Abbotsbury Swannery Bird Sightings - October 2017

Highlights...

The Spotted Sandpiper remained throughout as did two Cattle Egrets but perhaps the biggest surprise was a flock of five Glossy Ibises! Also noteworthy was a Whooper Swan, three Scaup, two Great Egrets, a Grey Phalarope, a Wood Sandpiper, a Jack Snipe, a Little Gull, at least ten Firecrests, one or two Yellow-browed Warblers and a Black Redstart. 

The Spotted Sandpiper, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2017 © Steve Groves

Cattle Egrets, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2017 © Charlie Wheeler

 Glossy Ibises, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2017 © Charlie Wheeler

Above two images the adult Whooper Swan (with Mute Swans), 
Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2017 © Steve Groves

 Wood Sandpiper, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2017 © Steve Groves

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

Black Swan...
Two were present throughout.

Mute Swan...
Present throughout with 750 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 8th.

Whooper Swan...
One was present for most of the day on the 6th after first being seen at West Bay and West Bexington but it flew off down The Fleet late afternoon...

Above three images the adult Whooper Swan, Abbotsbury Swannery,
October 2017 © Charlie Wheeler

Greylag Goose...
The individual that arrived back in July, remained until the 8th.

Canada Goose...
Present throughout with 280 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 8th.

Brent Goose...
Five of the form bernicla 'Dark-bellied Brent Goose' were seen briefly on the 10th. 

Shelduck...
None were seen until the 18th but there were then regular sightings with a peak of seven on the 31st.

Wigeon...

Seen regularly with 230 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 8th.

Gadwall...

One or two were seen regularly between the 20th and 31st...

Drake Gadwalls, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2017 © Charlie Wheeler

Teal...
Present throughout with 500 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 8th.

Mallard...
Present throughout with 520 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 8th.

Pintail...

Present throughout with 120 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 8th...

Drake Pintail, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2017 © Charlie Wheeler

1st winter drake Pintail, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2017 © Steve Groves

Shoveler...
Present throughout with 48 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 8th...

Shovelers & Pintails, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2017 © Charlie Wheeler

Pochard... 

Present throughout but with only 15 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th.

Tufted Duck... 

Present throughout with 160 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 8th.

Scaup...

The adult drake that arrived last month was present throughout and was joined by a first winter drake and a first winter duck from the 22nd...

Drake Scaups (adult left, 1st winter right), Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2017 
© Charlie Wheeler

Above two images 1st winter Scaups, (duck left, drake right), Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2017 © Steve Groves

Goosander...

Three were present on the 22nd.

Pheasant...

Present throughout.

Gannet...

One on the 17th...

Gannet, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2017 © Steve Groves

Cormorant...
Present throughout with 22 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 8th.

Cattle Egret... 
Two were present throughout...

Above two images Cattle Egrets, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2017 © Steve Groves

Little Egret... 

Present throughout with around 30 roosting nightly.

Great Egret... 

Singles were seen on the 18th and 28th.

Grey Heron... 

Present throughout but only 2 were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 8th.

Glossy Ibis... 

Five circled over before gaining height and flying southeast on the 27th. This is only the second record for The Swannery following two in October 2015...

Glossy Ibises, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2017 © Charlie Wheeler

Little Grebe...
Present throughout with 14 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 8th.

Great Crested Grebe...
Present throughout with 28 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 8th.

Marsh Harrier...
Singles were seen regularly.

Sparrowhawk... 

Singles were seen regularly. 

Buzzard... 

Single figures were seen regularly.

Water Rail...
Present throughout.

Moorhen...
Present throughout.

Coot...
Present throughout with 650 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 8th. 

Oystercatcher...

One on the 26th.

Ringed Plover...

One on the 18th.

Lapwing...

Present throughout with a peak of 15 on the 9th.

Black-tailed Godwit...
Singles on the 6th and 27th.

Bar-tailed Godwit...
One on the 23rd.

Knot...

One on the 20th and three on the 22nd.

Ruff...

One on the 7th and three on the 27th. 

Dunlin...

Seen regularly, with a peak of at least five on the 7th...

Dunlins & Teal, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2017 © Charlie Wheeler

Grey Phalarope...
One briefly on the 21st. 

Common Sandpiper...
Seen regularly until the 13th with at least four on several dates but none were seen subsequently. 

Spotted Sandpiper...
The individual that arrived in September lingered all month...

Above three images the Spotted Sandpiper, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2017 
© Steve Groves

Greenshank...
One on the 1st only. 

Wood Sandpiper...
The individual that arrived in September was seen intermittently until the 14th...

Above two images Wood Sandpiper, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2017 
© Steve Groves

Redshank...
Singles were seen fairly regularly but two were present on the 20th/21st.

Jack Snipe...

One on the 31st was the first since March. 

Snipe...

Singles were seen regularly...

Snipe, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2017 © Charlie Wheeler

Kittiwake...

At least five were seen during Storm Brian on the 21st.

Black-headed Gull...

Present throughout with 45 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 8th.

Little Gull...

