High tide 10.28 (4.1m) Low tide 15.47 (1.8m)
Moderate/fresh SW breeze, showers, warm
I arrived at Farlington rather late in the morning and spent the next three hours or so wandering around “the bushes” – the area between the car park, stream and information building – in an attempt to relax and see some birds. Initially sunny, it turned showery later, which probably meant that the bird activity lasted longer into the morning than would otherwise have been the case. I had decided to leave walking around the seawall until later especially as the main lake was still full up with water and there would be few birds on it. Anyway, the first birds I saw were Great Tits, followed by a Redstart…and then another. One was calling, perhaps agitated at the other’s one’s presence (or mine!). Sylvia warblers (the “sylvia” referring to the genus aka as scrub warblers) were calling away around me – the first of six Lesser Whitethroats showed nicely, along with several Blackcaps. Next was a Spotted Flycatcher which whizzed past but stopped not too far away on the next available perch. Nice. As is typical of early September there were Robins in almost every bush (or so it seemed) with much “ticking” calls to go with them. Not much happening around the Old Pond but two Wheatears were on the fence line to the south posing nicely. More sylvia warblers included the first of only five Common Whitethroats and the ear-piercing song of a Cetti’s Warbler was soon amply heard! A Reed Warbler crept around in a blackthorn bush and another couple of Lesser Whitethroats chased around a half-dead hawthorn.
The birds assembled on the main stream then caught my eye and I stopped to have a better look at them. Top billing goes to the 37 Greenshank stood together, some with colour rings of which the light made reading difficult but I tried. Ducks then demanded attention as there was a count record to beat… that for Gadwall on the reserve. I could see 42 which was just shy of last weeks count (but read on for an update). A distant Osprey had diverted my attention briefly and I toyed with the idea of delaying the Gadwall count but I persisted (!). No sooner had I completed the count of Gadwall the Osprey, a fresh-plumaged juvenile, came over the marsh from the east and followed a westerly flight path right over the stream and right over my head. Now where are those photographers when you need them? This blog could have been so much more visually appealing! These really are superb birds, and they are being seen with ever increasing frequency on passage in Langstone Harbour as the British population increases.
The birds on the stream had been temporarily spooked by the Osprey but soon re-settled. This
gave me a chance to count the 310 Black-tailed Godwits and 10 Wigeon and search through the Teal for any with blue (or even blue-ish) wings. Without success this time I continued onwards through the bushes area and enjoyed the butterflies. I had already seen Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown and Small Heath but my list suddenly lengthened as both Common Blue and Small Copper appeared in a sheltered area to the lea of some bramble. There were several of each here, and I managed to photograph one of the Small Coppers:
The birds assembled on the main stream then caught my eye and I stopped to have a better look at them. Top billing goes to the 37 Greenshank stood together, some with colour rings of which the light made reading difficult but I tried. Ducks then demanded attention as there was a count record to beat… that for Gadwall on the reserve. I could see 42 which was just shy of last weeks count (but read on for an update). A distant Osprey had diverted my attention briefly and I toyed with the idea of delaying the Gadwall count but I persisted (!). No sooner had I completed the count of Gadwall the Osprey, a fresh-plumaged juvenile, came over the marsh from the east and followed a westerly flight path right over the stream and right over my head. Now where are those photographers when you need them? This blog could have been so much more visually appealing! These really are superb birds, and they are being seen with ever increasing frequency on passage in Langstone Harbour as the British population increases.
The birds on the stream had been temporarily spooked by the Osprey but soon re-settled. This
gave me a chance to count the 310 Black-tailed Godwits and 10 Wigeon and search through the Teal for any with blue (or even blue-ish) wings. Without success this time I continued onwards through the bushes area and enjoyed the butterflies. I had already seen Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown and Small Heath but my list suddenly lengthened as both Common Blue and Small Copper appeared in a sheltered area to the lea of some bramble. There were several of each here, and I managed to photograph one of the Small Coppers:The skies were now threatening the first rain shower of the day so I skirted some of the scrub that would provide
refuge when it became damp. Putting one of several small moths up from the longer grass I stopped to take a closer look at one of the beasties from under foot (almost literally). The moth turned out to be a Rush Veneer (thanks to Andy J for the heads up on my ID, as I’m not too good at identifying moths) - see picture left. Usefully Andy provided the following note to his ID: “Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella, [is} a migrant that is relatively plentiful at the moment, and easily disturbed during the day. They have a characteristic long and narrow look, with wings held flat.” Maybe I won’t forget this one now.
