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| Wheatear with badly damaged leg |
A day which started off slowly certainly ended as quite the opposite. Top birds of the day included a Yellow-browed Warbler in the crematorium at 10:30am, and a Honey Buzzard which headed north over the cemetery at 12:45pm. In fact between 12:30 - 12:45pm was quite remarkable in itself not only with the above raptor but also a total of 26 Common Buzzards that followed eastwards between this time, with the best count being 19 birds at 12:40pm. It was a good day for raptors with a Marsh Harrier west, 1 large female Peregrine, 4 Sparrowhawks and 2 Kestrels. There was also a movement of 153 Redwings with most birds heading west, also 3 Bramblings, 3 Lesser Redpolls, 3 Siskins, 1 Fieldfare, 120 Golden Plovers west, 1 Grey Wagtail east, 15 Jays, 38 Goldfinches and 25 Linnets. The dodgy Wheatear was still in the paddocks some how still managing to hobble on one leg and there was also 13 Skylarks and 20 Meadow Pipits over. Other bits included 10 Goldcrests, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 3 Blackcaps, 3 Chiffchaffs, 10 Long-tailed Tits, 4 Green Woodpeckers, 5 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 2 Pied Wagtails, 6 Ring-necked Parakeets, 40 Crows, 250 Starlings and another good day of 49 species.
Tuesday 9th October
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| Redwing |
I was busy doing a bit of work today so I missed the early rush hour, I eventually arrived just after midday and stayed to around 3pm and it was pretty obvious that there had been a fresh arrival of birds. On entering the cemo there was a few thrushes on the move including an overall total of 102 Redwings, 15 Song Thrushes and 20 Blackbirds, I managed to flush out 2 Ring Ouzels in sycamore trees by the crematorium before heading west, followed by 2 Bramblings and 3 Firecrests present with 7 Goldcrests. A stroll into the paddocks produced 1 Wheatear (with the nasty broken leg), 2 Grey Wagtails and a Common Buzzard which eventually headed west. Other bits included 6 Chiffchaffs, 4 Blackcaps, 1 Siskin west, 7 Chaffinches, 7 Meadow Pipits, 13 Goldfinches, 4 Sparrowhawks, 4 Pied Wagtails, 7 Skylarks, 10 Long-tailed Tits, 300 Starlings, 3 Green Woodpeckers and 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers.
Monday 8th October
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| Migrant Hawker |
Well today started off ok until there was a waterlogged pitch just before midday, even I got a good soaking as I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Not surprisingly most of the birds were seen just prior to this with a few bits on the move, in total I recorded 46 species in 3 hours and included the first autumn Ring Ouzel which headed west, 1 Crossbill west, 3 Sand Martins east, 1 Brambling west, 1 female Peregrine east, 1 Grey Wagtail, 9 Chiffchaffs, 5 Blackcaps, 6 Siskins, 13 Goldcrests, 4 Kestrels, 2 Sparrowhawks, 1 Common Buzzard west, 10 Skylarks, 13 Meadow Pipits, 8 Pied Wagtails, 88 Goldfinches, 72 Chaffinches, 20 Linnets, 10 Grey Partridges, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 10 Ring-necked Parakeets, 2 Jackdaws, 300 Starlings, 15 Golden Plovers north, 10 Jays and a patch scarcity of 2 Great Black-backed Gulls.
Sunday 7th October
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| Dunnock |
I couldn't get out till just after midday which certainly wasn't not the best time to start, even then I only had an hour to spare to it was a very quick belt round. First of all I went into the cemo to see if I could relocate Friday's Yellow-browed Warbler but the place was heaving with both people and cars so I gave up pretty quickly, I then concentrated around the allotments and paddocks which between them produced a few bits moving overhead and included 40 Chaffinches north, 72 Goldfinches north, 20 Linnets west, 16 Siskins west, 1 Brambling west and 1 Redwing north. at 12:20pm, 2 Common Buzzards headed west and a small party of 13 Jays east. Other bits included 7 Chiffchaffs, 3 Goldcrests, 1 Grey Wagtail, 3 Sparrowhawks, 3 Green Woodpeckers, 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers and 90 Starlings.
