Birthday week

It was my birthday on Wednesday , the ticking time bomb spurred me on to try and get some trips booked for this autumn birding and start thinking about some world birding trips for next year (life goals are to see half the world's birds, 800 species in the WP and find loads of rarities). For this autumn I'm still planning on booking Corvo once the weather looks good and if I can get the pond liner will try and do a week in Bulgaria too for the autumn. Also thinking about doing Peru next July, Cyprus in the Spring and possibly a family holiday to Tanzania over the winter.    

A high pressure has been stable over the UK this week bringing persistent northeasterlies and generally clear skies. There's also been a super moon so with the clear nights and bright moon the moth trap catch has been pretty low (e.g. 60 of 28 last night) but seems like some moth migrants have been getting blown down to us here (highlights below). 

I actually worked on my birthday (around birthday lunch at the Sidlesham Crab and Lobster) to get Thursday and Friday off. The main feature of this week has been migrating hirundines which has been pretty impressive to see. On Thursday morning I joined the crew at Selsey Bill for some vis-migging/seawatching and we had approx 700 House Martins, 150 Barn Swallows and a few Sand Martins going east in about 3 hours but they were moving all day and I kept seeing small groups whereever I went across the Peninsula. Other highlights from yesterday included my first Brents of the year, a couple of Common Scoter and a Wheatear. Ebird list HERE. A check of Ferry and Mill Lane marsh didn't reveal much- a Greenshank at the marsh and a couple of Green Sandpipers on Ferry Ebird list here

This morning I finally got round to visiting Medmerry RSPB. Once again the hirundines were on the move- similar numbers to yesterday and I also had a few Medmerry specialities including Dartford Warblers and Yellowhammers. 63 species in total over about two and half hours HERE.

The highlight of my birthday was a bird I didn't even see- a 2nd-calender year Long-tailed Skua that Jack Petit found at Beddington (only the 2nd one there since I had this one while washing the dishes from the Beddington obs). Video of the stunning bird here -quite a rare plumage to see them in. Amazing!

Male Yellowhammer at Medmerry

Small Mottled Willow- at last one of the hundreds that hit the east coast has made it here! Other possible migrants included 2 Olive-tree Pearl, 1 Dark Spectacle, 1 Rusty-dot Pearl, 1 Delicate, 1 Dark Marbled Tabby, 1 Clancy's Rustic and 1 L-album Wainscot. 

Marbled Fern, Musotima nitidalis- after the one that got away a couple of weeks ago it was good to get a record shot of this one- a NFG. Garden list now on 369. 

No shortage of male Four-spotted Footman round here (one or two on many nights since we've been here) but this is the first female I've had here (or anywhere).