Friday 7 September 2012

Whinchats & Sparrowhawks

Lade - 0630hrs - Warm, dry and sunny sw2 - Glorious autumnal morning with bright sunshine from the off. A foray over the back delivered a cracking Whinchat on the broom,plus 20 Yellow Wags, 20 Swallows, 5 Mipits, 2 Redshanks and a Sparrowhawk over the storm beaches. On south pit a single Black-necked Grebe amongst an influx of 100 Shovelers.
                                          Whinchat, Lade
                                          Starling, Dungeness

Dungeness - 1030hrs - Had a wander around the Peninsula with Barney today (just when is that mutt going to start speaking back to me...) starting at the Patch where 50 Common and 3 Arctic Terns was about it, apart from 3 Wheatears on the beach and 2 Sparrowhawks over.
On the bird reserve throughout the day probably saw up to ten each of Sparrowhawk and Whinchat  with the majority of the latter between the Corral and Boulderwall, but also at Dengemarsh, where the Great White Egret was present, and at Galloways. The scrub at the entrance to Tower pits was profitable with a passerine flock containing mainly Chaffinches and Great Tits, but with Spotted Flycatcher, Lesser Whitethroat and several Chiff-Willows. At Screen hide 2 Common Sands and a Ringed Plover with the same from Hanson plus the usual Goldies and Lapwings, Little Egrets, 5 Dunlins, eclipse ducks, a Barwit, 2 Pintails and a Garganey. Another passerine flock near the hide contained mostly Long-tailed Tits.
Scotney - Walked along the cycle path checking the grass for waders but only came up with Goldies, Lapwings and a few Curlews, Redshanks and a Blackwit. Two distant Marsh Harriers on the ranges and another Sparrowhawk and Whinchat. In all a decent days birding in pleasant weather.
ps: About 2200hrs went into the garden to check the moth trap when noted the House Sparrows were all of a kerfuffle; unsurprisingly, as an owl was sat atop the fir trees! Only had the briefest of glimpses before it flew silently off but it could only have been a Long-eared Owl trying its luck at the roosting birds.

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