August - Birdfair and local birds

It always takes a little while to get back into the swing of things after a birding trip away. I was straight back to work the day after arriving home and this has dominated much of the last few weeks meaning that my available weekend slots have been a couple of hours here and there, whilst on the 18th I chose to go to the Birdfair in Rutland for the day.

I spent a couple of early hours on the 11th on Blackdown. It was good to see that a few Dartford Warblers had been successful in the breeding season, also a couple of Stonechat families. There were a few migrants with a large number of Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs, probably in excess of 50 in various flocks, the bright yellow of the Willow Warblers at this time of year is nice to see.. Also 2 Tree Pipit, 4 Whitethroat and a Garden Warbler were probably migrant birds moving through. At home the Turtle Dove made another appearance.

On the 18th I decide to go to the Birdfair in Rutland, having not been for a couple of years. Adie was going to come with me until she had a better offer to go to a festival with some friends. I had a great time wandering around the marquees, although decided to do something I may live to regret over the next few weeks. Firstly, I gave my binoculars to Swarovski, to fix the rubber coating which has come loose. They said it would take 3/4 weeks and secondly, gave in my camera lens to be fixed, it works but its generally 'gunked-up' inside where I can't clean and this maybe 6 weeks. So I have to make do with a second-rate pair of bins for a few weeks and even longer with no pics - Not that I can see much time to get out in the next few weeks but you never know.

Unusually, I saw a flock of 23 Mistle Thrush from the house late on the 17th and again on the 22nd when I counted 18. Certainly the highest number I've ever had in one flock and I also had 2 Crossbill fly over that day.
A Hobby was seen at home on the 19th and the Turtle Dove again on the 21st. A brief visit to Blackdown over the bank holiday weekend on the 25th was extremely unproductive mainly because it was foggy !, later on it cleared and I saw a Hobby and Goshawk at home but missed the Osprey which Dave B saw flying towards Woolbeding and was probably within sight from the house. I also recorded a late Swift. The Turtle Dove made another appearance on the 26th. It has a routine where t comes down from the large trees to feed around the veggie patches, but twice now has flown up an sat on the fence post behind the pond to preen, which is great but its the same fence post that I saw a Woodpigeon taken by Sparrowhawk, so it needs to be careful.

My final month of August visit to Blackdown was early on 31st and was a little more productive on the migrant front with 2 Redstart, 3+ Spotted Flycatchers, and 1 Wheatear, with still a good number of Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs.