Branting and Vismigging

No wildly special sightings to report on in the last 9 days, just solid autumn birding.

Ferrybridge has been decent, with one day producing a fly-through Merlin, plus two Great Northern Diver which headed off over Portland Harbour.

The Black Brant has also returned with over a thousand Brents.

There are a number of summer migrants still hanging on with a Garden Warbler associating with a loose group of Blackcap at Suckthumb Quarry on one day, and a House Martin over the windmills on another, both my latest ever.

A Lesser Whitethroat next to the former Weston craft centre a few days ago had a brownish nape, and was therefore probably one of the eastern subspecies.

A few Swallow are still passing through (including a bird with entirely pale flight-feathers, similar to the effect you sometimes see in Crows), and Sandwich Tern are still around of course.

A bit of a blow on a few days increased hopes of some storm-driven birds, but a bit of seawatching has so far only produced a single immature Pomarine Skua, and a moribund juvenile Gannet.  I first saw this bird with its bill tucked away, and it took a while for me to realise what it was.  It looked very odd!

 

Chesil Cove was as atmospheric as ever though.

 

 

The Yellow-browed Warbler has remained at the Avalanche Rd hump throughout, but I've rarely seen it.  Just a few calls. 

I did however find a new bird at the top of Tilleycombe associating with a large roving mixed flock of birds that also included a very pale Chiffchaff.  A closer look at it yesterday revealed it not to be a classic Siberian, so probably of another eastern cline.

There are a decent number of typical autumn migrants around, such as Grey Wagtail.

Yesterday was particularly good for migration, with clear skies producing some nice visible migration (vismig) overhead.  This included a southerly movement of Woodpigeon totalling 900 birds in an hour, the largest flock of 200 birds.

Also yesterday, I found at least 3 Firecrest and 2 calling Water Rail at Verne Common, and witnessed a Peregrine continually stooping on a Kestrel.  These two really don't get on round here, as they nest close to each other on the cliffs.

An amusing observation was witnessing a Robin washing by rubbing itself on dew-covered leaves.  Not seen that behaviour before!

Definitely a feeling about the place at the moment that the potential for autumn rarities is largely over. But, you never know I suppose!

Hardly a Feast from the East

Despite the pessimistic title, it has been a thoroughly enjoyable few days.

28th

An early morning seawatch at Chesil Cove in south-easterlies had plenty of promise, but the best birds seen were Canada Goose and Black-headed Gull!  However, the former happens to be a Portland scarcity, and a Portland tick for me, and the latter was migrating in impressive numbers.

Three Canada Goose appeared to come straight in, before heading north over Weymouth (where had they come from?!), and there were small numbers of the likes of Common Scoter, Sandwich Tern, and a single Curlew on the move.

The highlight though was a total of 240 Black-headed Gull past in an hour and a half.  A shame that I had to go to work, as who knows what the total could have been.  Its strange to think that I would hardly look twice at 130 BHGs in a field, yet seeing this flock migrating low over the sea...

...before towering up into the sky to take the short-cut across Portland Harbour, was quite spectacular!

A quick whizz round the mid-island triangle (Reap/Barleycrates/Suckthumb) saw little unusual, bar a single Grey Wagtail over.

29th

I started the day with my usual routine, also taking in the garden of Pete and Debby Saunders, who had asked me to keep their feeders topped up while they were away.

Other than a male Blackcap, the garden itself was fairly empty.  However, a quick scan of the large hedge opposite produced something being chased by the local Robin and Dunnock.  I was surprised to eventually see that it was a male Redstart, my earliest ever!

I later got this unusual view of Verne Common (unusual, since it was taken from the prison complex, somewhere I'm allowed to go whilst on delivery!)

I thought an afternoon seawatch at Chesil Cove might be worth trying.  As it turned out, it wasn't really, but I did see a few Little Gull lingering about, plus four Bar-tailed Godwit heading up over Portland Harbour.

31st

Being the end of the month, I put a great deal of effort into today, birding virtually from dawn till dusk.  It really is perplexing how these easterlies aren't producing more migrants.  On my extensive wanderings, I saw only a few Wheatear and Chiffchaff, plus these White Wagtail at Barleycrates Lane.

 

A seawatch however, did raise standards a little, with my first Arctic Skua of the year, harassing the Terns.  Also a small number of the usual stuff, including four Little Gull.

