Pied Fly

Luccombe Down: Pied Fly x2 this morning (Aug 11th); a few more tree pips seen/heard including three northwards...The spell of settled weather continues with fairly high temps. 

Green Sand - Sandown Canoe Lake - Aug 18th

Tree Pipits etc

Nansen Hill/Luccombe Down: Tree pips are starting to increase, going over and/or grounded. Still a few Xbills (11 this morning/Aug 7th) but not as many as last week. Willow Warblers aplenty. Swifts and sand martins etc....

Green Sandpiper went over Nansen calling on Aug 10th, same date and location as one a year ago...

Nansen Hill - couple of grounded Tree Pips - August 7th

Juvenile and adult LBB gulls - Shanklin Esplanade - August 4th

Pied Fly & Tree Pipit (Xbills)

Luccombe Down and Nansen Hill this morning (July 26th): First Pied Flycatcher of the autumn and 188 Xbills (most over but some landed). Willow Warblers have suddenly increased (30+)...

July 28th (A.M): single Tree Pipit (calling) flew north; first of autumn; seen with Steve and Andrew. Plus, xbills (c100) etc. 

A sight and sound I'm yet to get bored of!

Crossbills (more counts)

Nansen Hill/Luccombe Down (this morning, July 21st, 06:45am onwards): c90 Xbills over (most North). Mark had 150+ at nearby Haddon's Pits over a similar time period. Also, a Sedge Warbler calling and seen; and c50 Swifts milling about. Some signs of early autumn migration. 

My first (juv) Yellow-legged Gull (SCP sea watch) back on July 7th. 

Interesting location: Common Sandpiper - Ryde Canoe Lake - July 15th

Crossbills (Parakeet)

Recent Xbill counts: 59 (North) over Haddon's Pits yesterday (July 3rd) and 51 (various directions) over Luccombe Down/Nansen Hill this morning (July 4th). Plus, a few Siskin starting to appear. Otherwise, pretty quiet for me of late - but proper autumn migration isn't far off now....

An odd 'Island tick' for me came in the form of a Ring-necked Parakeet heard (calling) at a Ryde location not far from Appley on July 2nd. Local IOW sightings of this species have increased in recent years it would seem. 

Painted Lady - Nansen Hill - July 4th

Haddon's Pits - July 3rd

Crossbills (LEOs Nightjar & RV Darter)

Evidently going to be a Crossbill year with more this morning (June 4th), either perched or on the move. At least 16 at Luccombe Village including 10+ that landed on a pine tree in a garden before leaving southwards. Evening-time: at least two juv LEO begging and Nightjar heard. 

June 8th: x57 Xbills (North) Nansen/Luccombe. Also, a male Red-veined Darter on Nansen Hill.

Xbills calling

Nightjar and LEO juvs not far from home (June 4th)

Golden-ringed Dragonfly - Luccombe Farm (June 9th)

Small Tortoiseshell - Dunnose (June 15th)

Savi's (better-quality recording)

Following a week of no further reports of the Savi's (the grim weather had not helped), yesterday evening (May 30th) I returned to see if it was still there; fortunately it was in much improved conditions: