Them one day birds

Yesterday's Redstart was not seen today, which is almost a surprise, even with clear skies such as last night, they often stick around. Another Redstart was reported yesterday too, an adult was apparently seen a few hundred yards off DP, way down the footpath beyond the balancing pool.

I went to DP main centre and heard Coal Tit in 'High Chimneys' garden again.

What I saw in my brief car park visit was a Swift and an adult female Peregrine which cam in from the East, over towards BSL and back round across Lavell's and LFGP, off NW, or West 08:51.

The August month total is 98, just 1 off equaling the record. Shame we couldn't have had a Whinchat like so many other Berks sites today and for the last 3-4 days.

Hirundines a plenty

I hope to get out again later, but my wife's driving lesson was at 08:00 so I had to be back before that, so with just 20 mins free I checked the car park field and am beginning to think we are not going to get a Redstart.

Over the sailing club was 1 Swift and over BSL and DP in general was possibly near 1000 House Martin & Swallow. 1 then a 2 Grey Wagtail were on the beach.

And the update from 10:01 is that an immature Redstart was found in the central enclosure of the car park field by Brian, Trevor & Geoff. Not so many good shots so far, but here is what I have;

Then Geoff collapsed and we needed to call an ambulance, just before it arrived at 10:20 I was standing roadside when 6 Yellow Wagtail went over SE at about 150 feet. We think Geoff is okay and wish him the best.

I have calculated there are at least 7 more species that we have a fair to good chance of getting in 2014.

A little quiet

I had just 20 mins in the car park around 09:15, seeing 2 Swifts.

Just now I had 45 mins in the car park and had a Hobby SE at 14:17, then a Peregrine West at 14:43-44, this might be the only report this month. I heard Ring-necked Parakeet.

I always check on the Oxford bird blog and they have been getting nice waders, including 2 Curlew Sandpiper yesterday and today, which we would be rather overjoyed to see, so say the least.

My good friend Adam saw a Honey Buzzard over Little Marlow around 09:00 today, heading over Winter Hill into Berkshire. I'm just a little jealous and hope that it appears in the Berks report in a few years time, it certainly deserves to be included.

Wet start

That was the only start I got this morning and my expectations were fairly high for something good going thru and at LFGP, all I had was 3 Common and 3 Green Sandpiper, which isn't a bad count this late into August, but over recent years we have often had Common pass thru , or linger until October, or even November. Apart from Lapwing, no other waders seen.

80 Gadwall shows another big increase, still 11 Shoveler, 11 Teal, 4 Wigeon and 2 Little Grebe. The 2 Common Tern chicks can fly now, so will be leaving any day soon, maybe they'll stick around for a week or so, to get theirs wings strong and ready for migration

Heavy passage of hirundines and a Nuthatch near Teal hide was it.

With the weather breaking shortly before 09:00 I decided I'd give it 30 mins in the car park, hoping for the usual, what I did get was 2 Swift heading SE over the landfill, so getting late'ish for them. There are at least 9 September records for Swift, the latest being 21st 1992...observer unknown.

I have seen 6 September Swifts, my latest being the 14th, but we have had none since my last on the 10th in 2010.

Exciting morning

Marek was out early and no doubt glad he was, getting a female, or immature Marsh Harrier over LFGP 06:53, he also added Pochard for the month.

By the time I got out at 10:00 I was just hoping for anything, lots of House Martin and Swallow over the landfill, but no chats, Wheatears, or wagtails. Then I heard a Curlew call once, as I was standing at the back of the ditch I had to quickly jump forward and look left, where the call had come from.

I got my bins on a large bird moving away and had to re-position my scope very quickly to get onto the bird now flying away West, for a moment it looked like it might head towards LFGP, but it went behind an Oak and I never saw it again.

I was told a Water Rail was seen under the feeders this morning, so August is now on 95, just 4 short of the month record total. With Yellow Wagtail, Redstart, Whinchat, Whimbrel, Greenshank and Coal Tit all likely, we could still smash the record by 2, or more if a few more waders come thru.

Ducks on the increase

Just before I met up with Simon from DP, I went to Ron's hide to check up, 65 Gadwall was a good count, 12 Shoveler, 11 Teal and 3 Wigeon, was not a bad wildfowl count for August. 2 Green Sandpiper fed in the SW corner. No sign of any Wheatear, or Whinchat though.

We are preparing for excavation work in the SW corner, so over the coming weekend expect the vegetation to be flailed so that marker posts can be seen by the digger man. The result should be that 60-70% more of the SW corner bay should be shallow enough for waders, dabbling ducks, egrets, etc to be able to feed, with low muddy islets visible in the driest of summers, at a time when Little-ringed Plover, Common & Green Sandpiper passage will be at it's peak. Not forgetting other waders Redshank, Greenshank, Godwits and hopefully a Spotted Crake in the coming years.

A deep ditch arcing around the back edge of the bay will become full of Phragmites and FOLL intend to make seasonal cuts to encourage Snipe, Water Rail, Little Egret, Teal and even Bittern to feed in these areas.

Spot that

I was out after work and nursery drop off around 09:25, 2 Buzzard low, 5 Ring-necked Parakeet around, 1-2 Whitethroat still around, plenty of Swallows, House and even a good handful of Sand Martin. On over to BSL as the rain came in again, at least 4 Swift still present over the picnic area.

Around 10:12 a very distinctive call rang out across the lake, a "chewit" sound, pretty loud and clear and I scanned frantically to get onto it, knowing it was a wader.

It called 6-7 times over the next 40-60 seconds, each time further away, but I never got a glimpse and knew I had heard it, but not recently and began to fear something good had flown over that I would not clinch.

Fortunately I heard it so well, Xeno-canto was able to immediately confirm it was a Spotted Redshank, only my third ever, with only 10 confirmed records ever. This places me 122, a surprising 8th highest year list, with one to go to equal 2006 and with Yellow Wagtail still more or less guaranteed, I know I'll get to 123 at the very least.

As always here are all the records, italics for 'Observer Unknown'

Sept 3rd 1981 : Flew over (TAG)
Aug 20th 1984 : Mungell's (AJ, PB & TB)
Sept 9th 1985 : Flew over (AJ)
Sept 11th 1989 : Sandford (DF et al)
Aug 16th to 20th 1990 : Lavell's (BTB et al), the Twyford bird visited numerous times and 2 were claimed on the 20th (VSB)
May 26th 1994 : Lavell's (OU)
Aug 26th 1994 : 2 Lavell's (OU)
Aug 18th & 19th 1995 : Lavell's (TAG et al)
Apr 28th 1996 : Lavell's (OU)
Sept 14th to Oct 2nd 1998 : Lavell's (BTB et al), the Twyford bird visited numerous times
Mar 15th 2003 : Lavell's (BTB et al)
Aug 30th 2008 : Lavell's (ARy et al)
Aug 26th 2014 : BSL over (FJC)

So I think it's fair to say date wise, it fits in very well with past patterns, if anyone can add any extra details for the staying birds, perhaps even the 2 in 1990, or confirm the other records, let me know.