The first day of light winds after over a week. An almost still SE morning and an early start. My highlight of the day came over the Windmill garden just at tree height and flew towards the lighthouse where I stood – a dark juvenile Honey Buzzard just before 9am.
Nice views of it as It flew out over the channel but stayed parallel with the coast and continued SW towards Dover, Later a 2cy male Marsh Harrier flew out to sea over fan bay.
Meadow pipits were moving with c500 counted in the first 3 hours of light, 4 Spotted flycatchers, 5 Whinchat, Wheatear, Willow and Sedge warblers, c150 Chiffchaff and 100 or so blackcap.
Hirundines were pretty spectacular especially into the afternoon, a rough estimate would be c10,000 birds. I counted almost 1k several times and at one point the sky was full of hirundines as far as I could see with perhaps half that number Swallows and the rest Sand and House martin + 3 Common Swifts.
PERDIX BIRDER 