Month: October 2023

Despite the dates and the daily coverage there’s still not much to write home about, lacking the numbers of thrushes etc though today was ‘birdy’ : 4 Ring Ouzel, 2 Mistle Thrush, 3 Redwing, 11 Brambling, 50 Chaffinch, single Crossbill west, 20 Reed Bunting ( Flying over west in 1’s + 2’s) approx – 110 Redpoll, 250 Siskin, 500 Goldfinch, c200 Skylark on site and in off, 140 Starling in off, Common Buzzard in off, 70 Swallow 18 House Martin, 3 Firecrest, 2 Blackcap, 5 Chiff and 6 Golden Plover flew west over the top fields. Upon returning back home I found a female Common Redstart in my garden, it even landed on the feeder and was around in the back gardens all afternoon, pretty late record!

Rich B and I walked over the length of the patch on the 25th and tallied – 6+ Ring Ouzels, House Martin, 40 Swallow, 8 Stonechat, Single Fieldfare, 2 Firecrest, 10 Goldcrest, 2 Blackcap, 6 Reed Bunting, 100 Siskin, 60 Redpoll & 5 Brambling. 2 Short–eared Owls were hinting that evening and Russ and I counted 29(!) Grey Partridge.

The 26th was spent driving to Brighton and back during which I missed a Serin over light house down and Bockhill had a much sought after Pallid Swift, well done guys.

Yesterday’s stormy conditions cleared over night to a bright morning with light Westerlies.

My personal highlight of which was (unbelivably) my first Short–eared owl here on site, a bizarre patch bogey bird with so many seen not too far from here but there you go – It came in from height and dropped into the fennel field near the lighthouse around 10.30am

Other highlights were my first Merlin of the season here over the old airstrip firs thing, 6 Ring ouzel (4 in Langdon and 2 on the farm found by the Johnsons), a late Whinchat in the fennel along side 4 Stonechat, single wheatear, 3 Tree sparrow Sw over lighthouse down, golden plover heard somewhere, 7 Brambling including one flying in off the sea alongside Great spotted woodpecker (slightly scary moment to see a spotted woodpecker bounding towards you over the cliff edge), 25 Redpoll, 100+ siskins, 4 Firecrest 3 Swallow, c10 chiff 2 blackcap 12 Reed bunting.

A quick trip up the cliffs again this evening yielded 2 SEOs hunting over the fennel field and grasslands near the Lighthouse.

Ive been starting the day looking at the sea, Todays highlight, alongside RBl,PC,JC was a smart 1st winter Caspian Gull that came in off in a SSW gale, 5 Brent geese, 4 Arctic Skuas, 2 C.Scoter, 100+ Gannet, 2 Kittiwake, 5 Razorbills, 2 RT Divers and a few Med gulls all down Channel were the only other notables.

A second look at the sea mid afternoon produced similar birds but another 1st Winter Caspian Gull ‘in off, a close in female Red Breasted Merganser down channel plus a large and richly toned ‘Greenland’ type Wheatear on the sea front.

A rainy friday the 20th with light SW winds was only made remarkable by the number of Firecrests with 15 there or abouts between Langdon and Southforlenad including 3 on my street/in our garden. 4 Ring Ouzels between Fox hill down and Langdon the same day and 40 Goldcrests were counted the previous day in South foreland alone.

2 Red throated Divers were feeding exceptionally close tot he shore in the harbour friday evening, 2 Razorbills, 2 Kingfisher and a Shag were also present.

Back after what seemed like an age. Scillies was good fun and some excellent birding was had with great friends. Straight up the cliffs on my first morning to lovely conditions though numbers of migrants seemed thin on the ground. A walk from home to the pines cafe and back was highlighted by a Jacksnipe, which flushed from my feet and flew around before dropping into one of the top fields.

15 Stonechat, 10 Swallow, 10 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap ,a late c.Whitethroat (pic below) 4 Firecrest, 10+ Goldcrest, 3 Brambling, c50 Siskin and 3 Redpoll, No ring ouzels (despite up to 5 being seen by Rich recently) untill this morning where 3 were present in Langdon hole.

A Eurasian Treecreeper was present in the Pines garden y’day and today, whilst common patch birds like Skylark, Yellowhammer and Corn bunting were out and about in good numbers and are joined by migrant Reed buntings – up to 15 on the farm today.

22 Brent Geese down channel and a Red throated diver on the sea at langdon in a brief glance, Ian Serle had Long tailed skua and Sabines gull from st Margarets last week plus a few other bits and Lucy L had a Great grey shrike on lighthouse down, fantastic stuff.

Some interesting weather ahead and some big holes to fill this autumn starting with a local Yellow browed warbler please!