FOREWOOD

Birds of the South Foreland Valley

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Report for 2004 - courtesy Ian Hodgson

280 species had been recorded at St.Margaret’s at the end of 2002. There were no additions in 2003, but Black Stork was added this year on Sept.19 th and a Pallid Swift was seen at Bockhill on Oct.15 th, to bring the total up to 282. A third addition, Egyptian Goose, was prompted by the appearance one flying N past Bockhill on Oct.30 th. Although this species had not previously been included in the area list, one was seen at the pond in the dip between the village and Nelson Park sometime in the early 1980s, but was regarded at the time with some disdain. Nevertheless, it is a species that is included on the British list and it seems reasonable to suggest that it has occurred as naturally at St.Margaret’s as anywhere else in the country. So, at the end of 2004, the list of birds recorded in the St.Margaret’s area stood at 283.

 

A Summary of 2004

 

Winter

An overcast, cold and damp start to the New Year preceded milder conditions that lasted until mid January, with above average temperatures, heavy rain and strong winds, interspersed with sunny periods. It turned briefly colder on the 15 th, but from the 19 th became unsettled and mild once again. A ridge of high pressure brought snow on the 28 th and 29 th, but it was short lived, as heavy rain and gale force winds returned. February featured a temperature of 17 °C on the 4 th, after a record-breaking overnight minimum of 11 °C. Although temperatures remained in single figures from the 12 th and the end of the month was only a few degrees above freezing, frosts were relatively scarce.

 

Following a high of 17 °C on Feb.4 th, after a record-breaking overnight minimum of over 11°C, t wo House Martins were seen in the bay on 7 th, part of an unprecedented influx that brought at least 40 along the Channel coast. There was little else of note apart from a Little Egret in the bay for several days in mid month, the second half of which was calm but cold under a dominant area of high pressure.

 

Spring

Winter did not relinquish its grip until well into the March, as high pressure gave way to wet and windy weather from the Atlantic and temperatures climbed into double figures from the 13 th, reaching 17 °C on the 17 th before gales and heavy rain closed in once again. The month ended warm and spring like and April began well, but cold northerly winds took over, slowing migration considerably, until warm weather took over from mid month. The first half of May was very changeable but, as with April, the second half of the month was warm and settled.

 

Early March featured 780 Chaffinches, drifting over in light rain and low cloud on the 7 th, with over 70 Great Tits at Bockhill the same day. Wet and windy weather slowed things considerably until an unprecedented movement of Great Tits in mid month that re-wrote the records books for Kent in much the same way that the influx of Ring Ouzels in October 1998 and Jays in October 1983 had done. Although 78 were seen on 15 th there was little sign that numbers would match the 270 seen at Sandwich Bay on the 8 th, but an amazing 820 flew through the valley on the 16 th, heading mainly SW/W, with another 350 the next day and 114 more on the 18 th. Appalling weather with gales and driving rain more or less erased the next two days, although a Little Egret continued to frequent the bay, where a Marsh Harrier was seen on the 21 st as the rain, at least, relented. The 27 th featured a record movement of 570 Gannets and the 28 th brought a Hawfinch, as temperatures that had fallen back into single figures began to lift and the month ended warm and spring like.

 

The first two days of April were warm, but cold northerly winds took over, slowing migration considerably, though a Hoopoe was seen near the farmyard on the 8 th, a Serin flew downchannel on the 11 th and three or four more Hawfinches were seen on the 13 th, one of which was feeding beneath a copper beech hedge on the farm track. Warm weather arrived at last on the 16 th, bringing the first Whitethroats and Lesser Whitethroats of spring and the next few days saw influxes of 18 Blackcaps, 19 Willow Warblers and 35 Whitethroats on the 22 nd, two Pomarine Skuas on the 22 nd, four Ring Ouzels on the 25 th, five more Pomarine Skuas and a Black-throated Diver on the 28 th and a Little Egret on the 30 th, though scarcer migrants were, well, scarce.

 

In an unsettled start to May, a record 32 Pomarine Skuas and a Great Northern Diver flew NE offshore and two Little Egrets flew up the valley on the 2 nd and an Osprey flew east over the village on the 3 rd as conditions deteriorated into a couple of turbulent days at the end of which 14 Manx Shearwaters flew downchannel between squalls on the 5 th. In brief calmer, showery weather a Hobby flew in off the sea on the 6 th and an Alpine Swift was seen at Bockhill the next day, but wet and windy conditions returned on the 8 th and it was still grey and uninspiring when an adult male Golden Oriole flew out of Fan Bay and a Black Kite flew up the valley on the 10 th. However, bright and sunny weather on the 14 th coincided with the arrival from off the sea of at least one White Stork and a Marsh Harrier, with two more Hawfinches flying up the valley, and on the 16 th five Bee-eaters, seen earlier at Samphire Hoe, flew NE, with 15 more Pomarine Skuas offshore. A Serin flew over on 17 th and it was still warm and sunny when another Bee-eater, seen earlier at Abbotscliffe, flew past the windmill on the 18 th, a Long-tailed Skua flew NE on the 21 st and a Hen Harrier drifted inland on the 24 th.

 

Summer

Early June was warm and sunny, becoming hot during the second week, but it then turned very much fresher and the month ended tempestuously, with a day of severe gales and heavy rain on the 23 rd that closed the Port of Dover and deposited salt spray well inland – there was evidence of wind and salt burn on Whinless Down, more than a mile from the sea. Much of July was also very unsettled, with frequent heavy showers, and a violent hailstorm on the 17 th that caused damage to trees, knocking leaves from branches.

 

The warm weather continued into June and temperatures soared to 30 °C during the second week, during which both Honey Buzzard and Red Kite were seen on 12 th, but by the time a Red-rumped Swallow flew by on the 17 th, amid a procession of at least 1,100 Swifts, it had turned very much fresher. The latter part of the month was very unsettled, with a dreadful day of severe gales and heavy rain on the 23 rd, and the unsettled conditions continued into July, prompting four Balearic Shearwaters to pass by close inshore on the 4 th, followed by 19 more on the 9 th. A Nightjar was reported on the 14 th but seabirds remained flavour of the month with a Pomarine Skua and two Bonxies in the bay on the 17 th. However, numbers of breeding Kittiwakes on the cliffs declined by 37% to just 348 occupied nest sites, a rate of decline that suggests this species may no longer be breeding locally by the end of the decade.

 

Autumn

A briefly hot and sunny start to August gave way to a month of bright spells with frequent, sometimes torrential showers, with temperatures generally in the low twenties. Similar conditions continued into September, though it was calmer and briefly hotter in the first week, but it soon turned cooler, with blustery showers and longer periods of rain, until the last ten days of the month, which became steadily more settled but generally cloudy. October was mild but largely unsettled with a particularly bad week from the 20 th that was constantly windy, with heavy rain. Calmer conditions at the very end of the month continued into November, which became cold in a northerly airflow during the second week of the month.

 

In August, A Red Kite drifted over Nelson Park on the 9 th, a Marsh Harrier was seen on the 14 th, an Osprey drifted NE on the 22 nd and a Dotterel was discovered on the fields on the 25 th. Warbler arrivals included very good numbers of Common Whitethroats, which seemed to have had a good breeding season, and better numbers of Willow Warblers than for several years. However, with the writer abroad for much of the first half of the month and others plague by work commitments, coverage was generally poor.

 

Coverage continued to be a problem in the first week of September, though easterly winds near its end brought a small influx of Redstarts and Pied Flycatchers. Windy conditions dominated the next few days, though an Osprey was seen on the 10 th and a White Stork drifted SW on the 12 th. As the breeze slackened on a bright 15 th, at least 17 Sparrowhawks, a Common Buzzard and a Hobby moved through the area, with a supporting cast including 350 Meadow Pipits, five Redstarts, three Pied Flycatchers and a Little Egret, though numbers of hirundines remained appallingly low. More blustery, wet weather on 17 th was followed by a bright day on 18 th and the bushes were again full of warblers, principally 110 Blackcaps and 70 Chiffchaffs, with seven Sparrowhawks moving over and, at 0950, a BLACK STORK, soaring just inland of the bay – the first record of this species for the area. It circled offshore for over half an hour before being joined by a Common Buzzard and at 1030, prompted by positive action from the raptor, both slipped out to sea towards Cap Gris Nez. A total of 13 Great Spotted Woodpeckers flew SW on the 24 th/25 th and in a calm last week of the month a Merlin was trapped on the farm on the 25 th amid a record catch of 292 birds, as numbers of Chiffchaffs grew, reaching at least 200 on the 26 th. Hirundines began to move at last, with up to 4,000 over the valley at times and regular sightings of Hobby, following their quarry southward, and a Lapland Bunting appeared on the 29 th as the autumn’s first substantial numbers of Reed Buntings, Goldfinches and Linnets began to move.

