Please note that this is my own personal blog and therefore the views and opinions expressed, although in no way intended to be controversial, are not necessarily those shared by my employers Abbotsbury Tourism Ltd. and Ilchester Estates . All photos are © Steve Groves unless otherwise credited.



Friday 23 September 2016

Abbotsbury Swannery Bird News - September 2016



A 'Blue-headed Wagtail' was probably the best bird of the month but other highlights included an Osprey, a Curlew Sandpiper and a Black Tern.


More details on the above birds and the rest of this month's sightings follow below...



Mute Swan...
Present throughout with 710 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th. 

Black Swan...
Two were present throughout.

Canada Goose...
Present throughout with 440 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th

Barnacle Goose... 
One was present on the 18th and 19th. 

(Eurasian) Wigeon...
One was seen on the 3rd but then regular from the 18th with a peak of 50 on the 29th.

Gadwall...
Three on the 20th.

(Eurasian) Teal...
Present throughout with 450 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th.

Mallard...
Present throughout with 513 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th.

(Northern) Pintail...
The first three of the autumn arrived on the 14th. There were then near daily sightings with a peak of 200 on the 28th.

(Northern) Shoveler...
Present throughout with a peak of 50 on the 29th.

(Common) Pochard... 
Present throughout with 30 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th

Tufted Duck... 
Present throughout with 156 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th.

Red-breasted Merganser... 
The over-summering female lingered until the 19th.


The female Red-breasted Merganser September 2016 © Steve Groves

(Common) Pheasant...
Present throughout.

(Northern) Gannet...
An adult flew over The Fleet on the 26th.

(Great) Cormorant...
Present throughout with 25 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th.

Little Egret... 
Present throughout with at least 20 in the roost on the 30th. 

Grey Heron... 
Present throughout with a peak of four on the 17th. 


1st winter Grey Heron September 2016 © Steve Groves

Little Grebe... 
Present throughout with 17 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th. 

Great Crested Grebe... 
Present throughout with 40 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th.

(Western) Marsh Harrier... 
A juvenile was seen on the 18th, 20th and 23rd.


 Juvenile (Western) Marsh Harrier September 2016 © Steve Groves

(Eurasian) Sparrowhawk... 
Singles on the 4th, 5th and 26th. 

(Common) Buzzard... 
Single figures were seen regularly. 

(Western) Osprey... 
One from the 11th to the 13th.

  (Western) Osprey September 2016 © Dave Callaby

Water Rail... 
Heard regularly from the 4th but one was not seen until the 29th.

(Common) Moorhen...
Present throughout with five counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th

(Eurasian) Coot...
Present throughout with 430 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th 

(Eurasian) Oystercatcher...
One on the 28th.

Grey Plover...
There was a marked passage from the 18th to the 28th involving at least 37 birds with the largest group of 18 seen on the 18th.

(Common) Ringed Plover...
Singles on the 18th, 20th and 22nd; seven on the 19th.

(Northern) Lapwing...
Present throughout with the flock building up from nine to 12 by the end of the month.


  (Northern) Lapwing September 2016 © Steve Groves

(Eurasian) Whimbrel...
One on the 1st.

(Eurasian) Curlew...
Three on the 7th.

Black-tailed Godwit...
Seen regularly with a peak of  34 on the 5th.


   Black-tailed Godwit September 2016 © Steve Groves

Bar-tailed Godwit...
One or two were seen regularly but there were three on the 17th and 18th.


   Bar-tailed Godwit (with Mute Swan) September 2016 © Steve Groves

(Ruddy) Turnstone...
Two on the 4th and 17th, one on the 27th and two on the 28th.


   (Ruddy) Turnstone September 2016 © Charlie Wheeler wheeler-photography

(Red) Knot...
One from the 1st to the 3rd; three on the 23rd.

Ruff...
One on Meadow Pool on the 5th.


