Peak autumn

It’s been a fun and busy week, as we dive into absolute peak autumn, meaning good birding is available both on your doorstep and further afield pretty much every day. This past week has seen a mixture of both, as I’ve taken in (or tried to!) some star birds in the South-East, while enjoying local sessions too, including a blockbuster vis-mig day on Monday.

A showy Wilson's Phalarope at Keyhaven Marshes.

Thursday 8th

No birding. A few southbound House Martins were observed from the window at home during the day.

Friday 9th

After the monumental news of a Common Nighthawk at Pagham the previous evening (see here for the finder’s account), which sadly came too late for me to get down for, there was no choice but to roll the dice this morning. So, I was at Church Norton an hour before dawn, and joined the hardy contingent on the spit scanning hopefully.

Ultimately, there was no further sign of the nighthawk, despite a two-hour vigil. Some decent vis-mig was underway, though, including a Crossbill, a few Lesser Redpolls and an in-off Merlin, which perched for a little while before heading north. Meadow Pipits and Chaffinches were seemingly heading west in numbers.

To compound matters, 10 minutes into the drive home news of a Grey Phalarope in the harbour broke. Then, to top things off, I successfully dipped the Burton Mill Purple Heron for a third time on the way back. It showed about half an hour after I left. The nighthawk was always an unlikely gamble, but the rest was sheer misfortune. On the way home I imagined how, in a parallel universe in which all four birds were nailed, what an epic day of birding it would have been!

Saturday 10th

Planned to trial Gibbet Hill as a vis-mig site, but with more people than migrating birds I abandoned my plan after a short while. A walk around the Devil’s Punch Bowl was much more productive, and even produced a Ring Ouzel, when one was flushed from a dense stand of holly in an unnamed valley at the north end. I bet this species is regular here in the autumn. Other bits included Dartford Warbler, four Redwings, 26 Crossbills, 22 Lesser Redpolls, Marsh Tit and Tawny Owl.

Sunday 11th

A grand day out on the south coast. The phalarope double-act at Keyhaven Marshes was too good to ignore and I was on site at dawn, and the first to make it down to Fishtail Lagoon. Much to my surprise, the first-winter Wilson’s Phalarope was on the path (!) but it soon scampered into the adjacent channel and proceeded to show outrageously well for the next couple of hours. Only my second in the UK but I doubt I’ll ever get better views …

More Wilson's Phalarope action.

A little further east on the same pool, a Grey Phalarope showed equally fantastically in the early morning sun. By the time I’d reached my second subject of the morning the site was getting a bit too busy, so I decided to call it a day before social distancing became impossible. 

A Grey Phalarope for good measure.

Other bits on a slow walk back to the car park included a nice selection of dabbling duck, including 30 Pintail, as well as three Ruff, a late Sedge Warbler, flyover Brambling and Lesser Redpolls and a showy Sand Martin.

Sand Martin, Pintail and Ruff from Keyhaven.

While heading back west, to Sussex, news broke of a Radde’s Warbler … in Sussex! I had long wanted to see this species which is only available in the Western Palearctic as a vagrant, having never managed to connect with one before. It’s been a great autumn for them, and finally one had turned up in the South-East.

I may have had limited luck on Friday, but today it seemed the opposite – as soon as I arrived at the area of scrub on Seaford Head I was clapping eyes on the Radde’s Warbler, which both prior to and following my two hours on site had proved very elusive. As it happened, I enjoyed good views (albeit briefly and sporadically).

Radde's Warbler at Seaford Head.

What I found most striking was how bright its olive-buff colouration was, especially the undertail coverts – very eye-catching indeed, along with bright legs, a strong supercilium and heavy bill. Two Ravens, three Wheatears, a Stonechat and two Lesser Redpolls were also seen, though the Radde’s was the only warbler species noted!

The final stop was Beachy Head, where my best ever views of Lapland Bunting were obtained near the trigpoint. Presumably a Greenland bird, this individual cared little for kids running over the top of it and the general busy nature of the site. A Wheatear and a small flock of Redwings were nearby.

Lapland Bunting at Beachy Head.

Monday 12th

Us South-East vis-miggers have been dealt a poor hand this autumn, but today delivered – and how! The forecast looked ripe for a while and in the end it produced a monster movement of Redwings across southern England, with Graham and John on nearby Tweseldown Hill (on the Surrey / Hants border, near Farnham) tallying no fewer than 14,000!

My humbler offering at Tilsey Farm was 5,460 – though I probably would have doubled that if it wasn’t for work. Still, easily my best ever count of the species here and an incredible spectacle as flocks of 100 or more powered north-west up the Wey-Arun Gap. A day to remember for a long time.

Big Redwing passage over the Surrey Hills.

They were the only real movers, at least in any numbers, though 19 Fieldfares were my first of the autumn. Other vis-mig bits included 56 Crossbills (including the below recording during which a male starts singing a couple of times while part of a moving flock!), Brambling, Woodlark, Swallow and OK numbers of Chaffinch and Siskin.

Crossbills on the move.

Redwing flocks moved west along the North Downs, as viewed from my kitchen window, throughout most of the rest of the day.

Tuesday 13th

A five-mile walk around Thursley was pleasant, with a trickle of thrushes still moving west during a brief skywatch from High Ground. Other bits included Brambling, 135 Lesser Redpolls including the big flock on Ockley Common, 32 Crossbills, 23 Red Kites out of their roost (which seems to now be at Pine Island) and a Firecrest near Foldsdown.

Wednesday 14th

I felt pretty uninspired this morning, and a half-hearted vis-mig only lasted an hour – easterlies never seem to do the trick here, let alone with clear skies. A Brambling and six Crossbills highlighted, as well as just about more than 500 Redwings heading north-west, though with so many thrushes on the deck it’s hard to know if these were true movers. At least 35 Song Thrushes were grounded too. A walk around the Dunsfold farmland afterwards was quiet, save plenty more thrushes.