 

A calm first day of October produced another Lapland Bunting and three Common Cranes, heading SW inland of the valley, and on a wet and windy 4 th the Bockhill crew recorded a Long-tailed Skua, two Sooty Shearwaters and three Manx Shearwaters heading past offshore, with a Montagu’s Harrier around the paddock at Bockhill later in the morning. A Yellow-browed Warbler was found on the 6 th and, as the wind swung into the east on the 9 th, in addition to an offshore movement that included record totals of more than 5,200 Brent Geese and 41 Bonxies, together with seven Pink-footed Geese, two Pomarine Skuas, 16 Arctic Skuas, three Black-throated Divers, two Little Stints and two Avocets, flocks of Redwings poured in high overhead, frequently disappearing in cloud cover as they streamed in from over the sea, and a Dutch-ringed Robin was trapped in the valley. Redwings continued to arrive on the 10 th, which also brought a Red-breasted Flycatcher in the Lower Wood, and Goldfinch movement began to accelerate on 11 th as over 600 flew NE, with Yellow-browed Warblers in the valley and the village. A day of swirling masses of Starlings, 335 Fieldfares and 16 Firecrests on the 12 th preceded a movement of over 1,200 Goldfinches on the 13 th, as the weather became very unsettled, with heavy rain the next day. This cleared from this side of the Channel on the morning of the 15 th, and although lightning still flashed away amid heavy cloud that lay along the French coast, it was calm and sunny here. These conditions precipitated a notable arrival of 200 Blackcaps, easily the largest October influx on record, 140 Song Thrushes, six Ring Ouzels, at least four Short-eared Owls, one Long-eared Owl, 120 Goldcrests, 70 Robins and 40 Chiffchaffs, with the star bird – a PALLID SWIFT – at Bockhill later in the afternoon: the first record for the area. Although the next few days were quiet, the weather from the 20 th was anything but, as wave after wave of strong winds and heavy rain crashed in from the west, not abating until the 26 th. Bockhill continued to steal the limelight at the end of the month with several records of Shorelark, an Egyptian Goose flying N on the 30 th and a Waxwing the next day.

 

Despite lingering Swallows and House Martins, the first week of November looked increasingly like autumn’s swansong until two Waxwings flew up the valley on the 6 th. A couple of gloomy days continued the impression but a northerly airflow took hold on the 10 th, bringing winds directly from Greenland. This prompted a resurgence of activity that included an influx of up to three Shorelarks, 36 Snow Buntings, one or two Twite, another Waxwing and six Lapland Buntings. A Little Auk appeared offshore on the 14 th and although activity began to slacken after this, the flock of Shorelarks increased to five on the 15 th before disappearing as mild weather returned once again. Although up to three Water Rails were noisily present in the valley and the rich crop of hawthorn berries helped to retain good numbers of Blackbirds, the second half of the month became increasingly quiet.

 

High pressure dominated much of Europe at the start of December, producing a quiet first half of the month, with temperatures mainly between 6-10 ºC. This calm spell disappeared abruptly with the arrival of Atlantic weather on the 15 th, with strong W winds and persistent, heavy rain on the 17 th.

 

Great Tits in March 2004 Ian Hodgson

 

Great Tits are known to be highly irruptive and in Kent they have a history of occurrence in substantial numbers in autumn and, particularly, during return movement in spring. Significantly, in view of the events of this spring the largest recorded movements of Great Tits in the county prior to this year involved three counts of 100, all between March 27 th-30 th, two of which were at St.Margaret’s, with the other at Sandwich Bay. In this context, the influx this spring was atypical in that there was little evidence of an influx on the Kent coast last autumn.

 

The first signs of something out of the ordinary this spring came on March 7 th when Jack and Phil Chantler recorded over 70 at Bockhill and 21 were seen at the South Foreland. The wind was light NW with low cloud and drizzle and several hundred disoriented Chaffinches were also evident on both sides of the bay. Curiously, despite an amazing count of 270 at the Observatory at Sandwich Bay the next day, which was contrastingly bright and sunny with a chilly NE breeze, there was no sign of passage at St.Margaret’s until the 15 th when, despite a fresh SW wind, a further 78 moved through.

