Pallas's Warbler

Pallas's Warbler
Pallas's Warbler, Donna Nook 10th October 2010

Thursday 26 November 2015

         On the fields were 68 Lapwings, 86 Curlews, 2 Mistle Thrushes and a Fieldfare.   The main birds of note on the dunes were 50 Blackbirds, 7 Song Thrushes, 12 Robins, one Woodcock, one Water Rail, one Kingfisher, 4 Kestrels, one Merlin and one Common Buzzard.   80 Sanderlings were on the shore and a Greylag Goose flew south.

Wednesday 25 November 2015

         On the shore between Stonebridge and Pye's Hall were 1,300 Brent Geese, 2 pale-bellied Brent Geese, 130 Shelducks, 80 Mallard, 540 Dunlin, 40 Sanderlings, 160 Redshanks, 5 Knot, 12 Turnstones and 30 Curlews.

         On the realignment area were 170 Teal, one Wigeon, 3 Goldeneye, 2 Mute Swans, 320 Lapwings, 420 Golden Plovers, 30 Redshanks, 30 Dunlin, one Ringed Plover, 4 Little Grebes, one Grey Heron, 7 Little Egrets, one Sparrowhawk, 3 Kestrels and 2 Merlins.

         Passerines of note were 30 Blackbirds, one Redwing, 50 Linnets, 120 Goldfinches, 80 Twite, 90  Skylarks, 800 Starlings, one Lapland Bunting, 12 Reed Buntings, 2 Corn Buntings, 2 Pied Wagtails, 12 Meadow Pipits, 11 Rock Pipits and one Water Pipit.

Monday 23 November 2015

         A male Hen Harrier flew south along the sea-bank and other raptors at the south end were 2 Merlins, one Peregrine, 3 Kestrels and one Sparrowhawk.   Birds on the fields included 450 Golden Plovers, 130 Lapwings, 40 Curlews, 11 Brent Geese, 5 Mute Swans and 3 Whooper Swans.   On the flashes were 6 Little Grebes, 3 Little Egrets, one Grey Heron, 16 Teal, 2 Mallard and 10 Redshanks.   Blackbirds had increased to 120 on the dunes where other birds of note were 5 Song Thrushes, 3 Redwings, one Fieldfare, 10 Robins, 25 Chaffinches, one Corn Bunting, 24 Long-tailed Tits and 2 Woodcocks.

Sunday 22 November 2015


                 Great Grey Shrike.    The closest I could manage for a record shot just after dawn.


         A Great Grey Shrike was a welcome find at the scrapyards at the end of Ark Road.   It was present around 0800, but could not be located after 0825.    Birds on the fields included 50 Lapwings, 800 Golden Plovers, 7 Mute Swans, one Little Egret and one Common Buzzard.   On the dykes and flashes were 17 Redshanks, one Common Snipe, 8 Mallard, 23 Teal, 3 Whooper Swans and 2 Little Grebes.   A brief look at the dunes produced 30 Blackbirds, one Redwing and one Woodcock.

         Sea passage was all to the north between 0850 and 1000, hence 47 Shelducks, 11 Mallard, 34 Teal, 24 Wigeon, 12 Common Scoters, 3 Goldeneye, 4 Goosanders, 4 Brent Geese, 4 Cormorants, one Shag, 2 Kittiwakes, one Little Auk and 2 Guillemots.    150 Starlings and 8 Skylarks came in from the sea.    Waders onshore were 430 Dunlin, 30 Sanderling, 10 Oystercatchers, 50 Bar-tailed Godwits and 2 Grey Plovers, while gulls included 150 Great Black-backs, 300 Herrings and 800 Common Gulls.

Sunday 15 November 2015

         The WeBS count between Stonebridge and Pye's Hall produced the following results.   Waders were 310 Redshanks, 120 Knot, 1,950 Dunlin, 26 Sanderlings, 157 Lapwings, 640 Golden Plovers, 92 Grey Plovers, 1,120 Oystercatchers and 51 Curlews.   Wildfowl were 1,300 Brent Geese, one pale-bellied Brent Goose, 6 Whooper Swans, 194 Shelducks, the Ruddy Shelduck hybrid, 125 Mallard, 150 Wigeon and 90 Teal.   Also of note were 80 Skylarks, 20 Twite, 70 Linnets, 120 Goldfinches, 6 Rock Pipits, one Peregrine and 2 Common Buzzards.
         There was a Water Pipit on the realignment area.

Saturday 14 November 2015


                                                                      Short-eared Owl.


         Birds on the fields at the south end included 314 Pink-footed Geese, 75 Lapwings, 670 Golden Plovers and 32 Curlews.   Another 24 Pinkfeet and 6 Whooper Swans passed to the south.   On the flashes were 3 more Whooper Swans, 36 Mallard, 60 Teal, 20 Redshanks, 3 Little Egrets, one Grey Heron, 6 Little Grebes and 5 Moorhens.   One Red-throated Diver flew north at sea and on the shore were 420 Dunlin, 81 Oystercatchers, 25 Curlews, 100 Knot, 20 Grey Plovers, 150 Carrion Crows and 220 Brent Geese.   On the marshes were 2 Kestrels, one Sparrowhawk, one Rock Pipit, one Common Snipe and one Short-eared Owl.