Juvenile Ruff (with (Eurasian) Teal) September 2016 © Steve Groves

Curlew Sandpiper...
One was seen on the 21st.

Sanderling...
Two on the Chesil/Fleet shoreline on the 17th.

Dunlin...
Regular with a peak of 12 on the 21st.


Juvenile Dunlins September 2016 © Steve Groves

Common Sandpiper...
From one to five were seen almost daily.


Common Sandpiper September 2016 © Charlie Wheeler wheeler-photography

Green Sandpiper...
One on the 2nd.

(Common) Greenshank...
Two were regular from the 2nd to 5th and at least one was heard on the 13th.

(Common) Redshank...
One on the 17th.

(Common) Snipe...
Singles were seen regularly from the 8th with a peak of at least three on the 19th.

Black Tern...
One (a juvenile) on the 2nd was the first since August 2014 and the only tern of the month!

Black-headed Gull...
Present throughout with 180 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th.

Mediterranean Gull...
At least one was seen regularly from the 2nd to the 4th, whilst over thirty were present on the 28th.

Common Gull...
Three on the 20th and one on the 23rd.

Lesser Black-backed Gull...
Single figures were seen regularly.

(European) Herring Gull...
Present throughout with no significant counts.

Yellow-legged Gull...
Single first calendar year birds were seen regularly.

1st calendar year Yellow-legged Gull September 2016 © Steve Groves

Great Black-backed Gull...
Present throughout with a peak of 200 on the 3rd. 

(Feral/Domestic) Rock Dove...
Seen regularly.

(Common) Wood Pigeon...
Present throughout.

(Eurasian) Collared Dove...
Seen regularly.

Tawny Owl...
One was heard on the 17th.

(Common) Kingfisher...
Singles were seen regularly.

(European) Green Woodpecker...
Seen regularly.

Great Spotted Woodpecker...
Seen regularly.

(Common) Kestrel...
Seen regularly.

Merlin...
One on the 2nd was the first since October 2015.

Peregrine Falcon...
Singles on the 4th and 7th.

(Eurasian) Magpie...
Seen regularly.

(Western) Jackdaw...
Present throughout.

Rook...
Present throughout.

Carrion Crow...
Present throughout.

(Northern) Raven...
Seen regularly.

Goldcrest...
Present throughout.

(Eurasian) Blue Tit...
Present throughout.

Great Tit...
Present throughout.

Coal Tit...
Present throughout.

(Eurasian) Skylark...
Present throughout with a peak of 10 over on the 22nd.

Sand Martin...
Seen regularly with a peak of 10 on the 17th. 

(Barn) Swallow...
Seen regularly with a peak of 100 on the 17th.

(Common) House Martin...
Seen regularly with a peak of 10 on the 17th. 

Cetti's Warbler...
Present throughout.

Long-tailed Tit...
Present throughout.

(Common) Chiffchaff...
Present throughout with a peak of at least 50 on the 23rd.


 (Common) Chiffchaff September 2016 © Steve Groves


Willow Warbler...
A few were still being noted in the first half of the month with at least 10 on the 5th but none were seen after mid-month.

(Eurasian) Blackcap...
Present throughout.

(Common) Whitethroat...
Singles seen regularly until the 23rd.

Sedge Warbler...
Seen regularly.

(Eurasian) Reed Warbler...
Seen regularly.

(Eurasian) Treecreeper...
Present throughout.

(Eurasian) Wren...
Present throughout.

(Common) Starling...
A roost of around 20 formed early in the month and swelled to over 100 by the 26th.

(Common) Blackbird...
Present throughout.

Mistle Thrush...
One on the 21st/22nd.

(European) Robin...
Present throughout.

Spotted Flycatcher...
One on the 2oth/21st.

Whinchat...
One to two were regular from the 3rd to the 8th and again on the 18th/19th.

(European) Stonechat...
One to two were seen regularly.

(Northern) Wheatear...
Seen regularly until the 23rd with a peak of at least five on the 5th.


