Lade - warm, dry and sunny, SW 3 - A circuit of the local patch this morning delivered a decent enough range of autumn passage migrants on the move. Bulk numbers were provided by several hundred hirundines flitting over south lake, mostly Sand Martins and a few Swallows, while the desert scrub delivered a trickle of Yellow Wagtails and a trio of chats; well, at least ten Stonechats, two Wheatears and a Whinchat! The highlight though was a juvenile Redstart that showed briefly by a patch of gorse along the main track. By the time we reached the sun trap by ponds several Lesser Whitethroats, Willow, Sedge and Reed Warblers were busily snapping up flying insects. A single Cattle Egret on south lake flew off towards the reserve, where all the usual waterfowl were logged including Little and Great Crested Grebes with recently hatched young.
Yesterday, en-route to Bedgebury, two White Storks were noted flying over The Dowells just before the train station on the Appledore Road; presumably birds from the Knepp Estate project.
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