Friday 18 September 2020

18th September 2020

 Weather: ENE force 1/2, then NE 2/3    bright

A very good September day started with a Chiffchaff and a couple of Goldcrests in the paddocks and several Wheatears including 1 on Little Eye and 3 on Middle. Two male Stonechats were soon seen appearing in all parts of the island and first one then two Redstarts, one of each sex, showed on the paddock fence lines, as a Wren looked on.

A Whitethroat gave a brief appearance in the bracken by the bunker but failed to show again as did a male Blackcap in the obs garden. Also logged today were 5 Skylarks, a Pied Wagtail and 35 Meadow Pipits. A Golden Plover flew across the island calling and 2 Ravens came in at the north end with one flying around the island.

 

A sea watch produced 6 Red-throated Divers, 6 Guillemots, 2 Gannets and 20 Common Scoter. Only 4 Brent could be found, the rest must have been elsewhere in the estuary on the very high tide or moved on. Apart from the 3,000 or so Oystercatchers in the roost waders were mostly in small numbers including 38 Ringed Plovers, 1 Grey Plover and 30 Redshank. A Kestrel was present, also 3 Little Egret and a Grey Heron. In the afternoon at least one, possibly both, of the Redstarts was still present and 5 new Wheatears dropped in near the north end. On the whole an excellent day with a lot of the most sought after of the regular September species showing.

 Ringed: 1 Redstart, 1 Robin. 

photos CJ, AS

No comments: