September 2008

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Report sightings

 

 

 

Tuesday 30th:

 

A Merlin in the Bight was the reported highlight with other records from the estuary including 800+ Wigeon, 100+ Teal, 30+ Sandwich Tern and 21 Turnstone. Offshore there were 30+ Common Scoter, and a Kestrel flew in off.
 

 

Monday 29th:

 

Two Little Stint were in the estuary with 59 Dunlin, 35 Bar-tailed Godwit, 28 Knot, 11 Sanderling, 10 Sandwich and four Common Tern and 160+ Canada Geese. Overhead there were again nine alba wagtail with two Yellow and a single Grey Wagtail, 18+ Siskin, 15 Goldfinch and five Raven. The pick of grounded migrants included single Reed and Garden Warbler, five Wheatear, three Song Thrush, two Coal Tit and a Whitethroat.
 

 

Sunday 28th:

 

The Osprey was again around the estuary, also there 30+ Brent Goose and a Golden Plover, an early autumn bird whilst other waders included 75 Ringed Plover, 61 Dunlin, a good count of 13 Greenshank, nine Grey Plover, six Black-tailed Godwit, five Turnstone, three Sanderling, two Whimbrel and a Snipe. Visible migration overhead included a good count of 11 Buzzard along with 108 Goldfinch, 20 Meadow and a Tree Pipit, 12 Siskin, 10 Skylark, nine alba, six Grey and two Yellow Wagtail, a Reed Bunting and a Mistle Thrush. On site there were 15 Chiffchaff, 10 Blackcap, seven Goldcrest and a Whitethroat with a Great-spotted Woodpecker, a Water Rail, two Little Grebe and a Kingfisher by the Main Pond.

 

 

Saturday 27th:

 

No news reported.

 

 

Friday 26th:

 

A single Hobby reported but no further details.

 

 

Thursday 25th:

 

No news reported.

 

 

Wednesday 24th:

 

With a continuing lack of variety in the weather, reported sightings followed a familiar pattern. Overhead there were 240 Swallow, 128 House Martin, 94 Goldfinch, 44 Meadow Pipit, 34 Siskin, 13 Linnet, four Grey and four alba Wagtail, two Redpoll and a Buzzard, all except the Buzzard heading NE. Elsewhere an Osprey caught a fish ion the estuary before heading off towards Little Haldon, 15 Chiffchaff, five Blackcap and a Great-spotted Woodpecker were in the bushes with an adult Mediterranean Gull over the car park.

 

 

Tuesday 23rd:

 

A single Crossbill overhead was the highlight of the day, also passing through 215 Swallow, 111 House Martin, 52 Siskin, 30 Goldfinch, just nine Meadow Pipit, three alba, three Grey and a Yellow Wagtail, two Snipe and two Stock Dove. Other migrants included two Whitethroat, two Wheatear and single figure counts of Blackcap and Chiffchaff. Elsewhere 20 Knot, three Black-tailed Godwit and a Grey Plover were in the estuary, 110 Gannet were feeding offshore and two Rook were in the Bight. This species is rarely seen on the ground in the recording area.

 

Stonechat 23/09/08 © Ivan Lakin                                                                             Rook 23/09/08 © Ivan Lakin 

 

 

Monday 22nd:

 

Visible migration continued overhead with 330+ Swallow, 70 Siskin, 45 Meadow Pipit, 34 Goldfinch, 25+  House Martin,  20+ alba, six Grey and two Yellow Wagtail,  four Chaffinch, two Rook and a Pintail. On the ground a Buzzard in Dead Dolphin Wood was unusual, with single Jay and two Coal Tit also scarce migrants on site. Warblers were limited to 10 Blackcap, eight Chiffchaff and a Goldcrest. Elsewhere a Kingfisher remains on the Main Pond, a Mediterranean Gull was coming to bread at the Visitor Centre and a Curlew Sandpiper roosted on Warren Point.

