Our first two Yellow-browed Warblers of the year showed reasonably well in the Farm Wood this morning. The other highlight include a Dartford Warbler, briefly along Kingsdown Leas.
Other than these notable birds there wasn't a lot to get excited about. There were around 70 Chiffchaffs, 12 Blackcaps, 90 Barn Swallows, 11 House Martins, 15 Stonechats.
Brendan, Phil, Richard and Nigel
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| Yellow-browed Warblers in Farm Wood |
A light SE wind resulted in a promising start with Chiffchaffs seemingly everywhere amd a final count of around 142. 14 Blackcaps were also recorded. There had been a small arrival of Song Thrushes (8) and Dunnocks (21) were more obviously than usual. A single Whinchat was associating with 12 Stonechats on the clifftop, while overhead there were three Grey Wagtails, 16 Pied/White Wagtails, four Bramblings. Small numbers of Skylarks were trickling through all morning.
More detail on eBird https://ebird.org/checklist/S197428397
Brendan
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| Whinchat |
A blustery NE wind made viewing quite difficult at time and apart from the first Ring Ouzel of the autumn there was little of note. Only 12 Chiffchaffs were recorded along with one Blackcap, four Goldcrests and a Firecrests.
Jack and Simon spent the morning sea watching in the bay
Brendan
A light northerly wind offered a little hope of some improvement in migrants but it was not to be! Best of the day was an increase in Stonechats, with 18 together along the clifftop. The only warblers recorded were 42 Chiffchaffs and five Blackcaps. Other birds of not included five Goldcrests, two Firecrests, 16 Siskins ( probably more -most were heard only), three Bramblings and a single Golden Plover. At sea 220 Brents flew south in a single flock
Tomorrow may be better
Brendan
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| Stonechat |
A strong south or SW wind induced us to spent some time looking at the sea today. Phil tried in the morning but the visibility was poor so we reconvened after the rain in the early afternoon. In two hours from the blockhouse in the bay we recorded seven Arctic Skuas, 120 Sandwich Terns, two Arctic Terns, two Common Terns, nine Dunlin and a Red-throated Diver
Phil and Brendan
Bockhill was able to contribute a few interesting records to KOS's Bird Migration day. There was a small steady passage of Meadow Pipits (110) and Chaffinches (45) during the first couple of hours plus the odd Skylark (11) moving south. More unusual were at least nine Great Spotted Woodpeckers moving north during the morning. Also moving overhead were at least 10 Grey Wagtail, 9 Pied Wagtails, four Siskins, three Reed Buntings. 18 Barn Swallows went through and a group of around 30 House Martins fed in the lee of the Empty Wood before moving off. Around mid morning there was a little pulse of Common Buzzards with around 15 seen coming in and heading inland.
There were few grounded migrants and a reduction in warblers from earlier in the week. In all 108 Chiffchaffs were recorded along with 23 Blackcaps and a single Whitethroat. There were at least eight Stonechats along the Clifftop and another three in the Freedown. A Whinchat appeared briefly near the Freedown mid morning before heading inland. The only other migrants recorded were three Firecrests and three Goldcrests.
Jack, Simon, Brendan, Richard and Nigel
Overhead this morning were good numbers of hirundines feeding across the fields again whilst over 500 Meadow Pipits flew W.
Around the area were 12 Stonechats, a Wheatear, 2 Spotted flycatchers, 55 Blackcaps, a Whitethroat and 145 Chiffchaffs.
At 11:00 we were soaked in a heavy shower and decided to go to the shelter in the Bay. After coffee we started a seawatch at 11:30 lasting until 16:30. In this time, with birds all moving S, we had up to 2500 Gannets, 2 Great Skuas, a Pomarine Skua, 26 Arctic Skuas and a Manx Shearwater. Apart from these there were 100 Kittiwakes, 150 Mediterranean Gulls and, incoming, 2 Kestrels and 3[possibly 6] Hobbys.
Up to 5 Harbour Porpoises feeding just offshore.
Jamie, Phil, Richard, Simon, Jack.
Large falls of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps had been reported from other Kent sites yesterday and it was clear that Bockhill had shared in this influx with 165 Chiffchaffs and 64 Blackcaps recorded this morning. However conditions were not good, windy and heavy rains so the true numbers were probably double these counts.
Other highlights included single Hobby, Grasshopper Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher and Tree Pipit. Other warblers included 3 Whitethroats and Two Lessers.
There was a reasonable movement of Meadow Pipits (460) and Swallows (350) in the first hour.
Brendan
Today again there were hirundines feeding over the entire area but not in quite the same numbers, perhaps 50,000. Other birds included a Black Redstart, 5 Yellow Wagtails, 11 Reed Buntings and 23 Chiffchaffs.
On the sea were 89 Mediterranean Gulls, 14 Sandwich Terns and 2 Brent Geese moving South.
Phil, Simon, Jack.
Today on arrival we saw literally thousands of hirundines moving across the entire area, counting was very difficult but we had at least 40,000 Swallows, 25,000 House Martins and 150 Sand Martins. At about 09:00 the Monument became covered with 2000 House Martins clinging to the stonework, this happens most years but never ceases to amaze.
Warblers are now not in big numbers and we only had 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 1 Reed Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 29 Blackcaps and 31 Chiffchaffs.
Elsewhere in the area was a Merlin, Osprey, Honey Buzzard, 5 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 3 Wheatears and a Spotted Flycatcher.
Flyovers included 350 Meadow Pipits, 7 Yellow Wagtails, a Redwing and a Brambling.
There was also a Wryneck found by a visitor in the Paddock,
Nigel, Phil, Richard, Simon, Jack.
A seawatch for two hours this morning produced very little apart from a flock of 8 Balearic Shearwaters flying south at 08:45.
Simon, Jack.
There were fewer grounded migrants today with 6 Blackcaps, 9 Whitethroats, 73 Chiffchaffs and a Spotted Flycatcher. Flyovers mainly moving west included a Tree Pipit, 6 Grey Wagtails, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 40 Meadow Pipits, 900 House Martins and 1100 Swallows,
Nigel, Phil, Jack.
Today was the first time we had good numbers of warblers with over 70 on the beach at Kingsdown, 70 on the Leas at Kingsdown and 40 plus in the Paddock and Farm. The total numbers were 3 Grasshopper warblers, 47 Blackcaps, 10 Lesser Whitethroats, 7 Whitethroats and 146 Chiffchaffs. Other grounded migrants included 5 Stonechats, 1 Whinchat, 2 Wheatears, 6 Firecrests and a Spotted Flycatcher.
Nigel, Phil, Richard, Rob R, Jack.
