Golf course antics

With the fun of Mistle Thrush counting still in mind, I arrived late after 07:30, John & Eddie already out there. Quickly we began counting, but as always they hide in the trees above the DAC. At least 5-6 there already a large group headed that way, certainly 17 of them, then another, then 1 more, so at the minimum 25 and we couldn't be sure of the number at the DAC, 5 Meadow Pipit went over, just a couple of calls giving them away.

I have decided I have neglected the gold course due to dog walkers phobia and after yesterday's Spotted Flycatcher, another look seemed the right thing to do. Off we went, but nothing doing, then on the way back 3 slim brown birds undulated past us, then headed up along the Emm Brook treeline.

Hmmm I thought, they rather favoured the trees, not right for Dunnock, too undulating a flight, too slim, they had vanished into the tops of trees 150-200 metres South and despite an early thought of Spotted Flycatchers, they did not alight the tops and never looked right.

We picked up one again hugging the treeline, but lost it and never re-found them. With Meadow Pipit going over we discussed the likelihood of them being that, but my instinct says that with ALL the other Meadows going straight over and calling, I feel Tree Pipit was much more likely....and bloody annoying it is to not clinch them.

The Swift the chaps had remained overhead, so always nice and getting into the top 5 latest;

21st 1992 (AJ)
14th 2008
12th 2015
11th 2002
10th 2010 & 2017
8th 2002

All the others are 1st to 4th.

Nothing else really happening, lots of mostly House Martins, probably 500+

A special morning

I had a lovely lie in til 06:25 and then hurried out as it was still and bright with some cloud cover, I decided the Mistle Thrush record count might be breakable and headed straight to BSL.

No sign on arrival, actually quiet, just barely 50 House Martin over the lake, nothing in the compound either. For some reason I thought perhaps they are further up the golf course "they flew in from that direction yesterday".

I walked about 250-300m and spotted some Mistle Thrush another 200m+ ahead around the electric wires, but barely stepped another foot when a slender brown bird flew across me 100m away and landed in the trees above the Emm Brook, thru bins I strained to see what it was half thinking "pipit?", but it sat up and the penny dropped, "Spotted Flycatcher, finally", my phone began ringing,  I knew it was John but wanted the bird in my scope, but in the scramble, the bird moved unseen and I missed his call.

I called back and he said come quick the Black-tailed Godwit left but has just come back at Tern scrape. Some moments later and I was watching it, nice too.

It was nervous about hassle from Coots and Moorhen and left towards Lea Farm, John and I headed there. Joined by Brian, we had no sign and bright sun in our eyes to the East. After nearly 30 minutes I picked up something fast in flight, "Black-tailed Godwit" as it whirled in fast. Panning around I picked up 4 small birds, 3 were the autumn's first Meadow Pipit, but one flicked it's tail and alighted a thistle, it was a Whinchat, my fifth this year, fourth of the autumn...blimey.

Jack and his dad arrived and quickly got on the birds, a Skylark flicked over the rough, a Sedge Warbler to the left, 3 Nuthatch on the feeders.

Brian suddenly said, "there's 2, no 3 Black-tailed's" sure enough now 3 in the SW corner, all as Richard and Gill walked in. Terrible shot...

I wanted more still, "car park field?" I said and John, Brian, Jack and Martin all joined us and off we went. John and I checked well, nothing on the landfill at that end, the car park field took patience and a Lesser Whitethroat, another Sedge and about 8-10 Blackcap and a few Chiffchaff were never easy to see.

Of all the months

August left and I am now worried I am running out of time to get a Spotted Flycatcher and a Redstart. Looking out of my window right now it appears sort of quieter and we need it to be more settled to get the above. It's not over yet, but let's look at last bird dates;

Redstart

2016 - Sept 11th
2015 - Sept 3rd
2014 - Sept 2nd
2013 - Sept 5th to 10th
2012 - Sept 15th to 18th
2011 - Sept 14th & 27th
2010 - Sept 10th
2009 - Sept 15th, 20th to 25th

Spotted Flycatcher

2016 - Sept 16th to 18th
2015 - Sept 13th & 16th
2014 - Sept 12th & 18th
2013 - Sept 23rd
2012 - Sept 11th to 26th
2011 - Sept 11th & 27th
2010 - Sept 5th to 8th & 20th
2009 - Sept 15th, 20th to 25th
2004 - Sept 6th & 8th

Make of that what you please.

