Highlights...
This month's best sightings were two 'new in' but brief Whooper Swans, two Scaup, two Black-necked Grebes a Grey Phalarope, a probable Caspian Gull, a Short-eared Owl and two Water Pipits.
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| Scaup (ad. female) & Pochard (ad. drake), Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2021 © Charlie Wheeler |
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| Black-necked Grebe, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2021 © Charlie Wheeler |
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| Cattle Egrets, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2021 © Charlie Wheeler |
The Month's Bird News In Full...
More details of the above highlights and the rest of this month's sightings...
Canada Goose... Present throughout, 140 were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 10th.
Mute Swan... Present throughout 700 were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 10th.
Whooper Swan... The resident (presumed escape) was present throughout but was joined by two (presumed wild birds) briefly on the 21st.
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| Whooper Swans, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2021 © Charlie Wheeler |
Common Shelduck... Regularly encountered, with seven counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 10th.
Shoveler... Present throughout, with a peak count of at least 100 on the 24th.
Gadwall... Two or three were present on four dates.
Wigeon... Present throughout, with a peak count of 250 on the 5th.
Mallard... Present throughout, 370 were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 10th.
Pintail... Present throughout, with a peak count of 250 on the 26th.
Teal... Present throughout, with a peak count of 400 on the 4th.
Pochard... Present throughout, with a peak count of 300 on the 26th.
Tufted Duck... Present throughout, 155 were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 10th.
Scaup... An adult female arrived on the 23rd and was joined by a first winter female on the 31st.
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| Scaup (ad. female), Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2021 © Steve Groves |
Red-legged Partridge... Three were seen on the 18th, with at least one heard on the 21st.
Pheasant... Present throughout.
Domestic/Feral Pigeon... Present throughout.
Stock Dove... One or two were seen regularly but at least five were seen on the 30th.
Woodpigeon... Present throughout. Some visible migration was observed on five dates with a peak of at least 2,000 on the 21st.
Collared Dove... Regularly encountered.
Water Rail... Present throughout.
Moorhen... Present throughout.
Coot... Present throughout. 410 were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 10th.
Little Grebe... Present throughout. 19 were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey count on the 10th.
Great Crested Grebe... Present throughout with a peak count of 38 on the 1st.
Black-necked Grebe... At least one, sometimes two, were pretty much present throughout.
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| Black-necked Grebe & Little Grebe, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2021 © Steve Groves |
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| Black-necked Grebe, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2021 © Steve Groves |
Oystercatcher... Singles on the 1st, 7th and 17th.
Lapwing... Present throughout much of the month with peak counts of 30 on the 25th and 28th.
Golden Plover... Singles were seen on the 4th and 7th but at least two were noted on the 12th.
Grey Plover... Singles were noted on the 3rd and 23rd.
Ringed Plover... Singles were noted on the 2nd and 7th.
Black-tailed Godwit... One or two were seen regularly through the month.
Turnstone... One was seen regularly from the 1st to the 7th, whilst two were present on the 9th.
Dunlin... Regularly encountered through the month with peak counts of seven on the 12th and 14th.
Snipe... One or two were regularly encountered through the month but at least three were seen on two dates.
Grey Phalarope... One was seen on the 6th.
Common Sandpiper... One was seen on virtually a daily basis. Presumably the regular wintering individual.
Green Sandpiper... One was noted on the 9th.
Redshank... Singles were seen regularly but four were present on the 13th.
Black-headed Gull... Present throughout with a peak count of at least 500 on the 18th.
Mediterranean Gull... Regularly encountered with peak counts of at least 50 on four dates.
Common Gull... Regularly encountered with peak counts of at least 50 on three dates.
Great Black-backed Gull... Present throughout, with at least 100 present on the 26th.
Herring Gull... Present throughout, with at least 300 present on the 18th.
Caspian Gull... A probable (a first calendar year) was seen on the 18th.
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| Putative Caspian Gull (1cy), Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2021 © Steve Groves |
Yellow-legged Gull... Single first calendar year birds were seen on the 2nd and 18th.
Lesser Black-backed Gull... One or two were encountered fairly regularly but at least five were seen on the 18th and at least ten on the 20th.
Sandwich Tern... Two were seen on the 14th.
Fulmar... One flew over on the 27th.
Cormorant... Present throughout with peak counts of at least 70 on the 9th/10th.
Cattle Egret... Present throughout with peak counts of at least 30 on the 28th/29th.
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| Cattle Egrets, Shovelers, Pintails, Teal, Coot & Cormorants, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2021 © Steve Groves |
Grey Heron... Noted on virtually a daily basis with peak counts of at least three on two dates.
Great Egret... Two on the 9th, one on the 11th, two on the 18th and one on the 22nd.
