The month of June was memorable: finding a very vocal Greenish Warbler near Corner Cottage, Luccombe down, on 3rd, which many local birders got to see and hear too; and Steve J finding a Marsh Warbler along the Ventnor coast later the same day. The next morning (June 4th) I heard a Golden Oriole near Luccombe Farm. Capped off by finding a singing Blyth's Reed warbler on June 26th, hanging about the scrub on Nansen Hill (also part of the Ventnor Downs complex); it stayed for most of the day.
Autumn: good Tree Pipit counts over the downs (Aug/Sept). SCP sea watch included sooty and Balearics. A Honey Buzzard over Ventnor Downs on Sept 4th, seen with Neil, was the only one I saw departing the coast line, which was odd given the numbers I've had in times recent - but several singles were recorded by other birders during that period.
It was an autumn for Hawfinches with my first one on September 25th that landed before moving off (Nansen Hill). It would be the 1st of many and part of an influx: four on Oct 23rd (Luccombe Copse) and three over Bonchurch Down on Nov 1st being notable; but overall and collectively over the period were nigh on 20 birds in the Ventnor area alone. A probable Corn Bunting went over Nansen calling on Oct 17th.
A Richard's Pipit at SCP found by George H on Oct 15th was still there on 16th: seen in flight and heard. However, the autumn's real highlight was the Hume's Warbler at Ventnor on Oct 26th found by Steve J, along Bath Road - and many of us locals (10+) got to experience it too; and later it was joined by a vocal Siberian Chiffchaff - nice! My last Hawfinch experience (heard-only calls) came on November 6th, again near Luccombe Copse. However, four lingering birds were eventually found by others, in and around Shalfleet Church (early December), the same place where I found one back in 2018.......Here's to 2025!
Sandown Bay - December
Ventnor Bay - New Year's Eve
