Birding after work on the 1st April produced 16 Sand Martin (94) back at the colony on the cliffs. An early morning visit this morning for a few hours in the Bishopstone area was quite productive with a Nightingale (95) heard at 05:45 singing on and off from bushes on the cliff top. It continued for a while giving short phrases of its song before eventually going quiet. This is a new patch bird for me and one that I wasn't sure I would get any time soon. Other birds noted included 1 male Common Redstart (96) which was showing and feeding on the side of a field, another bonus bird and the first male I have seen here. There were also 2 Greylag Geese west, 6 Shelduck, 2 Grey Partridge, 1 Pheasant, 14 Woodpigeon, 3 Collared Dove, 4 Oystercatcher, 6 Black headed Gull, 1 Mediterranean Gull, c20 Herring Gull, 1 Great Black backed Gull, 3 Great crested Grebe, 4 Cormorant, 1 Little Egret and 1 Grey Heron. Also seen were 3 Rook, 1 Skylark, c49 Sand Martin back at the colony, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Chaffinch and 8 Linnet. I returned again to the area at 10am where I walked up to the pier and back and checked the bushes. The highlight was seeing and hearing a Sedge Warbler (97), the first time I have seen one in Spring here as normally, I catch up with juveniles as they pass through in the Autumn. Also seen were 2 Shelduck, 36 Redshank, 23 Turnstone, 4 Mediterranean Gull, 3 Common Gull, 1 Great Black backed Gull, 2 Lesser Black backed Gull, 3 Great crested Grebe, 14 Cormorant, 1 Little Egret, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Great spotted Woodpecker, c70 sand Martin at the colony on the cliffs, 5 Chiffchaff, 3 Cetti's Warbler, 9 Blackcap, 4 Meadow Pipit, 3 Chaffinch, 8 Linnet and 2 Goldfinch.
Nightingale
Sedge Warbler
Excellent haul Marc. One thing for sure, I'm not going to hear a Nightingale singing up here in the north this spring or any other time.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the rest of the holidays....Pete.