 

 

Sunday 21st:

 

Despite the lack of cloud cover visible migration overhead produced 97+ Siskin, 80+ Swallow, 58 Meadow Pipit, 46 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 44 Goldfinch, 13 Grey, 11 alba and two Yellow Wagtail, six House and four Sand Martin, three Tree Pipit and two Reed Bunting. Grounded migrants included two Coal Tit and a Sedge Warbler on Warren Point, 10+ Blackcap and Chiffchaff, four Whitethroat, four Wheatear, three White Wagtail and two Goldcrest. Counts from the estuary included 870 Oystercatcher, 460+ Curlew, 438 Wigeon, 376 Great Black-backed Gull, 215 Redshank, 200 Teal, 100+ Dunlin, 26 Ringed Plover, eight Sanderling, eight Brent Geese, five Knot, four Greenshank, two Turnstone, two Mediterranean Gull and a Whimbrel. Elsewhere 16 Long-tailed Tit were on site and two Common Tern were offshore.

 

 

Saturday 20th:

 

Like the weather the variety of birds on site remains much the same as previous days. Wader counts included six Curlew Sandpiper and a Little Stint, 199 Dunlin, eight Turnstone, two Knot, two Greenshank and a Whimbrel, with 113 Teal, 19 Brent Geese, a Muscovy Duck, a Pintail, 35+ Sandwich Tern and a Mediterranean Gull also in the estuary. The juvenile Osprey was again fishing in front of the hide late morning with a second bird over earlier in the day. An immature Little Gull was offshore with six Common and an Arctic Tern, with 20+ Common Scoter and a Red-throated Diver on the water.  Despite the lack of cloud there was some discernable passage overhead with the five Skylark, three Chaffinch and two Redpoll all firsts for the autumn, with them were 70+ Meadow Pipit, 20+ Siskin, 20 alba and seven Grey Wagtail, 18 Goldfinch and two Buzzard, although one of these landed on the Golf course and Warren neck, a very rare event on site. Other grounded migrants included 15+ Chiffchaff, 14 Blackcap, eight Stonechat, six Wheatear, five Goldcrest, five White and a Yellow Wagtail, three Whitethroat, a Whinchat and a Garden Warbler. Three Coal Tit and three Great-spotted Woodpecker had probably not travelled as far, but definitely moved through the site. Elsewhere a Kingfisher was very vocal around the Main Pond and a Coot there was the first for over a month.

 

Sparrowhawk 20/09/08 © Ivan Lakin 

 

 

Friday 19th:

 

With the exception of a first winter Yellow-legged Gull, it was more of the same in the estuary with five Curlew Sandpiper and a Little Stint over the high tide along with 22 Dark-bellied and seven Pale-bellied Brent Geese, the Osprey was also fishing in the Bight again. A Jay was briefly present along the Dune Ridge before flying offsite via Dead Dolphin Wood, other movement included one Yellow Wagtail, 41 Goldfinch, 21 Meadow Pipit and 19 Siskin.

 

 

Thursday 18th:

 

Seven Curlew Sandpiper and a Little Stint were present over the high tide with other wader counts including 446 Curlew, 309 Redshank and 15 Knot. Movement overhead, mostly east, included 33 Goldfinch, 15 Meadow Pipit, four Grey Wagtail, three Siskin and a Mistle Thrush.

 

 

Wednesday 17th:

 

Over the morning tide there were 10 Curlew Sandpiper, two Little Stint and nine Knot amongst the Dunlin and Ringed Plover, but there were regularly flushed by a Peregrine or the Osprey which was fishing in the Bight. Migrants included a Yellow Wagtail overhead with 34 Siskin, 18 alba Wagtail, two Buzzard, 10 House and a Sand Martin. On the ground there were at least 10 Wheatear, four Blackcap, two Garden Warbler, a Whitethroat and a Reed Warbler, with two White and a Grey Wagtail in front of the hide. Elsewhere seven Common Tern, two Red-throated Diver and an Arctic Skua were offshore, 375 Wigeon and 20 Brent Geese were in the estuary, a Kingfisher was at the Main Pond and both Green and Great-spotted Woodpecker were on site.