While on hands and knees I was more aware of the constant noise of Long-winged Conehead bush-crickets – which sound like someone winding up an old-fashioned wrist watch all day – and while trying to find one my nose almost hit a large spider called Edith…. no actually its called Pisaura mirabilis. This beastie had built a nursery web for it’s tiny offspring around a bramble twig and entrapped numerous other bits of vegetation including a thistle seed complete with its plumes. My attempts at an arty-type picture can be seen to the left but won’t win any prizes.
It soon started raining so I retreated to what’s known locally as the “double ponds thicket” for a while. The resident Blue Tits and Great Tits were entertaining enough and had attracted a Lesser Whitethroat but my hoped for Pied Flycatcher, a species which often favours feeding from the inside of tree canopies, was nowhere to be
seen. The sun soon reappeared and the birds put on a late morning fit of activity. Two Reed Buntings seemed to accompany the flock of Blackcaps on the edge of the thicket, while three Collared Doves, a scarce bird on the reserve, flew around it. Yet more Small Copper butterflies were disturbed from a patch of Fleabane flowering next to the path. Fleabane (picture right) is a common plant on the grassland areas at Farlington and is a great source of nectar for all sorts of insects at this time of year. It can be humming with them in calm conditions. Unfortunately today was now becoming increasingly windier so I moved swiftly on to the reserve’s information building. En-route I met a fellow birder who told me about a Whinchat which I never saw. In fact this was to remain a species that I wouldn’t see today, remarkable considering I would have once considered this species to be a relatively common migrant on the reserve in September. A look on the stream behind the building revealed five Little Egrets, curiously all juveniles, feeding in the shallows, along with a juvenile Black-tailed Godwit and a juvenile Common Sandpiper. Thinking about it the Teal and the Moorhen there were also juveniles…
refuge when it became damp. Putting one of several small moths up from the longer grass I stopped to take a closer look at one of the beasties from under foot (almost literally). The moth turned out to be a Rush Veneer (thanks to Andy J for the heads up on my ID, as I’m not too good at identifying moths) - see picture left. Usefully Andy provided the following note to his ID: “Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella, [is} a migrant that is relatively plentiful at the moment, and easily disturbed during the day. They have a characteristic long and narrow look, with wings held flat.” Maybe I won’t forget this one now.
While on hands and knees I was more aware of the constant noise of Long-winged Conehead bush-crickets – which sound like someone winding up an old-fashioned wrist watch all day – and while trying to find one my nose almost hit a large spider called Edith…. no actually its called Pisaura mirabilis. This beastie had built a nursery web for it’s tiny offspring around a bramble twig and entrapped numerous other bits of vegetation including a thistle seed complete with its plumes. My attempts at an arty-type picture can be seen to the left but won’t win any prizes.It soon started raining so I retreated to what’s known locally as the “double ponds thicket” for a while. The resident Blue Tits and Great Tits were entertaining enough and had attracted a Lesser Whitethroat but my hoped for Pied Flycatcher, a species which often favours feeding from the inside of tree canopies, was nowhere to be
seen. The sun soon reappeared and the birds put on a late morning fit of activity. Two Reed Buntings seemed to accompany the flock of Blackcaps on the edge of the thicket, while three Collared Doves, a scarce bird on the reserve, flew around it. Yet more Small Copper butterflies were disturbed from a patch of Fleabane flowering next to the path. Fleabane (picture right) is a common plant on the grassland areas at Farlington and is a great source of nectar for all sorts of insects at this time of year. It can be humming with them in calm conditions. Unfortunately today was now becoming increasingly windier so I moved swiftly on to the reserve’s information building. En-route I met a fellow birder who told me about a Whinchat which I never saw. In fact this was to remain a species that I wouldn’t see today, remarkable considering I would have once considered this species to be a relatively common migrant on the reserve in September. A look on the stream behind the building revealed five Little Egrets, curiously all juveniles, feeding in the shallows, along with a juvenile Black-tailed Godwit and a juvenile Common Sandpiper. Thinking about it the Teal and the Moorhen there were also juveniles…One more Gadwall on the stream in front of the building didn’t quite break the record books, and neither did the 19 Canada Geese which is just as well really. Just east of the building, and part way along the track, there was a group of about 20 Swallows resting on the cattle crush fence being photographed by another birder. He told me that the Grey Phalarope was still present on the Deeps but was last seen looking poorly and resting on the seaward side of the seawall. This bird had arrived yesterday and, although clearly a bit “iffy” and with some damage to its left side, was actively feeding and flying around. Today it was less than happy which was to become all too obvious to me later.
