Barnes Brambling

Saturday: a bright sunny day raised hopes of a few migrants in at Barnes (maybe a Chiffy, Sand Martin or LRP). Redshanks are fairly new in - six birds across the site. This one from Dulverton Hide.

Also from Dulverton had a burst of song from a Cetti's and caught a flash of brown that looked Cetti's-like so just picked up the camera reeled off a few shots.

Had great views of the Water Pipit from the WWT Hide feeding on the edge of one of the Main Lake islands. Was able to get a few shots and also a video.

This shot at 800mm with the 2x converter.

In the hide one of the regulars gave me a heads up to a Brambling showing at the WWT Feeders - this would be a 'deck tick'. I've heard a couple overhead in autumn but never one on the deck.

Also on or around the feeders: 3 Reed Bunting (2f, 1m) and a GS Woodpecker. A walk around the Sheltered Lagoon turned up a single Chiffchaff - not calling or singing but presumably fresh in since I've not seen any Chiffies here since the snow.

From the Peacock Hide were 3 Dunlin still in winter plumage, the Water Pipit dropped in to feed on the islands, several of the Lapwings were displaying, another 5+ Redshank (so at least 6 in site), still around 30 Wigeon present and a total of 10 Snipe on site.

Newhaven Rose Bowl - Rose coloured Starling

Despite having seen half a dozen juvenile Rose coloured Starlings I’ve never seen an adult. Since one has been hanging out near the coastguards at Newhaven on the south coast that's the target for today’s day trip. Pulling into the car park at the Fort I could hear quite a lot of activity – a small tit flock moving through (Blue, Great and Long tailed) and few Blackbird feeding among the bushes. After a walk uphill and then west round the coastguards I was soon looking down into a bramble filled depression facing the sea. I could see two other birders on the seaward side looking into the centre so gave it a quick scan – 5-6 Chaffinch, 8-10 Robins and a few Blue Tits. It looked like the other birders were looking at the other side of some bushes not visible from where I was standing so moved round to where they were standing and almost immediately the Rose coloured Starling popped up on the side of one of the bigger bushes.

Really stunning bird still with a very strong pink wash across underparts and mantle, pink bill with a dark base, blue iridescence on wing coverts and tertials and purplish on primaries and secondaries.

Perhaps it’s just the Magpie/ Hoodie type pattern but the deeper and heavier bill could make the Rosy look more corvid than Starling like.

A walk west along the clifftop didn’t produce that many more birds but a Peregrine gliding along the tops, loads of Mipits, at least 30 Robins along the stretch (including those in the ‘rose bowl’), a few Skylark (but the place is surrounded by fields so just as likely to be local birds as migrants), plus c20 Curlew and c15 Oyks feeding in some rocky pools at the base of the cliffs.

Drove over to Belle Tout wood at the back of Beachy Head to have a look for the Pallas’s that's not been seen for a day or so. Did connect with the Goldcrest flock that was quite good value in itself and also had contained a Firecrest. When the sun came out walked the seaward (sunny) side of the wood and bushes and added around half a dozen Chiffchaff, another (or probably the same) Firecrest with a mixed tit and warbler flock, male and female Blackcap feeding together, and a dozen Goldcrest.

Wandsworth Common

Two trips today, both with the kids. Total of 5-6 Chiffchaff across the site, 3, maybe 4, Blackcap, 1 Willow Warbler (in a different place from last week so maybe a different bird), 14 Tufties, mostly paired up, 2 Egyptian Geese.

Wandle sings

Another trip out with the kids. Around are 4 Gadwall (hanging on well into Spring this year); 17-20 Tufted; 4 Teal (2m, 2f, 2!! female); Chiffchaff calling again (still not singing maybe it is a female); 1 GC Grebe on the river, no Common Gulls, lots of locals singing (2 Wrens, Robin, Dunnock, 2 Blackbird, Chaffinch, 2 Greenfinch, 2-3 Goldfinch) plus Pied Wag, 3 tit spp.

Wandle - migrants flood through

Major passage through the Wandle this morning - one Chiffchaff. For some reason it feels more like a migrant than an overwintering bird. Partly because it's new right here, it's calling and feeding like crazy rather than trying to sing (OK but it could just be a female). Maybe spring is on the way - there's no sign of any Teal or Gadwall so maybe this is it.