The feast of migrants of the last few days has given way to, well, nothing! I did have a couple of redstarts and five Phyloscs on Steephill this morning, and someone reported the wryneck as still present at 7.40am. And a cool and drizzle-soaked Nansen produced eight spot flies and a redstart, with a further two spot flies in the Landslip below SSmuggler's Haven, but it's really not happening.
Friday, 30 August 2013
Wednesday, 21 August 2013
redstart fest
Had a walk up through Combe Bottom early evening, clocking five redstarts in the base of the vale, with a party of ten gathered in the sun in hawthorns on The Rim.
I then checked the bracken bowl, and was soon surrounded by 10 redstarts calling in unison, with another five quiet ones! Also a single wheatear.
Ventnor Cemetery produced one further wheatear, with another five plus on Steep hill!
36+ redstarts can't be bad.
I then checked the bracken bowl, and was soon surrounded by 10 redstarts calling in unison, with another five quiet ones! Also a single wheatear.
Ventnor Cemetery produced one further wheatear, with another five plus on Steep hill!
36+ redstarts can't be bad.
Saturday, 17 August 2013
Blustery
The weather has turned rather windy, with grey cloud blown in by a sou-wester and drizzle on and off
Had a smart female redstart and five odd phyloscs in the garden first thing. Willow warblers have been a daily fixture over the last couple of weeks, and two launched themselves south from the garden over the roof-tops. Clearly there's an urge to keep moving.
Up on the downs, an invisible yellow wag flew south over The Rim calling. Five whitethroats and c.30 phyloscs livened up the bowl. Another birder reported a whinchat, three wheatears and two redstarts.
Had a smart female redstart and five odd phyloscs in the garden first thing. Willow warblers have been a daily fixture over the last couple of weeks, and two launched themselves south from the garden over the roof-tops. Clearly there's an urge to keep moving.
Up on the downs, an invisible yellow wag flew south over The Rim calling. Five whitethroats and c.30 phyloscs livened up the bowl. Another birder reported a whinchat, three wheatears and two redstarts.
Tuesday, 13 August 2013
Autumn 2013
Having experienced a pretty stunning late autumn migration in Ventnor in 2012, I'm now back in Ventnor to see how the early autumn compares......
Bit busier...
There was a definite autumnal feel in the air as I walked down Zig Zag Road at around 7am this morning. There was a small tit flock at The Grove with a couple of Phyloscs - so far this autumn this area (so good in late autumn last year) has been devoid of birds).
Walking on through town, two willow warblers were calling from the Winter Gardens. This area looks fantastic but never gets anything, so these were unexpected.
The East Cliff tamerisks contained c.5 willow warblers, and two lesser whitethroats! As I walked along the path here, a probable pied fly flew up from the cliff face and buried itself in the gardens, with no further sign. The lesser throats and a couple of Phyloscs made off west from the tamerisk gardens, first into the elder clump behind Cowlease bench, then into the Glen, then off towards Wheelers.
Walking on through town, two willow warblers were calling from the Winter Gardens. This area looks fantastic but never gets anything, so these were unexpected.
The East Cliff tamerisks contained c.5 willow warblers, and two lesser whitethroats! As I walked along the path here, a probable pied fly flew up from the cliff face and buried itself in the gardens, with no further sign. The lesser throats and a couple of Phyloscs made off west from the tamerisk gardens, first into the elder clump behind Cowlease bench, then into the Glen, then off towards Wheelers.
Sunday, 18 November 2012
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 : ) ]
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 : ) ]
Friday, 16 November 2012
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.
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