Friday 5th October
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| Green Woodpecker |
Today felt like October had properly started, sooner or later bashing out this place nearly every day was sure to come up with an autumn scarcity of some sort, every year during the autumn I am more than happy if I record either a R-b Shrike probably a bit late now, Wryneck still a possibilty or YBW well today I managed the latter. As soon as I entered the cemo at 9:10am, it was pretty lively but overall it just felt good. After a few minutes I managed to locate a mobile party of Goldcrests, Chiffchaffs and Long-tailed Tits, and soon after the first decent bird of the autumn when I heard a Yellow-browed Warbler which was mixed in with them, it then took a few minutes to find the bird which I eventually glimpsed about 3 times before it headed off with the latter birds. There was also a few bits on the move including 2,600 Swallows north/west, 65 House Martins and another arrival of 37 Jays also heading in the same direction. In total there was 21 Goldcrests and 34 Chiffchaffs with other warblers including 8 Blackcaps. Others noted were 22 Siskins, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Little Owl, 23 Meadow Pipits, 20 Pied Wagtails, 5 Sparrowhawks, 2 Kestrels, 3 Goldfinches, 10 Long-tailed Tits, 12 Chaffinches, 20 Linnets, 8 Green Woodpeckers, 13 Skylarks, 60 Starlings and 6 Ring-necked Parakeets.
Thursday 4th October
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| Jay |
Today I managed to record 45 species but the morning was extremely quiet, and it wasn't until early afternoon that it really got going. There was no big Jay invasion taking place but I did manage 9 birds all of which were in the cemo. The Little Owl made another appearance after a short absence but was in a totally different area, there was also a Tree Pipit which I flushed from the allotments and 3 Wheatears including the unfortunate bird with the nasty broken leg, seeing this bird hopping along on one leg is quite distressing, but anyway there was a few other bits including 2 Yellow Wagtails, 25 House Martins, 1 Swallow, 3 Lesser Redpolls, 2 Siskins, 28 Chiffchaffs, 5 Blackcaps, 33 Meadow Pipits, 25 Pied Wagtails, 5 Grey Partridges, 12 Linnets, 1 Redwing still mobile around the cemo, 4 Goldcrests, 7 Skylarks, 3 Green Woodpeckers, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Kestrels, 15 Long-tailed Tits and 2 Goldfinches.
Wednesday 3rd October
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| That Special Moment |
Is there another Jay invasion on its way like the one in the 1980's well who knows but its quite exciting at the moment just to see how this is going to progress, but one thing for sure is the fact that something is going on. The patch broke another record today with the above species recording 67 Jays including a party of 32 birds which headed west. Apart from that it took a bit of time to get going but I eventually recorded 40 Chiffchaffs, 2 Blackcaps, 45 Golden Plovers west, 1 Curlew west, 1 Snipe east, 8 Siskins, 25 House Martins, 10 Swallows, 46 Meadow Pipits, 49 Pied Wagtails, 43 Linnets, 23 Goldfinches, 13 Goldcrests, 23 Skylarks, 15 Long-tailed Tits, 4 Chaffinches, 3 Green Woodpeckers, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Sparrowhawks, 35 Starlings and 7 Ring-necked Parakeets.
Tuesday 2nd October
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| Rescue Helicopters at Margate Hospital |
Apart from the birds there was a bit of activity elsewhere today when 2 Rescue Helicopters decided to spend most of the day rescue training out at sea and beyond, and then returning to land at Margate Hospital, I managed to get a few record shots as I watched these land from the allotments. Now down to the birds well I spent a few hours out today and in return it didn't produce as much as I had hoped, there was very little vis mig, and not that much in the way of grounded migrants. Warbler numbers probably hit the headlines with 23 Chiffchaffs and 11 Blackcaps, there was 2 Wheatears in the paddocks including one bird that had unfortunately broken its leg. Other bits were 2 Common Buzzards east, 1 Redwing, 20 Swallows, 41 House Martins, 41 Meadow Pipits, 41 Pied Wagtails, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel, 120 Linnets, 15 Long-tailed Tits, 7 Goldcrests and 4 Green Woodpeckers.
Monday 1st October
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| Meadow Pipit |
November/December can be very good, but with October officially being the last prime birding month of the year I will certainly be out thrashing every little inch that I possibly can. Today's weather wasn't the best, rain doesn't usually bother me providing its not pouring down as you never quite know what's lurking around the corner. Today the only bit of sunshine was for about 10 minutes which I managed to photograph a Meadow Pipit having a bath, apart from that the camera pretty much stayed in the bag. Bird wise well it wasn't to bad with a very good count of 50 Chiffchaffs spread around the patch, also 1 Lesser Whitethtroat (the first for some time) and 13 Blackcaps. Life was a little difficult dodging the showers but there was a few other bits including 30 Swallows, just 1 House Martin, 1 Lesser Redpoll, 7 Goldcrests, 130 Meadow Pipits, 150 Linnets, 4 Redwings west, 10 Long-tailed Tits, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Green Woodpeckers, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 60 Goldfinches, 30 Pied Wagtails, 5 Jays, 5 Chaffinches and 2 Jackdaws.
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