PERDIX BIRDER

The past couple of days have turned out dryer than Ventusky has predicted and full wet weather gear has been stripped off and carried rather than worn on most mornings.

Highlights have included a Dartford warbler in the Fennel field on the 31st,(only my second here) the same morning Steve Ray had an adult male Hen Harrier over the farm, I also counted 8 Ring Ouzel between the radar station, Langdon Hole and Fan Bay, including a pretty tame male, Lots of Finch movement first thing and c70 Swallow east. A flock of 23 winter plumaged Dunlin flew South West at head height past the lighthouse on the same day.

The below Water spout was a dramatic thing to watch pulling water up from the channel.

Anticipation for the upcoming storm Ciaran and the potential damage it could cause has me in abit of of tizz, If the house is in one piece thursday am i’ll check the harbour and maybe the sea. 2 Razorbill a Red–throated Diver and a first winter Common tern were present on the 30th, Gannets, Kittiwakes 2 Curlew and a 1st Winter Yellow legged gull were all from todays afternoon seawatch from the bay.

Some nicely replaced wing coverts below.

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!

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.