Wall lizards and a fox enjoying the sun.....

It dawned nippy with a light south-easterly and clear, blue sky. The sun rising over the sea soon warmed things up but there was little in the way of visible migration first thing. Five redwings seen heading north over the house from the front room window were the only ones today. In the garden from eight, a typically early brambling flew north calling, then a couple of siskins east. Four meadow pipits, a couple more siskins and ten jays completed a poor garden viz mig session. The feeders, on the other hand, were alive as ever with lots of chaffinches and gold finches, endless great and blue tits making off with whole peanuts, and the two now-resident coal tits up to their usual trick of flicking all the seeds out of the hoppers until they find the single bit of grain that satisfies their pickiness. I've now concluded that it's not the jackdaws emptying all the feeders of   seeds, it's these two coal tits.

Down at Old Shute at 9.15am, in warm, still conditions, ten chaffinches were walking around in the sycamores, with a couple of jays, two goldcrests, three blackbirds, and a skylark then pied wagtail east overhead.

Then onto Old Station Road (previously Coombe Bottom). Aside from the now resident and still baffling grey 'willow warbler'......[right, bed time - to be continued : ) ]

I was rather hoping to get a nice Pallas's given the time of year and south-easterlies but no, I stumbled into what I assumed to be a new yellow-browed warbler! This one was initially calling loudly on Castle Road, with two goldcrests, before looping down over the houses and into Ventnor Park, where it continued to call for about a minute in the vicinity of the band stand before falling silent.

Finally after a couple of weeks of constant westerlies the breeze swung to south-easterly at some point yesterday, with murk at dawn today, producing an instant, all be it modest, pick-up in the birds. Visible migrants heading mostly east or north from the garden between 7.18am and 8.20am included:

Brambling: 1
Song thrush: 5
Redwing: 73
Blackbird: 5
Fieldfair: 2
Goldfinch: 120
Chaffinch: 17
Merlin: 1
Starling: 64
Jay: 5
Linnet: 1
Meadow pipit: 1

I then got a lift with Andy Butler to Haddon's Pits, which were somewhat quieter than we expected, but produced:

Blackbird: 17
Pied wagtail: 1
Song thrush: 1
Raven: 2
Peregrine: 1 male
Goldfinch: 22
Kestrel: 1
Siskin: 6
Redwing: 2
Goldcrest: 3
Song thrush: 1
Chaffinch: 1
Redpoll: 1
Chiffchaff: 1

Andy and I then checked Coombe Bottom, which was largely quiet (we failed to connect with the tit flock), producing:

Blackbird: 3
Jay: 17
Goldcrest: 5
Chiffchaff: 1
Chaffinch: 2
Song thrush: 1

Had a walk in the afternoon down Southgrove Road, where I had:

Jay: 4
Blackbird: 3
Chaffinch: 15

And at The Grove:

Jay: 1
Goldcrest: 2

....and, finally, at dusk in Ventnor Park:

Goldcrest: 11!

I'm getting more and more lazy as the autumn slips into winter, hence the rather boring lists of not very much below....

Overcast with a light easterly breeze, and chilly. I got up into the garden at 7.38 am, with visible migration highlights as follows:

Chaffinch: 19
Jay: 9
Song thrust: 1
Goldfinch: 36
Raven: 2
Linnet: 3
Peregrine: 1
Blackbird: 2

Coombe Bottom just after 9am produced:

Jay: 26
Chaffinch: 14
Blackbird: 10
Goldfinch: 15
Redwing: 1
Goldcrest: 6
Skylark: 1
Song thrush: 2
Chiffchaff: 1

Along Southgrove Road:

Chaffinch: 10
Jay: 6
Linnet: 1
Pied wagtail: 1
Blackbird: 1
Raven: 1

At The Grove:

Jay: 3
Blackbird: 1
Goldcrest: 1
Chaffinch: 2

At the Alma Road sycamore clump:

Blackbird: 1
Grey wagtail: 1
Goldfinch: 10

Along the slopes around La Falaise:

Goldfinch: 19
Blackbird: 1
Linnet: 5
Pied wagtail: 1

On Steephill and Week Down (by which time I was almost asleep!):

Meadow pipit: 1
Chaffinch: 2
Jay: 2
Goldfinch: 1
Linnet: 1
Blackbird: 1
Skylark: 3
Raven: 1
Siskin: 1

Westerly wind, with low cloud shrouding the higher downs and bright conditions down in the Undercliff. Highlights included the re-appearance of the washed-out, grey willow warbler in its favoured spot below Ravenscourt on Ocean View Road, two firecrests at Old Station Road and another two firecrests in an old man's beard tangle at Monk's Bay, with two black redstarts at Steephill Cove.

