Home Weekend

Managed to get to Church Norton on Saturday morning and briefly Sunday evening, highlight was my first Firecrest of the autumn, but otherwise spent most of the weekend at home. There seemed to be a few bits and bobs about on the Peninsula reported, the highlight being a much anticipated Wryneck by the Horse Field (the usual spot for them round here). 

'Supervising the boys' while they play in the garden is now a proxy for vis-migging and I had a pretty good session this  morning with a steady stream of migrants flying into the gentle westerly headwind. An Osprey right over the garden was the highlight, with about 8 Common Buzzard, 2 Sparrowhawk and 1 juv Hobby seemingly moving through too. From dawn there was a steady passage of 'alba' wagtails with 67 logged (presumably departing a staging post roost) and 15 Yellow Wagtails, 5 Tree Pipits and 11 Meadow Pipits went over too with a steady stream of hirundines (about 30 or so an hour, Swallows, Sand and House Martins). A Snipe also went through (heading east) and it was accompanied by another small wader which I didn't manage to id, it actually looked like a stint. 

The moth trap was pretty lively last night as the night temperatures pick up. There is a blocking high pressure forecast for this coming week with improving night temperatures and a north easterly airflow so it will be interesting what effect that has on the moths and birds after a cold week. Highlights in the trap last night included 3 Clancy's Rustic, 5 L-album Wainscot, 1 Delicate and the autumn's first Sallow and Lunar Underwing. A Large Wainscot on Thursday night was a new for garden in a very small catch of moths as temperatures plunged to near the frost point. 

Got a bit more done on the garden with the herb garden set up. 

Osprey (above and below)- a nice garden tick. The dark (unbarred) secondaries and the thick dark subterminal tail band suggests this is an adult bird and the markings on the white forewing suggests an adult female. Seems to be some moult in the wing with a growing p8 which supports an older bird too. Looks like the same bird that was over the harbour earlier in the day, presumably flying from Pagham to Chichester Harbour Photo here- similar growing p8, three rows of spots on underwing coverts, two spots on tips of primary covets etc. 

Buzzard going over

Juvenile Sparrowhawk- looked like the Buzzards and Sparrowhawks were migrating over

A nice fresh juvenile Whimbrel at Norton

Clancy's Rustic- a NFG, three of these last night amongst a nice little selection of migrants. Garden moth list now on 364. 

Large Wainscot

Lunar Underwing- it has begun. The first of far too many. Apparently these tend to appear when ivy starts flowering see here from Upper Thames Moths. Also interesting to see the report on migrants in that area (my old trapping grounds) following the mass migration on the south and later east coasts earlier in the month. 

The herb garden underway- constructed from some extra sleepers we had and some old breeze blocks