Scillies here i come

This will be the last posting for a while as i will be on the Isles of Scilly till Monday 18th. Although the weather doesn't look inspiring at the moment, it has already been a better year than last year in terms of scarcities i.e Black-headed and Rustic Bunting, Am. Golden Plover, Spotted Sand and whatever else has been down there. So i am still optimistic and really excited.

The next posting will be Tuesday 19th.

Hope Gap, Seaford Head 8/10/10

Highlights this morning were singles of Redstart, Whinchat and Brambling, 27 Song Thrush, 21 Chiffchaffs, 6 Blackcaps and 10 Goldcrests. A Hobby was seen as we were leaving the site.

Redstart on Seaford Head - due to the easterly winds overnight, the chances of this bird being a continental migrant are high.

Buff-breasted Sand - Arlington 4/10/10

Hope Gap, Seaford Head 4/10/10

A decent arrival of birds this morning following the overnight rain and light winds. The main highlight were 3 Ring Ouzels in Hope Gap.

Others bits included 78 Blackcaps, 40 Chiffchaffs, singles of Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Whinchat and Reed Bunting, 2 Wheatears, 2 Tree Pipits, 9 Song Thrush and another high-flying group of 14 Blue Tits.

Whinchat and Ring Ouzels in Hope Gap.

Splash Point, Harry's Bush and Abberton Reservoir 3/10/10

A seawatch at Splash Point this morning produced a 3rd calender year Pomarine Skua, 1 Arctic Skua and 2 Great Skuas. Also 4 Little Gulls, Red-throated Diver and good numbers of Commic Terns and Gannets moving east.

Little Gulls flying east past Splash Point.

A walk to the only sheltered area on Seaford Head (Harry's Bush) produced a very late Spotted Flycatcher and a Chiffchaff.

Whilst lazing around at home, news of a Semipalmated Sandpiper in Essex soon got me into action, so i got up there in 2.5 hours and had good but brief views of this hard to get yank wader. Also present were 2 Curlew Sandpipers, 2 Spotted Redshanks and 2 Little Stints.

Hope Gap, Seaford Head & Arlington Reservoir 2/10/10

A nice walk around the patch this morning though migrants were on short supply. Alot of overhead migration with totals of 122 Siskins, 4 Tree Pipits, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 17 Pied Wagtails and singles of Brambling and Swift.
Grounded migrants consisted of 41 Chiffchaffs, 36 Blackcaps, 3 Wheatears and a Whinchat.

Raven and Swift in Hope Gap.

Highlight by the wood was a Peregrine successfully catching a Woodpigeon and starting feeding in the field.

Went to Arlington Reservoir afterwards and got great views of the Buff-breasted Sandpiper. Also an Avocet, Ringed Plover and 2 Dunlin were present.

Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Avocet at Arlington Reservoir.

White Stork - Wareham, Dorset 1/10/10