September 2009


	Sightings Archive

Sightings for September 2009

September 30th

The month hardly closed with a bang, as a light northerly breeze and cloud cover stifled much of the expected overhead migration. For example, just 130 Swallow and 40 House Martin during a 4-hour morning session. Linnet, however, bucked the trend and turned in a creditable 370, which for the date is perhaps on the high-side; also 18 Siskin, 130 Goldfinch, 38 Greenfinch, 37 Chaffinch and 65 Reed Bunting. Meanwhile, a flock of 40 Jackdaw, 310 alba Wagtail, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 4 Grey Wagtail and 360 Meadow Pipit passed over the top of Hengistbury. Although direction of movement was a little confused, it could be described as generally eastward. On the deck, the best were easily 2 Firecrest in the Nursery amongst an influx of 17 Goldcrest, but the only other reports from the bushes involve 15 Chiffchaff and 6 Blackcap, while 3 Wheatear were on Crouch Hill. Wader interest was maintained with a Curlew Sandpiper, the Spotted Redshank, a Greenshank, a Whimbrel, a Grey Plover and 14 Bar-tailed Godwit around Stanpit Bight this afternoon, as well as 120 Dunlin, 40 Ringed Plover, 21 Black-tailed Godwit and a few Snipe. Earlier, a Green Sandpiper came in over Hengistbury and a Curlew Sandpiper appeared to leave. A gaggle of 54 Canada Goose and 2 Greylag Goose spent most of the day off South Marsh, Kingfisher were by the HHC and off Fisherman's Bank, a couple of Raven made a quick tour of the area and a Great Crested Grebe was again on the river. Finally, some news has just been received about a wing-tagged Grey Heron seen on East Marsh on 28th June. The bird was ringed in the nest at Cotswold Water Park, Wiltshire, and fledged less than a month before it reached Christchurch.

September 29th

Almost no wind this morning meant that fog was something of an issue. Not least for those on Hengistbury who were trying to connect with a drake Ring-necked Duck that was sat just out from Mother Siller's Channel and showing well from South Marsh. While this is perhaps the most commonly occurring North American duck in the UK, it is the first record for Christchurch Harbour, although a bird of suspect origin that favoured the lower Stour did venture into the area on occasion. There was no visible migration count today, so it's straight to the waders. This evening, Curlew Sandpiper were seen just a few minutes apart from South Marsh and Fisherman's Bank, meaning possibly two birds; also a Ruff and the Spotted Redshank in Stanpit Creek. A couple of Grey Plover were new-in and the Bar-tailed Godwit numbered 11, along with 6 Knot, around 30 Black-tailed Godwit, a day maximum of 120 Dunlin and 2 Ringed Plover. Earlier, in the mid-afternoon, there were three terns off Mudeford Quay, namely an adult Arctic Tern, a Common Tern and a single Sandwich Tern. The few passerine migrants on site were 35 Chiffchaff and 2 Blackcap on Hengistbury, with nothing else reported. As has been suspected, there are in fact 2 Kingfisher using the Wick Hams area, as well as one that favours Fisherman's Bank, and the river held a Gadwall, a Great Crested Grebe and 2 Little Grebe.

Addition: the Chaffinch count has now been confirmed at 69.

September 28th

In reasonably heavy cloud this morning, there was virtually no breeze making for a relatively quiet day, given the date. Nearly all the action was overhead and to the east, the only exceptions being 210 Meadow Pipit and Tree Pipit west, and a Mistle Thrush, 16 Song Thrush and 18 Blackbird north. Also moving over Hengistbury - 5000 House Martin, 1200 Swallow, 115 alba Wagtail, 3 Grey Wagtail, a Yellow Wagtail, 145 Linnet, 63 Greenfinch, 39 Goldfinch, 16 Siskin, 43 Reed Bunting, 14 Jackdaw and 12 Rook. Chaffinch were also travelling, but the actual number has been left off the small piece of paper I was handed earlier. Meanwhile, the bushes held 92 Chiffchaff and 5 Blackcap, but that's it for the grounded migrants. South Marsh, Stanpit, witnessed the rather incredible scene of a jogger lapping the entire perimeter, which flushed 21 Bar-tailed Godwit, 5 Knot and 28 Black-tailed Godwit, amongst hundreds of other birds. The fact that only one Bar-tailed Godwit was recorded at lunchtime is perhaps rather telling! However, on a positive, from Fisherman's Bank, the Spotted Redshank and a Greenshank were in Stanpit Creek, while 5 Knot, 24 Ringed Plover and around 75 Dunlin were out in Stanpit Bight. Finally, a Kingfisher was again piping its way about Wick Hams and the Barn Field, and 2 Shoveler were mixed in with Wigeon.

September 27th

It was a day of counting, as two surveys - a nationally organised visible migration count and the season's first WeBS - took place in quite glorious weather this morning, when a light wind blew from the north-east. Before getting into the numbers, however, the highlights from both: a Short-eared Owl headed west over Christchurch while it struggled to shake off the attentions of a Raven and several Carrion Crow; a party of 8 Pochard that passed through the harbour and carried on east was later seen from Barton; and a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper was in Stanpit Bight. Now the nitty-gritty from Hengistbury: 4200 House Martin, 270 Swallow, 545 Meadow Pipit, 5 Yellow Wagtail and 2 Common Gull west; 217 alba Wagtail, 8 Grey Wagtail, 115 Linnet, 47 Goldfinch, 29 Chaffinch and 27 Reed Bunting east; and 8 Song Thrush north. Meanwhile, Siskin were heard from two locations, but the birds could not be seen. On the deck, a Garden Warbler was on the Long Field and 2 Lesser Whitethroat were in the North Scrubs, while the majority of the day's 15 Wheatear were on the sandspit and 15 Blackcap were pretty much spread about. At Stanpit, the most notable of the waders were, the Spotted Redshank, a Whimbrel, 16 Bar-tailed Godwit, 4 Knot, 4 Greenshank, a Sanderling, 9 Snipe and 25 Black-tailed Godwit, while most of the 168 Dunlin and 104 Ringed Plover totals actually came from the sandspit, where there was also 4 Turnstone. Throughout the day, seven species of gull were logged, the best being an adult Yellow-legged Gull at Stanpit this afternoon, with first-winter Mediterranean Gull noted at both main sites; also a Common Tern lingering in the harbour, but just 4 Sandwich Tern. The best of the settled duck were 2 Shoveler and 2 Wigeon, with other counts involving 206 Wigeon and 69 Teal. If you're still reading this, there was a good figure of 43 Little Egret returned, the familiar juvenile Peregrine again hunted awkwardly and 3 Little Grebe were in Barn Bight.

