Author: Jamie Partridge

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!

A light WNW and a ‘birdy’ day, with lots of Chiffchaff everywhere, Blackcap and Meadow Pipit plus close to 1,000 hirundines moving through, mostly House Martin but also Swallow and only a handful of Sand Martin.

A Hawfinch was calling unseen somewhere in Langdon Hole, then picked up flying west, Grey Wagtail, Black Redstart, 2 Whitethroat and a Lesser Whitethroat also present.

A real bit of excitement in the form of a juvenile Red–footed Falcon, initially over the edge of Top wood and the adjacent field, the bird remained high up but was seen well before being lost to view. I picked it up again flying towards wanstone farm so a mad ‘cross country dash’, ensued straight across the fennel field after which and I watched it hunting over towards st Margarets. 25 minutes later I picked it up again high over the farm flying west towards Swingate but despite searching for another 2.5 hours there was no sign.

Strong winds earlier in the week encouraged me to spend some time seawatching, the best of which produced 1 Sooty (below) 8 Balearic Shearwaters and 2 Arctic Skua between 10.30 and midday on the 20th

I have brought my trip to Scilly forward, due to the immense American situation unfolding on that side of the country, I leave tonight (sunday) so wish me luck!

Back from a long work trip to Korea. High temperatures and high pressure for the past 2 days with favourable South Easterly wind direction though not much to write home about. Over 1000 Hirundines on the 15th, heading no particular direction, lots of ChiffChaffs and no Willows,numbers of Siskin over, a Juv Hen Harrier hunting over the top fields, 3 Golden Plover, 5 Ringed Plover and my first numbers of Meadow pipits of the Autumn.

Much the same for the next couple of days with the Hen Harrier still in situ, a couple of Tree pipits, the odd and Yellow Wagtail and up to 6 Whinchats, single Spotted Fly, Firecrest and Reed warbler. Nice to be home.

Light North Westerlies with much the same smattering of common migrants, 2 Redstart, single Pied and Spotted Flycatchers plus a tree pipit over near the light house. a flock of 18 Yellow wagtails flew west while 6 were along the path and cliff top near Langdon.

The highlight of the morning was an Osprey that cleared the large gull flock under the cliffs at the light house before being chased west by a resident Peregrine. A marsh Harrier flew in off the sea just after. 3 Whinchat on the top fields. A nice visit from Young Dante y’day was highlighted with a Nightingale on the farm but not much else.

Thats it for me for the next three weeks i’m working in Seoul, South Korea. Back mid September, i hope i dont miss much but leaving the patch in capable hands.

Clear skies with a light Westerly and it was seemingly quiet for Rich and I at the western end of the patch but numbers of migrants built from Fan bay onwards, with highlights being Pied fly, 22 Yellow Wagtails , 2(ish) Tree Pipits and a good number of hirundines moving predictably into the wind.

A marsh Harrier and 14 Black Tailed Godwits flew over top wood just as we bumped into Colin & Kevin Johnson who were out and about as were John Clements and Chris Cox who had caught a Fantastic Wood Warbler in the valley.

A new bird for me on the patch, as were the godwits! Seems to have been a decent few days for the former species in the south east, I came across on on Beachy head with Laurence P a few days earlier.

A juv Hen Harrier flew in from the direction of the sea and over us in the valley.

2 Redstart, 8 Whinchat, 9 Wheatear and 20 odd willows plus common and lesser whitethroat in slightly less numbers than recently. John Clemants had 2 Crossbill over and Rich had a brilliant flyover Osprey after id gone for lunch, the 4th I know of locally this year.

Thick fog first thing (the fog horn in the harbour had been blasting all night) and I woke to the sound of Willow Warblers calling in the garden.

Numbers of birds seemed high with calling willows and a Common redstart on Foxhill down though the visability was poor. I moved East and the fog thinned slightly, a Turnstone flew around calling in the murk. By the time I reached the Valley the fog was almost gone and 2 of each Pied and Spotted flycatchers were feeding along the sheltered side of the enclousure.

Colin J called to say he had a Honey Buzzard flying west from Top wood towards the farm at 11.40, I ran to higher ground in an attempt to see it and eventually picked it up distantly moving away, low over upper Road towards Dover. He also had a Marsh Harrier and a Common Redstart in the farm area.

2 Common Redstarts, a Tree pipit, a Whinchat and 2 Wheatear were in Broadless bottom as were the recently released Red–billed Choughs which have been feeding and flying around for the past couple of weeks.

Thunder, rain and lightning over night last night and an increase in bird activity on the headland this morning. 10 Yellow wagtails among the cattle, 2 Wheatear, single Whinchat, 2 Tree pipit over west, good numbers of both Whitethroats and willow warblers and 2 Grasshopper Warblers.

My personal highlight was the first Pied Flycatchers of the autumn; 2 in Sycamores at the western end and one in the cavernous green cathedral that is middle wood, this bird was vocal so i wonder if another was present somewhere nearby.

The best day for a few days was another still, sublime morning. c20 Willows, notable numbers of Lesser Whitethroats in the bushes, 2 Yellow Wagtails over, A tree pipit over the farm but no flycatchers yet though! A juv Cuckoo fly over the harbour field and into Langdon Hole early on.

2 Whinchat, 2 Wheatear and a couple flocks of westward Swallows. The conditions were ripe for flyovers and these came in the form of a Golden Plover, a Ringed Plover and 3 Marsh harriers – 2 Juvs together over the tarmac path, and a 2cy male hunting at the old airstrip. Another Juv was hunting near fan bay y’day morning, a good couple of days for the species here.

My first Silver–spotted skipper of the year was on Light house Down as were a cloud of Chalk hill blues.

Calm, South Easterly days have been few and far between this year. They are my favourite winds in the warm weather months here and often produce fly over raptors etc. Today was no exception – I had fantastic views of a juv Hen Harrier very close just East of Fan bay, the bird moved at hunting level toward the tarmac path and as I got my phone out to text Colin I saw that he had already texted to say it was coming in off the sea near the Lighthouse.

August is a good time to see Hen Harrier here, Likely/evidently arrivals from Calais where they are numerous.

3 Whinchats, Wheatear, Willow Warblers, Sedge and a brief Grasshopper Warbler were all in the Fennel field near the lighthouse.

A dark female Honey Buzzard flew over the Harbour at 12.30, continuing west over our house, East cliff and inland – a great run of Birds over the street recently. I picked it up flying away from me, but saw it nicely before getting a few distant shots. Interestingly I’ve had birds appearing to arrive in off the sea in August with the same ‘spring arrival’ weather before…Today’s bird constitues my sixth HB of the year here at the coast.

An early start after sleeping out in a cave on the cliffs, waking to the sound of a singing Black Redstart, a slightly less familiar sound here recently. Followed by a walk around with Russ, c150 Swifts west, single Yellow Wag south, small numbers of warblers, I didn’t see a Wheatear but 2 slightly scruffy adult Tree pipits were in the fennel field, my first of the autumn.