(Northern) Wheatear September 2016 © Steve Groves

Dunnock... 
Present throughout.

House Sparrow...
Present throughout.

Yellow Wagtail...
Regular with a peak of 500 in the roost on the 5th, the same day that one of the Continental form known as 'Blue-headed Wagtail', was trapped, ringed and released. 

Grey Wagtail...
One to two were seen regularly.

Pied Wagtail...
Present throughout with a peak of at least 30 in the roost on the 14th. Two of the Continental/Icelandic form known as 'White Wagtail', were trapped, ringed and released on the 21st. 

Meadow Pipit...
Present throughout with a peak of 300 east on the 17th.

(Eurasian) Rock Pipit...
Singles were seen regularly.

(Common) Chaffinch...
Present throughout.

(Common) Linnet...
Present throughout.

(European) Goldfinch...
Present throughout.

(Eurasian) Siskin...
One, the first of the autumn, was heard on the 22nd.

(Common) Reed Bunting...
Present throughout


...And that's it for this month except to say thanks to Alan Barrett, Dave Callaby, Steve Hales, Ben Sheldon, Nick Urch and Charlie Wheeler for additional sightings and where applicable for the use of their images

I'll leave you with Charlie's shot of a Convolvulus Hawk-moth that was seen this September...

Convolvulus Hawk-moth September 2016 © Charlie Wheeler wheeler-photography

October's sightings to follow shortly.

Abbotsbury Swannery Bird News - August 2016

Apart from two putative Grey-headed Wagtails, there were no rare vagrants or scarce migrants (or any new birds for the recording area) this month but there were a few sightings of what are now fairly uncommon migrants, along with a good selection of waders and of course the first returning 'winter wildfowl'


More details and the rest of this month's sightings follow below in taxonomic order...


Mute Swan...
Present throughout with 700 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 21st. 

Black Swan...
Two were present throughout.

Canada Goose...
Present throughout with 160 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 21st. 

Barnacle Goose... 
The two 'feral' birds were still present to the 10th at least but only one remained by the 27th and none were noted subsequently. 

(Common) Shelduck...
Present throughout with 11  counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 21st.


(Juvenile) (Common) Shelduck Meadow Pool August 2016 © Steve Groves

(Eurasian) Wigeon...
The first three of the autumn and the only ones of the month were seen on the 18th.

Two (of the three) (Eurasian) Wigeon off 'Bum Point' August 2016 © Steve Groves

Gadwall...
Two on the 8th and one on the 15th and 17th.

(Eurasian) Teal...
Numbers continued to build with a peak of over one hundred on the 19th

Mallard...
Present throughout with 469 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 21st. 

(Northern) Shoveler...
As with Teal, numbers continued to build (although not quite so markedly), with a peak of 22 on the 30th. 

(Common) Pochard... 
Present throughout with 17 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 21st. 

Tufted Duck... 
Present throughout with 14 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 24th.

Red-breasted Merganser... 
The over-summering female lingered all month.

(Common) Pheasant...
Present throughout.

(Northern) Fulmar...
Two flew over on the 31st (the first since December 2015).


 A record shot of the  (Northern) Fulmars August 2016 
© Charlie Wheeler wheeler-photography

(Great) Cormorant...
Present throughout with a peak of 44 counted in the roost on the 9th.

Little Egret... 
Present throughout with a peak of 16 on the 19th.

Grey Heron... 
Present throughout with a peak of nine on the 15th.

Little Grebe... 
Present throughout with 10 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 24th. 

Great Crested Grebe... 
Present throughout with a peak of 45 on the 12th

(Western) Marsh Harrier... 
One was reported on the 12th.

(Eurasian) Sparrowhawk... 
Singles on the 6th and 18th. 

(Common) Buzzard... 
Single figures were seen regularly. 

(Common) Moorhen...
Present throughout with eight counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 21st

(Eurasian) Coot...
Present throughout with 320 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 21st 

(Eurasian) Oystercatcher...
Present throughout with a peak of five on the 15th.

