More Chiffchaffs & Brents

Lade - 0630hrs - Cool, clear, ne3 - A chilly old wind from the north, which eventually went east by evening, but bright sunshine for most of the day. Predictably there was little of note in the moth trap this morning, apart from the seasons first Autumnal Rustic; it wont be long now before the trap is packed away until spring.

                                          Autumnal Rustic

The overnight showers delivered plenty more Chiffchaffs to the willows at Lade pits, they seemed to be everywhere with at least 100 birds, but very difficult to assess numbers with any degree of acuracy. Also noted several Blackcaps and Lesser Whitethroats, 2 Spotted Flycatchers and a Common Redstart. The Green Sandpiper was still present on the muddy islands. Very little overhead passage apart from a few Yellow Wagtails, Mipits and 2 Bramblings, the first of the autumn. Goldfinches too were much in evidence with birds in the garden and calling overhead. On the storm beaches Wheatear, Reed Bunting and a few grounded Mipits.
RSPB - 1100hrs - ARC was quiet with just a large flock of 200 Golden Plovers and Lapwings, Snipe and Blackwit; just missed the Pectoral Sandpiper. The bushes around the car park and willow trail were alive with Chiffchaffs, tits and Chaffinches, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Reed Bunting.
The Great White Egret was reported from Dengemarsh and a scattering of common migrants included Brambling, Spotted Flycatcher and Common Redstart at the Tower pines (NB).
Dungeness - 1600hrs - At the Patch 3 Little Gulls, 2 Black Terns, 2 Med Gulls, Common and Arctic Terns. Offshore 3 Brent Geese moved down Channel, (my first of the autumn) and an Arctic Skua was getting stuck into the Sandwich Terns.