Sunday, 5th November 2017

Offshore

19 Wigeons west, 84 Teals west, 4 Pintails west, 21 Common Scoters west, 4 Red-breasted Mergansers west, 4 Red-throated Divers west, 2 Great Crested Grebes west, 5 Razorbills west, 3 Guillemots west, 35 Auk sp. west, 7 Kittiwakes west and 1 Little Gull west.

Visible Migration:

26 Whooper Swans south, 3 Greylag Geese south, 56 Jackdaws south, 4 Skylarks south, 1 Meadow Pipit south and 8 Chaffinch south.

 

 Whooper Swans

Grounded Migrants

1 Goldcrest, 25 Blackbirds, 2 Song Thrushes and 15 Redwings.

Others 

1500 Pink-footed Geese, 420 Wigeons, 375 Teals, 2 Goldeneyes, 2 Little Egrets, 400 Lapwings, 44 Ringed Plovers, 47 Black-tailed Godwits, 285 Turnstones, 220 Sanderlings, 130 Dunlins, 1 Jack Snipe, 27 Snipe, 3 Stock Doves, 2 Stonechats and 4 Rock Pipits.

 

 Pink-footed Geese

Eiders

Saturday, 4th November 2017

Offshore 

1 pale-bellied Brent Goose west, 9 Wigeons west, 1 Teal west, 14 Pintails west, 47 Common Scoters west, 3 Red-breasted Mergansers, 7 Red-throated Divers west, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Guillemots west, 23 Auk sp. west and 2 Kittiwakes west.

Visible Migration

26 Starlings south and 8 Goldfinch south.

Others 

750 Pink-footed Geese, 450 Wigeons, 500 Teals, 3 Shovelers, 2 Goldeneyes, 2 Little Egrets, 2 Water Rails, 400 Lapwings, 22 Grey Plovers, 43 Ringed Plovers, 1 Whimbrel, 53 Black-tailed Godwits, 230 Turnstones, 80 Knots, 138 Sanderlings, 160 Dunlins, 7 Snipe, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Cettis Warbler, 2 Stonechats, 1 Grey Wagtail and 1 Water Pipit.

 

 Knot

 

 Whimbrel

Friday, 3rd November 2017

An Icelandic race of Redwing, coburni, was trapped & ringed this morning. This is the first record of this subspecies to be recorded at the Obs. 

 

When this bird was being extracted from the net it looked dark and felt bigger than iliacus. The biometrics confirmed it's size with a wing of 127 mm and it weighed 72.8 g, and wasn't carrying any fat. 

 

Plumage details included darker upper parts, especially the ear coverts and crown, and a more buffy/yellowish wash on the underparts. Broader and more intensely streaked dark feathers on the breast, lacking the whitish breast centre of iliacus, and darker under tail coverts.

 

 Iliacus Redwing

The two pictures below are of the Icelandic race of Redwing coburni.

 

 

 

Offshore

18 Common Scoters west, 1 Red-breasted Merganser, 4 Red-throated Divers west, 2 Great Crested Grebes west, 2 Guillemots west and 9 Auk sp. west.

Visible Migration

9 Starlings south, 2 Redwings east, 1 Meadow Pipit south and 7 Chaffinch south-east.

Grounded Migrants 

2 Goldcrests, 15 Blackbirds, 1 Fieldfare, 3 Song Thrushes and 12 Redwings.

Others

800 Pink-footed Geese, 480 Wigeons, 600 Teal, 4 Shovelers, 4 Goldeneyes, 3 Little Egrets, 600 Lapwings, 41 Ringed Plovers, 76 Black-tailed Godwits, 200 Turnstones, 95 Sanderlings, 230 Dunlins, 4 Snipe, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Stonechats and 1 Grey Wagtail.

Ringing

2 Blackbirds and 2 Redwings.

Thursday, 2nd November 2017

Offshore

3 Shelducks east, 14 Common Scoters west, 5 Red-breasted Mergansers, 2 Red-throated Divers west, 1 Great Crested Grebe east and 8 Auk sp. east.

Visible Migration

8 Whooper Swans south, 63 Jackdaws south-east, 32 Skylarks east, 62 Starlings east, 10 Meadow Pipits east, 2 Bramblings east, 56 Chaffinch east/south-east, 4 Greenfinch east, 2 Redpolls east, 11 Goldfinch east and 4 Reed Buntings south-east.

 

 Whooper Swans

Grounded Migrants

3 Goldcrests, 15 Fieldfares, 6 Song Thrushes and 100 Redwings.

Others

6 Whooper Swans, 1800 Pink-footed Geese, 1 adult European White-fronted Goose, 480 Wigeons, 650 Teals, 1 Pintail, 3 Goldeneyes, 2 Little Egrets, 2 Water Rails, 600 Lapwings, 32 Golden Plovers, 37 Ringed Plovers, 93 Black-tailed Godwits, 140 Turnstones, 115 Sanderlings, 200 Dunlins, 7 Snipe, 1 Med. Gull, 1 Kingfisher and 2 Stonechats.

