Hello
We arrived back on the mainland this afternoon, enjoying a sunny and calm cruise on the Scillonian III ferry. Sea-birds were minimal with plenty of Gannets and smaller numbers of Razorbills and Kittiwakes and a single Bonxie. Other creatures included some very impressive Tuna fish leaping clear of the water, these super predatory fish easily the size of a dolphin. Cetaceans included rather distant Harbour Porpoises and Common Dolphins and then a small pod of Bottle-nosed Dolphins as we rounded in to Penzance itself.
During the latter part of the week we immersed ourselves in the wonderment of visible migration which is so easily to witness this time of the year with day-time movements of thrushes, wagtails, pipits, Skylarks and others. We spent two days on the under-visited island of St Martin's where other birds included Yellow-browed Warbler, Firecrests, Ring Ouzels, Lesser Redpoll, a couple of Rose-coloured Starlings, Spotted Flycatchers, Woodcock, Snipe, Ravens, Blackcaps, large numbers of Chiffchaffs, Common and Black Redstarts, several Peregrines, all three chats and a Short-eared Owl.
Other birds on St Mary's showing for us during this week included a Little Bunting, a Lapland Bunting, a couple of Merlins, lots of new-in Yellow-browed Warblers the last two days, a Water Pipit or two, a Wryneck and another fall of Black Redstarts.
Kenny, Sarah and Helen were ringing at Linford Lakes in Milton Keynes this morning and processed 143 birds with a distinctly autumn feel associated with the twenty species caught.
Highlights included 11 Redwings, 2 Song Thrushes, 8 Blackcaps, a Chiffchaff, a Meadow Pipit, 3 Treecreepers, 4 Siskins and a Redpoll. Twenty-one Greenfinches were a surprise, this species is struggling with diseases so this was a potential mini upturn which hopefully will gain momentum.
Interestingly one of the Siskins was a bird first ringed at Linford in February this year, I wonder where it has been in the meantime?
Jacob spent some time monitoring visible migration over Pitsford Reservoir on Wednesday and was rewarded with a fly-over Hawfinch for his four hour stint which included 2 Golden Plovers, 232 Skylarks, 7 Swallows, 185 Starlings, 29 Fieldfares, 243 Redwings, 4 Song Thrushes, 2 Tree Sparrows, a Grey Wagtail, 126 Meadow Pipits, 131 Chaffinches, 11 Bramblings and 2 Bullfinches. A subsequent fly-over Short-eared Owl after the vis mig period was another bonus bird!
Also on Wednesday Eric was out and about at Thrapston Pits and found a Yellow-legged Gull, saw 90 plus Golden Plovers fly over in a south westerly direction, located six Chiffchaffs around the reserve and saw three Bramblings too.
I just love this time of the year!
Regards
Neil M
We arrived back on the mainland this afternoon, enjoying a sunny and calm cruise on the Scillonian III ferry. Sea-birds were minimal with plenty of Gannets and smaller numbers of Razorbills and Kittiwakes and a single Bonxie. Other creatures included some very impressive Tuna fish leaping clear of the water, these super predatory fish easily the size of a dolphin. Cetaceans included rather distant Harbour Porpoises and Common Dolphins and then a small pod of Bottle-nosed Dolphins as we rounded in to Penzance itself.
During the latter part of the week we immersed ourselves in the wonderment of visible migration which is so easily to witness this time of the year with day-time movements of thrushes, wagtails, pipits, Skylarks and others. We spent two days on the under-visited island of St Martin's where other birds included Yellow-browed Warbler, Firecrests, Ring Ouzels, Lesser Redpoll, a couple of Rose-coloured Starlings, Spotted Flycatchers, Woodcock, Snipe, Ravens, Blackcaps, large numbers of Chiffchaffs, Common and Black Redstarts, several Peregrines, all three chats and a Short-eared Owl.
Other birds on St Mary's showing for us during this week included a Little Bunting, a Lapland Bunting, a couple of Merlins, lots of new-in Yellow-browed Warblers the last two days, a Water Pipit or two, a Wryneck and another fall of Black Redstarts.
Kenny, Sarah and Helen were ringing at Linford Lakes in Milton Keynes this morning and processed 143 birds with a distinctly autumn feel associated with the twenty species caught.
Highlights included 11 Redwings, 2 Song Thrushes, 8 Blackcaps, a Chiffchaff, a Meadow Pipit, 3 Treecreepers, 4 Siskins and a Redpoll. Twenty-one Greenfinches were a surprise, this species is struggling with diseases so this was a potential mini upturn which hopefully will gain momentum.
Interestingly one of the Siskins was a bird first ringed at Linford in February this year, I wonder where it has been in the meantime?
Jacob spent some time monitoring visible migration over Pitsford Reservoir on Wednesday and was rewarded with a fly-over Hawfinch for his four hour stint which included 2 Golden Plovers, 232 Skylarks, 7 Swallows, 185 Starlings, 29 Fieldfares, 243 Redwings, 4 Song Thrushes, 2 Tree Sparrows, a Grey Wagtail, 126 Meadow Pipits, 131 Chaffinches, 11 Bramblings and 2 Bullfinches. A subsequent fly-over Short-eared Owl after the vis mig period was another bonus bird!
Also on Wednesday Eric was out and about at Thrapston Pits and found a Yellow-legged Gull, saw 90 plus Golden Plovers fly over in a south westerly direction, located six Chiffchaffs around the reserve and saw three Bramblings too.
I just love this time of the year!
Regards
Neil M
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| Lesser Redpoll courtesy of Kenny Cramer. |
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| Siskin courtesy of Kenny Cramer. |
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| Greenland Wheatear. |
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| Adult Mediterranean Gull. |
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| Common Snipe, often a garden bird on the Scillies (this one was photographed under a garden hedge). |
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| They're back! The skies are again full of the 'super migrant' Redwing! |
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| And there are Ring Ouzels moving among the winter thrushes... |
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| Rose-coloured Starling. |
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| Spotted Flycatcher...the warm conditions ensure there are plenty of insects but the last of the flycatchers need to be moving south now... |
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| Raven. |
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| A female Stonechat on her breezy perch! |
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| Little Bunting. |
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