Flycatchers, chats and moths

Lade - 0600hrs - mild, cloudy, light airs - Last night was near perfect mothing conditions and at last a decent catch in the garden MV with Green Silver-lines and a migrant Vestal new for the year, plus Pale Grass Eggar and Chinese Character the pick of the bunch from 35 species of moths.
A Spotted Flycatcher squeaking away in the garden firs was virtually the first bird of the day and a good omen for things to come.

                                Chinese Character, Lade

                                Green Silver-lines, Lade

                                      Pale Grass Eggar, Lade

                                Vestal, Lade

At the bottom of Taylor Road a Pied Flycatcher and Common Redstart were performing in the cattery garden firs alongside several Willow Warblers and Common Whitethroats. Crossing the storm beaches and onto the Desert we clocked up a total of nine Wheatears and five each of Stonechat and Whinchat. A Grey Wagtail went over calling and was the first of the autumn here, plus a trickle of Yellow Wagtails and a Greenshank. More Common Whitethroats and a couple of Lesser Whitethroats were in the scrub beside south lake.
Around the willow swamp three more Spotted Flycatchers were noted, plus Chiffchaff, Reed and Sedge Warblers, while hundreds of hirundines were over the `mirrors. Two Sparrowhawks, Buzzard and Marsh Harrier rounded off a pretty decent session.

                                Wheatears and Stonechat, Lade

ARC - Much the same stuff on the lake as yesterday including Glossy Ibis and Spotted Redshank amongst legions of common wildfowl and Lapwings. From the Willow Trail two Spotted Flycatchers and several Chiffchaffs, plus two more Spot Flits and a Lesser Whitethroat in the car park scrub.

                                Spotted Flycatcher, Greatstone

Dunes Road - An early afternoon visit to the small wood at Greatstone paid dividends with two Pied and five Spotted Flycatchers, plus a large mixed flock of tits, including 20 Lottis, Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and two Garden Warblers. The track beside the fields yielded five Wheatears, two Whinchats, four Corn Buntings and 30 Linnets.
Littlestone - A late afternoon walk along the  foreshore for waders noted a scattering of Barwits, Turnstones and Ringed Plovers amongst the Oystercatchers and Curlews. On the golf course  Wheatear and Whinchat, plus yet another Spotted Flycatcher in the garden of the Romney Bay hotel.
In summary one of the best days I can remember down here for chats and flycatchers.