The Azores Autumn 2011

I've arrived back to the Azores and so far seen bugger all. Tomorrow I've got a choice to look for Tennessee Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Northern Parula, Trindade Petrel or Dickcissel.

Musical Interlude

I'm off to the Azores so will be travelling. In the meantime here's a song from our band, Thee Bryans which has a nature and people theme. This song is about cruelty to animals/nature.

Vis Mig

Redwings- the first autumn flock today in low cloud and a light north-west wind.

One of the last Swallows heading out

The first autumn Fieldfare

Migrant passerines on the deck include 4+ Reed Buntings, 50+ Goldfinch, 20+ Linnet, 2 Wheatear, 3-4 Skylark, 10+Meadow Pipit

Angle Shades in the trap last night

Blair's Shoulder-Knot

Bush cricket sp?

Cypress Carpet (rear) and Carpet sp?

Not gulls already!

Had this unusual moulting 'herring' gull (top pic) today with reduced black in the wingtip, darker upperparts, bright pink legs and a 'thayeri'-type pattern on p9 (God knows!) and also looks like Common Gull (pic 2) numbers are increasing.

But winter is not hear yet- Siskins along the path, an increase in Song Thrush, Blackbird and Robin numbers, Mipits going over and Goldcrests calling from the hedgerow means that late autumn is beginning.

Micros

So my mates are on Corvo watching Blue-winged Warbler, Vireos and Catharus thrushes and I am here looking at this!
and these: http://peteralfrey.blogspot.com/2011/10/more-micros.html

BEDDINGTON FARMLANDS AUTUMN 2011 - THE FIRST HALF

This juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper in mid September was one of the highlights

Juvenile Curlew Sandpiper- typically a September migrant to Beddington

Juvenile Ruff. Another typical September migrant which has seen a reduction in numbers in recent years.

Adult Arctic Tern- a scarce passage migrant to Beddington

Autumn Wheatears. 2011 has been a very good year for Wheatears at Beddington.

Tree Lichen Beauty. Up to five of these were recorded in July/August.

Dewick's Plusia. One of the autumn's highlights was discovering what appears to be a local population of this moth- perhaps the only colony in the UK?

Juvenile Wood Sandpipers. Three birds were present in early August.

This juvenile Black-tailed Godwit undertook a record stay proving that the new wader habitat can hold larger waders.

Another autumn highlight was the discovery of a population of Common Lizards on site.

Ok- this bird was in mid July so really a summer highlight but a first for Beddington and national scarcity so here it is again. A great find by Johnny.

London Wetlands

The WWT London Wetland Center (Above)
Beddington Farmlands (Below)

Met John at the Wetland Center this morning to pick up some Yellow Rattle and Southern Marsh Orchid seeds. We are going to experiment with propogating grassland and wetland plants from the Wetland Center to Beddington. The incredible weather continues which means it will be too dry to plant them yet so waiting for the forecast and will get the seeds sown ahead of the rain.