News has been now received about a colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwit that was seen on East Marsh, Stanpit, on Friday 18th September. The bird was ringed as a medium-sized chick at a nest site in Iceland on 9th July this year. This was the first sighting since, however, the bird has now also been seen at Lytchett Bay in Poole Harbour.

Additional news: a Pintail was in Parky Meade Rail.

September 26th

In a very light easterly breeze with cloud cover varying from zero to full and then back again, there was quite a bit on the move this morning, but nothing of any real quality. House Martin topped the numbers, with 15000 west from dawn through to around 11:00, as well as 1000 Swallow, while 290 Meadow Pipit, a Tree Pipit, 135 alba Wagtail, including a flock of 50, 4 Yellow Wagtail and 4 Grey Wagtail headed into the wind. Finches are still slow to get going, but 8 Siskin, 120 Greenfinch, the first time these have been recorded as migrants in the month, 64 Linnet and 16 Chaffinch were noted. Also of interest were high-flying Little Egret, namely 5 west and 2 east, as well as 14 Jackdaw and 11 Rook, all east. There was little on the ground, save for a Whinchat and Spotted Flycatcher briefly on the Barn Field, 12 Blackcap on the Long Field, 6 Wheatear across the entire area and up to 80 Chiffchaff across Hengistbury and Wick. Fisherman's Bank provided the wader quality with a Little Stint and Golden Plover for a short while, and 3 Bearded Tit dropped into the reedbed at the northern end of Stanpit Creek. Elsewhere on Stanpit, there were 11 Bar-tailed Godwit, 3 Knot, a Greenshank, a Snipe and 31 Black-tailed Godwit, but seemingly few Dunlin and Ringed Plover. Meanwhile, 12 Sanderling and 7 Turnstone were on the sandspit. Just offshore, there was a clear attraction to the small and medium sized gulls, as many engaged in frenzied surface feeding right the way into Poole Bay, including 4 Mediterranean Gull and 4 Common Gull, as well as 22 Sandwich Tern. The remaining snippets for the day comprise: a Peregrine and Raven over Wick; a Shoveler flying downriver; and at least one Kingfisher seen frequently in the Wick Hams area.

September 26th

Both Stanpit and Hengistbury were visited this morning, with the former turning up 3 Crossbill north and a Jack Snipe in an obvious influx of 17 Common Snipe on Priory Marsh, while the latter peaked with a Ring Ouzel on the Lower Batters. The two sites also held some interest on the deck, including a Redstart by the HHC and a Whinchat in Stanpit Scrubs, with combined figures for the commoner species coming to 170 Chiffchaff, 43 Blackcap, 4 Reed Warbler, 4 Wheatear, a Whitethroat and a Reed Warbler. Overhead movement, again presented as aggregate totals for the sites and mainly north to north-west, involved: 20 Song Thrush, it really does seem early for these to be travelling, 2 Siskin, 140 Chaffinch, 15 Reed Bunting, 650 Meadow Pipit, 4 Tree Pipit, 3 Yellow Wagtail, 4 Grey Wagtail, 185 alba Wagtail, 1100 House Martin, 410 Swallow, a Golden Plover and 5 Rook. Great Spotted Woodpecker were very conspicuous with 6, which is well above average, belting about the northern part of Stanpit, where there was also a Nuthatch in Smithy's Field, 71 Teal, a single Pintail and a Hobby. The waders counted from Fisherman's Bank this morning were varied and not without quality, namely a Little Stint and a Ruff, but also the Spotted Redshank, 2 Grey Plover, 7 Sanderling, 5 Knot, 6 Bar-tailed Godwit, 34 Black-tailed Godwit and around 110 Dunlin, as well as 21 Ringed Plover in Stanpit Bight during the afternoon. Water Rail were recorded in Parky Meade Rail and Fisherman's Bank, where there was also a Kingfisher.

September 24th

There was a real autumnal feel about the harbour this morning, as it was shrouded in a heavy mist, which dropped soon after dawn and didn't clear fully until about 9:00. Hence migration was somewhat stilted, although 225 Chiffchaff moved rapidly off the head, also grounded were 60 Blackcap, 45 Stonechat, 16 Wheatear, 8 Whitethroat, 4 Reed Warbler, 2 Redstart, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Lesser Whitethroat and 1 Whinchat. Once the sky cleared 1000 Swallow were logged heading west along the cliffs, also 630 Meadow Pipit, 96 alba Wagtail, 2 Yellow Wagtail and just 1 Tree Pipit. Dartford Warbler were conspicuous today with 5 birds, 3 of which moved over Double Dykes towards Wick - migrants? A Grey Plover, 115 Ringed Plover and 20 Dunlin left the harbour, while 2 Bar-tailed Godwit were in Barn Bight. On Stanpit, wader numbers were 120 Dunlin, 40 Ringed Plover, 10 Bar-tailed Godwit, 7 Greenshank, 5 Black-tailed Godwit, also 17 of the latter opposite Fisherman's Bank, 2 Sanderling and 2 Knot. A Pintail arrived in Barn Bight and 44 Teal were in Parky Meade Rail . Grounded migrants on Stanpit were just 9 Chiffchaff, 5 Blackcap and 2 Wheatear, one of which unfortunately fell prey to the local Sparrowhawk! To round up, 6 Mediterranean Gull were at sea and 2 Kingfisher were seen on Hengistbury.

Early evening update from Stanpit: a Golden Plover was on South Marsh before it flew off high east north-east; also 15 Bar-tailed Godwit, 8 Knot, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Whimbrel and a Gadwall.

