Quiet Weekend

There seems to be plenty of birding effort put in this weekend on the Peninsula (see Selsey blog) and I also did a couple of sessions including Church Norton yesterday evening here and I did Pagham Spit this morning here. Despite the effort there doesn't seem to be much down here despite the substantial fall of eastern scarce migrants and a couple of vagrants brought in by this easterly airflow (mainly in the Northern Isles, East Coast down to North Kent). My personal highlights locally have been seeing a few more Brents which are dripping in, a couple of Tree Pipits and a bit of vis-mig (although the hirundine passage of the week has dropped right off with Meadow Pipits being more evident this weekend). Seems like the Peninsula is in some kind of migration shadow as there have been absolutely enormous numbers of hirundines elsewhere this weekend- e.g. 54,000 at one site in Glamorgan yesterday and 200,000 (120K Swallows and 80K House Martins) at Dungeness today (also a Western Bonelli's there).  

The weather this morning was south east winds and rain, which even inland at Beddington Farmlands I would associate with a good chance of a scarce migrant- indeed there was a Short-eared Owl there today. Certainly seems like I may need to reprogramme myself for autumn weather watching for the south coast as easterlies seem to be a different box of chocolates down here (it was the dreamed for weather at other birding patches I've had). It could possibly have been just bad luck and other easterly autumn conditions might fair better. 

The winds are now shifting to a more southerly to southwesterly direction from tomorrow with stormy conditions predicted for next week so will be interesting to see what unfolds now with a change in wind direction. 

Brents arriving into the area- I had 10 this morning with the first two actually in the harbour. The first of the winter flock. 

What with the accumulating Wigeon, Pintail and Teal flocks it's all taking on a mid-late autumn feel

Whimbrel and Barwit- about 6 Barwits in the harbour and 2-3 Whimbrel. A noticeable lack of Dunlin and Ringed Plover at the moment after early autumn highs of 200 of each in August. 

This rather grey Western Yellow Wagtail was feeding in the fields behind the church yesterday, the yellow wash in the undertail coverts and the call dashed any hopes of an Eastern Yellow Wagtail but something this grey may be more typical in flava populations although the other birds in the group it was with were typical flavisimma 

The moth trap was equally quiet, a Grey Shoulder Knot was the only NFG over the weekend

Blair's Mocha- one each night this weekend and a few other of the usual migrant species 

Put some winter vegetables in and some onion sets and leeks into the raised beds. There's been up to 8 Chiffchaffs in the garden and lane and a Blackcap and Goldcrest this morning with a trickle of Meadow Pipits and hirundines going over.