 

Even this gave no clue as to the events of March 16 th, which began with a moderate SW wind and light rain. On arrival at the South Foreland, a flock of 80 Redwings and a few Fieldfares flew over the wood by the lighthouse, followed soon after by a small group of Chaffinches, accompanied by a lone but noisy Brambling and a Reed Bunting; a promising start, but nothing out of the ordinary. Then came the sound of calling Great Tits, several, in fact, from the noise they were making. Closer they came, materialising into a flock of about 80 that poured through the sallows in front of me as I stood, mesmerised, at the top of the valley. They continued into the wood, moving boisterously across the tops of the trees then lifted into the air and away, allowing me to adjust my estimate to a count of 92 as they flew off to the NE. Twenty minutes passed with only a few more Redwings and a trickle of Chaffinches, before the sound of more Great Tits alerted me to another flock, approaching from further down the valley, like the first. Although, to some extent, migrant Great Tits are to be expected in March at St.Margaret’s, the sight that followed was little short of staggering, as no fewer than 180 flooded through the trees in front of me, some pausing amid the catkins, while others streamed over or through the sallows and into the sycamores of the top wood. This flock moved off W/SW inland, dancing like fleas across the treetops, and almost immediately another noisy party of 70 could be seen leaving the valley further down towards the bay and heading off to the NE, as the first flock had done. 340 Great Tits in just three flocks was little short of incredible.

 

Although two of the flocks thus far had flown away to the NE, subsequent parties continued to move up the valley or to arrive from along the clifftop, all making for the wood by the lighthouse before fanning out and heading inland in an arc between W and NW. By the time Colin Johnson arrived, just after 10, nearly 500 had moved through the valley. Although movement slackened as the wind fell away and it became gradually more spring like with the temperature rising into the mid teens, further large flocks continued to mingle with smaller ones; 52 at 10.20, 68 five minutes later and 40 at 10.55 and 11.15 being the most notable, and by mid day an unprecedented 820 had been recorded.

 

At least 350 flew into a SW breeze at St.Margaret’s the next day and although movement began to slacken, 114 did so on the 18 th, a very large passage by the standards of little more than a week previously. Elsewhere, 125 were recorded at Sandwich Bay on the 16 th and about 50 were still present there the next day, but the only other localities to experience notable numbers appear to have been on the cliffs at Capel-le-Ferne, where 59 flew E on the 8 th, and King George VI Park, on the coast at Ramsgate, where 43 were seen on the 17 th, even though there was coverage at both of these sites and also at Dungeness on the days of heaviest passage at St.Margaret’s and Sandwich Bay.

 

Even though numbers were clearly much reduced following gales and driving rain on the 19 th and 20 th, flocks were still widespread in gardens around St.Margaret’s and 56 appeared at Sandwich Bay on the 24 th.

 

 

Ringing has established the continental origin of some of these arrivals, with several having been ringed or recovered in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany and two as far distant as Poland and Baltic Russia (KOS, Wernham et al). Irruptions are irregular and difficult, if not impossible to predict, though local depletion of beech mast seems to be a significant factor in the largest movements recorded in Europe. Heinrich Gätke, writing of Heligoland, an island in the southern North Sea off the German coast, speaks of ‘enormous quantities’ and ‘thousands’ in autumn 1847, while commenting that in the last few decades of that century ‘only singles or a few scattered individuals had been met with’. Autumn 1959 featured particularly large and widespread movements across Europe, including a total of 7,438 visibly migrating at Falsterbo in S.Sweden, an exceptional 1,000 at Signilskär, at the tip of the Finnish archipelago and 2,681 trapped and ringed at Col de Bretolet in Switzerland. A ringing total of nearly 45,000 at five ringing stations bordering the Baltic in autumn 1986 gives some idea of numbers exiting northern latitudes in some years. Movements can be prodigious, one individual having journeyed from Kaliningrad in Baltic Russia to SW France (BWP).

 

References

BWP The Birds of the Western Palaearctic Cramp S., Simmons K.E.L. & Perrins C.M.

(1977-1994). Vol 7. Oxford University Press

Gätke, H. (1895) Heligoland. An Ornithological Observatory. David Douglas, Edinburgh.

Hodgson I.P. (1991) The Birds of St.Margaret’s. Privately published.

KOS (1981). The Birds of Kent. Meresborough.

Wernham C.V., Toms M.P., Marchant J.H., Clark J.A., Siriwardena G.M. & Baillie S.R. (eds.)