 

A quick scan of Portland Harbour revealed a Black-throated Diver and a transitional-plumaged Red-necked Grebe still hanging on, as well as two Mallard (don't knock 'em!).

Yesterday

I started the day off in Chesil Cove once more, but after an hour, and seeing one Common Scoter, I had enough!  Luckily though, a pair of Long-tailed Duck (including, I think, my first ever adult male) resting fairly close in, saved the session. 

I wonder if this sea-mist, seen just a bit earlier from the West Cliffs, had caused the ducks to ditch?

 

I wander round the usual sites finally got me my first Willow Warbler of the year, at Barleycrates Lane.

 



I thought an hour-long vismig session at the West Cliffs was in order next, and it was pretty good.  Nothing outstanding, but a Siskin was fairly unusual, along with 127 Linnet, small numbers of Sand Martin, and a single Swallow.

I next heard about a Hoopoe, that was seen in Suckthumb Quarry (where I had been earlier!!!), but flown towards Watery Lane.

I undertook a grand-tour of the area, failing on the Upupa mission.  I did however see one or two other things of interest, including this Holly Blue.

 

And, I took in the spectacle of a floor covered with Tuberous Comfrey in Penn Castle Woods.

 



But, most interesting of all, I witnessed more strange Carrion Crow behaviour.  A bird had it's wing-tip caught in the barbed wire, and all the birds around it (including a Magpie, and the local Herring Gull) were going mad!  One Crow was seen to attack the unfortunate bird, and I also saw another pecking at it's wing.  Whether it was attacking too, or trying to free the feathers, I'm not sure.

 

Eventually, it did escape, though that didn't stop the attack!

 

 In the evening, I attempted another seawatch, at a sunny Chesil Cove.

I was rewarded with a flock of ducks, which landed on the sea miles out.  After a great deal of head scratching, they eventually floated closer on the tide, and revealed themselves to be Teal.  A good record.

Today

At work all day, so only got out into the field mid-afternoon, at Ferrybridge.  The star of the last few weeks was still very much showing off.  They do look smart in worn plumage (Iceland Gull).

I also witnessed a Kestrel catch a large rodent, possibly a young Rat, before tucking in.

Afterwards, I just took one short circuit of Barleycrates.  I had only just set foot on the path, when I heard a familiar 'chack!' from a nearby bush.  The next thing I know, a male Ring Ouzel is up in the air, eventually coming down again at Suckthumb Quarry.  I've been looking for one of these for several days, and of course, it's when you're not expecting it, when it happens!

Also at Barleycrates, this Horse wasn't the least bit worried about a Carrion Crow nicking it's hair!

I also came across a freshly-dead Woodpigeon, probably a victim of window-strike.

The neck detail.

 

And, I believe this little lump on the rump is the gland from which the bird exudes water-proof oil for anointing it's feathers.

Finally, this Magpie has a nest not very far away, and it wasn't very impressed by the interruption of a female Sparrowhawk!  The Magpie was making a strange croaking, and Starling-like whistles at the predator.

An action-packed few days!

I'm working solidly for the next three mornings, so I hope the real fall of migrants hold off for a bit!

The Fool and the Fall

Yesterday to round-up first.  I got up, it was rubbish, I went to bed.

No, sorry I was being facetious! It wasn't quite that bad!

It sounded like it was blowing something of a hoolie last thing the day before, so I thought it would be worth getting up early and putting a couple hours of seawatching in before work.  This time, I successfully negotiated my first alarm, and got up at 5, and went off down the Bill.  Once there, the wind didn't feel half as strong as it sounded from my room!  Sadly, there was no hoped for large Shearwaters to be had, or anything else of much consequence, but I did manage to see going west, 2 Balearic Shearwater, 3 Manx Shearwater, 14 Common Scoter, a dark-phase Arctic Skua, and 4 Sanderling going east.  This was despite the presence of a couple of hefty showers passing over.

After work (which the thrilling seawatch caused me to be late for! I wasn't in trouble though thankfully), I headed back down the Obs, expecting to see the lovely sunny conditions I had enjoyed while at work at Fortuneswell. No! Just as I got there, it started to hammer down!

 

It was rather a biblical downpour, but thankfully, it did eventually stop, and I was able to have a wander about the Bill and Top Fields.

