Around 200 GREYLAG and CANADA GEESE flew over Migrant Alley, in large mixed flocks, and as I watched, I heard, then picked out two YELLOW WAGTAILS going over low headed S. things were slowly picking up.
After a drinks break, I made my way over to the lakes and scrub area, adding STOCK DOVE, TREECREEPER, NUTHATCH and LONG TAILED TIT to the daylist before reaching the lakes. A scan of a large Willow tree proved worthwhile, as I found two LESSER WHITETHROATS, a BLACKCAP and a possible Garden Warbler, but only a poor and brief view was had of it, before I lost sight of it. The Lesser Whitethroats were the first since Aug 1st.
A scan of the lakes was initially disappointing, with the usual MALLARD and MOORHEN seen there, but I was well happy to then see a COOT (76) swim out from the overhanging trees, the first Coot here since March 27th, a real scarce visitor, and a most welcome addition to the August list.
After having done a full circuit of my patch, I had accumulated 43 species, but I had time for another quick scan of Migrant Alley, where I had a small group of HERRING GULL fly NW, as well as finding some HOUSE MARTINS that avoided me this morning, I checked them as they circled round the sheep pasture and found a lone SAND MARTIN with them, a nice migrant species for my patch, however not as nice as the WHINCHAT I found on the fenceline! This is the fourth one this month, I had only one last August. Happy with that I made my way home for an early lunch.
I was out again at around 13:00hrs, back over at Migrant Alley for a skywatch, I stayed for a couple of hours and watched the Whinchat through my telescope to pass the time, as little else was seen. Just a KESTREL, SPARROWHAWK and a SKYLARK were to join the list, making a round 50 for the day, which ended up pretty good all in all :-)
Today's photo's are:
Above and below: one of the Lesser Whitethroats.
Below is a Swallow
lastly, almost the star of the day - the Coot :-)
6 comments:
Hi Warren.
First of all, well done of having a good days birding at Dunge yesterday.
As for today, not a bad day all in all.50 is a good count.
The Sand Martin was a good find.
Nice photo's too Warren.
PS. Warren, looking again at the Swallow photo, it is a great shot with the bright blue sky behind it, what settings did you use?
Ken I had the camera on ISO 640 and was using 'Auto exposure bracketing' the photo I selected of the 3 exposures was the 'under exposed' one.
hope that helps !
Your enthusiam never wains, Warren and i for one congratulate you on that.
Congrats on the coot visit...as you know they're here during breeding/nesting and I've got some I watch at 'the pond'...anywho, nice photos, love the upshot of the swallow, lucky shot in my book as swallows are so hard to snap sitting still.
Well done Warren! That's a nice day list you got... Here it is starting to be desperate again. Went out yesterday evening and I saw.... NOTHING... All birds were gone... Hope some were just hiding ;-)
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