Tuesday 8 September 2009

September 8th 2009

A very warm blustery day at the pond with a visible migration of Swallows and House Martins heading south for most of my visit this morning with up to 500 per hour in the morning dwindling to less than 50 per hour by mid-day. Plenty of other migrants on offer with over 70 Yellow Wagtail, 15 Meadow Pipits, 5 Wheatear, juvenile Whinchat and a very uncommon autumn White Wagtail between toft and farborough bank and the adjacent fields. Waders on offer today included female Ruff, 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Ringed Plover and Snipe over the country park while warblers found in the more sheltered areas were 2 Whitethroat, 4 Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap, 2 Willow Warbler and a Garden Warbler.
Other sightings included a very tired juvenile Artic Tern resting on the fishing pontoons, single Swift still patrolling the skies above Thurlaston village, 2 Grey Wagtail, 5 Buzzard, 16 Stock Dove, 2 Willow Tit, Goldcrest, 2 Great-spotted Woodpecker and 2 Green Woodpecker.
Insects included Migrant Hawker, 2 Ruddy Darter, a few Large White, 3 Small Tortoiseshell, 6 Speckled Wood and 2 Common Blue.
Late afternoon at home besides a few Swallow and House Martins still moving south there were Hobby and 3 Buzzard doing the same.
A second visit to look at the roost produced juvenile Merlin over draycote bank and juvenile Curlew Sandpiper in biggen bay (my last was on 22nd September 2007) with 4 Yellow-legged Gull in the roost.

Richard

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