 

A few days ago I noticed these extremely distinctive Umbellifers growing in one of the fields.  I wasn't sure of their identity (not in my book), but I have been able to get them ID'd after taking these photos yesterday.  They turned out to be Falcaria vulgaris, which, despite the remoteness of these particular examples, is a naturalised species from the continent.  It's English names include Longleaf and Sickle-weed.



 

I saw little in the way of birds on this jaunt, but I did get a good display of raptors with Peregrine, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, and Buzzard all in evidence in quick succession.  There were loads of Woodpigeon hovering up the crops.  More evidence of a good breeding season here.

 

On to today then.

 

I had to go into work a little later today (despite my tardiness yesterday!), so I had some time to have a look at the bushes of Barleycrates Lane.  As soon as I entered the bushes proper, I saw a Willow Warbler, a Chiffchaff, and a Sedge Warbler.  It was clear that there had been some sort of a fall.  I carried on, and flushed several more warblers (not all were identified), before I got to the end.  I managed to count 3 WW, 1 CC, 2 Whitethroat (always difficult to judge whether migrants or locals, but I think these had the 'feel' of migrants), and 5 Sedge Warblers.  I also heard the distinctive call of a Dunlin flying over.  I thought at the time I had flushed it from the fields, but I feel now that it was probably just moving through.  I was also entertained here by a juvenile Kestrel practicing it's hunting technique by pouncing on lumps of Sheep dung!

 

Having seen the totals from the Bill area, I felt I had to keep searching for migrants, so after work I checked out Verne Common.  Surely that would have a decent haul?  I walked the full length of the place, but the sheer amount of cover there makes working it very frustrating.  All I managed were a few more Willow Warbler.  I did however, also bump into two juvenile Bullfinch.  Nice to see they have bred there once again.

 

Even though it was now afternoon, I felt I had to put the time into migrant searching to get any more reward, so I walked all the way from home to the Obs, via Barleycrates, Reap Lane, Top Fields and Culverwell.  At Reap I did find a couple of Wheatear, but apart from that it was just more of the same.  Just a smattering of Willows and Sedges. 

 

I have to say, when I got to the Obs, I was a tad horrified when I saw the supposed counts from those areas earlier!  Particularly Culverwell, which had a Pied Flycatcher amongst others.  Never mind, it was onto the moths.  Not a great deal from last night but a couple of good ones were supposed Saltern Ear (dissection is not carried out anymore, but this is apparently by far the commonest species here).

 

 

And the variable Garden Rose Tortrix.

 

 

We were pretty astounded to notice this huge lump on the horizon, the Queen Mary 2.

 

 

We were also somewhat entertained by Joe's antics in attempting to catch Swallows (there were now a lot of hirundines around the obs, including many attempting to land on the tower).  Suffice to say they mostly outsmarted him ;-)  One inexperienced youngster did dive headfirst into the net, though sadly it would not behave itself in-hand for photos!

 

I eventually wound my way back over Top Fields.  I had yet more heard-only fly-over Dunlin here, but the highlight was a moth.  There had been quite a bit of migrant Lepidoptera activity in recent days (including at least 6 Painted Lady seen today by me).  Even so, I was quite surprised to come across my own Vestal, which was so much more satisfying than being handed one in a pot. 

 

 

I also saw my first Portland Holly Blue, drinking the salts from the edge of a puddle, though sadly I could only get an appalling photo, as I was about to be run over by a van!

 

 

I was mindful of the haul of warblers (plus Pied Fly) someone had managed from the Avalanche Road Hump earlier, so decided to return home via that.  A juvenile Buzzard was mewing away here, so decent evidence that they have bred in that area.  I was there mid-afternoon, and needless to say, I saw absolutely nothing on the warbler front!  Either a) I'm a really bad birder b) the migrants quickly move on south, or c) they become really elusive and keep their heads down.  The way I'm feeling now, if I was playing that 'Million Pound Drop' programme, I would certainly bung one or two wads of cash on the trap door of a)!

 

Something that did make me feel a bit better, was meeting a guy on the way home, who greeted me by saying ''you haven't by any chance seen any of my favourite bird have you, the Chaffinch?''.  Each to their own.

 

I've got the day off tomorrow, so just maybe, I can feel better about my birding skills and actually use the morning to find something!  Here's hoping.