Keeping it going

Another short car park spell and 1 Hobby still around, although fairly wide ranging, but little else so I headed to LFGP, no other waders, despite Green & Common Sandpiper being seen at Tern scrape a.m.

A pair of Barnacle Geese dropped in from the South, looked a bit wary, but I have no illusions about the origins. A Grey Wagtail called as I walked back to the car.

Quiet and quieter still

Monday I managed a quick sailing club car park walk with Marek, a Reed Warbler near to the MAC was nice to see out of place, a Coal Tit was vocal and visible in the small stand of pines, but that was about it.

Today it was very dull and misty, no waders on LFGP, that said a wader of some sort called half a dozen times, but we never saw it and could not place the call. A Cetti's called once. Even the duck numbers have fallen. There were quite a few Chiffchaff about.

1 becomes 3

I was about to head out early this morning, but my little boy got up and I owed mummy a lie in, so stayed in and when I finished my first cuppa, was at the kitchen sink looking out of the window and picked up a large bird moving SE 200+ metres beyond the church, some 500 metres away.

Luckily bins were to hand and I got onto it immediately, seeing enough to id it as female type Marsh Harrier, a garden tick, but it was going behind the big Oak, so I ran out to the front of the house and picked it up again, it's deep wing beats did not have the sharp Red Kite appearance and a few movements showed the square tail, it remained at about 400 ft up moving steadily SE, which projected on would have been somewhere over the West end of DP.

Meanwhile Brian texted to say now 3 Pintail at LFGP, but I couldn't go for another 30 mins and by the time I arrived they had vanished.

Being bird walk morning time was short, so headed off to Lavell's car park, we moved quickly on to BSL sailing club car park, but nothing happening we went to overlook the lake, a Grey Wagtail went over, then a small bird flew just in front of us, left to right, landing in one of the small bushes there, I got my bins on it as it went on to another bush, following it I got a 1 second view and saw it's white supercillium "Firecrest" I announced, but it flew on again and then on into the Willows, but we could not relocate it.

This is the first in September, the only other early autumn record is 1st Oct 1989 (MSW).

I hit a landmark with the Firecrest today, as it was my first self found, so I am now on 180, my 179th was the Spotted Redshank last month, so that isn't too bad out of the 195 species I have had at DP. This is my 128th species for 2014, so my 6th highest, just one more to equal 5th from 2009, five more to equal 3rd of 133 for 2011 & 2013.

There wasn't a lot more to note today, but 8 Ring-necked Parakeet on the edge of Lodge Wood was a reasonable count, Goldcrests here and there, a Sedge Warbler opposite the green bridge, no waders at LFGP other than Lapwing.

A quick lunchtime 30 mins brought 2 Hobby, 5 Ring-necked Parakeet and then the threat of rain sent me home early.

A real Pintail

After the July duff duck day, we were extra cautious today, but it proved to be an eclipse Pintail in the NE corner that Brian found. The light was flatter so we could see bill colour and a 'pin' tail, revealing the eclipse plumage of a male.

Wigeon numbers jumped again with 82+ present today, only the second time we have had a count this big, this early in the autumn, the last was an almost identical number of 83/15th 2009 (TAG), the only difference being they were on Sandford.

The Shoveler count was around 14-16, then 15 more flew in, which is an increase, but will need to exceed the 2012 numbers of 39/1st Sept, 44/7th and 61/10th, to beat early autumn record counts, 65 on 18th Oct 1998, being the highest in the autumn period.

The highest counts were in 2005 with 110+/7th, 130+/22nd on Sandford and 100+ in Jan 2004.

I forgot to add my midweek rubbish shot of the week of the Raven with a Sparrowhawk, it's great!

It might appear quiet, but it's worth a closer look

Chatting on the sailing club beach this morning, it felt a bit quiet, a Common Sandpiper flew in, a few hirundines went East, Chiffchaff called, but not much else was happening.

Then Marek left and I went to the bottom of the car park field, seeing 2 wagtails that were almost certainly Yellow heading East, but without calling. I was overlooking the landfill and within moments I had a Wheatear and seconds after a Whinchat landed on the doc next to it, even having a quick squabble. Barely in view I went to call Richard who had gone off around the sailing club car park, then found his text saying Spotted Flycatcher near the MAC/DAC, or whatever they want to call it now.

Richard joined me, 20 seconds after a Crow had flushed both birds and after 25 mins, we had to concede they had disappeared.

We went off towards the sailing club and I had a pair of Mistle Thrush over low East, after a little search we re-found the Spotted Flycatcher next to the first compound on the left, but it was mobile and we couldn't keep on it.

A good few more groups of hirundines went E/SE then I left.

Misty and quiet

A brief spell at the car park yielded 2 Meadow Pipit over N and at BSL, there were 2 Common Sandpiper on the jetty and a Grey Wagtail on the beach.

You never quite know when Common Sandpiper records will dry up, here are the last dates in recent years;

2013 - Sept 26th
2012 - Sept 3rd, then we had a late one Oct 4th
2011 - August 12th
2010 - Sept 28th
2009 - Sept 13th
2008 - Sept 6th
2007 - Aug 24th, then a late one Oct 3rd to 26th
2006 - Aug 26th, then a late one Nov 3rd
2005 to 2003 needs compiling
2002 - Sept 5th
2001 - Vague, but a very late bird Dec 2nd & 4th

Hobby passage

I have been meaning to post that for those who haven't seen many, or any Hobby this year, we have been getting our fair share for over a week now, 2, probably 3 again today late morning, mostly using Lavell's to the landfill airspace and just to the North East.

Just 4 Buzzard today, before it got more cloudy and cooled the air down, very small handfuls of Swallows SE, but little else to mention.