The Swallows entertained me for a while and I managed a few digiscoped photos:
Further along the track a group of Blackcaps fed on blackberries and Greenfinch became the commonest species of bird with at least twenty exploding out of the bushes either side of me. More Speckled Wood butterflies were joined by a Comma and a Large White. The second Kestrel of the day sat on the branches of a dead hawthorn tree.
I ate lunch overlooking Chalkdock Lake, an area of the harbour between Farlington and Broadmarsh. The tide was falling fast and a group of nine Common Terns were fishing here. Two Sand Martins passed southwards (adding to ones seen earlier) and a single Knot stood amongst the flock of Grey Plover on the mudflats. Meanwhile a group of eight Gadwalls flew north from the harbour towards the pools at Budds Farm sewage works. After lunch a walk down the east seawall revealed little in the way of birds apart from three Wheatears on a fenceline, so I didn’t hang around too long here. The Grey Phalarope was back feeding on the water of the Deeps, vaguely in association with a group of juvenile Black-tailed Godwits. As noted by others before me it really didn’t look happy and at one time sat on the bare mud seemingly very uncomfortably. It was a bit difficult to be sure what was wrong with its left side and I couldn’t confirm whether the dark patch on it was oil or missing feathers around the leg area.
I ate lunch overlooking Chalkdock Lake, an area of the harbour between Farlington and Broadmarsh. The tide was falling fast and a group of nine Common Terns were fishing here. Two Sand Martins passed southwards (adding to ones seen earlier) and a single Knot stood amongst the flock of Grey Plover on the mudflats. Meanwhile a group of eight Gadwalls flew north from the harbour towards the pools at Budds Farm sewage works. After lunch a walk down the east seawall revealed little in the way of birds apart from three Wheatears on a fenceline, so I didn’t hang around too long here. The Grey Phalarope was back feeding on the water of the Deeps, vaguely in association with a group of juvenile Black-tailed Godwits. As noted by others before me it really didn’t look happy and at one time sat on the bare mud seemingly very uncomfortably. It was a bit difficult to be sure what was wrong with its left side and I couldn’t confirm whether the dark patch on it was oil or missing feathers around the leg area.
A lone Dark-bellied Brent Goose was feeding on the grass and the group of Canada Geese from earlier had moved in. A single Common Sandpiper was the only other wader on the pool. Walking around with another local birder the wind now made looking for birds on the open fields difficult. A female Sparrowhawk flushed a flock of about 2500 Starlings over the point field. It wasn’t too long before we had found our way to the lake, a full circuit in less time than it takes not to find a rarity! While counting the Mallards here, of which there were 62, a smart juvenile Whimbrel dropped in to bath. There was little else on the lake though so we didn’t hand around too long. The stream was grilled yet again for ducks. Two counts later and I had counted a magnificent 51 Gadwall! A record!! Brilliant!!!
Later in the evening after doing other things I checked out the Swallow and Yellow Wagtail roost which held 200 and 18 birds respectively. Both of these species roost overnight in the main reedbed. The reedbed at Farlington is a traditional roost site for these two species which have been using it for decades. The Swallows were gathering on the bare ground alongside the main stream but also sometimes on the shorter grassy areas and anthills in between feeding forays. Some were picking off insects from the anthills but the light was too poor by this stage to be sure of their prey although I suspect it might well have included Yellow Meadow Ants. These are common on the reserve and the owners of the aforementioned anthills (obviously).
Later in the evening after doing other things I checked out the Swallow and Yellow Wagtail roost which held 200 and 18 birds respectively. Both of these species roost overnight in the main reedbed. The reedbed at Farlington is a traditional roost site for these two species which have been using it for decades. The Swallows were gathering on the bare ground alongside the main stream but also sometimes on the shorter grassy areas and anthills in between feeding forays. Some were picking off insects from the anthills but the light was too poor by this stage to be sure of their prey although I suspect it might well have included Yellow Meadow Ants. These are common on the reserve and the owners of the aforementioned anthills (obviously).
Selected bird records and counts:
Dark-bellied Brent Goose 1
Wigeon 10
Gadwall 51
Osprey 1
Kestrel 2
Sparrowhawk 1
Black-tailed Godwit 310
Whimbrel 1
Greenshank 37
Common Sandpiper 2
Grey Phalarope 1
Swallow 200
Sand Martin 7
Yellow Wagtail 18
Spotted Flycatcher 1
Redstart 2
Wheatear 8
Whinchat 1
Lesser Whitethroat 6
Starling 2500
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