Bodney 17 September 2024

 A dry but cloudy start to the day with a light Northerly wind veering NE.

This morning I visited the STW which serves Bodney army camp.  I was checking the various habitats for migrants, but also I intended watch the sky for evidence of passage raptors once temperatures had warmed sufficiently to witness movement.

Migrants appeared thin on the ground this morning with just 4+ Chiffchaffs being seen around the STW, however, attention turned towards expected species in the area.

Within the STW a single Grey Wagtail was seen along with 2 Pied Wagtails.  Typically, the Grey Wagtail seen this morning was a stunning bird with its contrasting grey cap and mantle and bright yellow undertail coverts and rump, hint of yellow on the breast and white belly.  The flight is deeply undulating.

Also present was two Stonechats (male and female) and 50+ Goldfinches wandering the area to feed upon weed seeds.

With warming temperatures attention turned towards the sky for evidence of raptor passage, I didn't have too long to wait when a Peregrine passed over at height.  As it passed over a Sparrowhawk mobbed the larger raptor, on one occasion this was met with some aggression by the Peregrine towards the Sparrowhawk when it was clearly seen to make a mock attack which included showing its talons to the Sparrowhawk.  The Peregrine appeared to drift west.

Houghton-on-the-Hill (Late summer and autumn)

 August through to November sees me visiting Houghton-on-the-Hill on several occasions because this special, elevated location is great to witness visible migration with its huge vista ranging from the N/W to the N.  Also, the natural and manmade features have undoubtedly served as focal points for migrating birds over the centuries/millennia. 

Many years ago, I identified Houghton-on-the-Hill as a superb visible migration watchpoint.  I have witnessed some spectacular movements of birds here ranging from high counts of common passage migrants such as Meadow Pipits and winter Thrushes, including four-figure counts of Fieldfare and Redwings in a single morning along with heavy movements of Blackbirds and Song Thrushes in autumn. I have also seen some excellent Finch movements including Bramblings and one record of Hawfinch.

Raptor passage has at times been exceptional with Honey Buzzard, Ospreys, Montagu's Harrier, and Hobby being seen heading south.

Late summer and autumn sees large counts of Warbler and Pipit species visiting to feed and rest on their journey south.  Blackcaps, Whitethroats, and Chiffchaff numbers easily reach double figures for each species on single days with smaller numbers of Lesser Whitethroats and Garden Warblers feeding.  I have one record of Yellow-browed Warbler in October 2017.  I have seen single Tree Pipit pass overhead here in autumn.

Movements of Wader species in autumn has proven interesting with single Whimbrel and Greenshank on passage, and in a westerly heading. 

16 September 2024

Passage migrants seen at Houghton-on-the-Hill on 16 September included a single Wheatear arriving from the north, a few Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs (10+) present.

With warming temperatures I spent a couple of hours at the migration watchpoint.  Many Buzzards were seen including two birds very high directly overhead engaged in grappling behaviour.  The only passage raptor seen on this watch was a Peregrine high overhead in an easterly heading.

16 September 2024.  Migration watchpoint at Houghton-on-the-Hill.  On this visit I was rewarded with a high overhead Peregrine in an easterly heading.  A single Wheatear was seen arriving from the north.

   

Bodney 12 September 2024

This morning I visited the sewage treatments works which serves the army camp at Bodney.  A definite feel of autumn this morning with a cold start at 4 degrees Celsius, however, the bright conditions soon warmed things up.  The wind today is a moderate NW.  Conditions seems much more favourable for migrants than yesterday when the wind was a strong W.

This small site with its rough grassland, Hawthorns, and Elder, has always attracted migrants in late summer and autumn, where the fruits provides energy for passing migrants and the rough grassland holds invertebrate species for food.

This visit was to see good numbers of migrants sharing the same habitat as a good food source.  Within the area of rough grassland is a large Elder which I always pay good attention to at this time of year, here, and in the immediate surrounding area throughout my visit I recorded 4 Blackcap (3 males and a female), 3+ Whitethroat, 13+ Chiffchaffs, 4 Robins, 1 Stonechat (male), Blue Tit, Great Tit, Marsh Tit, Robin, 2 Dunnock (both preening), 2 Greenfinch, 1 Yellowhammer (female), 4+ Pied Wagtail, and many Goldfinches (the most abundant species here).