A first winter was seen on the 8th...

Mediterranean Gull...
Seen regularly with a peak of over 200 on the 11th...

Mediterranean & Black-headed Gulls, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2017 
© Charlie Wheeler

Common Gull...
Seen regularly with a peak of five on the 18th.

Lesser Black-backed Gull...

Single figures were seen regularly but at least ten were present on the 23rd.

Herring Gull...
Present throughout with 140 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 8th.

Yellow-legged Gull...

An adult was present on the 11th.

Great Black-backed Gull...

Present throughout with over 300 present on the 7th.

Feral/Domestic Pigeon...

Seen regularly.

Stock Dove...

None were seen until the 27th when a flock of over twenty flew west.

Wood Pigeon...

Present throughout with flocks totalling several hundred west on the 30th and 31st.

Collared Dove...

Seen regularly.

Barn Owl...

One on the 6th.

Tawny Owl...

Heard regularly.

Kingfisher...

Seen regularly with a peak of two on several dates.

Green Woodpecker...

Seen regularly.

Great Spotted Woodpecker...

Seen regularly.

Kestrel...

Single figures were seen regularly.

Merlin...

One on the 17th.

Peregrine...

Singles were seen regularly.

Magpie...
Present throughout.

Jay...

One on the 3rd was the first since January. Singles were then seen regularly through the rest of the month.

Jackdaw...

Present throughout.

Rook...

Present throughout.

Carrion Crow...

Present throughout.

Raven...

Seen regularly.

Goldcrest...

Present throughout with a peak of over twenty on the 31st.

Firecrest...

Regular from the 8th to the 18th with a peak of at least ten on the 15th...

Firecrest, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2017 © Steve Groves

Blue Tit...

Present throughout.

Great Tit...

Present throughout.

Coal Tit...

Present throughout.

Bearded Reedling...

Regular from the 4th to the 27th with a peak of at least four on the latter date.

Skylark...

Present throughout but with peaks of over 200 and 100 west on the 6th and 25th respectively...

Migrating Skylarks, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2017 © Charlie Wheeler

Swallow...

Seen regularly to the 8th with a peak of over thirty on the  latter date and then regular again from the 17th to the 22nd with again a peak of over thirty on the latter date.

House Martin...

At least one was present on the 3rd but there were none seen subsequently.

Cetti's Warbler...

Present throughout.

Long-tailed Tit...

Present throughout.

Yellow-browed Warbler...

Singles were reported on the 8th-9th and 15th-16th.

Chiffchaff...

Present throughout with a peak of over 30 on the 18th.

Blackcap...

Singles were seen regularly until the 6th but not subsequently.

Reed Warbler...

Singles were seen regularly until the 3rd but not subsequently.

Treecreeper...

Singles on the 9th and 31st were the first since July.

Wren...

Present throughout.

Starling...

Seen regularly with at least fifty in the roost nightly.

Blackbird...

Present throughout.

Fieldfare...

At least one was heard on the 30th, the first since January.

Song Thrush...

Single figures were present throughout.

Redwing...

Regular from the 19th and although many overhead migrants were heard at night only single figures were seen during the day.

Mistle Thrush...
Singles were seen regularly.

Robin...

Present throughout...

Robin, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2017 © Charlie Wheeler

Black Redstart...

One on the 26th was the first since March 2013...

1st winter/adult female Black Redstart, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2017 

© Charlie Wheeler

Stonechat...
Seen regularly with a peak of over five on several dates...

Female Stonechat, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2017 © Steve Groves

Dunnock...

Present throughout. 

House Sparrow...

Present throughout.

Grey Wagtail...

Single figures were seen regularly.

Pied Wagtail...

Present throughout with the roost building up to over 100 by the months end.

Meadow Pipit...

Present throughout with a peak of over 200 flying west on the 6th.

Rock Pipit...

At least one or two were present daily.

Brambling...
One on the 25th was the first since November 2015.

Chaffinch...
Present throughout.

Bullfinch...
One or two were seen regularly from the 27th.

Greenfinch...
Five on the 28th were the first since June.

Linnet.

Present throughout.

Lesser Redpoll.

Regular from the 17th with a peak of over ten on the 27th.

Goldfinch.

Present throughout with a peak of over 100 on the 26th.

Siskin...

Regular with a peak of over thirty on the 27th.

Reed Bunting...

Present throughout.

... And that's it for this month except to say thanks to... Alan Barrett, Kev Butler, Steve Hales, Paul Harris, Richard Philips, Luke Phillips, Nick Urch and Charlie Wheeler for additional sightings and where applicable for the use of their images. 


I'll leave you with a couple of images of other wildlife Charlie photographed this October...

Common Darter Dragonfly, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2017 © Charlie Wheeler

Southern Hawker Dragonfly, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2017 

© Charlie Wheeler

Large Wainscot Moth, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2017 © Charlie Wheeler

Red Underwing Moth, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2017 © Charlie Wheeler

Check out Charlie's website here - Charlie Wheeler Photography


November's sightings to follow shortly.