September 23rd

It looked as though it was going to be fairly quiet, but there was some quality for the day when an Ortolan Bunting flew low, calling, along the Batters towards the Barn Field, bringing the stuttering year-list up to 196. There was also a Ring Ouzel on the top of the head being hassled by Blackbird and a Pied Flycatcher was recorded on Wick. The mix of sun and drizzle throughout the morning meant little was actually on the move, but 230 Meadow Pipit, a Tree Pipit, 7 Grey Wagtail, 2 Yellow Wagtail and at least 55 Reed Bunting were noted overhead. It was another good day for Chiffchaff, with in excess of 100 on Hengistbury, where there were also 9 Reed Warbler, 7 Goldcrest, 6 Blackcap, 2 Sedge Warbler and 2 Whitethroat. At Stanpit, the Bar-tailed Godwit number nudged up to 15, but the Knot seem to have reduced to just a single bird; also up to 7 Greenshank and 8 Black-tailed Godwit. The Parky Meade Rail area again held a good number of Teal, 83 in fact, as well as 3 Water Rail showing in the reed bases at low tide and a Kingfisher. Other bits and pieces for the day, all from Hengistbury, involve: a Hobby over the harbour, 16 Sanderling, 4 Coal Tit, 3 Little Grebe on the river, 72 Sandwich Tern west and a Kingfisher by the HHC.

September 22nd

For the first time in perhaps a fortnight, the wind swung to the south-west - something that really killed any overhead movement. The best record of the day easily goes to a Turtle Dove that whizzed past the HHC early this morning, but then we drop down to a Whinchat by the Rusty Boat on Stanpit and a couple of Wheatear on Crouch Hill, plus 15 Blackcap and 10 Chiffchaff in the North Scrubs. Of four visits to Stanpit, the peak wader counts comprised: the Spotted Redshank, 11 Bar-tailed Godwit, 10 Knot, 2 Sanderling, a Greenshank, 100 Ringed Plover, 85 Dunlin and 12 Black-tailed Godwit. A Hobby tried unsuccessfully to hunt the marsh and a Tufted Duck flew upriver, while, a pair of Gadwall slept the afternoon away in Stanpit Bight, as did 24 Sandwich Tern. Finally, a good count of 82 Teal was received from the northern section of Stanpit.

September 21st

The wind had dropped away almost completely overnight, meaning most overhead movers were going through very high indeed. Nevertheless, 4000 Swallow and 3000 House Martin were low enough to count, as were 5 Tree Pipit, 320 Meadow Pipit, 10 Grey Wagtail, 49 alba Wagtail and 3 Rook. As touched on yesterday, Song Thrush seem to be arriving already, with another 9 high-flying birds logged over the Wick area this morning and, in the same vein, there was markedly increased presence of Robin. While a couple of Tree Sparrow that briefly settled in the bushes at the end of the head were the pick of the grounded migrants, it was Blackcap that were the most numerous with up to 95 across Hengistbury and Wick. A Pied Flycatcher was also on the head, as were 80 Chiffchaff, 7 Whitethroat, 5 Sedge Warbler, 5 Wheatear and a Reed Warbler; and a Yellow Wagtail was around the bull that is currently doing its duty on Wick. There were 2 Treecreeper in the Wood, including the bird ringed a few weeks ago, Hobby were seen from both Hengistbury and Wick, 2 Raven passed over and a Kingfisher was by the HHC. A trip along the sandspit resulted in 15 Turnstone and 2 Sanderling, with a Golden Plover over and 5 Grey Plover seen/heard inside the harbour. A more detailed look at Stanpit this afternoon produced: a Ruff going straight through; 6 Greenshank, 4 of these on Priory Marsh; as well as the Spotted Redshank, 5 Knot, 7 Bar-tailed Godwit, 13 Black-tailed Godwit and a Dunlin/Ringed Plover flock, estimated to favour the former by 70:30, roosting in grass, thus making counting a little difficult. Wigeon, however, were totted up and have increased to 190 birds; conversely though, the Sandwich Tern roost dipped to just 12.

September 20th

Firstly, a word about yesterday's large pipit in the Bobolink Field on Wick. The bird was found on call and while it didn't sound like a classic Tawny Pipit, neither did it sound like a typical Richard's Pipit. However, it was adjudged to be closer to the former, so the news was released accordingly. On site, as more observers arrived, further questions were asked about the vocalisation as the bird once more took flight, but at that time the only photograph available was the top one, which on a camera viewfinder in bright sunlight did not look unlike Tawny Pipit. Please also remember that taking in the finer points of ID while photographing a very flighty bird is not always possible. However, there were still some niggling doubts, actually primarily from the finder, and these proved to be valid when all available photos were downloaded to PCs, sparking the realisation that the bird was in fact a Richard's Pipit.

Back to today, which saw early cloud and a reasonably strong north-westerly wind. Some early focus on the Bobolink Field in an effort to further the learning process precluded any meaningful overhead migration counts. However, it was clear that Swallow, House Martin and Meadow Pipit were again passing over east, likewise Tree Pipit, Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail and alba Wagtail, as well as a notable flock of 23 Rook! On Stanpit, a couple of Little Stint were off Fisherman's Bank in the morning and one was showing again in the late afternoon, when the mud was once more exposed. Also about the marsh, the and possibly another Spotted Redshank, 10 Bar-tailed Godwit, 8 Knot, 50 or so Dunlin, around 25 Ringed Plover and at least 20 Black-tailed Godwit, 13 of these seen to arrive, while a further 11 passed westward without stopping. The best of the passerines was a Firecrest in the North Scrubs this afternoon, but singles of Spotted Flycatcher were in Wick Ditch and Smithy's Field, with other aggregate figures from across the area coming to 3 Garden Warbler, a Lesser Whitethroat, 26 Blackcap, 17 Wheatear, 45 Chiffchaff and over 25 Stonechat, the latter all on the Barn Field. The early morning saw 7 Snipe and an adult Mediterranean Gull pass north over Wick, around 50 Teal on Priory Marsh and a Kingfisher by the HHC; then in the afternoon another Mediterranean Gull was on Blackberry Point and a Kingfisher darted across Crouch Hill. An omission from the last few days is the hint of a Song Thrush arrival, with around 10 high-flying birds being noted. Of butterfly interest, a few Clouded Yellow have been seen over the weekend.

Additional news from the afternoon: a Golden Plover spent a few hours on South Marsh, a couple of Redstart were on Wick Fields and 3 Whinchat were on Warren Hill.