Grey Plover
One was reported on the 18th.

(Common) Ringed Plover
Seen regularly from the 8th with a peak of five on the 19th.

(Adult) (Common) Ringed Plover Meadow Pool August 2016 © Steve Groves

Little Ringed Plover...
Singles on the 17th and 20th.

(Northern) Lapwing
Present throughout with seven counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 21st.

(Eurasian) Whimbrel...
Singles were seen regularly with two on the 10th and 29th.

(Eurasian) Curlew...
One was heard on the 11th.

Black-tailed Godwit...
Seen regularly with a peak of  13 on the 21st.

Turnstone...
One was seen intermittently from the 2nd to the 7th; five were present on the 29th/30th and 16 on the 31st.

(Red) Knot...
One was seen intermittently from the 15th to the 17th; there were two on the 30th and five on the 31st.

Ruff...
One on Meadow Pool on the 18th and five west on the 19th.

Curlew Sandpiper...
Single adults were on Meadow Pool on the 17th and 19th; four flew west on the 18th; a juvenile was on Meadow Pool on the 20th and another was reported on the 28th.

(Adult) Curlew Sandpiper Meadow Pool August 2016 © Steve Groves

Sanderling...
Regular in the first week on the Chesil/Fleet shoreline with a peak of five on the 6th.

Dunlin...
Regular throughout with a peak of over 40 on the 19th.


(Juvenile) Dunlin Meadow Pool August 2016 © Steve Groves

Little Stint...
A juvenile was on Meadow Pool on the 20th.


(Juvenile) Little Stint  (left) with Dunlin & (Common) Ringed Plover 
Meadow Pool August 2016 © Charlie Wheeler wheeler-photography

Common Sandpiper...
Regular throughout with a peak of  over 10 on the 29th.


Common Sandpiper Meadow Pool August 2016 
© Charlie Wheeler wheeler-photography

Green Sandpiper...
Singles on the 3rd, 11th and 25th.

(Common) Greenshank...
Regular from the 12th with a peak of three on the 18th.

(Common) Redshank...
Regular throughout with a peak of  21 on the 11th.

(Common) Snipe...
One on the 15th and two on the 18th.

Two (Common) Snipe at 'The Fleet Pipe' August 2016 © Steve Groves

Sandwich Tern...
At least five on the 5th and two on the 25th.

Common Tern...
Over 100 were still present around the tern island on the 1st but numbers then dropped significantly with only single figures present from the 12th to the 24th and none subsequently. 

Black-headed Gull...
Present throughout with 320 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 21st.

Mediterranean Gull...
Seen regularly with a peak of 30 on the 21st.


Adult Mediterranean Gull with Black-headed Gulls at 'Meadow Pool'
August 2016
 
© Steve Groves

Common Gull...
One on the 20th.

Lesser Black-backed Gull...
Single figures were seen regularly.

(European) Herring Gull...
Present throughout with a peak of over two hundred on the 1st.

Yellow-legged Gull...
Single juveniles were seen fairly regularly with two together on the 7th. In addition single 2nd calendar years were seen on the 1st and (along with the two 1st years) on the 7th.


2nd calendar year Yellow-legged Gull with Black-headed Gull at 'Meadow Pool'
August 2016
 
© Steve Groves

Great Black-backed Gull...
Present throughout with a peak of 200 on the 20th. 

Stock Dove...
Two on the 19th.

(Feral/Domestic) Rock Dove...
Seen regularly.

(Common) Wood Pigeon...
Present throughout.

(Eurasian) Collared Dove...
Seen regularly.

Little Owl...
One was reported on the 28th.

(Common) Swift...
Single figures were seen regularly to the 7th but the only subsequent sighting was of at least three on the 25th.

(Common) Kingfisher...
Singles were seen regularly.

(European) Green Woodpecker...
Seen regularly.

Great Spotted Woodpecker...
Seen regularly.

