September 14th 2010

A warm blustery night with low cloud and threatening rain did not produce anything of note in the moth trap. We had hoped the wind might have brought in a seabird of sorts so Bob and I risked a deluge but though the rain held off the constant 20mph winds produced very little that was new. While walking towards toft bay Bob got a call to say both Knot and Little Gull were off the inlet along with one remaining juvenile Black Tern which we had seen already from farborough bank but before we could get there the Knot flew off north and we never got to grips with the LG.
As we walked to toft bay there were over 500 hirundines over biggen bay, mainly House Martin but a few Swallows and a scattering of Sand Martins, one Swift, juvenile Shelduck still in toft bay while farborough bank had 12 Meadow Pipits, 10 Yellow Wagtail, numerous Pied's and a Wheatear with another 2 feeding near the shoreline of the sailing club.
Two distant Hobby’s were over the valve sparring with each other but the walk to rainbow corner only produced the Egyptian Goose and 2 juvenile Ringed Plover. Bob had 2 Raven and a few Goldcrests. Also seen were 6 Buzzard, 2 Great-spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, 30 Goldfinch and 2 Chiffchaff heard and by mid-day a lot of the swallows were heading out low over rainbow corner continuing their migration.

At least the defunct visitors centre had some moths with 2 Lunar Underwing, Dusky Thorn and Flounced Rustic though the numerous spider webs present caused the demise of a Canary-shouldered Thorn.

The rain finally arrived mid-afternoon and by early evening the front had cleared to blue skies and sunshine resulting in a movement of Meadow Pipits heading south over the garden with at least 100 counted while a tit flock that went through contained 2 Coal Tit, 11 Long-tailed Tit and one unidentified warbler.

Yesterday was a stay at home day with a chance to catch up with my photos and came across this one taken a when the Curlew Sand was around of the newly formed Midland Birding “mines bigger than yours” Boys Band practicing off hensborough bank, soon to be performing at all good nature reserves and reservoirs soon. Bless


Richard