(2002) The Migration Atlas: movements of the birds of Britain and Ireland. Poyser

 

Report for 2005 - courtesy Ian Hodgson .

 

280 species had been recorded at St.Margaret’s at the end of 2002 and after several years of stagnation to add nothing new in 2003 was unsurprising. However, in 2004 Black Stork was added in September, Pallid Swift was seen at Bockhill on October 15 th, to bring the total up to 282, and a third addition, Egyptian Goose, was prompted by one flying N past Bockhill on October 30 th. So, at the end of 2004, the list of birds recorded in the St.Margaret’s area stood at 283.

In 2005, the Bockhill crew were instrumental in adding Garganey to the list on March 20 th and taxonomic recognition of Yellow-legged Gull as a distinct species in October by the BOU brought the list to 284.

 

A Summary of 2005

 

Winter

The start of January was mild and mostly calm, around 8 -11 ° C, but it also featured spells of windy weather, particularly from the end of the first week, which brought severe gales on the 7 th and 8 th. Conditions became generally calmer and drier from the 12 th and temperatures fell to 2-4 ° C in northerly winds from the 22 nd, with snow flurries on the 25 th that brought a light covering of snow on The Downs. However, temperatures rose steadily in a largely dull and often showery final few days of the month, reaching a springlike 13 ° C in sheltered spots away from the coast on the 31 st. The first half of February was mostly sunny and dry, around 6-8° C, but after reaching 13 ° C on the 12 th temperatures plummeted. The second half of the month was cold, with snow showers on the 15 th and daily spells of snow as the wind strengthened from the NE from the 19 th, leaving a covering on The Downs until the end of the month.

 

January kicked off with a Glaucous Gull, seen in the bay by the Bockhill birders on the 1 st, but apart from this highlights were few, though 4,000 Guillemots and 400 Gannets flew SW on the 20 th and a Red-necked Grebe was seen on Feb.12 th. Notably, one or two Harbour Porpoises were seen in the bay, also by the Bockhill crew, on Jan.1 st and on several dates in the second half of February.

 

 

Spring

Further heavy snow on March 2 nd brought an immediate return to winter and widespread chaos across the county. Snow showers continued for the next few days, but became less frequent and temperatures, previously hardly above 2 ° C, rose slowly to 5-7 ° C from the 7 th. The northerly airflow eased in mid month and values rose quickly to a springlike 16-17 ° C before subsiding to 9-12 ° C in cooler north-easterlies in the last week of the month. Apart from the snow early in the month and a few showers in the last week, March was very dry. A bright, sunny start to April, around 20 ° C in sheltered spots, gave way to unsettled conditions from the 6 th, with frequent showers and temperatures well down in a cold NW wind. Warmer spells broke up the pattern from time to time, but a temperature range of 8-15 ° C illustrates how changeable April was, and with N winds slowing immigration across Europe and particularly through the Iberian Peninsula, migrants were generally slow to arrive. However, the final day of the month was warm and sunny, concluding a disappointing month on a hopeful note.

 

A Barn Owl was seen at Westcliffe church on March 4 th, the latest in a series of records in the area over the winter. The first finch movement of spring occurred on the 11 th when 930 Chaffinches and 43 Siskins flew SW and after a Common Buzzard on the 12 th a further 430 Chaffinches and 48 Siskins flew SW on the 14 th. A Chiffchaff appeared on the 16 th and on the 18 th the spring’s first Wheatear accompanied an arrival of 24 Stonechats at the clifftop, while five Avocets, two Velvet Scoter and two Garganey flew by in an offshore movement of wildfowl on the 20 th, the Garganey being a new species for the area. Six Black Redstarts arrived on the 21 st, a Firecrest was seen on the 24 th and the year’s first Swallow flew NE on the 26 th, but in truth this concluded a rather disappointing month. At Bockhill, observers recorded 16 bird-days of Common Buzzard and a Red Kite on the 28 th.

 

The first three days of April brought records of up to four Firecrests, nine Shags offshore and first appearances of Yellow Wagtail, Swallow, Tree Pipit and Willow Warbler, with three Ring Ouzels on the 3 rd. Six Common Buzzards were circling about on the 5 th, a Marsh Harrier flew in off the sea on the 7 th and the next day a Serinflew up the valley. Apart from a Short-eared Owl on the 10 th and another Marsh Harrier on the 19 th the month became very quiet in unhelpful conditions that slowed migration across the whole of Europe. However, warmer weather in the last two days allowed a widespread influx of migrants, our share amounting to two Honey Buzzardsthat drifted SW on the 29 th and an Ospreythat flew in off the sea and N over Nelson Park on the 30 th.