But either way, of all the months to not add a year tick, amazingly August was mine this year, which is quite unusual and I 'll need to dig beyond 2012 to find when that last happened, if ever.

Make that 3

Yesterday evening I got a call from Simon at Lodge Wood Lake, he had been checking fish stocks when in came an Osprey crashing in grabbing a fish and heading on to Lea Farm G.P.

He said he had seen people in there as he went by on the way, so it is likely someone was there, but no WhatsApp news followed. So that was year tick no. 3 I missed on the bank holiday weekend...nice.

This morning, like yesterday it was as quiet as it gets, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 18 Teal, 1 Wigeon, but 13 Mistle Thrush away from the sailing club East was nice.

It was also great to see my friend John again this morning and when I came back later for a late morning wander with my boy, I bumped into John W and Rick D as well. As I got back to my car around 13:00 a Hobby was circling overheard drifting East.

Chat passage

Out later again, 07:20 LFGP and nothing happening, so off to the car park field and a good call that was. On arrival Eddie was already scanning the landfill, in moments we picked up 1 Yellow Wagtail heard, then 4 seen heading SE. Moments after that Richard and Gill arrived as I picked up a chat like bird dropping out of view onto the same hedgerow left of the Oak.

Scanning from the balancing pool viewing spot I quickly picked not one, but 2 Whinchat together. They spent 35-45 minutes moving along the hedgerow nearer and settled on the larger of the two Hawthorn left of the pylon.

Still at quite a range they looked good thru scopes.

1 more Yellow Wagtail over heard only and it was time for me to go, Brian came and left too securing on his dip from yesterday. I passed Marek and knew Trevor was not far behind him and sure enough, within 20 minutes he was messaging saying Spotted Flycatcher in the same hedge, but no Whinchat, then moments after a Redstart in the same spot.

By the time I got there they hadn't been seen for 5-6 minutes and no further sightings over the next hour and half. What changed was 3 Wheatear were pitched up on the far landfill, 2 on the new posts and 1 on a vent.

WhatsApp seemed to let us down again by not broadcasting for over an hour after messages were sent. I'll be looking into this.But for now I am robbed of 2 year ticks that would have secured my 130th species for the 8th year straight. Maybe tomorrow eh?!

Repeat of 1st Sept 2013

Out slightly later at 07:00, LFGP was quiet, 12 Teal, 3 Little Egret but little else. Most of the Gadwall were on Lavell's 48 in fact.

A lovely bright morning, that felt like more should have been happening, then finally as I arrived at the bottom of the car park field, I got onto what on first impression looked like a Wheatear on the wires near the green barn. It dropped like a stone below, which got me thinking "not very Wheatear like". I pushed the news out and scanned.

Finding a male Whinchat in the top of an Elder, but it flicked right out of my scope view, I updated the news and scanned again, but no sign. At that moment a call from behind me stopped me dead in my tracks ..."Tuuu, Tuuu, Tuuu". Blimey just like the call of ?? years back. It called again as I scanned more for the Whinchat, then finding it out left on the Hawthorn 100+ metres left, allowing a record shot. The call occurred just once more further away and was gone.

Male Whinchat

Later after arriving home Brian called asking me if the Whinchat was still showing, it transpires WhatsApp had not delivered the messages until 09:06.

Bated breath

I've had virtually no time, or energy to get out, but managed a walk Weds and this morning.

Out 06:30 Weds at LFGP and it was nice to see our lake edge strimming had an immediate effect, 1 Green Sandpiper and at least 2 Snipe, the latter flying about too, about 8 Teal about, little else, but the GC Grebe have 2 young.

This morning I was in the hide by 06:00 and found thick fog, which never fails to annoy me. It looked like it was clearing, but then didn't. I did pick up 14 Teal, 1 Little Egret, about 100 Lapwing in the SW corner tells us waders can now stand there again. One duck that flew off I failed to get on until the last second before the fog enveloped it, did leave me suspecting it might have been an early Pintail, 7-8 Gadwall were mobile.

At Sandford 12 Shoveler, another 2 at BSL, Grey Wagtail on the DAC building, Nuthatch calling nearby, 20 more Gadwall were in Coot bay - near to Sandford, at Lavell's 30 more Gadwall, 1 Wigeon, 1 Water Rail calling from main island.

Nothing to speak of in the car park field, a distant raptor heading North was probably Peregrine, but no Redstart, Spot Fly or chats so far.