Friday 8 October 2010

Coastal vis would have been better in hindsight

15-20 SE wind with almost unbroken cloud cover, then becomming sunny from 0930hrs.Not alot of evidence of night migrants and it became apparent that vis watching may have been more productive from a more coastal location rather than the Nature Reserve office area.

Nature Reserve office vis 0730-0930hrs

Cormorant     - 1
Woodpigeon     - 14   one flock
Collared Dove    - 3    together
Grey Wagtail     - 2
alba Wagtail     - 28   largest group 9
Meadow Pipit     - 32
Starling     - 14
Songthrush     - 2  high E then grounded
Chaffinch     - 41
Siskin     - 19   largest flock 10
Linnet     - 2                                               All SE or ESE

Nature Reserve

Starling      - 317  SE very early on presumably from a roost site
Chiffchaff      - The only evidence of any was 1 singing briefly
Jay      - 1 flew from tank farm to Moneyclose lane then later at Red Nab bushes
Moorhen   - 1 in flight from observation tower, past reserve office then past the classroom!
Blackbird      - One concentration of 10
Songthrush      - 3 new-in, flighty birds
Coal Tit      - 4
Blue Tit      - An irruptive-type flock of 13

Red Nab Bushes

Goldcrest      - 2
Bullfinch      - 2
Long-tailed Tit      - 15

Red Nab/Ocean Edge

Skylark      - 7 + 2 south
alba Wagtail      - 3 south
Linnet      - flock 12
Peregrine      - 1
Teal      - 1
Shelduck      - 118
Bar-tailed Godwit      - 120
Knot      - 360
Grey Plover      - 2

Outfalls

Little Gull        - 1 ad

North Harbour Wall   1045-1200hrs

Pink-footed Goose    - 6 south
Skylark     -  41 south   largest groups of 10 and 9
alba Wagtail     - 4 south
Meadow Pipit     - 27 grounded
Wheatear     - 1
Linnet     - 4
Shag     - juv/1stw  roosting on wooden jetty
Med Gull     - ad patrolling sea wall
 
Other/misc

Dogfish     A superb specimen being put back to sea by a fisherman

                                                                                                            Tom Wilmer