Thursday, 18th September 2014

Looking at the weather forecast earlier in the week today was going to be the best birding day and it didn`t disappoint. Light south-easterly winds and a bank of low murky cloud appeared overnight and dropped a nice selection of migrants around the Obs. By mid morning the cloud started to break and a large push of visible migrants started to come in off the sea and head south/south-east.

 

The star bird was a bit of a shock and was found first thing, a cracking juvenile Montagu's Harrier was flushed from an area of long grass in the old I.C.I site. It flew round in a large circle gaining height, giving great views before heading east towards the river.This is only the second record for the Observatory following a similar record in 1971! Andrew Cadman flushed a juvenile out of rough grass at the old Rossall School farm on the 10th September 1971.

Offshore

23 Shelducks east, 7 Eiders, 22 Common Scoters west, 1 Red-breasted Merganser, 1 Red-throated Diver west and 2 Sandwich Terns.

Visible Migration 

1 Greenshank west, 4 Skylarks south, 3 Sand Martins south/south-east, 1,036 Swallows south/south-east, 38 House Martins south-east, 9 Grey Wagtails south, 54 Alba Wagtails south/south-east, 1,017 Meadow Pipits south/south-east, 11 Chaffinch south-east, 1 Greenfinch south, 4 Goldfinch south, 8 Linnets south and 5 Reed Buntings south.

 

 Meadow Pipits

Grounded Migrants:

1 juvenile Montagu's Harrier, 12 Goldcrests, 20 Chiffchaffs, 1 Willow Warbler, 6 Blackcaps, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Whitethroats, 1 Reed Warbler, 3 Spotted Flycatchers, 2 Song Thrushes, 15 Robins, 4 Whinchats, 1 Stonechat, 40 Wheatears and 18 Pied Wagtails.

 

 Willow Warbler

Spotted Flycatcher

Wheatear

Whinchat

Stonechat

Others 

53 Wigeon, 4 Teal, 1 Little Egret, 1 Golden Plover, 16 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Spotted Redshank, 2 Med. Gulls and 1 Kingfisher.

Ringing

1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Great Tit and 1 Chaffinch.

 

 Great Spotted Woodpecker