Friday 7 September 2012

Portland 7th Sep

Sunny, 24º, light W.
A rather uneventful day migration wise but the Monarch butterfly provided an interesting detour.

Very little movement overhead at dawn, just a few Yellow Wagtails and Tree Pipits.
Most of the immigrant moths and butterflies had also moved off.

Up in the top fields and Culverwell were a few Willow Warblers, two Tree Pipits, three “White” Wagtails, a Stonechat, a couple of Whitethroat, a Blackcap, a Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher, ten plus Wheatear and a Reed Warbler.
Two Spotted Flycatcher and six Willow Warbler in the garden at dusk.

The sea was quiet as well with just six Common Scoter flying east and a Balearic Shearwater feeding offshore.
A couple of the lads staying at the Obs went to Lodmoor to see the Dowitcher today and came back saying it was chaotic and a few fights almost broke out due to the distance of the bird and restricted viewing conditions. When it was eventually located, there was a rush for viewing spots and the inevitable clash of bodies and tripods! That’s twitching for you!

The wall-to-wall sunshine, virtually no cloud cover (day and night) and light winds over the past few days have probably been good for migrating birds but not for finding, them grounded, as they have just been flying over with no need to drop down at Portland.
The only visible migration (Viz-Mig) was left to Hirundines that were obvious through most of the day with an increase in Sand Martins and fair numbers of Swallows and House Martins; also, a Swift went through early afternoon.

Another Convolvulus Hawk Moth caught at Southwell last night by John Lucas (an honorary Oxfordshire and Cholsey birder).
                                           Swallow
                                  Small Copper
Convolvulus Hawk Moth

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