Late house keeping and updates

Marek reminded me I hadn't removed Garganey from my year list, so now I've done it, I stand on 120, not 121 for 2014.

Late news for Saturday was someone wrote Black-tailed Godwit on the board, but not on the log, so we don't know who it was.

Yesterday 2 Green Sandpiper at LFGP, plus the Dunlin, the latter still present and today according to Marek, or 2nd longest staying bird, with a spring bird from May 5th to 14th remaining 10 days, but at 7 days is our longest autumn individual. A very quick look at the car park field at 07:15 only showed that a good number of warblers have linked up with the tit flock, but I had no time to go thru them.

Wheatear's etc

I was checking the car park field by 07:45, but no sign of any Redstarts, but that isn't unusual as they only start coming thru around 28th and into mid Sept. I was hoping for a Yellow Wagtail as it started without any breeze, again no joy.

On to Bittern Hide and a small tit flock was bubbling with activity, several Willow Warbler and posing Long-tailed Tits.

A Nuthatch called towards Bittern Hide, where many Reed Warblers continue to hang out, but nothing to speak of on the scrape.

At LFGP no real change, just 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Dunlin, then I found 2 Wheatear on the vents almost out of view, but they moved to the far landfill cell and hung around vent no's 38 to 42. It is worth a giggle sharing the only shot I got.

After I left Geoff said 3 more Green Sandpiper flew in with a Common Sandpiper.

Off patch yesterday, I was helping my sister settle in at her new house on the NW side of Twyford, which lies very close the Henley train line, about half a mile NE of the BBOWT pit and a Raven went over very low and noisily, so they are still very close by to DP.

Early Whinchat?

Geoff texted saying he was fairly sure he had a Whinchat on the landfill, so despite having family plans, we re-jigged timings and I went back down, having been down for a dawn visit this morning. 30 Gadwall, 6 Shoveler, 7 Teal, 2 Wigeon, the summer plumage Dunlin still present too.

On arrival at LFGP it had gone out of view and was not relocated, Geoff showed me 2-3 pixelated shots and it did look more Whinchat than Wheatear, but not seeing the bird I felt it was inconclusive. What went against it was it was that it was highly mobile and as he put it, went from vent to vent, sounding much more like Wheatear behaviour.

I had my doubts based on date too, but now I have looked it isn't out of the question, here is the early August record history, there are just 3 and none in recent years.

Aug 10th (AJ & TB) & 14th 1984 (PB)
Aug 2nd 1986 (FJC)

Here are all the other autumn records, updated thanks to Adam Bassett

16th Sept 1979
27th Aug 1980
30th Aug 1981
23rd Aug 1982
28th to 31st Aug, then 9th, 11th & 20th Sept 1983
7th, 9th & 24th Sept 1984
2nd & 20th Sept 1985
1st, 3rd, 6th & 2/17th & 2/20th Sept 1986
2/1st, 2/3rd Sept, 1/4th & 1/5th 1987
1st Oct 1988
16th & 21st Sept 1989
1/12th 1990
10th, 16th & 22nd Sept 1992
31st Aug 1993
8th Sept 1996
27th Aug 1997
26th Aug 2000
4th & 7th Sept 2002
31st Aug 2003
27th & 28th Aug, then Sept 19th, then 9th Oct 2011

So it is fair to say 26th Aug to 9th Sept is the best window, good chances between 16th & 22nd Sept too.

While I was not seeing the possible Whinchat from the bottom of the car park field, I did have my first Silver-washed Fritillary in the car park field

Weekend special...for some

I was out Saturday checking the car park field, nowt, then on my way to Bittern hide I saw a bright warbler with a short looking tail, flying into the trees on the left of the tarmac path not far past the foot bridge from the car park. I couldn't pick anything up so crossed over to Sandford and did the loop back to BSL sailing club.

No sign, but 8-10 Swift were over the lake.

So back around to Bittern and the same bolshy Little Egret was on show close by, plus a few Lapwing.

Back at the car park, about to leave and an adult Hobby came over from the NW and on SE, so few around this year and everyone is saying the same, so I do wonder what has happened to them this year?

Much later around 19:30, I got a text from Brian asking if I knew about the 21 Black-tailed Godwits reported at 16:30, "No" I said, he was on his way. I was not dressed and decided to wait on Brian's news, bad mistake, as they were there, but not by the time I got there, missing them by 60 seconds.

I am not going to bleat on and on, but put simply rare bird news is a two way street, not one!

Waiting on the weather

I had a very quick car park visit around 09:30, a Mistle Thrush over SE was worthy of note, more common than Grey Wagtail this year, even though Marek had one this morning.

A trickle of House Martin going SE and 2-3 Bullfinch about.

Now we wait for the rain to push in and to see if the remnants of hurricane Bertha brings us anything on Sunday.

Osprey!

It's happened before, I get ready to leave and suddenly a good bird flies over, this time at about 14:55 an adult Osprey flew in from the South at around 200 feet, began circling over the landfill and then steadily rose to about 1500 feet over the next 7-8 minutes, finally spreading it's wings and heading off North.

I even got some audaciously cheeky, but of course poor digi-scoping iphone shots.... poor indeed, but I challenge anyone to try taking a digi shot of a circling raptor at 800-1000 feet.

Of somewhat less exciting news, it was stil nice to see 4 Common Sandpiper and 3 Green Sandpiper on Lavell's today. Richard had 5 Common on Sandford later which is kind of no surprise, when the 4 flew off around 10:00.

3 Swift also passed just East of car park field during my one hour sky watch.

July finish

A last minute Coal Tit 27th, a Dunlin on the 28th at LFGP (BTB), then Mandarin 29th and 30th, took the total to 89, making it the =2nd highest July.

The month did not include Barn or Little Owl, Grey Wagtail, Lesser Whitethroat, or Nuthatch. Certainly the last 2 must be around, Grey Wagtail probably shows up in odd places, but we appear to have lost them at BSL sailing club beach, which is both odd and a shame.

I await a Ringed Plover mid month with a bit of luck and will be keeping my eyes peeled for Whimbrel, Curlew, or maybe an even more exciting wader, not forgetting Yellow Wagtail and Spotted Flycatcher later this month.

I was out pretty early today, 3 Green Sandpiper, 1 Common, 1 LRP, 4 Swift, 2 Kingfisher was about it.

P.S.
Brian told me that he had Nuthatch in July, so we hit 90 the new 2nd highest July.