 

 

Tuesday 16th:

 

At least 16 Curlew Sandpiper and two Little Stint were present over the high tides. Also in the estuary a Common Sandpiper, 30+ Bar-tailed Godwit, three Greenshank, five Turnstone, two Knot, 15 Dark-bellied and nine Pale-bellied Brent Geese, the Slavonian Grebe and an Osprey. Migrants on site included two Goldcrest, two Whitethroat and single Whinchat Wheatear and Garden Warbler, with 27 Siskin and two Grey Wagtail overhead. Three Common Tern and 20+ Common Scoter were offshore.

 

 

Monday 15th:

 

Waders present on site included 13 Curlew Sandpiper, two Little Stint, an Avocet, three Greenshank, a Black-tailed Godwit and a Snipe overhead. The Slavonian Grebe remains in the estuary where Wigeon numbers had reached 324 with 18 Dark-bellied and four Pale-bellied Brent Geese. An Osprey and four Black Tern flew south out to sea early morning with other movement overhead including 15 Meadow Pipit and eight Grey Wagtail. Elsewhere migrants included a Whinchat along the Wryneck Path, eight Blackcap, three Whitethroat, two Wheatear and a Garden Warbler. Offshore there were seven Common and a Black Tern, 32 Common Scoter, two Red-throated Diver and two each of Razorbill and Guillemot.

 

Sunday 14th:

 

The highlight was the reserve's fifth record of Honey Buzzard which headed SW late morning, before being seen later over Eastdon with at least six Buzzard. Other migrants overhead included at least 18 Grey and a Yellow Wagtail, 15+ Meadow and a Tree Pipit, seven Grey Heron, six Siskin, three Stock Dove, two Rook, a Buzzard and a Nuthatch which briefly paused in a Tamarisk on the Dune Ridge. In the estuary there were nine Curlew Sandpiper and Little Stint over the morning tide, with 198 Ringed Plover, 38 Sanderling, 20+ Knot, eight Greenshank, three Black-tailed Godwit, two Whimbrel and a Common Sandpiper. The flock of 13 Avocet returned briefly in the evening. Wildfowl continue to arrive with Wigeon and Teal increasing to 272 and 88 respectively, with them were 18  Dark-bellied and eight Pale-bellied Brent Geese, five Shoveler and two Pintail. Also in the estuary an Osprey, 352 Great Black-backed Gull, a sinensis Cormorant, a Red-breasted Merganser and the Slavonian Grebe. Offshore there were two summer plumaged Red-throated Diver, four Great-crested Grebe, an Arctic Skua, an adult Little Gull and 15 Common Tern. Elsewhere a Great-spotted Woodpecker and a Spotted Flycatcher were in the Entrance Bushes, at least three Mediterranean Gull were around the reserve, four Wheatear and two White Wagtail were in the Bight and a Sedge Warbler was on the Golf Course.

 

 

Saturday 13th:

 

At least one Little Stint and five Curlew Sandpiper remained in the estuary along a Ruff and with the first 12 Avocet and two Dark-bellied Brent Geese of the autumn, joined later by a 13th Avocet and nine Pale-bellied Brent Geese. Also in the estuary, 230+ Wigeon, 50+ Teal, 195 Redshank, 10 Greenshank, two Common Sandpiper, a Whimbrel and five Mediterranean Gull. Visible migration overhead included the first Mistle Thrush of the autumn along with Tree and 50 Meadow Pipit, Yellow and eight Grey Wagtail, Collared Dove, three Raven, two Rook, two Jackdaw, 200+ House Martin, 50 Swallow, 40 Linnet, 20 Siskin, two Reed Bunting, three Buzzard and a Hobby. Grounded migrants included Whinchat, a Spotted Flycatcher, Garden and two Sedge Warbler, 20+ Chiffchaff, five Wheatear, eight Blackcap, six Whitethroat and five Goldcrest. Offshore records included two Black and five Common Tern, Red-throated Diver and an Arctic Skua.  A site record 92 species were recorded today.