September 19th

Today's flurry of excitement came in the mid-afternoon, when a Tawny Pipit was found in the Bobolink Field on Wick, where it gave several brief flight views from the long grass, sometimes in the company of a Tree Pipit. On a clear morning, which was again contra to the forecast, things started well enough with a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper and an adult Spotted Redshank that was considered to not be the regular, well-watched individual; but overall it was a relatively quiet morning Within the current hirundine passage, the numerical balance has now tipped towards Swallow, with 9600 east until 11.30, as well as 1000 House Martin and 38 Sand Martin. Chaffinch featured as a migrant for the first time this season, a total of 27 moving with 46 Linnet and 60 Reed Bunting, while 1100 Meadow Pipit, 6 Tree Pipit, 28 alba Wagtail, 16 Grey Wagtail, 10 Yellow Wagtail and 5 Rook were also logged. Across Wick and Hengistbury, as far as the Wood, there were 22 Wheatear and 3 Whinchat, along with 50 or so Chiffchaff, 12 Blackcap and a Lesser Whitethroat. Finally, for Hengistbury, at least 5 Mediterranean Gull could be seen loafing off Southbourne and 9 Snipe passed over. This afternoon at Stanpit, as a high spring tide ebbed away and before news of the pipit broke, Bearded Tit had been heard in the Great Spires reeds from Priory Marsh, where there were 12 settled Yellow Wagtail, 8 Greenshank, 30 Teal and a Redstart. Most of the small waders were very distant on Blackberry Point, but 6 Bar-tailed Godwit, 8 Knot and 40 Dunlin and 5 Ringed Plover were possible to identify. Before they were rudely disturbed by boaters, an adult Common Gull, a first-winter Mediterranean Gull and up to 30 Sandwich Tern were roosting on the tip of South Marsh.

September 18th

The closing words on last night's BBC 10:30 forecast were, "it's time to head for the beach." Well, in reality, the sun never managed to break the cloud cover and the predicted easterly wind was instead from the north! However, none of this prevented a Great White Egret appearing low over Crouch Hill at 11.55, before it was eventually lost to view just west of The Priory. Whether this timing fits with the arrival of one on Brownsea Island today is still to be confirmed. On Hengistbury, the best were 2 Tree Sparrow east, but there had also been a conspicuous arrival of Chiffchaff with over 100 estimated on the head, as well as 40 or so in the North Scrubs, Stanpit. Movers over the top of Hengistbury between dawn and 11:00 included: the first 2 Siskin of the autumn, 32 Goldfinch, 959 Swallow, 400 House Martin, 1400 Meadow Pipit, 2 Tree Pipit, 26 alba Wagtail, 15 Yellow Wagtail and 9 Grey Wagtail. Other than the phylloscs, settled passerine migrants were sparse; for example, just 11 Wheatear in total for the area, a Whinchat on the Barn Field and 15 Blackcap in the North Scrubs. To break the norm, the end of the sandspit was visited and, along the way, 70 Ringed Plover, 40 Dunlin, 2 Sanderling and 2 Turnstone were counted, while 6 first-winter Mediterranean Gull and 3 juvenile Common Gull were logged. There were also two Mediterranean Gull at Stanpit this afternoon, along with the Spotted Redshank, 6 Greenshank, 9 Knot, 8 Bar-tailed Godwit, 16 Black-tailed Godwit and 50+ Dunlin. At least 20 Teal were on Priory Marsh, as were 8 Snipe; meanwhile, the Wigeon seem steady at around 120 and Kingfisher were at Fisherman's Bank and Parky Meade Rail.

Additional news: a couple of Tree Sparrow went over Wick in the evening and a Curlew Sandpiper was on South Marsh in the afternoon.

September 17th

More of the same again today, although it was the largest Meadow Pipit count so far with 1200 moving east, while the first hint of finch passage came from 29 Goldfinch. With them, 49 Reed Bunting, 2 Tree Pipit, 4 Yellow Wagtail, these now diminishing in numbers, 10 Grey Wagtail, 24 alba Wagtail, 56 Sand Martin, 7000 House Martin and 2500 Swallow, all throughout the course of the morning. On the deck at Hengistbury, there was perhaps a little more variety than of late, including a Grasshopper Warbler on the Long Field, a Redstart, a Whinchat, a Lesser Whitethroat, 17 Wheatear and 36 Chiffchaff. Westward heading birds comprised waders, wildfowl and seabirds, namely: 2 Curlew Sandpiper, 2 Avocet and a Knot; 25 Shelduck, 14 Pintail, 3 Shoveler, 16 Wigeon and 9 Greylag Goose; and 8 Mediterranean Gull, all first-winter birds, 36 Sandwich Tern, 2 Common Tern, 11 Common Scoter and over 70 Gannet. In addition to the passing Avocet, 6 lingered at Stanpit, where there were also 8 Bar-tailed Godwit, a Ruff, the Spotted Redshank, 13 Knot, now just one Greenshank, a Whimbrel, a single Ringed Plover, 16 Black-tailed Godwit and 54 Dunlin. There are still 100 or so Wigeon inside the harbour and these were briefly joined by 4 Pintail.

September 16th

The day's best came at 6.05 this evening, when a Honey Buzzard appeared low over Blackberry Point, circled South Marsh and then left over Wick Fields. The bird was photographed and the .jpegs should be available in the next few days. It's not worth the effort of describing the weather, as it was pretty much identical to the previous few days. Consequently, there was another reasonable easterly passage of House Martin and Swallow, 3300 and 1700 respectively, over Hengistbury, as well as 870 Meadow Pipit, including a flock of 150 birds, 3 Tree Pipit, 10 Yellow Wagtail and 2 Grey Wagtail. The sea also provided some minor interest in the form of: a young Little Gull, 3 Mediterranean Gull and a Fulmar west; an Arctic Skua harassing some of the 68 Sandwich Tern and 4 Common Tern that passed by; 2 Eider east and 4 Common Scoter west. In fact, wildfowl feature quite heavily - in addition to 120 or so Wigeon now inside the harbour, a further 211 went west, as did 25 Pintail, a Tufted Duck, the first 2 Brent Goose of the season and 5 Shoveler, while a Gadwall was settled in Barn Bight. A total of 45 Wheatear were across the area, along with 3 Whinchat on Hengistbury, and a recent influx of Stonechat is being ventured, the basis being a count of 19 in one scan across the Barn Field. Also on the passerine front, 3 Goldcrest were in the Wood and a Redstart was on Wick, where there was considered to have been a small increase in Chiffchaff and Blackcap numbers. Moving waders included 2 Ruff, 6 Bar-tailed Godwit, 8 Knot and 3 Grey Plover, all west, but those more settled at Stanpit comprised the Spotted Redshank, 6 Bar-tailed Godwit, 19 Knot, 3 Greenshank, 2 Snipe, 7 Black-tailed Godwit and 45 Dunlin. Finally, 4 Common Gull, moulting from juvenile to first-winter plumage, and a Mediterranean Gull were in Stanpit Bight tonight.

