Friday, 16 November 2018

Hirundine?

St.Caths: As the exceptionally mild autumn continues with what could influence a protracted period of migration, I tried a vis mig session from the ridge yesterday; and as soon as I stepped out of the car a flock of 100 woodpigeons were heading east - along with a noticeable movement of chaffinches and goldfinch; so my hopes were immediately high-ish. However, not long after setting up at my V.P on the ridge it soon became apparent that it wasn't quite going to be that productive - felt more like end times..
The woodpigeons seemed to be blogging and not really moving in any direction: a poor autumn for them, at least on the island.
At least one brambling heard, but again, given the good numbers (flocks even) seen moving over other mig sites on the mainland recently, it's been surprising not to have picked them up here too in slightly bigger numbers.
A black redstart and common scoter were present. Goldcrest numbers had increased in the area too.

The most interesting bird though, not to mention frustrating, was what appeared to be a hirundine over the sea moving west: but I was limited to extremely distant scope views and in poor light.

In the end, as I watched it get ever more distant and trickier to ID, I settled for it being a late-ish swallow, which isn't impossible - but I wasn't wholly convinced.
But given the pallid swift influx of late it's had me wondering..

 
woodpigeons

 
Lone common scoter near Watershoot Bay 


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