Sunday, 11 October 2020

Oakley Airfield

Spent the last couple of days doing Oakley Airfield. Pretty impressive number of birds up there, Ebird list and some vis mig sound recordings too HERE. Highlights included a Lapland Bunting yesterday (no photos or sounds recordings despite 5 hours trying to relocate it, so I won't be submitting it),  8 Corn Bunting, 2 Yellowhammer, 4 Reed Bunting, 100+ Skylarks, 30+ Meadow Pipits, 1 Brambling,  the odd Redpoll and Siskin, 15 Redwing, 2 Snipe, the Golden Plover flock is now 200+, at least 200 Linnet up there and the whole lot were being hunted by a Merlin and a Peregrine. Also 26! Grey Partridge up there. It's a pretty impressive site.  

A few new for years in the Old Vicarage moth trap. 



Golden Plovers 
Snipe- presumably the airfield has the potential to attract other waders too (e.g. Davidstow Airfield) especially considering there are already 200 Golden Plover and a couple of Snipe up there. Can easily imagine Ruff or Dotterel there and even other waders stopping off. 
Grey Partridge (above and below) - a covey of 20 and another of 6 including young birds

Merlin
Red-line Quaker 
Closest I can get is Pine Carpet 
Brindled Green
Blair's Shoulder Knot 

2 comments:

Edward Evans said...

I think that the Carpet is too worn for a confirmation or advice, they are hard enough when they are fresh ! :)

Peter Alfrey said...

Yes I put it down as a maybe