Monday 8 August 2016

Passage warblers

Lade - warm, dry, sunny, nw 2 - Another stunning morning with a cool north-westerly airflow tempering the warm sunshine. We continued on from yesterday with our final breeding bird survey of the season across the local patch, noting late broods of Tufted Ducks and grebes, of which there were many I`m pleased to report, while juveniles of Marsh Harrier and Kestrel that bred near the airport hunted over the site. Mockmill was alive with Sedge Warblers and Common Whitethroats, Linnets and Reed Buntings, all busily feeding amongst the tangle of juncus, bramble and blackthorn.
  Wildfowl numbers continue to build on south lake with Gadwall and Pochard now well over 100 a piece, along with the first groups of Teal and Shovelers, plus Common and Green Sandpipers on north lake. Yesterdays 400 Sand Martins in the drizzle were reduced to less than 100 today. Around the willow swamp there was plenty of Sedge, Reed and Willow Warbler activity, many of which were probably passage birds.

                               Juvenile Sedge Warbler with insect prey

  A brief scan of the skies from the aerial ramp revealed two Common Buzzards, a Sparrowhawk, several high Swifts, plus five Yellow Wagtails, two Pied Wagtails and Mipit over south.

No comments:

Post a Comment