A week with temperatures reaching 34c - perfect Summer weather (although London commuting is a challenge), getting dark around 10pm and much easier to stay up a little rather than try to sleep
Wednesday this week there was an organised Nightjar count on Blackdown with the local National Trust rangers. There were 9 of us so plenty to position ourselves across the heath, with individual maps to mark sightings and times which would eliminate double-counts. Where I was standing the first Nightjar started churring around 9.45 and I had another about 10 minutes later, this one I saw leave it's perch and fly low across the heath. Awaiting the official totals but would think there were 5 territories counted. I was disappointed I didn't see or hear Woodcock as others did as I haven't yet seen one this year.
At home on Saturday evening I had just dealt with the sheep and was taken aback as a Woodcock flew over calling, I'm guessing it was at the edge of its Roding flight. I diligently tried the same time on Sunday and Monday at similar times but no further sign, this is the first sighting in 5 years, I had seen one before in December which I flushed from the bottom of the fields but nothing since. Flying Stag Beatles a couple of bats (not id'd) and two Tawny Owls in close proximity next to the house, were other night-time offerings.
Saturday, 24 June 2017
Monday, 12 June 2017
Sunday June 11th - Elegant Sufficiency
A couple of weeks where domestic duties have taken precedent, including yesterday (Saturday) when an Elegant Tern, which had given birders the run around for a couple of days on Hayling Island, turned up in Pagham Harbour, viewable from Church Norton on Tern Island.
Having noted it was still reported approaching dusk, I planned to go early, to get there pretty much at first light today (Sunday) as I know Terns are active very early. I arrived at Church Norton at 4.40am, where I bagged one the last car park spaces in the small Church car park. Around 100 birders were there already !.
It had been drizzling on the drive down but was dry in the harbour although quite murky. I only waited about 20 minutes before the Elegant Tern was seen flying over the Tern Colony on the nearby Island, where the RSPB had done a good job providing fencing against predators.
There was a good colony of Gulls and Terns, Sandwich, Common and Little Terns and both Black-headed and Mediterranean Gulls.
The Elegant Tern had several flying sorties over the island and briefly into the harbour where it also stopped on the mud for a preen, it was mostly dropping down into vegetation cover where the Sandwich Tern nests were so was out of sight much of the time. This Tern is a similar size to Sandwich Terns with a shaggy black crest and very long Orange beak, so pretty distinctive and more usually found on the coast of the Americas.
I stayed around an hour and a half, when the Elegant Tern seemed to fly more purposefully over the harbour wall towards the sea at the same time the mist descended. I headed back home. I can't even claim a record shot as the pictures below were distant in poor light.
The highlights at home overt he couple of weeks, a pair of Mallard were happily swimming around in the pond one morning but not seen since. a Hobby has been seen on 3 occasions and a very brief Turtle Dove flypast is my only encounter so far, but no further signs. A flock of 6 Grey Herons flying south was notable. Otherwise families of young birds dominate. Despite mixed and sometimes very wet weather there are family parties of both Blue and Great Tits, which is an improvement on last year and a pair of Bullfinch are very regularly found on the feeders..
Having noted it was still reported approaching dusk, I planned to go early, to get there pretty much at first light today (Sunday) as I know Terns are active very early. I arrived at Church Norton at 4.40am, where I bagged one the last car park spaces in the small Church car park. Around 100 birders were there already !.
It had been drizzling on the drive down but was dry in the harbour although quite murky. I only waited about 20 minutes before the Elegant Tern was seen flying over the Tern Colony on the nearby Island, where the RSPB had done a good job providing fencing against predators.
There was a good colony of Gulls and Terns, Sandwich, Common and Little Terns and both Black-headed and Mediterranean Gulls.
The Elegant Tern had several flying sorties over the island and briefly into the harbour where it also stopped on the mud for a preen, it was mostly dropping down into vegetation cover where the Sandwich Tern nests were so was out of sight much of the time. This Tern is a similar size to Sandwich Terns with a shaggy black crest and very long Orange beak, so pretty distinctive and more usually found on the coast of the Americas.
I stayed around an hour and a half, when the Elegant Tern seemed to fly more purposefully over the harbour wall towards the sea at the same time the mist descended. I headed back home. I can't even claim a record shot as the pictures below were distant in poor light.
