Friday 24th August 2012

A fairly predictable sort of end of August morning until at mid-morning a report that a visitor had photographed a Tree Sparrow.When a couple of our members had a look at the photo it appears not to be a Tree Sparrow but a Spanish ! Bit frustrating as up to early afternoon it has not been re found. Apart from this just routine fare for the time of year in the bushes but with migrants in low numbers. The highlights were 3 Whinchat on the reserve, a control Reed Warbler, Great-spotted Woodpecker & an earlyish autumn Merlin. Offshore a range of stuff going south including 57 Teal, 48 Oyks, 17 Shelduck, 8 Dunlin, 3 Gadwal, 3 Redshank, 2 Ringos, 2 Barwits, 2 Curlew, 2 Whimbrel, 2 Turnstone, Golden Plover, Black Tern, Little Egret & Marsh Harrier. Overhead 3 Yellow Wags & a Swift went south. In the moth traps a selection of migrants included Cydia amplana & the first Rusty-dot Pearl of the autumn.