Spring Push

*Warning content may be offensive to some viewers from North Downs and Beyond. Contains strong scenes of Wheatear.

Adult male Wheatear. One of five today feeding on the ploughed area (Love it when a plan comes together!)

Adult female Wheatear

Female Wheatear fly-catching

Despite the influx it was still cool today (Cold enough for Gloves). The Wheatears were finding food by fly- catching for the midges. 

First-summer male Wheatear. Brown in mantle and scapulars, less peach suffusion over breast and brown remiges (cf. black of adult male)

Meadow Pipit- a few of  these moving today too

First Swallow 

Diurnea fagella- The first for the year in the trap last night- a bit milder and less wind but still cool at night and not many moths

Clouded Drab

 Met Office chart from Sunday. Strong westerly airflow effectively blocking migrants

Met Office chart today. Wouldn't normally associate north west winds (like today) with a fall of migrants. However weather and effect on migration always needs to be considered in context and always best to see the big picture (Good to have your 'Head in the Clouds'). Migrants being blocked by the westerly airflow have jumped at the first chance of a window of opportunity which in this case is a less than ideal head-wind direction but with the reduced wind speed- it's good enough to go for it.

The first influx of the Spring at Beddington today:  1 Osprey, 7 Common Buzzard, 3 Redshank, 1 LRP, 9 Snipe, 1 Jack Snipe, 40+ Meadow Pipit, 3 Swallow. 5 Wheatear, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Blackcap and 4 Chiffchaff.

Some more (better!) pics from Roger here: ROGER PICS