The Spoonbill total on Brownsea seems to be going up day by day with 37 counted on the lagoon. Last year, when the British record was broken for the largest flock ever gathered in the UK (49) numbers were still growing in late October. So considering we’re already on 37 and its not even October yet, I would hazard a guess we could see another record-breaking year for this species. Also on Brownsea were 2 Firecrest, 1 Hobby, 200+ Avocet and 2 Sandwich Tern. On Hartland Moor a female Merlin is still present, harassing Meadow Pipits and it looks as if there are now 6 Marsh Harrier in the west Poole Harbour roost. The lower part of Studland was quiet with a single Cetti’s Warbler at South Haven (very rare here) and reasonable numbers Goldfinch, Linnet, Siskin, Pied Wagtails and Meadow Pipit passing overhead. In Studland Bay there are already 4 Black-necked Grebe back and they were joined by 1 male Common Scoter. A sound recording session up Glebelands, Ballard was well worth the effort with many birds on the move including 1 Crossbill, 1 Yellowhammer, 8 Yellow Wagtail, 22 Pied Wagtail, 5 Grey Wagtail, 20+ Siskin, 40+ Redpoll, 500+ Linnet and Goldfinch, 500+ Meadow Pipit and 10+ Skylark. It also seems Song Thrush are now on the move with several passing over in the dark just before sunrise. When will the first Redwing be heard?

With several visits to Glebelands recently we have a few more sound recording to upload. The first is Lesser Redpoll a species that will move right the way through October and in to November too. This recording gives nice examples of both the che-che-che and pyuee call that they do.

Lesser Redpoll – Flight calls of an autumn migrant – Glebelands, Ballard – 28/09/15

The second recording is of a migrating Yellowhammer. Not always thought of as a migrant, Yellowhammer will move around singularly or in small flocks looking for feeding areas. This was my first migrant Yellowhammer of the autumn and it’s p-lick sounding call can be heard at 9, 11, 15, 19 and 23 seconds.

Yellowhammer – Flight calls of an autumn migrant– Glebelands, Ballard – 28/09/15