8 November,2012

Home Garden
Siskin: 11
Chaffinch: 18
Blackbird: 2
Bullfinch: 1
Linnet: 1
Pied Wagtail: 1
Redpoll: 4
Jay: 3
Goldfinch: 7
Grey Wagtail: 1

7 November 2012

Old Shute
Goldcrest: 1
Blackbird: 3
Siskin: 1
Chaffinch: 15
Bullfinch: 1
Jay: 1

Penn/Coombe Bottom
Goldcrest: 2
Blackbird:  10
Chaffinch: 18
Goldfinch: 9
* Yellow Browed Warbler: 1
Greater Spotted Woodpecker: 1
Bullfinch: 2
Song Thrush: 5
Jay: 2
Pied Wagtail: 1
Chiffchaff: 1
Redpoll: 1
Raven: 1

Ventnor Downs
Jay: 2
Chaffinch: 14
Meadow Pippit: 1
Dartford Warbler: 1
Blackbird: 1
Song Thrush: 1

Nansen
Blackbird: 10
Jay: 4
Goldfinch: 6
Chaffinch: 2
Redpoll: 1
Brambling: 1

Landslip
Chiffchaff: 2
Jay: 7
Blackbird: 6
Goldcrest: 2
Chaffinch: 4

Horseshoe Bay
Nothing

The Grove
Jay: 2
House Sparrow: 3

Southgrove Road
Jay: 3
Linnet: 2
Chaffinch: 7

6 November, 2012

Home Garden
Goldfinch: 9
Meadow Pippit20
Redpoll: 1
Wood Pigeon: 392
Mistle Thrush: 1
Jay: 1
Bullfinch: 1
Starling: 13
Crossbill; 2
Redwing: 2
Brambling: 2
Chaffinch: 21
Linnet: 12
Siskin: 3
Blackbird: 2
Swallow: 10
Stock Dove: 92

Steephill
Stock Dove: 9
Blackbird: 34
Linnet: 11
Goldfinch: 34
Coal Tit: 1
Song Thrush: 9
Wood Pigeon: 642
Chaffinch: 23
Meadow Pippet: 12
Siskin: 2
Fieldfair: 1
Bullfinch; 2
Brambling: 1
Pied Wagtail: 1
Starling: 9

Whitwell Road
Goldcrest: 2
Blackbird: 4
Chiffchaff: 15
Fieldfair: 4
Redwing: 7
Skylark: 5
Linnet: 5
Wood Pigeon: 70
Siskin: 2
Meadow Pippet: 2
Starling: 2
Song Thrush: 1

Pelham
Blackbird: 16
Goldfinch: 8
Chaffinch: 14
Chiffchaff: 2
Linnet: 2
Song Thrush: 3
Goldcrest: 10
Redpoll: 2
Fieldfair: 1
Siskin: 4
Jay: 3

Bank End Farm
Chaffinch: 13
Blackbird: 11
Siskin:1
Goldcrest: 2
Wood Pigeon: 500

Woolverton/Woody Bay
Goldfinch: 23
Wood Pigeon: 1005
Goldcrest: 4
Blackbird: 14
Song Thrush: 7
Chaffinch: 42
Linnet: 9
Chifffchaff: 4
Meadow Pippet: 3
Pied Wagtail: 2
Brambling: 1
Jay: 6
Skylark: 1
Mistle Thrush: 1

Battery Fields
Goldfinch: 7
Linnet: 2
Pied Wagtail: 2
Chaffinch: 12
Blackbird: 10
Swallow: 1
Jay: 5
Chiffinch: 1
Starling: 32
Song Thrush: 3
Goldcrest: 3
 * Wheatear: 1

Binnel
Blackbird: 1
Goldcrest: 16
Jay: 2
Brambling: 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker: 1

Seven Sisters/St. Lawrence Shute
Chaffinch: 15
Yellowhammer: 38
Goldfinch: 3
Linnet: 25
 Song Thrush: 2

Old Shute
Jay: 1
Song Thrush: 1
Blackbird: 1
Pied Wagtail: 1

5 November, 2012

Coombe Bottom/Penn
Meadow Pippit: 2
Chaffinch: 4
Chiffchaff: 4
Linnet: 1
Blackbird: 8
Pied Wagtail: 3
Song Thrush: 2
Brambling: 3
Wood Pigeon: 26
Siskin: 1
Jay: 3
*Crossbill: 7

Old Shute
Blackbird: 3
Jay: 2
Redwing: 1

Southgrove Road
Chaffinch: 11
Goldfinch: 2
Meadow Pippit: 2
Blackbird: 1
Jay: 3
Black Redstart: 1

Wheelers Bay
Goldfinch: 275
Siskin: 1
Pied Wagtail: 3
Chaffinch: 20
Blackbird: 4
Song Thrush: 2
House Sparrow: 6
Grey Wagtail: 1
Black Redstart: 1
Chiffchaff: 1
Linnet: 4
Goldcrest: 1
Jay: 2
Redpoll: 5
Swallow: 3

The Grove
Chaffinh: 8
Gooldfinch: 6
Jay: 3
Chiffchaff: 2

Zig Zag
Jay: 2
Chiffchaff: 1
Chaffinch: 4
Goldfinch: 6
Blackbird: 2

Ventnor Park
Chiffhaff: 1
Goldfinch: 3
Song Thrush: 1
Blackbird: 2
Goldcrest: 1

Old Shute
Meadow Pippit: 1
Blackbird: 5
Chaffinch: 3

After early showers and a blustery westerly, a quick visit to Coombe Bottom quarry produced a nice FIRECREST feeding in scrub at the edge of Ocean View Road. I didn't stay for long so not really surprised that I failed to re-locate the yellow-browed.

