Tuesday, 8 September 2026

Back to Patch

I got back from Spain late Saturday night and spent yesterday, Sunday. catching up. With a south east breeze and sunny conditions it was perfect raptor migration weather so I put a couple of hours in garden skywatching from around 1130 to 1330 HERE. There were nearly a dozen Honey Buzzards going over Beachy Head the same day around the same time too but all I could muster was a Red Kite, 8 Common Buzzard, 2 Sparrowhawk, 3 Kestrel, 3 Common Swift and a Green Sandpiper tried to land in Kyle's aviary pond. 

When there are big Red Kite movements in Sussex they don't appear in numbers on the Peninsula and Honey Buzzards are very rare locally so presumably raptors don't migrate over the Peninsula much. I have spent many hours skywatching and not really seen anything too conclusive in the way of raptor passage, mainly local raptors moving around. Presumably they all head east and over to Beachy and Dungeness for the shortest Channel crossing. 

Today I planned to do more but it was raining in the morning so I concentrated on Ferry and Church Norton area HERE. 84 species of nearly 3000 individuals with a nice selection of common migrants including 10 Spotted Flycatchers, a Redstart, 3 Wheatear, 2 Whinchat. 4 Meadow Pipit over, Yellow Wagtails, Sedge and Reed Warbler, Lesser and Common Whitethroat, Blackcaps, Willow Warblers and Chiffs, a juv Little Stint and a late juv Little Ringed Plover and a late juv Little Tern.

Early morning while doing the moths I had a Hobby going after the hirundines and 4 Greylags flew over. 

The moth trap was quite lively with Centre-barred Sallow and Feathered Gothic new for years.  







Spot Flys on the gravestones at Church Norton- always wanted to photograph migrants sitting on the grave stones so I went to town on them. Unfortunately I missed the Redstart that briefly landed on one. 
Centre-barred Sallow- NFY
Feathered Gothic- NFY, now on 536 for the year

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