Focus on vis mig

Love it - bottom pic courtesy of Mark Buckley

 

And a short video (edited and reduced quality) of the cranes from the other day:

  

WHD

Last day with the bro - just a flying visit - but out in the field it's been (again) interesting and productive.
Today we tried west Wight, but didn't extend our luck any further with finding anything too unusual.
A bank of fog over the Solent made for interesting scenery. Overhead vis mig was steady with alba wags etc. On the deck a good count of stonechat (41) was indicative of their movement. It was also interesting to see more commoner species acting like migrants too and possibly arriving or trying to leave: namely blue tits, great tits, great spotted woodpecker, and dunnocks; all of which were seen either high up over the headland, or landing upon it - all notably well away from perhaps their 'normal' cover.

 

A GSW was seen high up over the most western part of the cliff line - it stalled and went back inland and eastwards

 

 

Dunnock flying over

 



 

Looking west: the other side of this fence is a sheer drop - these tits were seen to filter inland



CRANES - St.Cath's

We concentrated on a vis mig session (me and the visiting bro), 7am - 1:30pm, and it was an odd mix really; definitely quality over quantity. An early flyby cattle egret would normally be an oddity, but perhaps not so much these days given their numbers in and around UK of late - but still a quality bird and fairly unexpected.
But the highlight came when five common cranes were picked up west of Blackgang chine. We tracked them over Chale Bay as they continued along the coastline towards us. They suddenly turned inland and were lost to view for a time. Such distant views would have been quite something; but moments later they came back into view over Gore cliff and proceeded to circle right over St. Cath's in front of us: an astonishing spectacle. We watched them gradually gain height like raptors - and it felt like they were getting ready to leave. Sure enough when they were ready they departed out to sea and due south to cross the English Channel. (Postscript: over a few days they were seen migrating southwards across Britain from as far away as Aberdeenshire. About an hour before our sighting they were seen on the other side of the Solent at Lymington).


 

 

 

A cattle egret went by west - pic by Graham Sparshott

 

Jays on the move west

St. Cath's

Not long after arriving I found out I'd just missed a juv hen harrier going north over Gore Cliff.
Slightly gripped. I did some vis mig - really felt autumnal this morning temp-wise; with bright conditions. Of note: first movement of siskins for me this autumn. And a continuous movement of mipits and house martins etc.

 

merlin - not my best camera work



Ventnor

Brading

I'm definitely guilty of neglecting this area of late, but had look about today:
One LRP of note near the new bridge; but it's very dry there now compared to previous years I'd say. Up to 40 yellow wags with the cattle. And at least one great white egret seen. Plenty of hirundines in every direction - and a couple of hobbies hawking. Whinchat etc.

 

Distant GW egret and a spanking male m.harrier - record shots

 



Dunlin (7th Sept - Bembridge lagoons)

St Cath's Wryneck

A wryneck near Watershoot bay eventually showed and was nice to see. Early doors a flock of tree pipits (7) headed SE; with three others heard thereafter (total of 10). A few yellow wags etc.

 

Lunchtime from a V.P on Luccombe: a steady passage of mipits (90 east) and yellow wags (34 also east). With easily up to 500 swallows per hour moving through too; 1000's reported from elsewhere. A hobby bringing up the rear wasn't too surprising. 

 

 

 

Wryneck (two were found yesterday) & common sandpipers - Watershoot Bay

 

hobby (East) over Luccombe - caused panic amongst the hirundines (1000's on the move today; mostly swallows)



Luccombe down

 

juv kes

 

marsh harrier - circled out from the 'bowl'