GEDSER - 21st August

A fine, sunny, warm day with a light southerly breeze produced a decent number of birds in the nets through the morning as in amongst 62 new birds were another juvenile Red-backed Shrike, 5 Marsh Warblers, 4 Icterine Warblers and double figures of Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat.   The only birds overhead in the morning were a juvenile Marsh Harrier and a flock of Crossbills which were heard but not seen.

                A walk north of the station in mid-afternoon produced a few raptors in the fine weather with 3 Sparrowhawks, 2 Hobbies, 2 White-tailed Eagles and several Marsh Harriers (although only the Sparrowhawks seemed to be moving south); there were also good numbers of migrants up the coast including counts of 5 Red-backed Shrikes and 21 Whinchats (20 together just north of the station at Birkemose) but the only bird of note offshore was a juvenile Little Tern.

 

Yellow Wagtail - can't really recall seeing one quite like this before, I guess its a 1st year male Blue-headed Wagtail but it is such a variable complex that it can throw all kinds of patterns up

Hobby

Queen of Spain Fritillary