Whooper Swans

It was a clear and calm morning with a light northwest breeze with a late morning high tide so I headed over to East Side for just after dawn. There was quite a bit of vis-mig going on, with birds moving in a westerly direction over the harbour including 211 Siskin, 7 Redpoll, 8 Reed Bunting, 35 Pied Wagtail, 28 Skylark, 126 Linnet, 24 Chaffinch, 9 Barn Swallow and 185 Meadow Pipits. 

The highlight of the morning was Les finding 2 adult Whooper Swans out in the middle of the harbour which presumably must have flown in or hauled out of a gulley as I seemingly walked past them. Only the third or so record in the last decade for the Peninsula so a local rarity.  There was a regional movement of them today further north so these two presumably are overshoots. A Peninsula tick for me so now on 201 HERE and 183 for the year HERE. 

Waterfowl numbers continue to swell with over 150 Wigeon and 120 Teal with at least 15 Pintail and 7 Shelducks and wader numbers are also increasing with 65 Oystercatcher, 45 Grey Plover, 30 Curlew, 80 Ringed Plover, 90+ Dunlin, my first autumn flock of Golden Plover with 34 circling, 80 Lapwing, 40 Redshank, 23 Blackwit, one Barwit, 4 Knot, a Spot Red and 2 Greenshank with two Curlew Sandpipers remaining in with the pre-roost waders and a single Turnstone. In the afternoon I went over to west side and added 2 Avocet and a Whimbrel to the wader day list (15 species today). 

There were a couple of Wheatear on the spit, good numbers of Chiffchaff and 4 Rock Pipit along the shore (including a colour ringed bird). A juv Peregrine was out on the mud and there were 2-3 Marsh Harriers aorund too. In the afternoon I had a Coal Tit at Mill Lane Pond. 

Full list from this morning HERE with 81 species of over 2200 individuals and an additional 6 species in the afternoon on the west side HERE, so 87 species today. 

It was the first mild calm night in a while so I put both moth traps out- still getting new for years with Mallow and Brindled Green. Also had a nice Vestal and a few Turnips and White-points. Mostly Lunar Underwings and Large Yellow Underwings still. There were also a few butterflies around today including a Clouded Yellow and Small Whites and Red Admirals. 

Whooper Swans

Curlew Sands, Dunlin and Ringed Plover

Juv Bar-tailed Godwit- the only one in the harbour today

Curlew- cracking birds 

Colour-ringed Rock Pipit- will try and track this down

Juv/first-winter Peregrine

Mallow

Brindled Green

A nice Vestal

Acleris ferrugana/notana

Sallow- a more heavily marked variant.