Into October...

Swannery Birding Highlights Of The Week...

Monday 30th September to Sunday 6th October 2013.......

 

Wildfowl...

The only addition this week to last week's wildfowl species tally was Red-crested Pochard, with one appearing amongst the Common Pochard today...


Juvenile/first winter male Red-crested Pochard.

Of course with this species the likelihood of a captive or 'feral' origin over a natural occurrence has always got to be considered but a nice bird all the same.

The Red-crested Pochard with two male (Common) Pochard.

Although there was only one 'new in' species there was however a steady increase in numbers of most of the species already present.

Adult male Pintail moulting out of eclipse (with two male Mallard).
There have been around a hundred of these elegant dabblers present most of the week.

Waders...

Following the adult male last week, top of the bill this week goes to the two juvenile Ruff that flew through on Monday along with eight Knot and a Bar-tailed Godwit. Dunlin just made it into double figures most days, as did Lapwing, whereas Snipe were still only seen in ones or twos. There were also singles of Oystercatcher, Ringed, Grey and Golden Plover.

Gulls & Terns...

After a blank week last week it was nice to see a flock of one hundred and twenty odd Mediterranean Gulls on Thursday (along with a few singles on other days), otherwise the only other gull sightings of note were another single Common Gull (not yet common at the 'mo' but give it a couple more weeks!) and a single 'Continental Lesser Black-back'...

'Continental' Lesser Black-backed Gull' (form intermedius) right with a 'British' Lesser Black-backed Gull' (form graellsii) centre and a Great Black-backed Gull left. Note the blacker mantle and wings of the former (similar to the Great Black-back) and 'cleaner' head. 

The only terns seen were a couple of Sandwich...



Adult and juvenile Sandwich Tern (with a Teal).

Raptors...

Having narrowly missed one last week it was nice to see a Hobby on Monday and Tuesday but the Red Kite seen over Abbotsbury Hill eluded me again. The Osprey and the two Marsh Harriers were still around however and thankfully Peregrines are being seen regularly once more.



Migrant Passerines...

After a poor week last week nocturnal migrants were a little better represented with a Spotted Flycatcher and a few Wheatears and Whinchats along with several Stonechats. Chiffchaffs were not surprisingly the most numerous warbler but there were also a few Blackcaps, Reed and Sedge and several Cetti's.

 

Visible migration is really getting underway now with as yet modest numbers of Meadow Pipits, Pied Wagtails, Skylarks, Linnets and Siskins passing overhead most mornings. Also associated with this movement were a few Grey and Yellow Wagtails still and a few Rock Pipits. There were thousands of Swallows and hundreds of House Martins lingering early in the week but none of the latter were noted later in the week by which time the former too were much reduced in number.

 

There may have been no official scarce migrant passerines as yet this autumn at The Swannery but my old local patch of 'Littlesea' further down The Fleet has done well this week with Red-breasted Flycatcher, Red-backed Shrike and Yellow-browed Warbler! Now the warbler I have seen around a dozen times at The Swannery, the shrike twice, but the flycatcher I still need... how about next week!