By midday the showers had cleared and wind died down, with sun warming things up nicely. Highlight of the afternoon was a smart FIRECREST feeding in a sycamore at the eastern end of Steephill Court Road.

Bird of the day was some way out of Ventnor at Newchurch, where a very nice SPANISH SPARROW was found by James Gloyn pecking at his nuts which he'd left hanging in the garden.

4 November, 2012
Penn
* Firecrest: 1

Steephill Court Road
*Firecrest: 1
Goldfinch: 3
Grey Wagtail: 2
Goldcrest: 4
Jay: 5
Chiffchaff: 3
Chaffinch: 2

Pelham
Jay: 7
Blackbird: 25
Chaffinch: 14
Chiffchaff: 7
Goldcrest: 18
Brambling: 1
Song Thrush: 3
Linnet: 1
Tree Creeper: 1
Blackcap: 2

Whitwell Road/Gills Cliff
Blackbird: 11
Chaffinch: 6
Jay: 4
Song Thrush: 1

Bath Road
Jay: 1
Blackbird: 1
Chaffinch: 1

La Falaise
Jay: 1

The Grove
Blackbird: 9
Jay: 2
Meadow Pippit: 1
Wood Pigeon: 40
Goldfinch: 1
Song Thrush: 1
House parrow: 1

Southgrove
Black Redstart: 4
Jay: 4
Blackbird: 4
Linnet: 1
Chaffinch: 7
Song Thrush: 2

Penn
Blackbird: 2

Old Shute
Goldfinch: 6
Jay: 2
Chaffinch: 5
Blackbird: 4
Goldcrest: 8
Meadow Pippit: 4
Chiffchaff: 1
Starling: 3

Ventnor Cemetery
Chiffchaff: 1
Linnet: 5
Chaffinch: 4

Steep Hill Down
Blackbird; 5
Chaffinch: 4
Song Thrush: 2
Siskin: 3
Goldfinch: 23
Great Spotted Woodpecker: 1
Brambling: 1
Pied Wagtail: 1

A very grey warbler found below Ravenscourt on Ocean View Road proved to be an acredula race of willow warbler, and was later joined in the same sycamore by the yellow-browed warbler, which itself was very vocal for a while.

Another showery start but again the westerly breeze is light so not bad for searching. Had a quick look down at the Station Road quarry area for the yellow-browed (and possible Hume's) but no sign nor sound of either. One redpoll flew east. Ian Ridett had 8 goldcrests and 2 FIRESCRESTS here earlier. The blackbirds and robins digging about and flitting along the wooded path lining the quarry really put me on edge - there's a blue-tail or Sibe thrush here somewhere - I'm sure of it! Will check again later......

2nd November, 2012

Coombe Bottom Quarry
Chiffchaff: 1
Redpoll: 1
Goldcrest: 2
Blackbird: 3
Chaffinch: 10

Wheelers Bay
Black Redstart: 1

2nd November, 2012

Coombe Bottom Quarry
Chiffchaff: 1
Redpoll: 1
Goldcrest: 2
Blackbird: 3
Chaffinch: 10

Wheelers Bay
Black Redstart: 1

Got to Coombe Bottom quarry just after nine and bumped into a striped leaf warbler at 9.20, at the back of what was the Terminus. This bird was very washed out, with white wing bars and super and frosty shoulders and back. Had it calling several times again during the day and am sure this one's a Hume's. But Iain Outlaw managed to photograph an obvious yellow-browed, which was also heard to call several times during the day. So, we have a confirmed yellow-browed and possibly a second bird, to my ears and eyes a Hume's. We'll see if anything comes of it.

1 November, 2012

Home Garden
Pied Wagtail: 3
Chaffinch: 7
Goldfinch: 20
Siskin: 1
Linnet: 11

Penn
Siskin 11

Coombe Bottom Quarry
* Crossbill: 3
Chaffinch: 11
Goldcrest: 6
Chiffchaff: 2
Mistle Thrush: 1
Linnet: 1
Yellow Browed Warbler: 2

31 October, 2012
Coombe Bottom Quarry
Chiffchaff: 2
Goldcrest: 3
Pied Wagtail: 1

Ventnor Park
Goldcrest: 1

Ventnor Bay
Peregrin: 1

30 October, 2012

Ocean View Road
Linnet: 3
Chaffinch: 7
Chiffchaff: 1
Gold Finch: 3
Pied Wagtail: 1
Siskin: 1

Old Shute Copse
Jay 1

Penn
Goldcrest: 3
Chiffchaff: 1
Brambling; 1
Wood Pigeon: 807
Goldfinch:38
Siskin:51
Redwibg: 1
Blackbird: 5
Jay: 3
Chaffinch: 19
Redpoll: 1
Meadow Pippit: 10
Starling: 1

