Swannery Birding Highlights Of The Week - Monday 20th to Sunday 26th October 2014...

It was a pretty good week this week with two 'official' scarce migrants (even though I only connected with one) and a number of other noteworthy sightings too...

Scarce Migrants... 

Tim Farr had a Richard's Pipit fly over him as he scanned The Swannery embayment from New Barn Road, above the water meadow, at around 2pm on Saturday (just around the time I was returning from the water meadow hide!). It flew west but I subsequently learned that it appeared to drop down in a field between The Chapel and The Swannery. Needless to say I checked, as thoroughly as I could, all the fields in that area first thing this morning but to no avail. I almost certainly missed another last autumn too as one flew north-west along The Fleet at nearby Clouds Hill. Thankfully I found a settled bird back in November 1994 that lingered for five days in the water meadow, so at least I have one on my Swannery list!

I was just beginning to think I might miss out on Yellow-browed Warbler on the patch this year too with so many turning  up seemingly everywhere else! A quick stroll up the garden on Saturday morning though, before I left for work, paid dividends when I heard the distinctive call of this delightful little Leaf Warbler emanating from the adjacent Chapel Coppice. It was heard again later in the morning but I didn't get a chance to look for it again until my lunch hour, when I failed to even hear it. It wasn't until I got home from work in the evening that I eventually saw the little gem in the failing light. I saw it again this morning in the same small Sycamore on the boundary of my garden and Chapel Coppice but I didn't get the chance to look again today and it was dark before I got home. 

Wildfowl... 

New in today were two (juv/1st winter) Long-tailed Ducks, the first since a one day bird in December last year; whilst new in yesterday were three (1st winter) Scaup, joining the long-staying (adult) female. Nine Shelducks that arrived on Wednesday were the first for a couple of months but otherwise numbers and variety were again similar to the previous weeks, though several Dark-bellied Brent Geese flew over including a group of twenty-two on Thursday. There were however no Gadwall, Goldeneye or Red-breasted Merganser.

The newly arrived 1st winter Scaup. The two on the left are clearly males but the bird on the right does look much more female-like. However juvenile males can still look like this so time will tell (if it sticks around). For a moment today I thought there were 5 Scaup until I realised that the regular hybrid had returned too!

Waders... 

There was a slightly  better variety this week but all but the twenty odd Lapwing were fleeting and in single figures, with just a couple each of Snipe, Redshank, Common Sandpier and Dunlin and singles of Golden Plover, Ringed Plover, Greenshank and Turnstone. 

A rather dishevelled Common Sandpiper.

Gulls etc... 

There were far fewer Mediterranean Gulls this week and still only the occasional Common Gulls among the numerous Black-headed Gulls and no surprises among the usual three 'big' gulls either.

Raptors...

Last week's Osprey lingered until Monday but was not seen subsequently; a Merlin flew through on Saturday and the regular male Marsh Harrier reappeared.

Near Passerines...

The first real Woodpigeon passage was noted on Wednesday with a rather conservative five-hundred flying west.

Passerines...

Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps are now becoming hard to find and together with the aforementioned Yellow-browed and ever present Cetti's, were the only warblers seen or heard. The roaming tit-flocks still held plenty of Goldcrests though (but still no Firecrests). A single Swallow on Monday and Tuesday was the only one of the week. Skylarks, Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails were still moving over most days with the former two peaking at around five-hundred each on Wednesday, along with around one hundred Jackdaws. A Bullfinch was the first for awhile (but there were no Siskins this week and still no Redpolls or Brambling) but after a week's absence a few Bearded Reedlings reappeared including a rather fine and confiding male...

The male Bearded Reedling or Bearded Tit if you'd rather. I think I personally prefer just 'Reedling' as it's not a 'tit' and technically not bearded but moustached!