It’s beginning to feel a lot like Autumn. Yes it’s hot like a summer should be, but the birding is really spicing up nicely. Early autumn migrants are picking up pace nicely with gorgeous bright yellow Willow Warblers now beginning to appear in mixed tit flocks. In the last couple of days ringing sessions at Lytchett Bay and the Lower Piddle have produced 7 Grasshopper Warbler, 2 Garden Warbler, 10+ Willow Warbler, 10+ Sedge Warbler, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Tree Pipit. This highlights that all these species are now on the move and can be found if up early enough and by visiting an area with a good amount of scrubby habitat, such as Slepe Heath, Greenlands Farm, Middlebere etc, all really well known migration hotspots. Give it a few more days and the first migrant Common Redstarts and Pied Flycatchers will soon be found too .Lytchett Fields/Bay is really producing some good early autumn waders with 37 Dunlin, 17+ Green Sandpiper, 4 Common Sandpiper, 4 Greenshank, 104 Redshank, 5 Little Ringed plover, 1 Spotted Redshank, 30+ Black-tailed Godwit, 82 Lapwing, 3 Whimbrel, 10+ Curlew and 15+ Teal. Female Osprey CJ7 has become really active again on the nest cam, visiting most mornings, doing some nest tidying and then leaving again.

Willow Warbler – Lytchett Bay – Ian Ballam