some cloud early, mainly sunny, blue skies. light W.
Yellowhammer - 2
Rook - 1
Rock Pipit - 1
L.a.argentatus Herring Gull - 1 ad.
visible migration:
Fieldfare - 3 (1st of autumn)
Woodpigeon - 2210
Jackdaw - 77
Starling - 170
Redwing - 67
Chaffinch - 66
Meadow Pipit - 19
Brambling - 22
Greenfinch - 25
Siskin - 8
Reed Bunting - 6
Collared Dove - 20+
Stock Dove - 7
Goldfinch - 10
also:
Common Gull - 2
Shoveler - 27
Herring Gull - 13
Lbb Gull - 8
another day, another new site species, and another heavy flow of visible migration. The highlight of the day was undoubtedly the pair of Yellowhammers, which came in from the north, and kindly circled the reservoir at head height before thinking better of it and leaving south-east. A second record of Rook for the year came with a single flying west with a group of 32 Jackdaws, and another Rock Pipit flew southwest (amazingly, the fifth of the month, and the fifth ever for the site).
The first three Fieldfares flew north-west with several Redwings, the latter totalling 67 (the third highest count of the month so far); Woodpigeons, streaming over in a constant flow at one point for more than 15 minutes, totalled 2210 - the highest count recorded on site. Finches continue to keep attentions focused with 22 Bramblings (another record count) and eight Siskins being the highlights.
Conversely, the Reservoirs themselves are very quiet. The West Res. is little more than an ecological ghetto, and the East - while holding all the usual wildfowl - has produced little of note recently. Herring Gulls were comparitively numerous today, with an adult scandinavian bird on the gull rings (the first of the autumn).
(Jackdaws heading west. The Rook is towards the top of the flock, really....)