Little Egret... Present throughout. 13 were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 10th.
Sparrowhawk... Singles were seen on five dates.
Marsh Harrier... Singles were seen regularly through the month.
Red Kite... One was seen on the 10th.
Buzzard... Present throughout.
Barn Owl... One was seen on the 15th.
Short-eared Owl... One was seen on the 15th.
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| From the archive... Short-eared Owl, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2011 © Charlie Wheeler |
Tawny Owl... One or two were heard regularly.
Kingfisher... At least one was seen regularly.
Great Spotted Woodpecker... One or two were noted regularly.
Green Woodpecker... Present throughout, with at least one or two seen regularly.
Kestrel... Present throughout.
Merlin... Singles were seen on the 2nd, 18th and 23rd.
Peregrine... Singles were seen on four dates.
Jay... There were sightings on a virtually daily basis with peak counts of at least 30 0n the 4th and 6th. All part of a national influx.
Magpie... Present throughout.
Jackdaw... Present throughout with some westerly movement noted involving peak daily counts of several hundred on the 11th, 12th and 14th.
Rook... Present throughout. There was some westerly movement noted, particularly on the 12th involving several hundred.
Carrion Crow... Present throughout.
Raven... One or two were noted regularly.
Coal Tit... Regularly encountered.
Blue Tit... Present throughout.
Great Tit... Present throughout.
Bearded Reedling... At least three were present on the 9th and at least one on the 15th.
Skylark... Present throughout. Some visible migration was noted most days with a peak count of at least 500 on the 6th.
Sand Martin... One was seen on the 6th.
Swallow... Seen regularly to the 11th with a peak count of at least 50 on the 9th. Two on the 21st will no doubt prove to be the last of the year.
House Martin... Three on the 21st were the first since September and will no doubt prove to be the last of the year.
Cetti's Warbler... Present throughout.
Long-tailed Tit... Regularly encountered, with a peak count of at least 10 on several dates.
Chiffchaff... Present throughout with at least 100 noted on the 12th.
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| From the archive... Chiffchaff, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2012 © Steve Groves |
Sedge Warbler... The only record was on one on the 6th.
Reed Warbler... Regularly encountered to the 14th with at least 10 noted on the 11th. A relatively late bird was seen on the 27th.
Blackcap... Regularly encountered to the 14th with at least 10 noted on several dates.
Lesser Whitethroat... Singles were seen on the 3rd and 4th.
Whitethroat... Regularly encountered to the 17th, with a peak count of at least five on the 4th.
Firecrest... One was noted on the 1st.
Goldcrest... Present throughout, with a peak count of at least 50 on the 12th.
Wren... Present throughout.
Nuthatch... One visited a feeder in the adjacent Grove Lane on the 13th, 22nd and 23rd.
Treecreeper... One or two were noted regularly but at least three were seen on the 23rd.
Starling... Present throughout, at least 100 were noted on the 30th.
Blackbird... Present throughout.
Redwing... Nocturnal migrants were heard regularly from the 21st.
Song Thrush... Regularly encountered.
Mistle Thrush... Regularly encountered.
Robin... Present throughout.
Stonechat... Present throughout with a peak of at least 10 on the 12th.
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| From the archive... Stonechat, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2012 © Steve Groves |
Wheatear... Two were seen on the 6th and one on the 21st.
House Sparrow... Present in the gardens of the adjacent Grove Lane throughout.
Dunnock... Present throughout.
Grey Wagtail... Regularly encountered with a peak of at least four on the 30th.
Pied Wagtail... Present throughout. Visible migration was noted on several dates with a peak count of at least 500 over on the 6th.
White Wagtail... Two were noted on the 6th.
Meadow Pipit... Present throughout. Visible migration was noted on several dates with a peak count of at least 500 over on the 6th.
Water Pipit... Two were noted on the 27th. The first since April 2020.
Rock Pipit... Regularly encountered with a peak of seven on the 29th.
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| From the archive... Rock Pipit, Abbotsbury Swannery, October 2011 © Steve Groves |
Chaffinch... Present throughout, with a peak count of at least 25 on the 30th.
Greenfinch... One or two were noted on five dates.
Linnet... Regularly encountered, with counts of over 50 on two dates.
Goldfinch... Present throughout with a flock of at least 50 noted on two dates.
Siskin... Regularly encountered, with a peak count of over 200 on the 30th.
Reed Bunting... Present throughout.
... And that's it for this post except to thank, Alan Barrett, Kev Butler, Steve Hales, Joe Stockwell, Nick Urch, Charlie Wheeler (and a few visiting birders) for additional sightings. Also an extra thanks to Charlie for the use of his photos.
November bird news will be published in due course.