 

After an unsettled and showery start, May became decidedly chilly in persistent northerlies, and below average temperatures of 13-15 ° C fell to 10-12 ° C in strong north easterlies that lasted for much of the second week of the month. The third week was a cheerless affair, with frequent rain and a fresh southwest wind, but it slowly became warmer from the 25 th and the thermometer reached 31 ° C on the 27 th, nearly a May record, before falling back again to bring a dull and cool conclusion to another rather poor month for common migrants. Highlights, if that is the word, included a NE movement of 33 Pomarine Skuas and the arrival of four Golden Oriolesin the area on the 3 rd, three of which were found over at Bockhill. Another Pomarine Skua flew NE on the 9 th, with eight more between the 12 th-14 th, three Black-throated Divers did so on the 13 th and on the 14 th two Avocets and another Black-throated Diver followed. A Honey Buzzardwas seen on the 15 th and a White Storkdrifted along the cliffs on the 17 th. Non-avian highlights included two Harbour Porpoises offshore on the 2 nd and a Large Tortoiseshell butterfly in Mark and Lucy’s clifftop garden on the 29 th.

 

Summer

Poor weather continued throughout a dry, dull and cool first half of June, with temperatures generally no better than 13-15 º C. A sudden change brought hot and sunny conditions from the 17 th, with the thermometer reaching 32 º C on the 24 th, producing heavy, thundery downpours. Although temperatures reached 27 º C on the 29 th the final week of the month was a good deal cooler, mainly around 18-21 º C. Apart from a hot and dry week in mid month, with temperatures between 24-29 ° C, July was very unsettled with frequent showers and temperatures that languished around 17-19 ° C for much of the time. Low pressure dominated the final third of the month, producing mostly dull weather with some heavy showers and occasional hot and humid spells, with temperatures oscillating between 16-26 ° C.

 

Both June and July received very little coverage and highlights were suitably few. However, a White Storkflew over Nelson Park on June 12 th and in July the Bockhill crew recorded four Balearic Shearwaters moving past offshore between the 21 st and 26 th.

 

Autumn

Although warm conditions persisted for much of August, conditions were rather changeable with frequent showers, though there was no repetition of the violent storms of last year. Temperatures fluctuated generally between 19-23 ° C, occasionally rising to the mid twenties, with a particularly warm end to the month making up for a wet penultimate week. The beginning of September was sunny and very warm, with light winds and temperatures of up to 27 ° C during the first ten days. Although more unsettled conditions took over, values never dipped below 19 ° C until the last few days of the month and winds generally contained a westerly component, inducing little immigration from across the North Sea . Early October was quite the opposite of the windy affair that it often is. The first two weeks were warm and settled, with temperatures, already in the high teens, rising to 23-24 ° C on the 10 th/11 th. However, conditions became increasingly unsettled, with frequent rain, although it was dry in a spell of easterlies around mid month, and the end of the month was persistently wet with warm southerly winds Temperatures remained generally very high for October, reaching a record 21 ° C in parts of the county on the 21 st.

 

Although August received little coverage this year, it was a conspicuously quiet month throughout the county and it is unlikely that numbers of migrants at St.Margaret’s were any better than the paucity experienced elsewhere. Still, a Marsh Harrier was seen on the 9 th and Pied Flycatchers and Common Redstarts were noted in small numbers from the 24 th.

 

Coverage of the area resumed to something resembling normality in early September, in time for the first arrivals of Blackcaps, for which this was a record autumn; between them John and Mark trapped more than 500 for the first time. A Wryneckwas seen by a visitor on the 4 th, an Ospreydrifted NE just inland of the valley on the 6 th, Marsh Harriers were seen on the 13 th and 25 th and a Common Buzzard was soaring around on the 21 st, but for common birds this was a poor month. Passage of finches and most warblers was well below average and there was little encouragement in the weather to entice significant arrivals from across the North Sea .

At Bockhill, observers recorded up to two Dotterels between 8 th and 10 th, Wryneck on 9 th-10 th and a Tawny Pipit on 10 th.

October was comfortably the most interesting, productive and varied month of the autumn. Common migrants appeared in good numbers for the first time, with notable totals of Redpoll (the most since 1988) and Greenfinches (the best since 1992), amid steady influxes of Song Thrushes and good numbers of Goldfinches, even though numbers of Linnets were very poor.