September 15th

In very similar conditions to yesterday, the fourth Osprey in six days appeared over Stanpit golf course at 7:45 this morning, before drifting slowly west and being lost to view over Tuckton. The early part of the day also saw a reasonable House Martin movement, mainly along the coast and east, but no real attempt was made at counting them. It's not often that 'interesting' and 'Canada Goose' feature in the same sentence on this page, but a skein of 35 birds that came in from the east, low over the Beach Huts, and then directly up the valley breaks the taboo. Then, a few moments later, a flock of 30 or so Black-tailed Godwit arrived from the same direction and joined the 13 birds already in Stanpit Bight. A juvenile Peregrine played the numbers game for breakfast, stooping into a martin flock and coming away with something, presumably more by luck than judgement as just previously the 4-year old Spotted Redshank had effortlessly avoided the rookie technique. Other waders in the Stanpit Bight/Fisherman's Bank area included 13 Knot, 7 Bar-tailed Godwit, these being newly in, 3 Greenshank, 2 Snipe and 34 Dunlin. Passerine numbers were low, but a couple of Spotted Flycatcher and Lesser Whitethroat were on Wick, a single Wheatear was on the Long Field and several Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warbler and 2 Whitethroat were at Stanpit, while 5 or so Yellow Wagtail were recorded airborne. Please check back to yesterday for some updated Stanpit numbers.

September 14th

There was nowhere near as much east in the wind as had been hoped; nevertheless, this and the early cloud gave rise to a flurry of House Martin with 9500 passing through north-east prior to 9:00. However, in stark contrast, Swallow barely made the 100 mark! The rest of the overhead passage was pretty low-key, comprising 16 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Grey Wagtail, 3 Tree Pipit and 135 Meadow Pipit. Most of the grounded migrants were in a small pocket behind the Nursery, where a Spotted Flycatcher, a Lesser Whitethroat and 2 Garden Warbler were feeding, while 10 Wheatear and a Whinchat were in the more exposed areas, and 9 Chiffchaff were about Wick. A Green Sandpiper was heard from the HHC and, at Stanpit, the Spotted Redshank was off Fisherman's Bank at lunchtime, from where 3 Greenshank, 13 Knot, 20 Black-tailed Godwit and 90 Dunlin were also logged. Additionally, the information services carry a report of 2 Avocet and 2 Ruff. A reasonable selection of duck was seen from Hengistbury, including a Pintail, 5 Shoveler, 4 Shelduck and 2 Gadwall, plus 47 Teal and 37 Wigeon west, with up to 40 of the latter still settled in the harbour. Once again, 4 Raven overflew and, at sea, 3 Common Scoter and 36 Sandwich Tern passed west.

Stanpit evening update: there were actually 84 Wigeon and 51 Teal settled in harbour, while the Greenshank total nudged up by one to 5 birds. The two Avocet appeared off Blackberry Point, 2 Snipe went over and 3 Wheatear were on Crouch Hill.

September 13th

Perhaps one of the more unusual records for the month is that of a Spotted Crake heard 'whiplashing' several times this morning from the concrete bridge that leads on to Priory Marsh. More expected for the season, however, was an Osprey that quickly moved clockwise around the harbour, before gaining height over Hengistbury and pushing off directly south. This, in clear skies and a wind that swung more and more to the east as the day wore on. The early, still conditions meant the initial movement of birds was quite high, but at least 6 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Grey Wagtail and a Tree Pipit were noted, as well as Swallow, House Martin and Meadow Pipit for which numbers may follow later tonight. The Barn Field briefly held a Spotted Flycatcher, although a couple of Whinchat and 15 Wheatear were more settled, while Wick hosted a Pied Flycatcher, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, a further 2 Wheatear and small numbers of Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Whitethroat. From a spot on the top of the head, an Arctic Tern and at least 3 Mediterranean Gull were seen to move through the harbour; and a couple of trips to Stanpit saw the Spotted Redshank, 4 Greenshank, 12 Knot, 2 Whimbrel, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, these certainly new in, 2 Snipe, 73 Dunlin, 20 Ringed Plover and a good count of 38 Curlew. Also on the marsh, 3 Wheatear on Crouch Hill as well as 80 Wigeon, up to 20 Teal, a Shoveler a Greylag Goose and a gathering of 5 Jay in Ashtree Meadows.

September 12th

On a fine day, which saw a north-easterly breeze strengthen throughout the morning, it was perhaps a little quieter than expected. The House Martin estimate was 5000 birds, but these were often made up of slow moving feeding flocks rather than direct passage. In terms of related species, Swallow constituted only a few percent of the total, with Sand Martin even fewer. Wick actually held a reasonable selection of migrants, including: 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Spotted Flycatcher, a Whinchat, a Wheatear, a Sedge Warbler, 25 Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warbler, at times both of these species in song, and 8 Blackcap. A further Whinchat was on the Barn Field, where 13 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Grey Wagtail, 9 alba Wagtail, 3 Tree Pipit, 90 Meadow Pipit and 2 Rook passed over, nearly all east. There was little wader news from Stanpit, but it is known that the 2 Avocet are still present, as is at least 1 Whimbrel. Meanwhile, a group of 10 Golden Plover appeared from the north over Two Riversmeet, however, they chose not to linger and veered off east. Duck numbers continue to build, with today seeing 43 Wigeon, 5 Pintail, 9 Teal and 2 Shoveler passing through the area, while a Razorbill fished contentedly just off the beach beneath Whitepits. To conclude, miscellaneous interest was provided by: a young Mediterranean Gull and an adult Peregrine over the Barn Field; a Kingfisher in Barn Bight; 4 Raven east; at least 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker in the Nursery; and another Canada Goose roost off Fisherman's Bank. With the members' event taking place tomorrow, hopefully the forecast of fine weather will hold true.

