Thursday 20 September 2012

A much more productive day today, which kicked off with a WHEATEAR and two flyover YELLOW WAGTAILS at Migrant Alley as I walked into work this morning.

My two hour visit this afternoon was spent entirely around the pasture and paddocks of Migrant Alley, where I relocated the Wheatear from this morning, only to find it had been joined by another, plus, a fantastic WHINCHAT!  I took some distant record photo's of the chats, and whilst in the process of doing so heard another Yellow wagtail, this one I picked up as it went over and watched it drop down into one of the paddocks, so off I went to try and get some photo's of it, which I succeeded in doing, although it was always a bit distant, but they were the best Yellow Wagtail photo's ive got to date  :-)

Also seen around the sheep pasture this afternoon were up to 15 MEADOW PIPITS, mixed in with half a dozen LINNETS and half a dozen GOLDFINCH. During the two hour visit the sky was full of HOUSE MARTINS again, as it has been all week really, only today they were very much lower, at times flying around just a meter or so from my head, smaller numbers of SWALLOWS were feeding with them, but I didn't notice any Sand martins today.

3 KESTRELS were noted, as well as a SPARROWHAWK, plus a COMMON BUZZARD was soaring over the Greenhouse Copse, the only warbler species seen today was CHIFFCHAFF, which was at the Greenhouse Grounds.

A fantastic couple of hours then, much more like September  :-)


Yellow Wagtail on one of the paddocks - a rare chance to photograph this passage species


 At On point the Yellow Wag flew off and alighted in a puddle caused by a leaking water trough, where it put on a bathing show, shame I had to shoot through two wire fences!  :-)
Bathing Yellow wagtail
One of the Meadow Pipits
Fantastic! Another Autumn Whinchat  :-)
The Wheatears were not very approachable today, but a decent enough record shot was obtained, the second bird can just be made out in the background

6 comments:

Pete Woodruff said...

Whinchat and Yellow Wagtail....I'd have been delighted as I know you was Warren.

Love the pics of the YW bathing despite the wires.

Warren Baker said...

Hi Pete,
I was indeed well chuffed with todays finds, just as I was giving up hope of any more migrants they turned up to reinvigorate, and reincentivise my walks :-)

Marc Heath said...

A good visit Warren, perhaps the start of a bit of movement.

Anonymous said...

A good afternoon was had then Warren.

Greenie said...

Warren ,
Migrants on the move before Sunday's rain ?
Caught the bathing Yellow Wagtail very nicely .

Alan Pavey said...

Nice visit Warren a good mix of stuff there :-)