Friday, September 25, 2009

In the Making

A quick morning walk around the Pit Tip Grasslands with my daughter was much the same as yesterday, with four Green Woodpecker, several Meadow Pipit, Jay and Goldfinch. A single Barn Swallow flew low over the Grasslands, and two groups of Pied Wagtail (nine and six birds) flew low south over the Pit Tip Top around 7:15am.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Greylag Flock

A short Pit Tip walk this morning produced a late Barn Swallow over to the south, several Meadow Pipit and Skylark passing through, and a group of five low-flying Pied Wagtail to the south west. A Chiffchaff was singing again, and a flock of forty seven Greylag Goose were flying low, southwards along the Leen Valley.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Autumn Arrives

Teal were in good numbers this morning, with at least twelve at the north end of lake, and smaller groups at the southern end. The first Shoveler of the Autumn (and a year tick) was an eclipse male at the south end, and three Common Snipe were showing on Mud Island. Amongst the 120 or so Black-headed Gull on the water at the north end of the lake was an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull in winter plumage, the first I've ever seen on the lake. It remained throughout the early morning, but had gone by 9:30am.

At least two Kingfisher were present, with a single flying between perches at the north end of the lake, and one bird was being chased up stream by another at Kingfisher Corner. A female Bullfinch was on the ground near Willow Pools, and exactly twenty five Lapwing were in Morris's Field with groups of Black-headed Gull and Jackdaw.

Warblers were still lingering and singing with three Blackcap feeding in elder at Dawson's Corner, Chiffchaff at the Reedbed Boardwalk, and late Willow Warbler at both Leen Pastures and Bestwood Quarry Plateaux. A Willow Tit and a charm of Goldfinch were also at Leen Pastures, and a female Sparrowhawk was on Biffa Bank at the Quarry.

At the Ferny Wood Viewpoint, at least six Common Buzzard were seen soaring in two groups of three high to the north that later joined together to form a group of six. At 1:45pm at least two Common Buzzard were very high over Warren Hill - one being a dark morph adult bird.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Lucky Charm

Another Pit Top visit before work produced much of the same species typically seen in the area. This included a resident Meadow Pipit flock of around ten birds, flyover Black-headed Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull (N and ESE respectively), a female Sparrowhawk hunting around the Plantation, and at least four Green Woodpecker - including two juveniles. At Dawson's Corner, a female Blackcap was seen feeding in the alders by the west entrance gate, and on my way to the bus stop a single group of at least sixty Goldfinch were seen just south of the Pit Tip.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Standing Room Only

A pretty dismal morning bird-wise. Barely nothing moving over the Pit Tip, so headed to Lamin's Lane, and got more of nothing. Can't complain about the sunny calm weather, but it has a tendency to be bad for birding! Highlight was a pair of juvenile Common Pheasant stood - yes stood - on a metal gate along Lamin's Lane. Would of made a great photo, but I wasn't quick enough and just caught the second one falling off.

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Vis. Mig. Again

Yet more vis. mig. this morning before work, but notably reduced movements. Most of the usual suspects sticking around on the Pit Tip. A small Meadow Pipit passage SSW, with only a handful sticking on the Grassland. The most notable movements were hirundines, as a dozen Barn Swallow were hawking insects over the Pit Tip Top with twenty House Martin, and a forty of the latter high over to the south in one group.

Saturday, September 05, 2009

Vis. Mig. Hit

Another try at vis. migging on this Pit Tip this morning proved slightly more successful with two Sand Martin low over heading south, and singles of Common Whitethroat and Chiffchaff stuck down. Good numbers of Meadow Pipit were moving with a fairly decent fortyish birds on the Grassland and another ten straight over south. Also of note were a female Sparrowhawk being mobbed by two Magpie in the Plantation, a single Kestrel hunting low over the Pit Tip Top, a juvenile Green Woodpecker alarm calling from the Planatation, and my first Skylark since they stopped singing.

Friday, September 04, 2009

Vis. Mig. Miss

Very poor vis. mig. over the Pit Tip before work this morning, with little but a couple of Lesser Black-backed Gull passing over. On the deck there were 11 Meadow Pipit, and late singing males of Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler(!). At Ferny Wood, at least three Sparrowhawk were seen distantly from the watchpoint 'playing' over Crimea Wood.