 


Whinchat 13/09/08 © Ivan Lakin                 Avocet 13/09/08 © Ivan Lakin

 

 

Friday 12th:

 

The highlight was the first Wood Sandpiper of the year in the Bight for just 20 minutes before flying north up river, also there the first Little Stint of the year, seven Curlew Sandpiper and four Black-tailed Godwit. Also in the estuary the Slavonian Grebe and Osprey. Elsewhere a Red-throated Diver was offshore, 14+ Wheatear were on site and five Grey Wagtail flew over.

 

Wood Sandpiper 12/09/08 © Lee Collins                                                          Curlew Sandpiper 12/09/08 © Andrew Cunningham  

 

 

 Sanderling 12/09/08 © Andrew Cunningham 

 

 

Thursday 11th:

 

Three Curlew Sandpiper were in the Bight with c300 Dunlin and Ringed Plover. Nine Wheatear were on site and 126 Wigeon arrived in Shutterton Creek in the afternoon, where the Slavonian Grebe was still present.

 

 

Wednesday 10th:

 

The two juvenile Curlew Sandpiper were in the Bight over high tide with 260 Dunlin, 223 Ringed Plover, 41 Sanderling and four White Wagtail. Also in the estuary an Osprey fishing in Shutterton Creek, five Pintail, an adult Mediterranean Gull, 22 Mute Swan, seven Greenshank and the Slavonian Grebe. Two Arctic Skua were offshore along with six Common and a Black Tern. The pick of the migrants was a Whinchat on Warren Point with site totals of 10+ Chiffchaff, nine Wheatear, four Whitethroat, four Blackcap and single Willow Warbler and Goldcrest.  Light passage overhead early morning included 30 Swallow, seven Meadow Pipit, five Grey and five alba Wagtail, three Sand Martin and two Siskin. Elsewhere the first Water Rail of the autumn was at the First Pond.

 

 

Tuesday 9th:

 

A morning seawatch produced single Balearic Shearwater, Storm Petrel and Black Tern along with 21 Fulmar, 21 Manx Shearwater, 21 Common Scoter, 17 Arctic Skua, 18 commic, seven Common and three Arctic Tern. In the estuary the first two Curlew Sandpiper of the year, both juveniles, were in front of hide. Elsewhere migrants on site included a Pied Flycatcher, seven Wheatear , two Whinchat and two Whitethroat.

 

 

Monday 8th:

 

The Wryneck was still present on Warren Point, other migrants included the first 11 Meadow Pipit of the autumn overhead along with six Wheatear, two Willow Warbler and a White Wagtail. Elsewhere a mixed flock of 100+ Swallow and House Martin were feeding overhead and seven Greenshank and four Common Sandpiper were in the estuary.

 

 

Sunday 7th:

 

There was no sign of the Semi-palmated Sandpiper today, despite much searching, but the Wryneck was still occasionally seen around Warren Point. Other migrants included 15 Wheatear and a Whinchat with 10+ Chiffchaff, three White Wagtail, three Whitethroat and single Reed and Willow Warbler. The second Merlin of the autumn flew through Warren Point mid morning, also overhead single Swift, Collared Dove and Grey Wagtail and a light passage of c80 Swallow during the afternoon with along with c70 House and five Sand Martin. Elsewhere a Wigeon was offshore and the Slavonian Grebe was in the estuary along with five Mediterranean Gull, three Greenshank and a Whimbrel.

 


Wryneck 07/09/08 © Dave Stone                                                                        Kestrel (with Great Green Bushcricket) 07/09/08 © Simon Thurgood

 

 

Saturday 6th:

 

A bright start with little wind encouraged the Wryneck to put in another appearance on Warren Neck, although it remained elusive and flighty. Other migrants included 15 Chiffchaff, eight Blackcap, eight Wheatear, seven Whitethroat, at least five White Wagtail, two Reed and a Willow Warbler and a single Goldcrest. Overhead a Siskin and five Grey Wagtail flew east along with c70 Swallow and 30 House Martin. The juvenile Semi-palmated Sandpiper remains on site, although this morning it roosted at the far end of Warren Point before moving to the Bight as the tide dropped. The Ruff also remained around the estuary and Bight along with a Red-throated Diver, the Slavonian Grebe, 420 Curlew, 120 Redshank, two Greenshank, an adult Mediterranean Gull and an Osprey which was seen at least three times during the day. Offshore the only movement was c40 Sandwich, 25 Common and an Arctic Tern south along with a juvenile Little Gull. The only Arctic Skua of the day was a pale phase adult seen circling with gulls high over the Dune Ridge.