Stop press: some further news from Stanpit has just been received and confirms the 14 Knot are still around, as well as the Spotted Redshank, 70 Dunlin and 4 Black-tailed Godwit, with hundreds of Swallow feeding over the marsh this evening.

Even more: just got back from the pub, where I was handed another load of Stanpit news for the late morning and the hirundine news is, fascinatingly, quite different to that of Hengistbury. For example, no House Martin at all were recorded, but a structured count of Swallow turned in 10000 birds, all low-flying, over 2-hours, as well as 200 Sand Martin. There were also additions to the passerine numbers, in the shape of a Spotted Flycatcher, a Redstart, a Garden Warbler, 11 Wheatear, 3 Whinchat, 6 Sedge Warbler, 20 Chiffchaff and 15 Blackcap. At least 3 Yellow Wagtail were feeding under the animals on Priory Marsh, while other figures that almost certainly complement the main post include 16 Knot west, 37 Wigeon, 10 Tufted Duck and 7 Pintail.

September 11th

Around 10:00 this morning, a Honey Buzzard attracted the attention of corvids over the Coastguards, before it quickly gained its composure and soared slowly east. An hour or so later, there was a further report over The Priory, so whether one or two birds were involved is perhaps open to debate. Just prior to the first sighting, a juvenile Common Buzzard had actually been over the HHC, but then headed westward. Later in the day, two more Common Buzzard were over the Stanpit Recreation Ground, suggesting the fine weather was causing the youngsters to disperse from their local hatching areas. Also in the morning, a bird seen in flight from the Long Field to the Coastguards was considered by the observer to have been most likely a Wryneck. In near identical wind and cloud conditions to yesterday, one might be forgiven for expecting another big hirundine day; however, it seems the previous glut may have been the result of some congestion release, as today's figures were nowhere near as high. Again, House Martin topped the bill with 3200, with Swallow and Sand Martin turning in 2700 and 38 respectively. The other flyovers included a Yellowhammer, 190 Meadow Pipit, 4 Tree Pipit, 18 Yellow Wagtail, 12 alba Wagtail and 5 Grey Wagtail, while the fly-bys comprised the autumn's first Red-throated Diver, 52 Wigeon, 22 Teal, 8 Gadwall, 11 Common Gull and 36 Sandwich Tern, as well as 5 Snipe incoming. Intriguingly, a total of 57 Cormorant, in various sized groups, arrived from the west and provoked discussion as to whether they may have been on the move. Settled passerines were relatively few and, across all the main areas, only involved 11 Wheatear, 2 Whinchat, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Sedge Warbler, plus a small mixture of Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff, as well as a few Blackcap and Whitethroat. At Stanpit, a couple of juvenile Curlew Sandpiper headlined and there were at least 14 Knot, but the Avocet had reduced to two. Meanwhile, the Spotted Redshank and a Ruff were still present, as were 5 Greenshank, 14 Black-tailed Godwit, around 90 Dunlin and up to 20 Ringed Plover. A juvenile Peregrine hunted clumsily around the area, a Kingfisher was in Barn Bight and a Water Rail was again showing from Fisherman's Bank.

Additional news: singles of Spotted Flycatcher were on the Batters and Wick.

September 10th

The clear, overnight skies and cold northerly wind gave way to a spectacular, north-easterly passage of House Martin over Hengistbury. The figure for the first 90-minutes of daylight was 20000 birds, but a continuing flow over the next couple of hours resulted in a final total for the day of 25000; in addition to 4000 Swallow and much lesser numbers of Sand Martin. Also just after dawn, an Osprey caught a fish in the harbour and headed back north, while at the same time a further bird went out directly south. Then a little later, a Marsh Harrier arrived from the west, gained height over the Coastguards and subsequently headed inland. More interest overhead throughout the morning came from a White Wagtail, 48 Yellow Wagtail, 16 Grey Wagtail, 14 Tree Pipit and 250 Meadow Pipit. With all the airborne activity, it was difficult to keep track of what was happening lower down; however, 3 Whinchat, 12 Wheatear, a Lesser Whitethroat, 6 Sedge Warbler and 30 Chiffchaff were logged between the HHC and the Long Field. Arriving winter duck were very obvious, with 83 Wigeon, 68 Teal, some of these shaving the bushes of the Barn Field as they checked-in, 4 Shoveler and 4 Gadwall recorded. Avocet were also clearly on their travels, as 5 birds spent most of the day in the harbour, 10 touched down briefly at 11.00 but soon moved on westward, a further 3 passed the same way and 2 went east, making 20 in all. A couple of Ruff seem to be lingering in the area - today seen on Blackberry Point - as does the Spotted Redshank, which favours the Fisherman's Bank area. The alarm caused by the fishing raptor encouraged a flock of 33 Knot to leave, although 9 remained until the late afternoon. Conversely, around 30 Ringed Plover were seen to arrive, as were 6 Snipe; but 5 Greenshank, 2 Whimbrel, 63 Dunlin, 9 Ringed Plover and 10 Black-tailed Godwit were already settled at Stanpit. The marsh also hosted 6 Wheatear and 2 Whinchat on Crouch Hill, as well as single flyovers of Yellow Wagtail and Grey Wagtail. Finally, other bits and pieces involve a Water Rail in Stanpit Creek, 2 Common Tern leaving and 2 Mediterranean Gull west at sea.

A further highlight came from a pod of around 10 Bottlenose Dolphin, including one calf, which passed close to Hengistbury on the way into Poole Bay mid-morning.

