. This morning a Ringed Plover remained and another Redstart was found by Clive.
This week has been fairly uneventful with no particularly notable sightings. There's been the odd Yellow Wagtail and a Common Sandpiper at the reservoir. Today a Yellow-legged Gull was at the Borrow Pit pool for a short time before moving back to the fields in Chacombe.
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| Recent pics courtesy and copyright of JFT |
Friday morning Clive had a couple of Common Terns for a short while when he arrived but they soon departed.
Yesterday there were at least 3 Clouded Yellows up the valley around the Borrow Pit pool and there are good numbers of Migrant Hawkers now. We've still only seen a few Willow Emeralds and a few Southern Hawkers, but unless we get something unusual that is all the usual odonata seen.
This morning a Yellow-legged Gull was (surprisingly late in the year) a new one for the year list. There has been at least a Common Sandpiper around and quite a few Yellow Wagtails passing through, with at least 4 this morning at one time but several others over in ones or twos as well.
The last couple of weeks has been fairly quiet again but there has been a noticeable increase in activity and migration. Mostly this has been an increase of Chiffchaff, that seem to be in good numbers anywhere you look, and a more regular and larger numbers of hirundines again. The roving parties of tits and warblers etc. has included a couple of Willow Warblers (one singing), Garden Warblers and Lesser Whitethroats.
Yellow Wagtails have started being seen in small number and there has been a few Common Sandpipers. There has also been a large increase in gulls but nothing unusual amongst them yet.
From Friday late afternoon there has been at least one Redstart around but it's quit elusive, and there was possibly two yesterday. Also yesterday I saw our first Spotted Flycatcher of the year.
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| Courtesy and copyright of JFT |