Blackcap (from my archives)

Whilst checking some conifers a small Chat very briefly perched in one of the trees before flying out of sight, I was confident it would return, and it did, this time I got the scope on it, a beautiful Whinchat, again it remained all too briefly but I was able to see the striking and bold supercillium, before the bird flew off strongly east.

Common species were well represented with 4+ Robins, Wren, and 50+ Goldfinches feeding from tall weeds stems.  A single Kestrel was seen off by a couple of corvids and a Nuthatch was heard.

Warbler species are now plundering bushes for their soft fruits, these high energy foods are an important food source for these migrants as they build energy for their journey south to Africa.  This morning I witnessed both Blackcap and Whitethroat eating elderberries, I also saw a male Blackcap eating a red berry from a Bryony climber.

I have a week off beginning 16th September and checking the conditions for the week the wind is coming from the N/E and E, these conditions will undoubtedly be favourable for bird migration which may include early winter Thrush and Finch movements. 

7th September 2024

September is a pivotal month for bird migration.  The weather for the beginning of the month can see very warm and balmy days, however, decreasing amounts of daylight, highly variable weather conditions, and the descent into autumn, sees bird migration picking up apace.  Large falls of summer migrants can be seen along the North Norfolk Coast, which includes interesting movements of birds through my own patch here in Breckland, whilst from the North and East we see the first substantial movements of autumn, especially with winter Thrushes and Finch species.  

7 September Little Cressingham

The early morning weather held promise for finding migrants along the Watton Brook Valley, there was an early morning light mist hanging over low lying areas, it felt humid and calm.  Notable highlights seen were:

1 Sedge Warbler in cover in the valley

1 Water Rail - calling frequently in thick vegetation in the brook

1 Meadow Pipit - An overhead migrant heading south (My first movement of this species this autumn)

1 Whinchat - on fence/posts in the valley

Upon my arrival in the valley I did an initial scan of the fence, posts, and thick cover along Watton Brook and immediately found Robin, Dunnock, and Wren all perched together on fencing whilst more distantly along the valley I could see another Robin, 3+ Yellowhammers, and 2+ Dunnocks together.  A small flock of 4 Egyptian Geese flew S/E.

Beginning my walk along the valley it was apparent that many Blue Tits were on the move in search of food.  Two more Robins were present.

As I stopped to check a dense patch of weeds along the brook a single Sedge Warbler flew up onto the fence and offered good views before it went back into cover.  Sedge Warblers are common migrants as they pass through the valley on their passage.

Migrant Sedge Warbler 7 September

A further good record in the valley was of a calling Water Rail.  Although not seen its frequent squeal-like call and movements of vegetation betrayed its presence.  Close by a couple of juvenile Moorhens were seen. 

As I continued west along the valley I heard a familiar call "seep-seep", looking up a single Meadow Pipit passed over in a southerly heading, undoubtedly this was an autumn arrival which probably began its journey on upland areas of Britain.

Also noted on the visit was at least two Stonechats, two Reed Buntings, and a small flock of 10+ Linnets.  

At the end of my walk I decided to finish where I started by checking the valley, the fence and posts, for signs of migrants, especially given the amount of common bird activity seen earlier on.  Scanning the fence line I picked up a small bird perched on the fence, I had a good idea what it was so I fetched the scope and my suspicions were correct, this was a Whinchat, a scarce passage migrant through the patch.

Whinchat at Little Cressingham (from my archives)

When first located with binoculars, I was confident this was a Whinchat, but being at some distance, the scope was needed to see the salient features.  First impressions at range was of a bird similar in size and structure as the more common Stonechat, however, the plumage is much different.  The head area is particularly striking with the bold, creamy-white supercillium which separates the dark streaked crown from the dark ear-coverts.  Stonechats do not have a supercillium. The overall appearance of the Whinchat is of a paler bird than Stonechat.  The Whinchat often behaved like a Stonechat by flying from the fence to the ground to collect food and return to its perch. 

As with many species, the Whinchat has seen a significant decline in Britain.  The species breeds in the upland areas of Britain, it is most numerous in Wales.  The Whinchat was a former breeder in Norfolk, however, habitat destruction now sees this beautiful bird only as a passage migrant.  

Whinchats are summer visitors to Britain, the species winters in Central and southern Africa.  I have read of a report of a bird ringed in Scotland being relocated in Ghana, West Africa.