Random Birding 2008

An early morning wander around SAL was largely quiet, the highlight yet again being the trio of RINGED PLOVERS still giving pornstar views on the smallest lagoon.

Otherwise new or potentially new migrants comprised a Hobby, two Green Sandpipers, a Sedge Warbler, two Lesser Whitethroats and a couple of Spotted Flycatchers. At least eight Reed Warblers included at least one pair feeding very recently fledged young!

A bit of slack updating this week, but the previous three mornings at SAL have been remarkably similar! The highlight being the trio of an adult and two juvenile RINGED PLOVERS found by Colin on Monday which have been present all weeks - my largest count at the site for a long time. In the same vain, the juvenile REDSHANK found by Mike on the weekend has also remained all week. Three Green Sandpipers present on the 2nd were followed by a singleton on 3rd.

Other bits and pieces this week have included up to 14 Teal, two adult Common Terns (2nd), a few Sand Martins, 1-2 White Wagtails, two Yellow Wagtails (1st), 8+ Reed Warblers, one Sedge Warbler (1st), two Lesser Whitethroats (2nd), 15+ Chiffs (1st), two Willow Warblers (2nd).

A very quiet morning on Coploe Hill, visible movement between 06:00-07:50am in overcast conditions and light westerly winds produced a single Grey Heron (E), 1+ Golden Plover (S), 218 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (S/SW), one Great Black-backed Gull (S), 60 Swallows (S), 142 House Martins (S), three Yellow Wagtails, a Grey Wagtail and 33 Meadow Pipits - the latter the first of the autumn.

Giving up with Coploe, I tried a few other sites. The only bird of any real note for the morning was a fine juvenile GARGANEY that was nervously feeding with Mallards on the small fishing pits near Great Chesterford. A look along Grange Road for Whinchats was uneventful - the Moorhen was still present (it's a good bird for here!), whilst my first WHITE WAGTAIL of the autumn was near the grain barns. A flock of 150 Linnets was the largest flock I have seen so far this autumn. 

A wander at Newport later produced very few migrants, a couple of Swifts over the village and two first-winter WHEATEARS in the Trig field being about the best on offer.

Weather conditions appeared to be slightly better for some viz movement at Coploe Hill today with things dawning clear and with just a very light westerly flow. In terms of quantity, there was no real increase in the number of birds moving - but a few bits of quality made up for that. The highlight went to two single TREE PIPITS that went southwards along the ridge. Also of note were eight Cormorants, a Turtle Dove, four Sand Martins, 72 Swallows, 11 Yellow Wagtails and three Grey Wagtails, all south. 

Other things were all very quiet, with the only other really notable bird being an adult female MARSH HARRIER that lingered in and over the stubble fields to the west of the viewpoint between 08:35-09:00am. Also in the area were 8+ Common Buzzards, 3+ Sparrowhawks, 2+ Kestrels and an adult Hobby. The field east of the pit reserve held two Golden Plovers and 35 Lapwings, whilst the hedge along the ridge produced two Whitethroats, two Lesser Whites and four Chiffchaffs. 

Perhaps the most interesting thing of the morning, though unfortunate was the sight of a dead TAWNY OWL on the road near Valace's Farm - the first evidence I have had of this species in the close vicinity to Coploe.

Little else was done during the day, though in the evening at least three Swifts moved southwards over Newport.

A cold and chilly morning on Coploe Hill courtesy of a fresh westerly breeze. The clear conditions did at least give me hope for some early morning movement and it wasn't horrendous with 20 Yellow Wags, a Grey Wag, 45 Swallows and 80 House Martins through between 06:00-09:00am. Still no Mipits though! A couple of Cormorants also flew over, and a flock of seven Tufted Ducks flying east was a very notable site record.

Most of the action of the morning (surprisingly) came from raptors, with the stubble fields west of the watchpoint giving up a female MERLIN on and off during the morning, and a juvenile PEREGRINE crashed around. A couple of Hobbys and 14+ Common Buzzards were also noted. 

