September 30th (RECULVER)

Snow Bunting

I spent the day in the company of Bob Bland,Jeff Wynn,Trevor Graves and Trevor Maynard.

We first made for Reculver to hopefully see a Firecrest and a Snow Bunting.Both of which had been seen there yesterday,Although we quickly found the Snow Bunting,which gave excellent close views,we failed to locate the Firecrest.
Our last stop was Margate cemetery to look for a Yellow-browed Warbler.Seeing how large the place is and our hearing is not like it was.It was no surprise when like the Firecrest at Reculver,we came away without seeing it.We all agreed though on one thing,the Snow Bunting made our day.

September 27th (Sandwich Bay)

 Probable (hybrid) House Martin  X  Sand Martin.The wing length was at the lower end for House Martin and the bill looked noticeably small.(I have heard of Swallow X House Martin before but not House Martin X Sand Martin. ( indeed a Swallow X House Martin was trapped at Dungeness also on the 27th).

(0630-1600)  A clear night,followed by a mainly lightly overcast day,light SE.
Unlike last weekend,when we couldn`t put up enough nets due to the wind.This weekend we had to furl nets because we were catching to many birds (mainly House Martins).

 Birds of note - A Wryneck was heard flying over the Obs just before dawn and in the White House later in the morning,a Merlin was seen flying through,

Birds ringed.

House Martin  (398) + (1) control.

Sand Martin  (2)

Swallow  (12)

Chiffchaff  (93)

Blackcap  (33)

Meadow Pipit  (46)

Great Tit  (2)

Robin  (2)

Chaffinch  (1)

House Sparrow  (1)

Goldcrest  (1)

House Martin (Leucistic bird)

September 26th (New Hythe)

(0630-1000) light overcast,light SW.

I was ringing again this morning in the west scrub.

Birds I saw included - 2 Green Woodpeckers and 1 Hobby in the area of the east scrub and a mixed flock of  at least 30 Rooks and 80 Jackdaws which came over just after dawn and made in the directions  of Leybourne.

Birds ringed.

Blackbird  (2)

Song Thrush  (1)

Chaffinch  (1)

Wren (1) + (1) retrap

Blue Tit  (1) + (1) retrap

Chiffchaff  (8)

Blackcap  (14)

Great Tit  (2)

September 23rd (New Hythe)

Ciffchaff

(0630-1030) There was a nip in the air first thing,light overcast,calm.

West scrub (2) 40ft used.Another good catch of Blackcaps.This now takes the total this autumn to (134) + (1) control and chiffchaffs to (54).

Birds ringed.

Blackcap  26

Chiffchaff  18

Great Tit  1

September 21st (Sandwich Bay)

Goldcrest (female)

(0630 - 1330) moderate N E to start,which quickly went round to a moderate N.

After a week or so of light easterlies.This morning was all change,with a rather strong northerly. Which instead of becoming lighter as forecast,if anything,became stronger.

Far fewer nets could be put up this morning,due to the wind.This proved to be very frustrating as all morning good numbers of Meadow Pipits were passing through.Other birds seen passing over included one flock of 17 Jays along with a few Skylarks,Song Thrushes,Grey Wagtails and a Raven

A covey of 6 or more Grey Partridge was seen in the White House area.While over the sea a few Brents  passed.

Birds ringed.

Blackcap  7

Lesser Whitethroat  1

Goldcrest  1

Robin  1

Blackbird  2,one of which was a Continental bird.

Chiffchaff  6

Wood Pigeon  1

Blue Tit  1

Before I left the Bay,I looked at Restharrow Scrape.Where I saw a nice selection of birds.

Garganey (1),Med Gull (1) Snipe (2) Ruff (1) Dunlin (1) Pintail (1) Wigeon (1).

Garganey

Pintail and Wigeon

Med Gull (immature)

PAST TIMES (LEYSDOWN COASTAL PARK)

September 24th 1998 (0600 - 1000) light mist to start,later clear,light SE.

Birds seen - Wheatear 2 on the plough,Whinchat 1,Hobby 1 flew S,Starling 100,Linnet 60.

Birds ringed.

Blackbird  2

Reed Warbler  1

Blackcap  2

Common Whitethroat  1

Meadow Pipit  1

Wood Pigeon  1

Common Redstart  1

Blue Tit  1

Firecrest  1

Pied Flycatcher  1

Robin  5


September 28th 1998  (0700 - 0930)  overcast,light NE.

Birds seen - Collared Dove 15,Meadow Pipit 60,Linnet 60,Blackcap 1,Goldfinch 1,Skylark 4,

Bird ringed.

Chiffchaff  1

Song Thrush  1

Blackbird  1

Blue Tit  6

Yellow-browed Warbler  1

September 11th (New Hythe)

(0630 - 0930)  Flat overcast,calm (west scrub)

No Chiffchaffs caught today,but I did see one going around with a mixed Tit flock in the east scrub.

Birds ringed

Dunnock  1

Great Tit  2

Blackcap  27 + one control  (D239186)

September 7th (New Hythe)

Lesser Whitethroat

(0630 - 11000) slight mist to start,then a light overcast,calm.(west scrub).

Another good catch of Blackcaps this morning.Their weight ranged from 16.5grms to 20.2grms,showing that they still need to put on more weight (fuel),before they make the flight south to their wintering grounds,

Birds ringed.

Blue Tit  3

Reed Warbler  2

Robin  1

Lesser Whitethroat  2

Long-tailed Tit  8

Chiffchaff  7

Blackcap  32

A nice surprise this morning was the capture of two Lesser Whitethroats.These are my first for the year.I was only saying a short while ago,how I thought that this year they have been rather thin on the ground.One was a typical plumaged bird of the year and the other a presumed adult.However the bird showing adult like plumage (adults have a complete post breeding moult,so at this time of the year the plumage should be very fresh).showed signs of wear on the wings and tail feathers (perhaps it moulted earlier than is usual).


The other day I found one of my ringed Goldfinches dead.It was a road kill and was only about one hundred metres from my house.

Y221851  found dead (fresh)  29 08 2014 Snodland.

ringed in my garden at Snodland  23 09 2011.

September 5th (New Hythe)

Common Whitethroat

(0630  - 1030) flat overcast,almost calm.

Another nice morning for ringing (west scrub) good catch of Blackcaps again (two 40ft nets used).

Nothing unusual seen,apart from the Wilwa.

Birds ringed

Great Tit  3

Blue Tit  2

Common Whitethroat  1

Willow Warbler  1

Chiffchaff   8

Blackcap  25

Blackcap (a late brood male bird,with the black just coming through)

A rather unusual September catch this morning was the Willow Warbler below.

Willow Warbler

Chiffchaff

September 2nd (New Hythe)

Gasrden Warbler (3) young bird

(0600 - 1000)  Ideal ringing conditions this morning,overcast and calm.

( west scrub)

Good mixed catch (Just two 40ft nets used).

Birds ringed.

Blue Tit  2

Great Tit 4

Long-tailed Tit  7

Blackcap  15 (good number)

Garden Warbler  1

Chiffchaff  8

Reed Warbler  1

Robin  1

Wren  1

Dunnock  2

Blackcap (3) young male

Blackcap (3) young female

Long-tailed Tit (2) age not known,both the adults and young have a complete moult (July/august)

Chiffchaff (3) young bird