The month began slowly, although two Snow Buntings appeared on the path from the lighthouse on the 1 st and three Ruff flew over the cliff top fields on the 5 th. Two Lapland Buntings and a Common Buzzard were seen on the 8 th and the 9 th brought 18 continental Coal Tits and a Common Redpoll, trapped along with several more familiarly warm buff Lesser Redpolls, with the first of several Short-eared Owls over the fields. An overcast and gloomy 13 th produced a northerly movement of 910 Chaffinches, with 186 Siskins flying in the opposite direction and a Richard’s Pipitthat flew up from the edge of Lighthouse Down. A host of easterly rarities arrived on the north-facing coast of the county over the next few days, but our share amounted to Yellow-browed Warblerson the 15 th and 17 th, accompanied by large numbers of Goldcrests and the best movements of Greenfinches for more than a decade, with 480 Redwings and six Crossbills on the 15 th. A chilly easterly breeze on the 18 th prompted a movement of 2557 Goldfinches, 351 Siskins and 207 Redpolls and the 22 nd produced totals of 416 Stock Doves, 551 Greenfinches, 421 Redpolls, seven Ring Ouzels and a record 11 Hawfinches, all flying up the valley. 1022 Stock Doves moved through on the 23 rd and diligent seawatching by the Bockhill crew as conditions deteriorated in the last week was rewarded by three Sooty Shearwaters, a Little Auk, an adult Sabine’s Gull and a Black-throated Diver. As for the valley, another Hawfinchon the 28 th and 18 Bullfinches, two more Hawfinchesand two Sooty Shearwaters on the 29 th just about concluded the month’s entertainment.

Highlights at Bockhill included a Radde’s Warbler on the 3 rd and 4 th, up to three Yellow-browed Warblers between the 6 th and 9 th, with one-two from the 15 th-19 th and a Shore Lark on the 28 th.

 

Overseas travel took its toll of coverage in November, though a Ring Ouzel was seen on the 1 st and the 19 th brought Snow Bunting, two Firecrests, a Woodcock and a late Swallow on Lighthouse Down.

 

Ringing at St.Margaret’s in 2005

Despite the absence of any new species on the ringing list and reduced coverage in August, which affected totals of Common and Lesser Whitethroats in particular, the autumn total of 1,587 birds ringed was the fourth highest since 1979, behind totals of 1,619 in 1998, 1,677 in 2000 and last year’s record total of 1,756.

There were record captures of Blackcap (505) and Chiffchaff (289), summarised in the table below, which illustrates how numbers of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs have increased as Willow Warbler numbers have declined. Numbers of Bullfinches also deserve mention; the total of 21 was the most since totals of 22 in 1998 and 46 in 1992, though its long term significance remains to be seen. The total of 91 Lesser Redpolls was the second highest on record, exceeded only by 125 in 2001, and it is salutary to note that prior to the commencement of tape-luring in 1998 only 198 Redpolls had been caught and ringed at St.Margaret’s. The Greenfinch total (21) was the best since 1989, reflecting a generally better autumn for a species that was formerly a good deal more numerous, and Robins showed in good numbers relative to those of Dunnock and Wren, which act as good indicators of the strength of its migration through the area; in years with few migrant Robins numbers of these three species tend to be very similar. Despite a poor year for Reed Warbler, 17 Sedge Warblers were trapped; this was one of only seven years in which double figures have been achieved since 1977.

On the debit side, no flycatchers were trapped, for the first time since ringing migrants began in 1977.

 

 

 

 

Annual Autumn Bird/day Totals

Despite a largely unremarkable year, 14 bird-days for Hawfinch at the end of October was a record, as was the bird-day total of 1,447 Stock Doves (1,022 moving SW on October 23 rd was a record count). The bird-day total of 1,263 Redpolls was the highest since 1988 (the movement of 481 Redpolls on October 22 nd has been bettered only once). The total of 28 Coal Tits, mostly of the continental type, bodes well for next spring when there should be a return movement, and a total of 316 migrant Song Thrushes is worthy of mention. On the negative side, numbers of Linnets and Tree Sparrows continue to be very poor, but visibly migrating Greenfinches occurred in the best numbers for more than a decade.

 

 

 

Cumulative hourly autumn totals of visibly migrating finches

 

 

A Summary of Birds Ringed in 2005

 

 

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