In September I managed to submit 33 eBird checklists, and additional ad-hoc eBird sightings/lists associated with the garden and other random places. Most were within the 10km patch, but a trip to Norfolk with birding friends Rik Addison and James Gilroy included additional variety.
The month started with sea watching in strong north-east winds, which is not the ideal wind direction for Reculver. Yet, there was a nice variety of wildfowl, arctic skua, 125 sandwich terns and two black terns on the 1st.
The best find of the month was probably a calling dotterel on the 4th, which was picked by Derek Smith and me at the same time, but from different parts of the Reculver recording area. Derek managed to see the bird fly over, whilst I only managed to hear it calling. This bird may have hung around in the wider area, as a single bird continued to be recorded on dates thereafter by others. I also found a flock of 11 pink-footed geese flying on the 16th, eight tree sparrow on the 9th, and short-eared owl, hen harrier, grasshopper warbler, spotted flycatcher, tree pipit, redstart and firecrest on various dates within the Reculver area during September.
Away from Reculver I found a calling yellow-browed warbler along the River Stour near Grove Ferry, Stodmarsh on the 26th September, during some beaver field survey training I was leading on. All participants, three early career non-birding ecologists, saw and heard it – a compulsory task from the main training tasks!
Vis-mig back at Reculver included 1,014 meadow pipit flying west on the 16th during a 3.25hr watch from Reculver Towers, which also included small numbers of swallow, house martin, sand martin, six yellow wagtail and a grey wagtail. Towards the month end, vis-mig included groups of finches, meadow pipits and starlings flying west along the rail line.
The Norfolk trip was thoroughly enjoyable because of the social rather than birding experiences, but highlights included an icterine warbler at Blakeney Point, as well as spoonbill (in two locations), five cattle egrets in fields near Burnham Overy Dunes, and three curlew sandpiper, two little stint and two snow bunting at Titchwell RSPB reserve. Whilst I thoroughly enjoy escaping into nature on my own to go birding as a means to ‘get away’ from it all, it was great to bird with long-time friends during this holiday, even if they do not fully appreciate one of my personal favourites, the large flocks of pink-footed geese that add a magical sound track to the open autumnal coastal landscapes of north Norfolk.
Dr Dave's Birding Blog 