Coombe Bottom
Chaffinch: 13
Meadow Pippit: 1
Song Thrush: 1
Goldcrest: 1
Goldfinch: 8
Linnet: 10
Chiffchaff: 1
Siskin: 1
Blackbird: 1

Home garden
Chaffinch: 14
Chiffchaff:1
Linnet: 5
Skylark: 3
Blackbird: 3
Wood Pigeon: 52
Goldfinch: 10
Starling: 25
Pied Wagtail: 2
Jay: 1

Steep Hill Down
Blackbird: 30
Chaffinch: 45
Siskin:2
Wood Pigeon: 245
Goldfinch: 16
Song Thrush: 8
Bullfinch: 1
Meadow Pippit: 6
Starling:2
Mistle Thrush: 2
Dartford Warbler: 1
Jay: 3
Yellow Hammer: 5
Skylark: 5
Redpoll: 3
Linnet: 4
Pied Wagtail: 2

Whitwell Road
Redpoll: 1
Goldfinch: 1
Chaffinch:1
Song Thrush: 2
Skylark: 2
Blackbird: 1

Pelham
Goldcrest: 19
Siskin: 19
Chaffinch: 29
Song Thrush: 9
Blackbird: 15
Linnet: 9
Redpoll: 1
Jay: 7
Skylark: 3
Redwing: 1
Goldfinch: 1
Tree Creeper: 1
Chiffchaff: 6
Speckled Woodpecker: 1

Bank End Farm
Siskin: 1
Goldcrest: 2
Chiffchaff: 1

Woolverton/Woody Bay
Chaffinch: 9
Jay: 7
Linnet: 3
Blackbird: 3
Siskin: 1
Meadow Pippit: 1
Goldfinch: 2
Chiffchaff: 7
Goldcrest: 3
*Firecrest: 2

Battery Fields
Chaffinch: 1
Goldfinch: 17
Chiffchaff: 4
Redpoll: 1
Tree Creeper: 1
Jay: 1
Blackcap:1
? Wagtail: 1

Upper St. Lawrence
Song Thrush: 1
Brambling: 1
Blackbird: 11
Jay: 3
Chiffchaff:6
Chaffinch 11
Linnet: 1

St. Lawrence/Shute Field
Blackbird: 3
Chaffinch: 30
Jay: 1
Song Thrush: 1
Wood Pigeon: 40
Yellowhammer: 39
Linnet: 29
Siskin: 5

Whitwell
Blackbird: 2
Chaffinch: 2
Jay: 1

Gills Cliff
Jay: 3
Chaffinch: 10
Chiffchaff: 1

St. Albans
Goldcrest: 1
Jay: 1
Linnet: 2

Two firecrests

Got up pre-dawn as usual and got to the Coombe Bottom Quarry (home of yesterday's yellow-browed warbler) just after dawn. By 7.30am goldcrests were calling and soon the first long-tailed tits appeared. A smart FIRECREST came into the sycamore and proceeded to feed at my eye level - stunning! Then a second FIRECREST among the 15 goldcrests and 7 chiffchaffs. The tit flock passed through twice in the 45 minutes I stood there but no sight nor sound of the yellow-browed. Bound to be here somewhere.

I then went to the west side of the quarry; a few chiffs and crests feeding (presumably the same birds) but again no sign of the ybw. 14 blackbirds, 2 coal tits, a grey wagtail and 10 siskins east were the only other birds of note.

This whole area looks fantastic. A comparatively small sycamore wood with spurs along the quarry edge and excellent banks of ivy hanging over the quarry faces, as well as thickets of dog wood, wild rose, bramble, traveller's joy etc, and opening southward to the sea, with corridors of sycamores no doubt bringing birds up after their arrival on the coast below. It'll repay regular scrutiny.

At 8.43am I went just west to Old Shute Copse, another small sycamore clump on Ocean View Road. A long-tailed tit flock here was probably the same as that down at the quarry, but again no sign of the ybw. 3 chiffs, 2 goldcrests, 5 blackbirds and a song thrush were the highlights. Trawling the birds was curtailed by a sudden downpour.....

Wood pigeons and, finally, a ybw!

With a nippy, light NW breeze and the threat of rain, I opted to head up the garden first thing rather than stomp off down to St Lawrence. At 6.30 I picked up the first party of 20 wood pigeons heading west along the coast, at head height (the garden sits a couple of hundred feet above the town, 1000m from the sea, giving excellent views across the town and inland up onto Ventnor Downs). Soon it was clear that an awful lot of wood pigeons were on the move, with parties in the low hundreds passing west every minute or two. By 8am, and after a couple of 1000+ strong flocks, I'd counted an impressive 13,096 woodies!

Otherwise vis mig was a bit of a non-event: 17 redwings, 3 field fairs, 5 song thrushes, and just one brambling being the garden highlights.

