Tuesday 22 October 2013

September and most of October

I started of September with the Semipalmated Sandpiper on the 6th the of September on Keyhaven Lagoon, it showed very well and very close before it was flushed further away. There was also 13 Curlew Sandpipers in the lagoon as well as 2 Sanderlings, a Greenshank, a Little Stint and about 300 Dunlin.  There was also one Black tern around the jetty of Pennington.
The Semipalmated Sandpiper was a stunner and lovely to watch. What a bird!

I visited Pennington once again during September where I saw: 2 Ruffs, Bar-Tailed Godwhit, c.50 Yellow Wagtails, 1 summer Little Gull and an unidentified raptor probably a Hobby.

I dipped for the Semipalmated Sandpiper but i did have a candidate of Black point after the dip which was almost certainly the bird but just a bit to far for positive ID.

I dipped Wryneck twice in September, one at Hengistbury Head and the other at Mill Field LNR.

Most of September and October was slow on the birding front, missing Dusky warbler, Raddes warbler and Semiplamted Sandpiper in one week all in hants! And i also missed the Brown Shrike in September. Dipps aside  there wasn't to much about.


Now onto patch: The main highlights of September were  Osprey and Grasshopper warbler.
The  Osprey flew over on the 24th. The Gropper was on the 28th and stayed for a couple of hours. found by DH. I also had a party of 3 Whinchat by the SF on the 10th. October has been slow also with the only rare bird being a Wigeon (fem) on the 18th.
I will be doing a much more in depth round up of my patch here - http://patchmega.blogspot.co.uk










Curlew Sand ( juv)

Dunlin