(Common) Kestrel...
Seen regularly. 

Peregrine Falcon...
Singles were seen regularly.

(Eurasian) Magpie...
Seen regularly.

(Western) Jackdaw...
Present throughout.

Rook...
Present throughout.

Carrion Crow...
Present throughout.

(Northern) Raven...
Seen regularly.

Goldcrest...
Present throughout.

(Eurasian) Blue Tit...
Present throughout.

Great Tit...
Present throughout.

Coal Tit...
Present throughout.

(Eurasian) Skylark...
Present Throughout.

Sand Martin...
Seen regularly with a peak of 250 on the 25th. 

(Barn) Swallow...
Seen regularly with a peak of 250 on the 25th.

(Common) House Martin...
Single figures were seen regularly.

Cetti's Warbler...
Present throughout.

Long-tailed Tit...
Present throughout.

(Common) Chiffchaff...
Present throughout.

Willow Warbler...
The first of the autumn were seen on the 5th and small numbers were then present through the rest of the month.

(Eurasian) Blackcap...
Present throughout.

Garden Warbler...
One on the 26th was the first of autumn.

(Common) Whitethroat...
Present throughout.

(Common) Grasshopper Warbler...
Singles on the 5th and 26th.

Sedge Warbler...
Present throughout.


Sedge Warbler at 'Meadow Hide' August 2016 © Steve Groves

(Eurasian) Reed Warbler...
Present throughout.

(Eurasian) Treecreeper...
Present throughout.

(Eurasian) Wren...
Present throughout.

(Common) Starling...
A roost of around 20 formed early in the month and swelled to over 100 by the 26th.

(Common) Blackbird...
Present throughout.

Mistle Thrush...
One on the 21st/22nd.

(European) Robin...
Present throughout.

(European) Pied Flycatcher...
One on the 21st/22nd was the first since August 2015.


 (European) Pied Flycatcher August 2016
© Charlie Wheeler wheeler-photography

(Common) Redstart...
Two on the 25th and one on the 26th were the first since August 2015.

Whinchat...
Singles on the 5th, 13th, 24th and 29th; six on the 25th.

(European) Stonechat...
Two on the 17th, singles on the 26th and 29th.

(Northern) Wheatear...
The first two of the autumn were seen on the 10th and there were then regular sightings with a peak of over 10 on the 24th.


 (Northern) Wheatear August 2016 © Steve Hales. 
Remarkably the first that Steve has ever ringed at The Swannery.

Dunnock... 
Present throughout.

House Sparrow...
Present throughout.

Yellow Wagtail...
Regular from the 12th with a peak of 500 in the roost on the 26th. Two, thought  to be of the Scandinavian form known as Grey-headed Wagtail, were trapped, ringed and released on the 29th. Steve Hales has caught similar birds in the wagtail roost in previous autumns but it will probably take a spring adult male to get this taxon unequivocally onto The Swannery bird list!

Grey Wagtail...
Singles were seen regularly from the 24th at least.

Pied Wagtail...
Present throughout.

Tree Pipit...
One heard on the 5th was surprisingly the only record.

Meadow Pipit...
Present throughout.


 Meadow Pipit 'Meadow Hide' August 2016
© Charlie Wheeler wheeler-photography

(Eurasian) Rock Pipit...
One on the 19th/20th, two on the 30th and one on the 31st.


(Eurasian) Rock Pipit August 2016 © Steve Groves

(Common) Chaffinch...
Present throughout.

(European) Greenfinch...
Present throughout.

(Common) Linnet...
Present throughout.

(European) Goldfinch...
Present throughout.

(Common) Reed Bunting...
Present throughout


 (Common) Reed Bunting 'Meadow Hide' August 2016
© Charlie Wheeler wheeler-photography


...And that's it for this month except to say thanks to Alan Barrett, Mike Morse, Steve Hales and Charlie Wheeler.

September's sightings to follow shortly.