Other bits and pieces noted this morning comprised four Golden Plovers and 45 Lapwings east of the road, and a couple of flocks (totalling 400+) Lesser Black-backed Gulls produced a single adult Yellow-legged Gull. Passerines in the hedge by the road included a couple of Whitethroats and three Willow Warblers. 

At Audley End, a solo Barnacle Goose was the only thing of note in a quick look-over early morning.

An early morning search along the Chalk Pit access lane/Trig Field at Newport proved rather uneventful in fresh SW/W winds, with little in the way of migrant activity, bar a Hobby, five Yellow Wags, three Swallows, 3+ Whitethroats, 3+ Lesser Whitethroats, 10+ Blackcaps, three Chiffs and a Willow Warbler.

Scanning from the Trig Point, did at least produce a count of ten Common Buzzards up in the air together!

In the evening, a flock of 50 House Martins charging through in the evening, also contained three Swifts.

A prework visit to SAL was as quiet as it has been all month, with a 'new' juvenile Common Sand being about the only thing worth spending a few moments looking at! A female Shoveler was new for me (though had been around earlier in the week - per CW), with the meagre best of the rest comprising eight Little Grebes, four Teal, three Sand Martins, a Sedge Warbler, eight Reed Warblers and two each of Whitethroat and Blackcap. Noticeable by their absence were phylloscs, with just five Chiffs noted around the site - a sharp decrease on recent visits.

Nearby, a flock of 15 Canada Geese in the stubble field west of the lagoons were probably causing consternation for the airport authorities, whilst a Spotted Flycatcher was along the entrance track to Takeley Church.

A pleasant wake-up call was provided first thing by a fine male REDSTART calling outside my house in Newport. An elusive bugger it moved through adjacent gardens, calling all the time. Perhaps suprisingly, the second Redstart I have had from the house - following a juv that spent a few minutes on the washing line one September afternoon!

An early morning visit to SAL was very unproductive - four Teal, two Common Sands, four Sedge & 6+ Reed Warblers being the slight break from the monotony!

I got up to Coploe Hill for dawn with the clear conditions and light (increasing as the morning progressed) southerly wind, I was hopeful for a few bits and pieces of viz. Surprisingly given the number in the country yesterday, not a single Tripit came through, and still not a single Mipit was noted! Hirundines took pride of place with a trickle of Swallows south all morning totalling 229 between 06:10-09:30am, along with four Swifts, 60 House Martins and most surprisingly, 72 Sand Martins - the latter being the highest ever movement recorded from Coploe. Further movement comprised 18 Golden Plovers (the highest count of the autumn so far), three Turtle Doves, seven Yellow Wagtails and a Grey Wagtail, whilst a number of finches coasting low southwards along the ridge were of interest - notably seven Greenfinches, 35 Goldfinches and 60 Linnets. Most of these were presumably locally dispersing birds, although they surely herald the first real migrants of the autumn that will be cropping up any time now. 

Highlight of the morning was undoubtedly an elusive REDSTART present on the lower slope below the pit, whilst a number of warblers in the roadside hedges comprised 10+ Whitethroats, two Lesser Whitethroats, 3+ Blackcaps and 2+ Willow Warblers. A Song Thrush in the pit was the first for a while, and my second Great Spotted Woodpecker of the autumn moved down the hedge line.

The female HEN HARRIER remained, and was seen on and off throughout the morning, though ranging widely. It appeared to be hunting Red-legged Partridges which hopefully will go unnoticed by the local shooters! The same stubble fields also held a female MARSH HARRIER between 07:55-08:00am and a Hobby, whilst 3+ Sparrowhawks, 8+ Common Buzzards and 2+ Kestrels produced a six raptor morning.

The ploughed fields below the viewpoint continued to hold 300+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 100+ Black-headed Gulls, though just single adult Common Gull and Yellow-legged Gull were present today. A flock of 53 Lapwings and 300+ Starlings were noted.

A return visit to Coploe produced very little else, and very little at all in fact! Five Greylag Geese flew south.