September 9th

After yesterday's speculation about a forthcoming hirundine movement, it's something of a relief to be able to report 2300 Swallow, 1600 House Martin and 120 Sand Martin, mostly east, over Hengistbury this morning. Actually, in a strengthening northerly breeze, there was quite a bit going on overhead. Yellow Wagtail numbered 41 and were joined by a Yellowhammer, 10 Grey Wagtail, 21 Tree Pipit, 420 Meadow Pipit, 2 Rook, an incoming Merlin and 16 Common Tern. A fair bit of variety was to be had on the ground as well: a Pied Flycatcher was in the Double Dykes, 2 Spotted Flycatcher were by the Long Field, 3 Redstart and 4 Lesser Whitethroat were on Wick, a Grasshopper Warbler was in a bush on the sandspit and a couple of Whinchat were by the Ironstone Quarry. Meanwhile, the commoner migrants totalled 59 Chiffchaff, 11 Willow Warbler, 19 Wheatear and 18 Whitethroat. The wind direction also brought in some wildfowl, as the Wigeon increased to 12, a group of 4 Shoveler arrived and then spent the day in Stanpit Creek, 3 Shelduck came in over the Barn Field and 4 Gadwall were noted. Although the quantity of waders on Stanpit was reduced, the interest continues courtesy of the Spotted Redshank, a Ruff, this last seen commuting to the valley with Lapwing, 8 Greenshank, 5 Knot, 2 Turnstone and 2 Whimbrel, along with 40 Dunlin, 50 or so Ringed Plover and 11 Black-tailed Godwit. To conclude, singles of Peregrine and Hobby hunted the area, 2 Raven passed over and 2 Common Gull were in the harbour this evening.

September 8th

Late this afternoon, during the first hour of exposed mud on the ebb tide, there was a 15-strong miscellany of waders on offer at Stanpit, including: a Ruff, a Spotted Redshank, 4 Knot, 2 Sanderling, 6 Greenshank, 2 Snipe, a Turnstone, 2 Whimbrel and up to 20 Black-tailed Godwit, as well as a total of 118 Ringed Plover and Dunlin, of which the former exceeded 70 birds; while earlier, a party of 7 Turnstone had been on the sandspit. During the morning, Wick held small numbers of migrants, the best being a Pied Flycatcher, 3 Redstart and a Lesser Whitethroat, but Wheatear, Whitethroat and Blackcap were also present. Throughout the day, there was a large hint of some impending hirundine passage: a 30-minute sample over Wick in the morning saw 350 Swallow and House Martin south and was compounded by an estimate of 1500 Swallow feeding over Hengistbury at lunchtime; with Stanpit also witnessing significant numbers. A Kingfisher was again by the HHC, 3 Gadwall were in the harbour, 62 Sandwich Tern were counted from Fisherman's Bank and, as of yesterday, the Wigeon increased to 6.

Additional news: an Arctic Tern passed over South Marsh in the evening.

September 7th

Even quieter today than yesterday! For example, just 1 Yellow Wagtail plus a handful of Swallow and Meadow Pipit on the move overhead. In these situations, one can always rely on the Long Field elder bushes to provide some interest, however; and this morning they held 3 Whinchat, over 35 Whitethroat and 15 Blackcap, with a Spotted Flycatcher nearby and 10 Wheatear between there and Solent Meads golf course. At sea, singles of Pomarine Skua and Arctic Skua were logged, along with 116 Sandwich Tern and 63 Common Tern west, and 70 Gannet fishing aimlessly. There may be later news from Stanpit, but so far it's just a Common Sandpiper, a Greenshank, 5 Whimbrel and 10 Black-tailed Godwit, all off Fisherman's Bank, to remark upon. A Kingfisher was again in the area of the HHC, as was a Water Rail, and the 'Polish' Mute Swan family seem to have taken up residence by Mudeford Quay.

Omission: a Ruff was off Fisherman's Bank.

September 6th

Surprisingly, despite similar conditions, it was much quieter than yesterday. The ringers actually trapped the best bird, a Grasshopper Warbler, while a Nightjar that churred briefly as they set up at 5:00 could well have been a migrant, as opposed to one of the few breeders. For more details of the day's traps, please visit that section on the site. Meadow Pipit again headed the numbers in terms of overhead movement, mainly west, and totalled 170, as well as 7 Grey Wagtail, 5 Yellow Wagtail, 4 Pied Wagtail, 40 or so Swallow and 7 Sand Martin. Chiffchaff are now nudging towards parity with Willow Warbler and each came in a 14 and 29 respectively, along with 2 Lesser Whitethroat, up to 10 Wheatear, 15 Blackcap, 20 Whitethroat and 15 Sedge Warbler dotted about Wick and Hengistbury. The wader gathering at Stanpit is perhaps a little on the low side, but did include a Green Sandpiper on Central Marsh this morning, with other maxima involving: 4 Sanderling, 3 Knot, 6 Greenshank, a Turnstone, 50 Dunlin, 25 Ringed Plover and 14 Black-tailed Godwit. The Wigeon flock increased to five overnight, 65 Sandwich Tern roosted out the high tide around Stanpit Bight, 4 Wheatear and a Yellow Wagtail were about Crouch Hill, and Kingfisher were recorded at Wick Hams and Stanpit.

September 5th

With the wind dropping away significantly overnight, there was an air of inevitability that an Osprey would be recorded this morning, but it did take until 11:50 to happen. As usual, the alert was raised by every size and shape of bird at Stanpit taking to air, as the Mullet Hawk cruised slowly east high above them. A situation that also allowed 3 Ruff to be noted. It was, in fact, a good day for migrants and included the first real hirundine movement of the season. Throughout the morning, 450 Swallow, 120 Sand Martin and a few House Martin were certainly on the move; as were 52 Yellow Wagtail, 21 Tree Pipit, 3 Grey Wagtail, 370 Meadow Pipit (also the first time these have featured as migrants at this end of the year) and 10 Pied Wagtail. Meanwhile, from Wick to the sandspit, there were 20+ Wheatear, 7 Whinchat, 4 Spotted Flycatcher, 5 Lesser Whitethroat, a Redstart, a Garden Warbler, 76 Chiffchaff, 25 Willow Warbler, a further 25 unidentified phylloscopus warbler, 78 Blackcap and 20 Whitethroat, while Stanpit chipped in with a Pied Flycatcher. Considering the start of the Meadow Pipit migration, it was probably no coincidence that Merlin featured, a single bird west over Whitepits, with Hobby, Peregrine and Kestrel combining to make it a four-falcon day. The waters off the sandspit again hosted a party of Little Tern, 6 in all, but there are so far no other reports from there. To round off at Hengistbury: a Shelduck west was good record for the date, as was a Rook east; 15 Black-tailed Godwit, 12 Whimbrel and 8 Knot headed in the same direction; a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull passed by Coastguards; 3 Gadwall were in Barn Bight; at least 7 Raven were logged and, looking north to the valley, in excess of 15 Buzzard were on the wing. There's not much to add from Stanpit, save for a Spotted Redshank, up to 5 Greenshank and 10 or so settled Black-tailed Godwit.

