S-SE winds/high pressure

Interesting conditions bringing mild and damp weather that looks set to continue including on my days off in the week. Could be promising....

Slight random moment yesterday: my work takes me to different places locally on the Island, and whilst washing up in a house in Ryde , I suddenly looked out of the window only to clock a BLACK REDSTART alight a fence. Only momentarily there mind, before flying off. Had a brief look around the neighbouring properties but not to be seen again.

Reminded me of a wheatear I saw in Wootton about a month ago, also whilst on my rounds, which was quite an in-land sighting as they're probably more a coastal migrant.

Wheatear - September in Wootton

 

My impression of the fleeting encounter with a black redstart

 

Headed south again

Goldcrest predominated at St Cath's and were well represented under Gore Cliff and along the old black gang road. Remarkably I couldn't pick anything out with them. Continued on and a classic long tailed tit/chiff/gc flock flitting about really gave me hope, but again, nothing scarcer tagging along with them. At least nothing vocal or obvious. Still, being surrounded by see-ping goldcrest is always a welcome autumn experience, especially when you think about their migratory feat.

This was posted on my facebook from BBC springwatch:

Fact of the Day time!
People used to think that Goldcrests were too small to cross the channel from Europe, as they only weigh about the same as a 20p coin. This led to the belief that they rode here on the backs of Woodcocks, which often arrive around the same time.
For this reason, Goldcrests were often given the rather lovely name of Woodcock Pilot!
...

Of course, we now know that they do make the mammoth journey all by themselves!

 

The humble goldcrest regulus regulus. Most photographers are aiming for pin sharp shots, normally of the bird perched and posing, which has its merits, but I felt these shots capture what it's like in the field watching these restless little delights. Or maybe I'm just a crap photographer. But I like them.

 

 

Coastal path Atherfield: Common gull with med and BH gulls

 

 

Perched stonechat shots are probably 10 a penny but this shows the underwing quite nicely

 

 

 

 

Female short eared owl found on Redcliff/Culver

Not my find, but a couple of local birders came across a shorty on Friday morning. It was found entangled along the fence line. They rescued it, but unable to fly, they took it to the vets: latest news of it suggested it is recovering ok, so fingers crossed). Stunning picture of it by finder Mark Buckley:

 

On holiday & not feeling 100% so found some videos to inspire me. The pom (target bird for next spring) one i'd seen before, but that lead me to Sean's more recent Batumi trip vid - nice. On my to do list. Although Estonia looks good too...

St Catherine's - fair conditions

The highlight was a BLACK REDSTART hanging about the lighthouse grounds/building rooftops. Did an extensive circuit around the headland including Rocken end and the old Blackgang road: finches were prominent overhead, best of which were brambling (heard only), and skylarks featured well too. Goldcrest and chiffs also predominated being heard or seen all over the shop. Despite scrutinising every flock that moved about in the sycamores, not one appeared to have a yellow-browed tagging along with it; though a fellow Ventnor birder succeeded with one today.
1 Dartford warbler and 1 wheatear also noted. And just as I was getting in the car a grey wagtail was hanging about in a garden. Odds 'n' sods otherwise.

 

Fanning its red tail (phoenicurus ochruros)

Enjoying the water feature - grey wagtail pitched in



Quite a subtle recording of migrating com.redpoll - requires headphones and volume

ravens

oystercatchers

Still some lepidoptera interest: on the wing a clouded yellow (colias croceus)

Headed west again today

Not long after leaving the high down quarry car park a rich sound of vocal chiffchaffs and goldcrests greeted me (single firecrest heard also), which always gives a birder hope on the migration front. Then further along I heard what I'm pretty certain was a SIBERIAN chiffchaff (tristis), of which the call sounded more discordant and simpler than you'd get from a common chiff (phylloscopus collybita). (There's an informative section on sibe chiffs in one of the sound approach books with an accompanying CD, which I've studied). However, having had no visual on it, I will keep it as a 'probable'. Interesting call though.

Continued along the north fence line and had my first fieldfare of the autumn (also redwing heard earlier in the proceedings). And thrush interest continued with up to 5 ring ouzel about the scrub, but being typically wary, they kept their distance. Also a Dartford warbler heard and seen, always appreciated.

Over head migration was pretty much non existent. Though when I got to the headland I heard a bullfinch and gave me the impression it was finding its feet so to speak.

I then hung about the needles battery: a very late (the latest recorded) juvenile cuckoo was still hanging about and feeding in the area. Anyway I approached from a distance, spotted one of those hubble-sized camo' covered lenses set up with a photographer/twitcher stood near it, and then kept my distance. Never did see the cuckoo, but heard one woman exclaim its presence (Lymington residents probably know about it too), so it was still there. Bizarre.
Glad I did stake the area out though and looked elsewhere, specifically at the sea mostly, as 5 bottlenose dolphins were putting on quite a display out there. Got some shots. Sod's law came into play though: at one point I thought I was taking some great video footage of them only to find I hadn't pushed the record button properly. Ah well.

Distant fieldfare

 

 

 

Distant ring ouzel

 

 

raven

 

 

1st port of call - Not Siberian (chiffchaff) fresh in after landing in a tiny bit of scrub near the cliff edge #birdmigration

 

 

Off the Needles: My 2nd bottlenose sighting of the year; pics don't do them justice

A video of them off Ventnor posted on the county press website

The American dream find - back in the day the finder used to regularly bird the IOW

 

Kiss From A Rose 

 

St Cath's

 

And a ringo from yesterday along West high down (0:07s):

Kris's vid

The weather turned this week with a mix of sunshine and showers.

Tried St Cath's again yesterday but quite quiet again. Robins were ubiquitous giving a real autumn feel along with the goldcrests calling. Should have paid the sea more attention as a fellow ex island birder, here on a break, picked up a sooty shearwater further east of me in Ventnor, along with an arctic skua.

Today with rain forecast I was undecided regarding where to go but had Blackgang chine in mind. Road diversions meant I ended up at Shepherd's chine instead, but always worth a look, but not much there.

Moved on along the Mili road and noticed quite a flock of gulls in the field near Whale chine, viewable from the car park so I could avoid the rain. Although distant, I scanned through them and quite a few Mediterranean gulls were present. Also at least one yellow-legged gull. Something spooked them though as they all took off and headed in land.

Also walked the coastal path but could only muster a couple of wheatear and grey wagtail over.

 

 

Distant 1st winter Med gull taken from the car (through the windscreen) in dismal conditions.

Then it brightened up