By mid-day the drizzle had eased so I decided to head down Ocean View Rd to check out the small sycamore wood on Old Station Rd, Upper Ventnor. This area is ever popular with tit flocks and looks perfect for rare warblers. I headed up the path that skirts the west edge of the old quarry that at one time contained Ventnor railway station. Having clocked a couple of chiffs and goldcrests, I followed the path round to the back of the old Terminus Pub. Here I encountered a party of 14 goldcrests and 8 chiffs. I soon got onto a striped leaf warbler - at bloody last (I've been grilling every crest and tit flock for days now in search of one of these beauties!). It got me going, being very frosty-shouldered with washed out wing bars. Although yellow-browed was most likely, I couldn't exclude Humes. Then it called, twice - yep, a standard YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER!

By now one really needs to double check as Humes warblers tend to appear later than the peak for yellow-browed - end of October/November. I alerted Andy Butler and other island birders. Andy got to see the bird with long-tailed tits just over on the west path, with a smart firecrest too. The ybw called again a couple of times.

So aside from wood pigeons, a quiet day for visible migration but finally one of my favourite warblers shows itself.

To follow

27 October, 2012

Steep Hill Down
Pied Wagtail: 1
Chaffinch: 16
Blackbird: 7
Meadow Pippit: 6
Redpoll: 4
Goldfinch: 32
Goldcrest: 3
Linnet: 4
Siskin: 1

Whitwell Road
Redpoll: 9
Chiffchaff: 1
Starling: 2
Chaffinch: 26
Blackbird:7
Goldfinch: 5
Meadow Pippit: 3
Linnet: 8
Wood Pigeon: 118
Redwing: 1
Pied Wagtail: 2
Siskin: 2
Song Thrush: 3

Pelham
Pied Wagtail: 6
Meadow Pipit: 9
Chaffinch: 49
Brambling: 2
Chiffchaff: 13
Blackbird: 30
Jay: 7
Wood Pigeon: 217
Skylark: 4
Linnet: 5
Song Thrush: 7
Siskin: 12
Goldcrest: 10
Goldfinch: 10
*Ring Ouzel: 1
Blackcap: 1
Raven: 1

Bank End Farm
Meadow Pippit: 1
Pied Wagtail: 1
Chaffinch: 3
Siskin: 21
Goldcrest: 5
Jay; 1
Brambling: 1
Chiffchaff: 1
Chaffinch: 10

Woolverton/Woody Bay
Wood Pigeon: 260
Chaffinch: 20
Jay: 1
Meadow Pippit: 3
Grey Wagtail: 1
Piel Wagtail: 5
Linnet: 5
Gold Finch 55

Battery Fields
Redpoll: 1
Siskin: 1
Wood Pigeon: 623
Meadow Pippit: 19
Goldfinch: 33
Song Thrush: 2
Skylark:7
Blackbird: 6
Linnet: 14
Grey Wagtail: 1
Jay: 4
Chaffinch: 10
Chiffchaff: 3

Binnel Bay
Black Redstart: 2
Chiffchaff: 1
Pied Wagtail: 1
Linnet: 5
Skylark: 1
Meadow Pippit: 1
Wood Pigeon: 35
Blackbird: 2

St. Lawrence Shute
Redwing: 2
Jay: 4
Song Thrush: 5
Skylark 3
Wood Pigeon: 251
Blackbird: 19
Chaffinch: 19
Meadow Pippit: 1
Siskin: 1
Linnet: 1
Goldcrest: 1
Goldfinch: 29

Shute Field
Wood Pigeon: 70
Linnet: 30
Skylark: 2

Steep Hill Woods (little pax)
Pied Wagtail: 6
Jay: 2
Wood Pigeon: 27
Linnet: 2

St. Albans
Blackbird: 5
Meadow Pippit: 1
Goldfinch: 2
Pied Wagtail: 1
Linnet: 10

A chilly, gusty north-easterly wind with cloud and fog early on, but dry.

In need of a chill, I went up onto Steephill Down initially, at 7.55am, getting the following:

Chaffinch: 9
Goldcrest: 3
Goldfinch: 15
Chiffchaff: 5
Blackbird: 19
Ring ouzel: 1
Pied wagtail: 2
Linnet: 1
Song thrush: 5
Hobby: 1
Meadow pipit: 2
Redwing: 1

A walk west along Whitwell Road produced:

Song thrush: 1
Blackbird: 4
Redwing: 1
Woodpigeon: 15
Goldfinch: 2
Chaffinch: 1
Chiffchaff: 1

Two visits to Pelham Wood produced:

Golden plover: 2 east
Ring ouzel: 1
Chiffchaff: 11
Pied wagtail: 1
Meadow pipit: 13
Blackbird: 30
Jay: 5
Song thrust: 1
Goldcrest: 20
Chaffinch: 16
Song thrush: 4

I then dropped down into St Lawrence. Along the road above Bank End Farm, I recorded:

Meadow pipit: 6
Chaffinch: 3
Siskin: 5
Linnet: 1
Blackbird: 3
Pied wagtail: 1
Jay: 1
Chiffchaff: 3
Goldcrest: 2

Around Woolverton Road and Woody Head:

Chaffinch: 10
Redwing: 5
Pied wagtail: 8
Chiffchaff: 1
Linnet: 8
Blackbird: 4
Meadow pipit: 4
Grey wagtail: 1
Mistle thrush: 1
Starling: 50
Goldfinch: 8
Jay: 4
Brent goose: 3
Gannet: 9