Additional news: this afternoon, an Osprey was over Stanpit around 2.30, while a Rook was in the strange location of South Marsh, 6 Yellow Wagtail moved over and 2 Wheatear were on Crouch Hill, with a further bird on Fisherman's Bank. This visit also provided a more accurate assessment of the waders, resulting in figures of 8 Knot 4 Sanderling, a Turnstone, a Common Sandpiper, 6 Greenshank, 40 Dunlin and 30 Ringed Plover. Meanwhile, the Curlew count rose to 36, but it looked as if the Whimbrel have bailed out. Finally, a single Shoveler was present.

Of interest, a local animal rescue centre released a Manx Shearwater into the harbour from the HHC slip. The bird had apparently been wrecked in Oxfordshire!

September 4th

It seems as if the wind has been blowing for several weeks already, and with it now coming from the north-west the weekend's prospects are not overly inspiring. So, some encouragement was needed - and that came in the form of a hippolais warbler, but unfortunately seen all too briefly, by Holloway's Dock this morning. Given the date and preceding wind, however, Melodious seems the most likely, but the record will remain non-specific. Elsewhere, there were 3 Redstart on Wick Fields, again along the broad, central path, as well as a Sedge Warbler and a Grey Wagtail over. Other flyovers from there and Hengistbury involve 6 Tree Pipit, including a 'flock' of 3 over Wick, and 5 Yellow Wagtail. Meanwhile, Crouch Hill hosted 7 Wheatear, but little else to note in terms of passerines. The only report from the sea was of a notable 3 Little Tern off the sandspit, while 75 Sandwich Tern and 4 Common Tern were resting up inside the harbour. A Spotted Redshank was at the northern end of Stanpit Creek this afternoon, with other wader counts there and in the bight coming to: 7 Greenshank, 3 Whimbrel, 2 Knot, a Sanderling, 13 Black-tailed Godwit and 120 small waders, split 70:30 in favour of Dunlin versus Ringed Plover. A Peregrine came over at least once, the 3 Wigeon remain settled and 4 Teal were about Priory Marsh.

Additional news: there was no sign of the 'hippo' tonight, but there were 2 Chiffchaff in that area, while a Green Sandpiper and 3 Common Sandpiper were by the HHC. The Wick Fields Yellow Wagtail count for the morning has risen to 12, with 3 more on the Long Field, as well as 2 Whinchat and a Wheatear on the Barn Field.

September 3rd

With the blow continuing right through the night and yesterday's shearwater bonanza in the west of the county, it seemed extremely likely we would enjoy at least one straggler this morning. Alas, as is oft the case in a Hengistbury seawatch, hope outweighed reality! It was actually very, very quiet, although the year's first record of Black Tern past the Beach Huts mid-morning was most welcome, but the only other notes from the sea were an Arctic Skua, a Kittiwake, 6 Common Tern, 23 Swallow, and an average presence of Gannet and Sandwich Tern, all west. There was another mixed bag of waders, with reports coming from three sites at varying times in the day. Stanpit Bight/Fisherman's Bank turned in a Spotted Redshank, 3 Knot, 3 Sanderling, 3 Whimbrel, 16 Black-tailed Godwit, a Common Sandpiper, around 40 Dunlin and 20 or so Ringed Plover, as well as 6 Greenshank. However, around the same time as these, a further 9 were seen on Priory Marsh, so suggesting a day-total of 15 birds. On the sandspit, there were 4 Turnstone, 3 Sanderling and a Knot, plus 70 Ringed Plover and 30 Dunlin, but there could well be duplication with the Stanpit birds in this instance. Passerines were again sparse, with 2 Wheatear on the sandspit and one by Coastguards, and a Yellow Wagtail over the former site. Finally, a Coal Tit was in the Wood on Hengistbury and the current Canada Goose plague continued with 33 on East Marsh at lunchtime.

Additional news: a further Arctic Skua and a Fulmar went by at sea, while en evening visit to Stanpit increased the Whimbrel to 9, the Common Sandpiper to 2 and added 4 more Wheatear.

September 2nd

In quite awful and distinctly autumnal conditions, it's amazing there was any field activity at all today. However, the shelter of a beach hut meant that some seawatching was possible, thus providing a late Little Tern, an Arctic Skua, 60 Common Tern and 2 Fulmar west, as well as slowly moving feeding flocks of 60 Sandwich Tern and 25 Gannet in The Solent. Over a couple of visits, Fisherman's Bank contributed 5 Greenshank, 19 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Wigeon and 46 in-harbour Sandwich Tern, while a Common Sandpiper was by the HHC and the sandspit held 3 Sanderling, 3 Turnstone, 75 Ringed Plover and 67 Dunlin. To complete this relatively short post, a couple of Wheatear were on Solent Meads golf course early on.

September 1st

In the areas of Wick that were sheltered from the south-westerly breeze, there were in fact a few migrants to be seen. For example, at least 5 Redstart were feeding along the broad, central path, along with 15 or so Whitethroat and a Lesser Whitethroat. Meanwhile, 3 Tree Pipit and a Yellow Wagtail passed over, and a Green Sandpiper and a Snipe left north-west in the company of each other. Moving slightly east to Hengistbury, a Whinchat was on the Long Field and a Grey Wagtail was over the HHC; then to the extremity of the sandspit, where a Dartford Warbler was in the marram grass, as well as a Wheatear, 3 Yellow Wagtail and 25 Pied Wagtail feeding on the adjacent flotsam. As the wind picked up throughout the day, so the interest from the Beach Huts increased. In addition to 2 Arctic Skua in the morning, a further two plus an unidentified skua went past in the afternoon; by which time an offshore feeding flock of 50 Common Tern and 60 Sandwich had formed, while throughout the day 100 and 200 respectively had moved slowly west. To finish up on that side of the harbour, a couple of Great Crested Grebe were at sea and 2 Raven visited briefly in the morning. The peak wader numbers from a minimum of four visits to Fisherman's Bank come in at: 5 Turnstone, 3 Greenshank, 14 Black-tailed Godwit and 36 Dunlin; also 5 Shoveler and 3 Wigeon from there, and an alarming all day presence of up to 100 Canada Goose.

Additional news: the information services reported Arctic Tern, Spotted Redshank and Ruff at Stanpit.