Monday 17 August 2015

17th August


Dry today with a brisk north-easterly wind, the nets were quiet but did include a smart Wood Warbler and a Spotted Flycatcher (the first one caught this autumn); the main feature of the day however was a good Goose movement with 2,785 Greylag Geese heading south with most of them passing in the first few hours of the day.   A few waders flocks were also moving as well as 70+ Swifts moving south offshore with 3 Peregrines and single Kestrel and Merlin also at sea but good numbers of waders were around including 53 Lapwings, 17 Ruff and 45+ Snipe while in Vågsvollvika there were now 3 Little Stints with 120 Dunlin.

                The coast was busier than yesterday with increased totals of 300+ Dunlin, 25 Knot, 6 Sanderling, another 4 Little Stints, 2 Spotted Redshanks, 125+ Redshank, 32+ Greenshank, 27 Common Sandpipers, 12 Turnstone and 90+ Teal while a few oddities included a single Grey Plover, a redhead Goosander and 2 Goldeneye all being hunted by 3 more Peregrines, a Merlin, a couple of Kestrels and 5+ Sparrowhawks.

                There was little to mention inland with 4 Whinchats, a couple of Yellow Wagtails and a build-up of 150+ Swallows.
 
Wood Warbler

Spotted Flycatcher


Little Stint

Redshank



Dunlin

Plenty of raptor action today including this Sparrowhawk with the remains of a Common Sandpiper


And this incoming Peregrine

There's always a bigger fish though, I'm guessing that a Goshawk was responsible for this half-eaten Sparrowhawk
 

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