Thursday 12 November 2015

 

                                                                    Pink-footed Geese  


                                                                               Kestrel


                                                                      Golden Plovers


                                                                        Whooper Swans



          On the shore between Stonebridge and Pye's Hall were 1,300 Brent Geese, 200 Redshanks, 200 Oystercatchers, 500 Dunlin, 30 Curlews and 30 Grey Plovers.   On the realignment area were 130 Shelducks, the Ruddy Shelduck hybrid, 115 Teal, a further 75 Redshanks, one Greenshank, one Common Snipe, 2,400 Golden Plovers, 135 Lapwings, 62 Dunlin, 12 Curlews, 10 Little Egrets, 3 Grey Herons and 11 Little Grebes.   210  Pink-footed Geese in four skeins headed south and 37 Whooper Swans arrived from the north and alighted in the NW corner.
          Raptors were 3 Common Buzzards, 5 Kestrels and a Sparrowhawk and other birds of note were the Water Pipit again, 16 Rock Pipits, 90 Skylarks, 3 Twite, 55 Linnets, 45 Goldfinches, 5 Siskins, one Stonechat and 13 Grey Partridges.
         A Chiffchaff and 2 Blackcaps were trapped and ringed at the south end.

Wednesday 11 November 2015


 


             Two more photographs of the Pallid Harrier on 28th October from B. and D. Bishell.


         11th:- 180 Pink-footed Geese flew south in 2 skeins at the south end and a further 240 were on the fields with 4 Canada Geese, 620 Lapwings, 550 Golden Plovers and 9 Curlews.   The dunes were quiet in the blustery conditions with 25 Blackbirds, one Redwing, 4 Robins, 12 Long-tailed Tits, 5 Grey Partridges, a male Hen Harrier, one Sparrowhawk and one Merlin.   32 Twite and 2 Rock Pipits were on the beach.

Monday 9 November 2015

         Stonebridge to Pye's Hall and around the realignment area was a windswept experience to say the least.   Wildfowl were 1,000 Brent Geese, 4 Pink-footed Geese, 2 Mute Swans, 130 Shelducks, 140 Mallard, 255 Teal, one Pintail and 15 Wigeon while waders were 210 Redshanks, 37 Curlews, 470 Dunlin, 23 Sanderlings, 600 Knot, 72 Grey Plovers, 36 Golden Plovers and 93 Lapwings.

         A Peregrine was seen with Golden Plover prey on the new sea-bank and other raptors were a juvenile Hen Harrier, a Kestrel and 2 Common Buzzards.   The first Water Pipit of the autumn was with ca. 15 Rock Pipits on the SW corner of the realignment area and other birds of note were 20 Twite, 80 Goldfinches, one Fieldfare, 10 Little Egrets and 7 Little Grebes.

Sunday 8 November 2015


                      The juvenile Pallid Harrier by Stonebridge car-park on 28th October.
                                    Photograph kindly supplied by B. and D. Bishell.


         Today (8th) was extremely quiet at the south end.   39 Pink-footed Geese headed north and 84 flew south.   220 Lapwings and 52 Golden Plovers were on the fields, while on the dunes were 30 Blackbirds, 3 Redwings, 11 Robins, 2 Sparrowhawks and a Short-eared Owl.

Thursday 5 November 2015

         Birds on the fields at the south end included 650 Golden Plovers, 23 Curlews, 2 Little Egrets, 77 Pink-footed Geese and a Common Buzzard.   On the flashes were 11 Mallard, 6 Teal, 4 Redshanks and a Kingfisher, and a Hen Harrier was hunting nearby.

         83 Fieldfares came in from the sea and continued SW inland and 13 Siskins, 20 Chaffinches and 2 Common Snipe flew south over the dunes where other migrants were 40 Blackbirds, 2 Song Thrushes, 15 Redwings, 12 Robins, one Stonechat, 5 Goldcrests, 2 Bramblings, 6 Lesser Redpolls and 2 Sparrowhawks.

Monday 2 November 2015

         15 Whooper Swans flew south, plus 4 skeins of  Pink-footed Geese, although only one skein of 30 could be seen in the densely foggy conditions which persisted all day.   Migrants on the dunes included 50 Blackbirds, 10 Redwings, 2 Fieldfares, 15 Robins, 10 Goldcrests, one Yellow-browed Warbler, 12 Siskins, 3 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Sparrowhawks and one Short-eared Owl.

Sunday 1 November 2015

         440 Pink-footed Geese in three skeins flew south.   Migrants on the dunes included 50 Blackbirds, 6 Fieldfares, 3 Bramblings, 10 Robins, one Long-eared Owl and one Sparrowhawk.   Also of note were 2 Marsh Harriers, 2 Kingfishers, one Corn Bunting, 6 Little Egrets and 2 Grey Herons.   On the shore were 450 Oystercatchers, 500 Knot, 260 Dunlin, 75 Sanderlings and 61 Curlews.