Sunday 14 September 2014

Buzzed off

The season is changing and having manged to resume normal service and carry out counts the last two weekends it is clear our summer visitors have taken advantage of the clear nights to move away. Last week small family parties of Willow Warbler, Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler were still in evidence with a few singing Chiffchaff. This weekend only the tack from one young Whitethroat and one half hearted Chiffchaff song. Tuesday saw the skies over the Carr full of feeding hirundines probably 150+ yet yesterday counts were nearer 10-20. Numbers however are high for our local species showing a good breeding season with counts of over 100 Goldfinch, 20+ Skylark included a flock of 15, 35 Blue Tit including a flock of 26, 16 Robin, 5 Kestrel, a family group of 4 Buzzard, 10 or more Bullfinch and Meadow Pipit / Reed Bunting in excellent numbers if difficult to quantify due to their distribution. Passage visitors saw 2 Wheatear, 5 Whinchat and 3 Stonechat with 10 Pinkfooted Geese overhead south. An unusual record was Marsh Tit on the bridle track with only a brief glimpse but calling p-tchew frequently just to prove it wasn't a Willow job. Only my second for the Carr.
The garden is busy with the post breeding flock of House Sparrow around 30, more than fifty Starling messing my car from their roost in the conifer tree above, three Robins battling over territory, Tree Sparrow and Coal Tit regularly with visits by a splendid male Bullfinch and Goldcrest. More remarkable is a gathering of 13 Collared Doves in the adjacent gardens this morning. If only a a Turtle Dove would join them but I'd just cry because my equipment is still playing up so it looks like I'll have to splash out. 
Mothing has died off with only Garden Carpet, Common Marbled Carpet and Lesser Yellow Underwing this week but in what appears to be an exceptional year for the species Speckled Wood was added to the garden list.

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