31-10-2014, 09:15 AM
1
Invasion
Yesterday found me at the coast to do a count of the birds for my Birdtrack Patch. I was not expecting much from the day as it was a warm Southerly wind, i was wrong.Walking over to the lighthouse for a seawatch in the birdhide i was told of 2 Black Redstart that had been seen feeding on the beach and tide wrack, luckily i saw both.
Poor photo of a Black Redstart.
A good start which just got better as a mass invasion of thrushes was ongoing. Fieldfare, Redwing, Blackbirds and Song Thrushes were coming in off the sea in groups all day. Thousands have been recorded all along the East coast, Viz Mig or visible migration is still something i find thrilling, how many never make it across the North Sea.
Fieldfare.
Blackbird.
Also 2 owls seen, one identified as a Short eared owl, the other stayed out over the sea wandering North and South but remained a silohette so could not be identified possibly a Long-eared owl, found it strange it would not come to shore.
Lots of wildfowl moving at sea Wigeon, Teal, Goldeneye, Common scoter, Brent geese, Red-breasted merganser, + Red-throated divers, Gannets, Puffins, Guillemots passed with regularity.
Red Throated diver.
Goldeneye.
Brent Goose.
Gulls were also aplenty, lingering Little gulls, and 2 Mediterranean gulls standing out from the resident species.
Med gull, all white wings.
Little gull, dark underwings.
Finally finished the day off searching the clifftops and bushes finding another Black redstart and Blackcap as well as a few Stonechats along with loads of the thrushes still piling in to the wetland bushes exhausted by their long flight.
Female Stonechat.
Great day out 63 species noted, and good company and banter with fellow birders.
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