 

Wryneck 06/09/08 © Simon Thurgood                         Ruff  06/09/08 © Simon Thurgood

 

 

Friday 5th:

 

Strong south-easterly winds and heavy rain meant seawatching was the order of the day In five hours from first light the totals included at least two Grey Phalarope, the first of the year, seven Arctic and four Great Skua, 130 Sandwich, 60 Common, 30 commic, seven Arctic and a Black Tern, 42 Fulmar, one Balearic and three Manx Shearwater, a petrel sp, probably Storm, and just three Kittiwake. A further highlight was the year's first Purple Sandpiper which flew south with c15 Turnstone. The best seabird of the day however was found in front of the hide - a juvenile Sabine's Gull, which remained in the estuary for over an hour. Also in the estuary the juvenile Semi-palmated Sandpiper, a Greenshank, two Mediterranean Gull, the Slavonian Grebe and a Kingfisher. Elsewhere a Ruff, three White Wagtail and a Wheatear were on the Golf course.

 

Sabine's Gull 05/09/08 © Stan Stanbury 
 

 

 

Thursday 4th:

 

The juvenile Semi-palmated Sandpiper was still present over the morning hide tide, again on the beach before moving to the Bight. Migrants included single Sedge and Willow Warbler, six Common and a Lesser Whitethroat. Offshore 15 Fulmar, an Arctic Skua and several Common Scoter. A touch of the exotic was provided by a flyby Budgerigar!

 

 

Green Woodpecker (juv) 04/09/08 © Lee Collins 
 

 

Wednesday 3rd:

 

The juvenile Semi-palmated Sandpiper was present for its ninth day over the morning hide tide, again on the beach before moving to the Bight. A further highlight appeared in the form of a Wryneck, it was however fairly mobile, being seen at various places along the Dune Ridge. Other migrants included two Spotted Flycatcher, 15 Chiffchaff, four Wheatear, two Willow and two Garden Warbler and a Lesser Whitethroat. Elsewhere 14 Knot, two Whimbrel, nine Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit and  were on Finger Point, two Common Tern and a Red-throated Diver were offshore, the Slavonian Grebe and a first winter Mediterranean Gull were in the estuary and a Kingfisher was on the Main Pond.
 


Sanderling and Semi-palmated Sandpiper 31/08/08 © John Lee 

 

 

Tuesday 2nd:

 

The juvenile Semi-palmated Sandpiper was again still present on the beach this morning at least before moving to the Bight. A good fall of migrants included double figure counts of Blackcap and Whitethroat with 15 Chiffchaff, 10 Willow, four Reed and two Garden Warbler, all in the Entrance Bushes. Also there three Spotted Flycatcher and both Green and Great-spotted Woodpecker. A fourth Spotted Flycatcher was along the Wryneck Path with a Lesser Whitethroat and several of the eight Wheatear on site. Other records included an Osprey over Shutterton Creek, two Storm Petrel offshore early afternoon with six Common Scoter, earlier the only birds offshore were 60 Sandwich and four Common Tern.

 


Semi-palmated Sandpiper 31/08/08 © John Lee                                                                                   Spotted Flycatcher 02/09/08 © John Fortey

 

 

Monday 1st:

 

The juvenile Semi-palmated Sandpiper was still present on the beach over the morning high tide but in poor weather only showed briefly in the Bight this evening. At sea there were at sea ten Common and an Arctic Tern, single Great and Arctic Skua, a few Common Scoter and a shearwater sp south. In the estuary there were 151 Sandwich Tern, 130 Redshank, two Greenshank and the Slavonian Grebe.

 

Semi-palmated Sandpiper Aug 2008 both © Lee Collins

 

 

 

 

 

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