Migging diary: The glorious twelfth

Not so good for moorland game birds, but a pretty good day for me so I am not going to grouse (ha ha!). Well it was going pretty samey until I had done the circuit round the pub scrub and a small bird flitted up to the top of a hawthorn, where the Alex scrub starts, in the company of a Common Whitethroat (just goes to show you've got to watch out for them critters!).  The first returning Whinchat of the season and almost a week earlier than last year, we'll overlook the fact that Wormwood scrubs has had one for about a week and now has three! pah! A truly welcome sight.  Makes me want to get up even earlier tomorrow. Maybe!


So Whinchat yay! Crap underexposed pictures, yay!

Otherwise, Richard and I had the Hobby hunting over the SSSI again, always good, and the juvvy Sparrowhawk was back again.  Not surprising really it is the place with all the birds. Back in Long Wood my first Jersey Tiger flapped around a bit, even had one in my back yard yesterday...

Back in 2012 Spotted Flycatcher were first up on the 2nd in the park, the same day we got the year's first Crossbill (a good year for them), Wheatear arrived on the 7th, Sedge Warbler the next day, but we had to wait until the 11th for the first autumn Redstart. A possible, probable oh yes it was Tree Pipit in the Alex scrub on the 13th, and Whinchat a few days later on the 16th. The next day saw a Yellow-legged Gull take up residence with the other larids and the day after that a Pied Flycatcher was added in the park.  Star bird of course was the Wryneck that Tony found on the 25th while we were off sea-watching, how we laughed, and thanks to that Barry picked up a Marsh Harrier on the 26th while we waited for the elusive pecker to show. Aah memories, about time for some new ones.