A moderate NE breeze blew across the harbour in the very early hours, prompting a sound recording session up on Ballard Down and the chance of some decent vis-mig (visible migration) totals. Although the breeze eased off pretty quickly (by 8:30am), the time in between (5:30am – 8:30) proved very productive. With a big push of 100+ Meadow Pipit and roughly double of numbers Swallow too. Other birds on the move early included 76 Linnet, 15 Goldfinch, 11 Siskin, 8 Greenfinch, 2 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Tree Pipit and 6 Grey Wagtail. I’ll be uploading a few recordings over the coming days of migrants on the move. Grounded migrants up on Ballard included 30+ each of both Chiffchaff and Blackcap, 10+ Whitethroat, 2 Wheatear, 1 Redstart, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Dartford Warbler, 10+ Goldcrest also 2 Peregrine, 1 Sparrowhawk and 1 Buzzard all present. At Greenland’s Farm 2 Tree Pipit passed overhead and present in the bushes were 8 Chiffchaff, 5 Blackcap, 1 Whinchat and a Spotted Flycatcher. At Holes Bay there were large numbers of hirundines feeding above Upton CP, also a Dartford Warbler near the railway line (very rare here), 4 adult Yellow-legged Gulls in the bay, also c280 Black-tailed Godwit and c200 Wigeon. At Lytchett Fields the Wood Sandpiper and Curlew Sandpiper remained.
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