Saturday 16 September 2023

Ventnor, 16th September 2023

 Bit of a blogging hiatus again (here at least. I have a main website now, click here). I'll probably post both here and over there.

Anyway, vis mig is beginning to ramp slowly and at Ventnor East Cliffs 7.30-8...

Alba Wag: 3e, 

Meadow Pipit: 3 in off

Phylosc: 3

Then down in Ventnor Bay 8-8.30:

Siskin: 50+ e in three groups


Let's hope it's a good autumn! 

Wednesday 19 October 2022

Wednesday 19th October 2022

 With a brisk easterly breeze and overcast conditions I could be forgiven for expecting a bit of excitement today. Not a bit of it! Three fire crests invent the park with a highlight. Virtually no visible migration; just three alpha wagtails and a goldfinches, chaffinches and siskins.

Tuesday 9 August 2022

Back in Ventnor for a few weeks

It’s 9th August 2022 and I returned to Ventnor from Cornwall for a few weeks of early autumn birding on the old patch.

I parked the van up on Ventnor Downs last night and awoke at 7.30am. The whole area is parched by drought and birds were few and far between. 

Around the Coombe Bottom Rim:

Redstart: 1

Common Whitethroat: 5

Blackcap: 2

Willow Warbler: 10

Swallow: 22

That was about it!


Later in the afternoon, checked Nansen Hill:

Whitethroat: 3


And, briefly, Steephill Dowm:

Willow warbler: 1

So, an uneventful and very hot day. We have three more days of 30+ degree heat then we’ll finally get a bit of disruptive weather.


Tuesday 16 July 2019

Mid summer lull

Mmm. It's that time of year - mid July 2019. Nothing much happening around Ventnor. But there are hints of movements to come. Have had a few swifts passing over Ventnor Downs on recent evenings. The local breeders are still around, but I think you can tell local nesters from birds passing through. And linnet families are going to form larger flocks up on the downs, in with the meadow pipits. 

Wednesday 11 October 2017

October 2017

I've trying a new approach to accounting for birding here. Rather than post a narrative account for each day, I'll simply build a monthly systematic list of notable counts and sightings. I've been away, so this starts on 11th October.





Chiffchaff

Royal Hotel: 3 (11th);
Bonchurch: 7 (14th);
Ventnor Park: 5 (14th)

Yellow-browed warbler

Coombe Bottom: 2 (when??)
Down Lane: 1 (when?)
Trinity Street: 1 (13th)
East Dene: 1 (14th)

Goldcrest

Royal Hotel: 5 (11th); 8 (14th)
Bonchurch: 10 (14th)
Ventnor Park: 5 (14th) 

Goldfinch

Ventnor viz mig: 300 (14th)

Redpoll

Ventnor viz mig: 2 (14th)





Wednesday 9 August 2017

Two willow warblers, two (local) blackcaps, and two swifts west over East Cliffs. Overcast, warm, with drizzle now and again.....feels good for a melodious warbler.........

Male pied fly and 50+ whitethroats reported up on Ventnor Downs.

Rained continuously all afternoon.......

Friday 28 July 2017

Blowy from the west and overcast. A cursory glance at the East Cliffs produced a chiffchaff and invisible blackcap singing to itself.