GEDSER - 17th August

The excellent conditions continued but by the law of diminishing returns there were again fewer birds in the nets (the strengthening wind in the afternoon did affect this though) however we still managed a very good 161 new birds through the day including 2 Wrynecks and a juvenile Red-backed Shrike in amongst the usual spread of common migrants which today were headlined by 9 Redstarts, 9 Marsh Warblers, 7 Reed Warblers, 3 Icterine Warblers, 22 Lesser Whitethroats, 21 Whitethroats, 14 Garden Warblers, 6 Blackcaps, 38 Willow Warblers and 17 Pied Flycatchers.

                The Barred Warbler gave very brief flight views a couple of times while one of yesterday’s Thrush Nightingales and one of the Common Rosefinches were still in the garden; 2 Spotted Redshanks, 20+ Golden Plover and quite a few Tree Pipits were the highlights overhead.   A walk north along the coast late afternoon produced a few migrants with 2 Red-backed Shrikes, a few Wheatears, Tree Pipit and Spotted Flycatcher while offshore (even though I wasn’t really looking properly) 48 Dunlin, 15 Knot and a trickle of Common Terns went south, a Heron came in and 10+ Common Sandpipers, 6 Ringed Plovers and a Turnstone were on the beach.  

A Sparrowhawk was the only raptor that was in any way interested in heading south and even this bottled it when she got to the point and went back north again (needless to say there was no sign of yesterday’s Short-toed Eagle which went south at Falsterbo in Sweden!).

While there were plenty of birds around, nothing really leapt out in front of the camera so here's an adult Lesser Whitethroats tail with the bright white tips extending inwards almost to the centre; its the first fully moulted adult we have caught this autumn so far.   The first fully moulted adult Common Whitethroat was also caught today