The fantastic steam above Binnel Bay held:

Chiffchaff: 11
Goldcrest: 18
Skylark: 1
Chaffinch: 5
Song thrush: 1
Grey wagtail: 1
Siskin: 6
Firecrest: 1

Birds in/over the St Lawrence Shute area (a real sun trap):

Blackbird: 6
Jay: 1
Goldcrest: 9
Skylark: 1
Chiffchaff: 1
Song thrust: 5
Chaffinch: 2

Old Shute (off Ocean View Road) at 1.20pm produced:

Lapwing: 40 west (good record for Ventnor.....)
Blackbird: 2
Song thrush: 2
Meadow pipit: 15 (all north)
Siskin 1
Goldcrest: 2

In the afternoon, there were 60+ house martins feeding over the town, with 6 song thrushes in St Caths churchyard, a chiffchaff on Southgrove Rd, 5 chiffchaffs, 9 blackbirds and two song thrushes around The Grove car park, and nothing at all on Bellevue Road on my way home at dusk!

26 October,2012

Steephill
Chaffinch: 9
Gold Crest: 3
Goldfinch: 15
Chiffchaff: 5
Blackbird: 19
*Ring Ouzel: 1
Pied Wagtail: 2
Linnet: 1
Song Thrush:5
Hobby: 1
Meadow Pippit: 2
Redwing: 1

Whitwell Road
Song Thrush: 1
Blackbird: 4
Redwing: 1
Wood Pigeon: 15
Goldfinch: 2
Chaffinch: 1
Chiffchaff: 1

Pelham
Chiffchaff:5
Pied Wagtail: 1
Meadow Pippit: 13
Blackbird: 30
Jay: 5
Song Thrush: 5
Goldcrest: 20
Chaffinch: 23
*Ring Ouzel: 1

Bank End Farm
Meadow Pippitt: 6
Chaffinch: 3
Siskin: 5
Linnet: 1
Blackbird 3
Pied Wagtail:1
Jay:1
Chiffchaff: 3
Goldcrest: 2

Woolverton/Woody Bay
Grey Wagtail: 1
Chaffinch: 10
Redwing: 5
Pied Wagtail: 7
Chiffchaff: 1
Linnet: 7
Blackbird: 4
Meadow Pippit: 3
Mistle Thrush: 1
Starling: 50
Goldfinch: 8
Jay: 4

Battery Fields
Brent Goose: 3
Gannet: 9
Pied Wagtail: 1
Linnet: 1
Meadow Pippit: 1

Binnel Bay Glen
Chiffchaff: 11
Goldcrest: 18
Skylark: 1
Song Thrush: 1
Siskin: 6
Chaffinch: 5
Grey Wagtail: 1
* Firecrest: 1

St. Lawrence Wood & Shute
Blackbird: 1
Jay: 1
Goldcrest: 8
Skylark: 1
Chiffchaff: 1
Song Thrush: 5
Blackbird: 5
Chaffinch:2

Old Shute
Blackbird: 2
Song Thrush: 2
Meadow Pippit: 15
Siskin:1
Goldcrest: 2
Lapwing: 40

Ventnor Town Centre
House Martin: 60+
Song Thrush: 6
Chiffchaff: 1

The Grove
Chiffchaff: 5
Blackbird: 9
Song Thrush: 2

A mild, misty start with a light north-easterly.

I started out at down at Woody Head, meeting Ian Riddett and Ian Outlaw with a view to re-locating the red-foot which, luckily, we did (or rather Ian R did, with me seeing it briefly and Ian O missing it as he pulled his camera out of his bag...). Needless to say that was the last that was seen of it.

I remained in the area until mid-day, clocking the following:

Wood pigeon: 504
Linnet: 148
Goldfinch: 1182
Ring ouzel: 1
Siskin: 46
Meadow pipit: 57
Chaffinch: 219
Pied wagtail: 69
Starling: 79
Song thrush: 11
Blackbird: 36
Robin: 20
Swallow: 42
Little egret: 1
Grey wagtail: 2
Skylark: 8
Razerbill: 1
Goldcrest: 2
Chiffchaff: 6
Kestrel: 1 female
Blackcap: 1 male
Redwing: 1

Not such a bad morning. I then walked east from Woody Head to Ventnor, getting:

Chiffchaff: 4
Goldcrest: 2
Starling: 21
Linnet: 20
Grey wagtail: 1
Meadow pipit: 1
Black redstart: 1 (in Castle Cove)

In Ventnor Park.....

Chiffchaff: 1
Blackbird: 1

And on Bath Road:

Blackbird: 1
Chiffchaff: 2
Goldcrest: 1
Pied wagtail: 3

At The Grove:

Chiffchaff: 2
Song thrush: 1
Chaffinch: 1

Southgrove Road:

Blackbird: 1
Chaffinch: 5

Coombe Bottom:

Blackbird: 1
Song thrush: 1
Chaffinch: 1
Black redstart: 1

Around town:

Black redstart: 5
Chiffchaff: 3
Meadow pipit: 2
Pied wagtail: 9
Blackbird: 3

24th October

Having spent the last few days working around Ventnor sites, counting visible migration, I decided to head for St Lawrence - and am very pleased I did!