Ringing 

2 Fieldfares, 13 Redwings, 1 Wren, 1 Chaffinch, 7 Greenfinch, 2 Goldfinch and 8 Reed Buntings.

 

Fieldfare

 

 Redwing

Wednesday, 1st November 2017

Offshore 

1 Shelduck west, 7 Teals west, 8 Common Scoters west, 3 Red-throated Divers west, 1 Great Crested Grebe east, 1 Razorbill west, 4 Guillemots west, 9 Auk Sp. west and 1 Little Gull west.

Visible Migration 

49 Jackdaws south, 12 Carrion Crows south, 8 Skylarks south, 37 Starlings south, 4 Fieldfares east, 1 Mistle Thrush south, 2 Alba Wagtails south, 3 Meadow Pipits south, 2 Bramblings south-east, 30 Chaffinch south-east and 3 Reed Buntings south.

Grounded Migrants 

4 Goldcrests, 2 new Cetti's Warblers trapped, 1 Chiffchaff, 3 Song Thrushes, 9 Redwings, 1 Wheatear and 1 Brambling.

 

 Wheatear

Others 

700 Pink-footed Geese, 475 Wigeons, 600 Teals, 4 Shovelers, 4 Goldeneyes, 2 Little Egrets, 600 Lapwings, 33 Golden Plovers, 39 Ringed Plovers, 83 Black-tailed Godwits, 160 Sanderlings, 250 Dunlins, 1 Kingfisher, 2 Stonechats, 3 Rock Pipits and 2 Twite.

 

 Wigeon

Ringing

2 Cetti's Warblers, 1 Blackbird, 10 Pied Wagtails, 1 Greenfinch, 3 Goldfinch and 5 Reed Buntings.

 

 Cetti's Warbler

Tuesday, 31st October 2017

Offshore

9 Shelducks east, 10 Wigeons west, 28 Teals west, 22 Common Scoters west, 3 Red-breasted Mergansers west, 3 Red-throated Divers west, 2 Great Crested Grebes west, 2 Razorbills west and 4 Auk sp. west.

Visible Migration 

9 Redwings east and 6 Chaffinch south-east.

Grounded Migrants

2 Goldcrests, 1 Blackcap, 2 Fieldfares, 3 Song Thrushes, 18 Redwings and 1 Black Redstart.

Others 

3500 Pink-footed Geese, 520 Wigeons, 650 Teals, 1 Pintail, 5 Shovelers, 4 Goldeneyes, 3 Little Egrets, 450 Lapwings, 22 Golden Plovers, 1 Whimbrel, 6 Black-tailed Godwits, 70 Knots, 165 Sanderlings, 130 Dunlins, 2 Med. Gulls, 1 Kingfisher, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Stonechats, 2 Rock Pipits and 2 Twites.

 

 Whimbrel

 

 Black-tailed Godwits

Stonechat

Monday, 30th October 2017

We finally got in on the Hawfinch irruption today with two birds flying SE over the Mount at 08:50. They were first heard calling and picked up flying east behind a flock of Fieldfares before veering to the SE.

Offshore

10 Shelducks east, 17 Common Scoters west, 1 Goldeneye east, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 1 Red-throated Diver east, 2 Great Crested Grebes east and 1 Auk sp. east.

Visible Migration

32 Pink-footed Geese south, 27 Wood pigeons south, 124 Jackdaws south, 14 Carrion Crows south, 19 Skylarks south/south-east, 46 Starlings south, 5 Blackbirds east, 163 Fieldfares east, 44 Redwings east, 2

Mistle Thrushes south-east, 5 Tree Sparrows south, 1 Grey Wagtail south, 8 Alba Wagtails south, 9 Meadow Pipits south, 4 Rock Pipits west, 9 Bramblings south/south-east, 144 Chaffinch south/south-east, 2 Hawfinch south-east, 22 Greenfinch south/south-east, 5 Linnets south, 4 Redpolls east, 14 Goldfinch south, 5 Siskins east and 7 Reed Buntings south-east.

 

 Jackdaws

 

 Fieldfares

Grounded Migrants

4 Goldcrests, 4 Song Thrushes, 8 Redwings and 2 Bramblings.

Others

400 Pink-footed Geese, 425 Wigeons, 600 Teals, 2 Goldeneyes, 5 Little Egrets, 400 Lapwings, 19 Golden Plovers, 38 Ringed Plovers, 24 Black-tailed Godwits, 140 Sanderlings, 155 Dunlins, 1 Kingfisher, 2 Cetti's Warblers and 2 Stonechats.

 

 Stonechat

Ringing 

3 Blue Tits, 1 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Wren, 2 Fieldfares, 1 Song Thrush, 5 Redwings, 5 Chaffinch, 13 Greenfinches, 6 Goldfinch and 2 Reed Buntings.

 

 Fieldfare

 

 Redwing