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| Pagham Harbour at first light looking at Tern Island |
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| Gaggle of Birders at 5am |
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| Elegant Tern - middle bird with Orange beak |
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| Common Tern, Sandwich Tern, Elegant Tern |
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| Having a preen |
The highlights at home overt he couple of weeks, a pair of Mallard were happily swimming around in the pond one morning but not seen since. a Hobby has been seen on 3 occasions and a very brief Turtle Dove flypast is my only encounter so far, but no further signs. A flock of 6 Grey Herons flying south was notable. Otherwise families of young birds dominate. Despite mixed and sometimes very wet weather there are family parties of both Blue and Great Tits, which is an improvement on last year and a pair of Bullfinch are very regularly found on the feeders..
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| Bullfinch |
Monday, 5 June 2017
Sunday 28th May - Spring Bank holiday
Somehow I lost Saturday not even leaving the house, one of those days !
Today (Sunday ) I had a little more purpose and went to Blackdown early I was there just before 7am.. The potential was for mist and fog as it was foggy in Fernhurst when I left, but surprisingly it was completely clear on Blackdown, with the valleys wearing the fog.
It was very active with birdsong and activity despite breeding being in full swing and the song starts to tail off and the adult birds get weary trying to raise offspring - very similar to our adult world too !
I had a good number of warblers with the best being 3 singing Garden Warbler also 3 Willow Warbler, at least 4 Chiffchaff and 4 Whitethroat.
It was great to hear that wonderful sound of Woodlark, with 2 singing birds also 5 Stonechat. Young birds were in evidence with 2 or 3 family parties of Crossbill with 8+ birds, similar numbers of Siskin and Linnet. There were 2 Tree Pipit with one still singing. A vocal Cuckoo and at the Southern end a fine male Redstart in song.
The surprise was a daytime churring Nightjar, I had two 5 10 second snatches of this, but couldn't easily locate the exact position but I know up to 5 males have been noted here this Spring.
...but I only saw 1 Swallow. Despite seeing a large influx of Swallows on the South coast earlier in Spring there seems to be a real paucity around here, I am not seeing the occasional bird fly past at home, which I did in previous years as they obviously had nearby territories - where are they all ?
A really good couple of hours with plenty to see - before the dogs arrived in force.
Later in the morning at home I had an hour which seemed to be the pick of the day for raptors with 4 Common Buzzard ,2 Hobby sightings, annoying a flock of Swifts and House Martins, 3 Sparrowhawks circling together, a Raven, a Peregrine that purposely flew South and a Red Kite. The other bird of note was a Skylark which was song-flighting high above the house.
The rain set in about 2.30 and continued with overnight thunderstorms and started again around 9am Monday - for the whole day !! No surprise there then for a Bank Holiday.
Today (Sunday ) I had a little more purpose and went to Blackdown early I was there just before 7am.. The potential was for mist and fog as it was foggy in Fernhurst when I left, but surprisingly it was completely clear on Blackdown, with the valleys wearing the fog.
It was very active with birdsong and activity despite breeding being in full swing and the song starts to tail off and the adult birds get weary trying to raise offspring - very similar to our adult world too !
I had a good number of warblers with the best being 3 singing Garden Warbler also 3 Willow Warbler, at least 4 Chiffchaff and 4 Whitethroat.
It was great to hear that wonderful sound of Woodlark, with 2 singing birds also 5 Stonechat. Young birds were in evidence with 2 or 3 family parties of Crossbill with 8+ birds, similar numbers of Siskin and Linnet. There were 2 Tree Pipit with one still singing. A vocal Cuckoo and at the Southern end a fine male Redstart in song.
The surprise was a daytime churring Nightjar, I had two 5 10 second snatches of this, but couldn't easily locate the exact position but I know up to 5 males have been noted here this Spring.
...but I only saw 1 Swallow. Despite seeing a large influx of Swallows on the South coast earlier in Spring there seems to be a real paucity around here, I am not seeing the occasional bird fly past at home, which I did in previous years as they obviously had nearby territories - where are they all ?
A really good couple of hours with plenty to see - before the dogs arrived in force.
Later in the morning at home I had an hour which seemed to be the pick of the day for raptors with 4 Common Buzzard ,2 Hobby sightings, annoying a flock of Swifts and House Martins, 3 Sparrowhawks circling together, a Raven, a Peregrine that purposely flew South and a Red Kite. The other bird of note was a Skylark which was song-flighting high above the house.
The rain set in about 2.30 and continued with overnight thunderstorms and started again around 9am Monday - for the whole day !! No surprise there then for a Bank Holiday.
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| Garden Warbler |
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| Woodlark |
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| Stonechat |
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| View of the fogbank over Fernhurst |
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| Redstart |
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View north into Surrey
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