Starting at Steephill Down, I heard the distinctive ring ouzel call from up to my right, the tussocky, ungrazed downland above the golf course lane. I walked closer to watch as five smart ring ouzels lepped up onto patches of bramble and low hawthorns! Nice start.

I then hurried down Whitwell Road and into Pelham Wood where, in the murk of fog little was in evidence so I decided to hurry on to St Lawrence.

I headed down Woolverton Road and on to the path that cuts through the Glass Centre. As I skirted round the back towards the path that leads down to the top end of Puckaster Cove glen, a small pipit flew low straight over my head and called once - a drawn out, psiih, something vaguely yellow-wag about it but not at all like that if you get my drift! I sort of knew what it was and only confirmed this later when I headed back to listen to bird calls. A nice RED-THROATED PIPIT! I then phoned the news into Birdguides (not yet having any local birder phone numbers). An island tick for me....

I carried on west to Puckaster Glen where 14 chiffchaffs and 7 goldcrests fed in the sallows and willows over the stream.

Moving on, I sat briefly at Puckaster Cove enjoying the on-going viz mig (more details of which to follow), then on, east along the cliff top. After about 200m, I got onto a small falcon sheltering on a ledge at the top of the cliff face. Through bins, it was clearly a RED-FOOTED FALCON! It took off pretty much immediately but luckily showed at various points, drifting a bit further east as I sneaked up on it. After about half an hour I cut inland across the fields to avoid flushing it, called Birdguides and the two birder's numbers I do actually have, then headed as quickly as possible back home to do a web search for other contact details. I also listened to pipit calls, so confirming the red-throated, then headed back to St Lawrence where I re-located the falcon, this time sitting on one of the rocky outcrops in the cliff-top fields. I spotted it too late and again flushed it, whereupon it drifted back to perch on a cliff ledge. It then dropped east out of view, so I again decided to cut inland to avoid disturbing it and await the unlikely arrival of other observers. Ian Riddett did appear as did another Ian who's second name escapes me, but we failed to re-locate the bird by dusk.

Hopefully it'll remain for tomorrow.....

Incidentally, I had what was probably the pipit fly east calling at the coastguards some time between 3 and 4 (just before Ian arrived).

With a persistent east-north-east breeze and fog all day visibility was rather limited, but visible migration was exciting. Highlights included counts of 267 redwings, 230 song thrushes and 375 blackbirds, most coming in off the sea and dropping into gardens from the fog bank, with many continuing east or north inland. One blackbird was watched pursued by herring gulls as it skimmed over the sea and narrowly made it to shore, but a second was less fortunate, being harried into the water and set upon by a herring and black-headed gull. It was stunning to watch parties of thrushes emerge from the fog all along Horseshore Bay and the above counts are a tiny fraction of the numbers that surely arrived given very limited visibility.

A firecrest was in St Boniface churchyard with a 1st winter ring ouzel at St Albans Steps and a single fieldfair flew east.

A single hobby flew west past La Falaise whilst four black redstarts put in an appearance along the Ventnor sea front. Chiffchaff numbers have fallen off, with 74 around town.

A golden plover flew over my garden in Upper Ventnor shortly after dawn.

Monday 22nd October

After the viz mig excitement of the last couple of days, today dawned foggy and predictably a lot quieter, in spite of the east-north-east breeze.

 

Migrants heading north inland or east along the coast over Ventnor included:

 

366 chaffinches

27 meadow pipits

38 goldfinches

34  song thrushes

8 linnets

65 starlings

13 pied wagtails

1 skylark

1 crossbill

17 siskins

2 bramblings

2 redwings

 

 

2 firecrests (Ventnor Park)

80  chiffchaff

3f, 2m blackcap

21 goldcrests

46 blackbirds

1 Sandwich tern

 

 

 

 

 

 

Woody Head
Wood Pigeon: 330
Linnet: 40
Goldfinch: 260
* Ring Ouzel: 1
Siskin: 35
Meadow Pippit: 15
Chaffinch: 130
Red Foot: 1
Pied Wagtail: 2
Starling: 4
Song Thrush: 2
Blackbird: 23
Robin: 20

Woody Bay
Goldfinch: 305
Pied Wagtail: 3
Linnet: 38
Wood Pigeon: 30
Swallow: 7
Meadow Pippit: 3
Siskin: 1
Little Egret: 1
Chaffinch: 1
Grey Wagtail: 1
Starling: 10

Woody Bay/Battery Fields
Goldfinch: 317
Meadow Pippit: 12
Swallow20
Skylark: 6
Chaffinch: 70
Wood Pigeon: 122
Pied Wagtail: 25
Linnet: 33
Starling: 65
Siskin: 10
Songthrush: 3
Razorbill: 1

