I know what you're thinking WTF happened to Summer, well as every birder knows there is no such thing as summer with Spring migration ending on July31st and Autumn migration starting August 1st!! 😂 Many Birders like to concentrate on insects at this time of year and while I'm fond of Butterflies, Dragonflies and other Insects, I can't really get motivated to get into it in a meaningful way! Luckily as said Autumn migration had kicked in, so spent much of the month at the coast, with a couple of trips to Seaford, Medmerry, a windy one at Newhaven, a great walk from Southease to Newhaven and a trip to Pagham Harbour!! Plenty of Wheatears and Whinchats going through a few good Waders, a self found Pied Flycatcher and probably the highlight of the month a Wryneck!
 |
| Herring Gull enjoying the wind |
 |
| Bit windy!! |
 |
| Common Redstart |
 |
| Jersey Tiger Moth |
 |
| Juvenile Goldfinch |
 |
| Kestrel |
 |
| Lesser Whitethroat |
 |
| Meadow Pipit |
 |
| Self-found Pied Flycatcher |
 |
| Spotted flycatcher |
 |
| Wheatear several very showy birds this year! |
 |
| Whinchat, always a favourite |
 |
| Wryneck, tricky as ever |
 |
| Willow Warbler |
As well as bashing the bushes, the muddy margins are productive at this time of year, with several waders seen.
 |
| Battling Buzzards |
 |
| Common Sandpiper |
 |
| Common Redshank |
 |
| Little Stint |
 |
| Little Egret |
 |
| Spotted Redshank |
 |
| Whimbrel |
 |
| Whimbrel |
 |
| Great Crested Grebe |
September was more of the same really though we had a trip to Rainham Marshes and Minsmere on a weekend trip to Suffolk, Bird of the month was a Red-backed Shrike although with the petrol madness restricting me to local walks once again a self found Whinchat on the local patch was also a highlight!!!
 |
| Beardie from Rainham |
 |
| Beardie from Minsmere |
 |
| Black-tailed Godwit |
 |
| Blue Tit |
 |
| Common Buzzard |
 |
| Cattle Egret at Pagham, North Wall |
 |
| Local Patch Chiffchaff |
 |
| Common Whitethroat |
 |
| Curlew |
 |
| Goldfinch |
 |
| Green Woodpecker |
 |
| Greenshank |
 |
| Great Spotted Woodpecker |
 |
| Herring Gull |
 |
| House Sparrow |
 |
| Young Stonechat |
 |
| Very showy Rainham Kestrel |
 |
| Knot |
 |
| Little Egret |
 |
| Marsh Frog |
 |
| Mute Swan |
 |
| Oystercatcher |
 |
| My local Wheatear!! |
 |
| Purple Sandpiper |
 |
| Red-backed Shrike |
 |
| Red-backed Shrike |
 |
| Reed Bunting |
 |
| Robin |
 |
| Patch Spotted Flycatcher |
 |
| Spotted Redshank |
 |
| Sparrowhawk |
 |
| Mute Swan |
 |
| Turnstone |
 |
| another showy Seaford Wheatear |
 |
| My favourite Wheatear pic of the many hundred I took this year! |
 |
| Whimbrel |
 |
| One of my enjoyable encounters of the year finding a local Whinchat |
 |
| Yellow Wagtail |
 |
| Yellow-legged Gull at Rainham |
October was less productive, but still some good birds seen, mostly locally or on the Coast or the Downs in Sussex, but the highlight was at work!! Helping to ring the Barn Owls that had nested in one of the buildings at work a real privilege!
 |
| Demon Hawk-slayer!! |
 |
| Gorgeous and cute!! |
To see more of the Owl ringing session click the link
November was spent mainly spent on the Downs although we had a family visit to Cambridge which involved a diversion to Lakenheath Fen which was productive!! Also had a couple of Seawatches at Seaford without much success!!
 |
| Black-headed Gull |
 |
| Common Gulls, love watching these on the Downs |
 |
| Common Gull |
 |
| Corn Bunting, has been a good end to the year for me in terms of Corn Bunting sightings |
 |
| Great Black-backed Gull |
 |
| Goldfinch |
 |
| Lakenheath Great White Egret |
 |
| Seaford Gull giving it large |
 |
| Herring Gull got it down in the end |
 |
| Jay |
 |
| Marsh Harrier |
 |
| Peregrine |
 |
| Peregrine |
 |
| Pied Wagtail |
 |
| Red Kite |
 |
| Red Kite |
 |
| Rock Pipit |
 |
| Skylark |
 |
| Stonechat |
 |
| Whooper Swans at Lakenheath |
 |
| Whooper Swans |
December only one trip out so far but a good one Eastbourne's Sovereign Harbour for a Diverfest!
 |
| Black-throated Diver |
 |
| Black-throated Diver with a couple of Guillemots |
 |
| Great Northern Diver |
 |
| Guillemot |
 |
| Red-throated Diver |
On the way home a Hooded Crow, not a common sighting in Sussex but it's been around for a while!!
 |
| Hooded Crow |
So a pretty good year considering all the restrictions and us trying to be greener! Hard to pick a bird of the year, the Golden Eagle sighting in Scotland was a definite highlight as was the Iceland Gull in Ullapool Harbour! The Poms going past Splash Point would also be up there, All 3 divers at point blank range was also a great day, maybe the Whinchat I found a couple of miles from the house should be up there as should the local Yellowhammers who have saved the day on numerous trudges around the local patch!
No comments:
Post a Comment