Bitter cold North wind brings winter thrushes

Car park field as usual and several flocks of Redwing passing over West, 3 flocks of 15-20, plus a few smaller groups meant about 70-80 birds over in 45 minutes.

1-2 Meadow Pipits, 1-2 Chiffchaff, 4-5 Song Thrush in the car park field together, 4 Teal , 4 Gadwall on Lavell's.

For fun I have added my latest hoped for additions on my prediction list.

Late Wheatear

Stuck on the phone late morning Steve texted saying Wheatear LFGP, finally I got out for a 10 minute look before the nursery run, Wheatear still showing to right of shingle island as described by Steve, but I soon lost it behind foliage. This was my latest by 5 days, the latest birds being 15th 1982 (OU - Observer Unknown) and 12th 2011 (RNM). From my perspective if we don't know who the observer is, it cannot be verified. There is another 18th 2011, but I don't believe that either and as it's my blog I can say what I like!

Scanning I picked up 8 Meadow Pipit, several more 'small bird sp' flying South, then a tight flock of about 17 Redwing heading SW.

Then I picked up a Peregrine circling at 250-300ft, just East of the landfill, I watched it for my last 3 minutes to check it wasn't my latest Hobby. Though just my fourth this year.

Last day of warm weather?

I took a stroll around the car park field 09:45 in the warm sunshine, probably the last warm day this year? A Skylark went South, the first Autumn Siskin East as soon as I arrived. Another Skylark went NW 30 mins later, 7 Meadow Pipit + 2+3 more South, 8 Linnet South, several Goldfinch, 2-3 Song Thrush, 2-3 Chiffchaff and probable Blackcap called briefly.

I scanned BSL very briefly, picking up 7 Swallow moving SE, staying low in the increasing breeze, back at my car I scanned one last time, picking up Buzzard going in various directions, but then an almost totally white bird underneath, with white upper tail coverts, totally grey head and upper wing coverts, scoping it, it was clear it was just a Buzzard, but it got me going for a few seconds.

76 species for the month so far.

Yellow-browed Warbler

I have said it for the last 3-4 days and for Dave Rimes the park's first Yellow-browed Warbler showed for just a few seconds, very well, so sadly I wasn't the one to find it and didn't relocate it in my 4 and half hour search. Notably the tit flocks went missing after 13:00, making it hard to know where to look.

Meanwhile Meadow Pipit passage was considerable by our standards today, when I arrived after 11:00 groups of 16 and 11 and numerous groups of 4-8 went over, South and later SW, making an estimated count of 80+, which given no-one was counting earlier, could have been just the tip of the iceberg. 7 Swallow went thru on arrival.

On my search for the YBW I found at least 7 Chiffchaff mostly with the tits prior to 13:00, 1 or 2 as I walked around Lavell's, Sandford and along the Loddon to LFGP.

At LFGP 15:00 3 Meadow Pipit lingered in the SW corner, 30+ Teal there too. A Hobby was also reported.

Goldies again

Within 1 day of last years flock of c15 on 3rd October, a larger flock of around 56 Golden Plover were flying East, then back West 2 miles or more beyond the landfill, so about the Borough Marsh vicinity at 09:30. 2+2 more Meadow Pipit over the landfill, 4+4 House Martin thru ESE, followed by 7 Swallow, whilst a lone Skylark fluttered over the landfill, then 2 Bullfinch flew rather high East.

In the car park field, 3 Chiffchaff called, a Nuthatch nearby, but nothing else.

On Sandford 2 Little Grebe and a very quiet sub song Blackcap, well at least I hope it was only a Blackcap, as it didn't show and was rather brief.

The month is on 71, 81 in 2006 is the lowest in recent years, 93 the highest in 2010 and 2012.

Diverted off patch

I was heading down for my 30 minutes in the car park, when Richard called saying Geoff had a Spoonbill at Henley Road G.P.'s. So I went there instead, sadly it flew off, or out of sight and that was all I had time for.

Oxon is getting very good birds right now, Great White Egret, Yellow-browed Warbler and 4 Great Skua together last night at Farmoor.

Marek found the first autumn Pochard for DP this morning, so we are in a different league to Oxon!

October can be very good though and we are long overdue our first Yellow-browed Warbler and should that Spoonbill drop in, I'd be very happy after missing the May 14th 2007 birds.

We will hopefully see our annual Stonechat around the 11th to 14th and whilst it hasn't happened more than once winter thrush passage can also be accompanied by Hawfinch, but we should check for Ring Ouzel too.

With more time I'll compile a past October rarity list, one unrepeated species is Curlew Sandpiper 2nd Oct 1988, but we'll probably have to wait for that another year, so for now observations are that it is not a bad month for a passing Merlin in recent years.

Mild weather

In the nice mild but hazy morning, an hour in the car park field started well with 7 Ring-necked Parakeet to the East, 1 Nuthatch, 3+ Chiffchaff, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Blackcap, 20+, then 30+ House Martin and a few Swallow thru SE, but was quiet there after, until 2 Snipe flushed off LFGP just before I left.