Puckaster Glen
Blackbird: 7
Goldcrest: 1
Swallow: 5
Meadow Pippits: 5
Chaffinch: 8
Pied Wagtail: 1
Goldfinch: 9
Kestrel: 1
Songthrush: 3
Skylark: 2
Blackcap: 1

West Fields
Meadow Pippit: 7
Goldcrest: 1
Song Thrush: 2
Chaffinch: 14
Blackbird: 3
Grey Wagtail: 1
Redwing: 1
Swallow:10
Goldfinch: 10
Pied Wagtail: 1

Woolerton/Woody Bay
Blackbird: 3
Meadow Pippit: 13
Chaffinch: 2
Song Thrush: 1
Goldfinch: 76
Kestrel: 1
Pied Wagtail: 4
Linnet: 70

Woody Bay/Ventnor
Chaffinch: 1
Goldcrest: 2
Starling: 21
Linnet: 20
Grey Wagtail: 1
Meadow Pippit: 2Black Redstart: 1

Ventnor Park
Chiffchaff: 1
Blackbord: 1

Bath Road
Blackbird: 1
Chiffchaff: 1

Grosvenor Road
Chiffchaff: 1
Goldcrest: 1
Pied Wagtail: 3

The Grove
Chiffchaff: 2
Song Thrush: 1
Chaffinch: 1

South Green

Blackbird: 1
Chaffinch: 5

Penn
Blackbird: 1
Song Thrush; 1
Chaffinch: 1

Garden
Yellow Wagtail: 5

Rex/Wintergardens
Swallow: 1000
Meadow Pippit: 50
Grey Wagtail: 1
Wheatear: 1

Ventnor
Hirund: 50
Phyl 3

Bonchurch Down
Whitethroat: 6
Hirund: 565
Spotted Flycatcher: 8
Redstart: 2Phyl: 7
Wheatear: 2
Meadow Pippit: 1

Steephill Down
Garden Warbler: 1
Whitethroat: 2
Blackcap: 2
Dartford Warbler: 1
Redstart: 1

13 September

La Falaise to Flowers Brook
Hirund: 50

Botanic Gardens:
Hirund: 5
Phyl: 1

Orchard to Woody Bay
Hirund: 163
Moorhen:1
Yellow Wagtail: 50
Phyl: 2
Meadow Pippits: 2
Chiffchaff: 2

Woolverton
Hirund: 91
Chafffinch: 3

Sl Shute
Hirund: 1050
Robin: 2
Blackbird: 1

23 September, 2012

Woody Head
Wood Pigeon: 330
Linnet: 40
Goldfinch: 260
* Ring Ouzel: 1
Siskin: 35
Meadow Pippit: 15
Chaffinch: 130
Red Foot: 1
Pied Wagtail: 2
Starling: 4
Song Thrush: 2
Blackbird: 23
Robin: 20

Woody Bay
Goldfinch: 305
Pied Wagtail: 3
Linnet: 38
Wood Pigeon: 30
Swallow: 7
Meadow Pippit: 3
Siskin: 1
Little Egret: 1
Chaffinch: 1
Grey Wagtail: 1
Starling: 10

Woody Bay/Battery Fields
Goldfinch: 317
Meadow Pippit: 12
Swallow20
Skylark: 6
Chaffinch: 70
Wood Pigeon: 122
Pied Wagtail: 25
Linnet: 33
Starling: 65
Siskin: 10
Songthrush: 3
Razorbill: 1

Puckaster Glen
Blackbird: 7
Goldcrest: 1
Swallow: 5
Meadow Pippits: 5
Chaffinch: 8
Pied Wagtail: 1
Goldfinch: 9
Kestrel: 1
Songthrush: 3
Skylark: 2
Blackcap: 1

West Fields
Meadow Pippit: 7
Goldcrest: 1
Song Thrush: 2
Chaffinch: 14
Blackbird: 3
Grey Wagtail: 1
Redwing: 1
Swallow:10
Goldfinch: 10
Pied Wagtail: 1

Woolerton/Woody Bay
Blackbird: 3
Meadow Pippit: 13
Chaffinch: 2
Song Thrush: 1
Goldfinch: 76
Kestrel: 1
Pied Wagtail: 4
Linnet: 70

Woody Bay/Ventnor
Chaffinch: 1
Goldcrest: 2
Starling: 21
Linnet: 20
Grey Wagtail: 1
Meadow Pippit: 2Black Redstart: 1

Ventnor Park
Chiffchaff: 1
Blackbord: 1

Bath Road
Blackbird: 1
Chiffchaff: 1

Grosvenor Road
Chiffchaff: 1
Goldcrest: 1
Pied Wagtail: 3

The Grove
Chiffchaff: 2
Song Thrush: 1
Chaffinch: 1

South Green

Blackbird: 1
Chaffinch: 5

Penn
Blackbird: 1
Song Thrush; 1
Chaffinch: 1
Black Redstart: 1

Ventnor Town Centre
Black Redstart: 3
Chiffchaff: 1

East Cliff: Black Readstart: 2
Meadow Pippit:2
Chiffchaff: 2
Pied Wagtail: 4

Castle Grove
Blackbird: 3

Woody Coastguards
Redwing

Welcome