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)

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.......

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

Westerlies and showers with dry sometimes sunny intervals.

Two willow warblers at East Cliffs first thing; 20-odd swifts.

Just five willow warblers and a female blackcap at East Cliffs today, with a male sparrowhawk through there.

Finally the birds are starting to move properly in Ventnor, with a Pylosc flock of 20 odd willow warblers on Zig Zag Road and another 15 willows and chiffchaff and whitethroat at Devonshire Terrace, and three more willows at Wheelers. Ten sand martins headed east with 10 swallows. 60 odd swifts in the area.

It's nice to be back on the island after a few weeks away. Had a quick look down East Cliffs this morning and was rewarded by views of fledgeling blackcaps! There's been a male singing in The Glen for the summer and I clocked an adult female but proving successful breeding is nice.

There were 60+ swifts feeding over Ventnor Heights - presumably a mix of local breeders and early movers hanging around to feed. There was a similar number here yesterday.

Two swallows rushed west past Salisbury Gardens this morning too - a hint of early migration.  

A nice lot of activity around the East Cliffs this morning. At least 30 willow warblers, many in song, chasing each other about in the early (well, 8am!) sun, then shooting inland across roofs of nearby houses. The valley on the cliff by Dudley Road CP was full, with birds moving between this and the tamarisk-hedged gardens. A berry-laden ivy was attended by six blackcaps, and a whitethroat was feeding in blackthorn on the cliff top, with a second near the sun dial. A yellow-wag flew in off a while later and swallows and house martins had started to trickle in off by 10am. The outer breakwater of the Haven had six wheatears - a record count for here I think!

This area - the East Cliffs - consistently fills up with birds when things are moving.