Mothing is still pretty thin and it proved to be impossible to get to the last public session at GWH so 152/33 at home over two warm nights was better than average. The second night was a subset of the first with less individuals and substantially fewer species. An Old Lady both nights was presumably the same individual and a couple of other species were new-for-year. A few days later the catch dropped back to the usual minimal numbers with three fresh L-album Wainscots the best.
A good number of waders were present on the Farlington lake at high tide including twenty-five Greenshank. The RA fence line had at least three Whinchat and the North Binness Osprey was just visible although with 6.5/21 binoculars it could have been anything!!
A sparring pair of Kestrel and Sparrowhawk disturbed about thirty Meadow Pipits and a few Yellow Wagtails and later were probably responsible for all the waders departing the lake en masse, although most of the Greenshanks soon returned whilst all the godwits and Redshanks stayed out in the harbour.
Another recent feature has been inbound/outbound/coasting Siskins and Meadow Pipits even over the garden whilst clearing the trap or walking to local shops. Small numbers of Siskins were also evident on a local walk, at QECP(6) and Pulborough (10) whilst RCL had 100+ at Sandy Point - will this be a better-than-average finch winter?
A brief stop at Broadmarsh on a nice mill-pond-still morning saw both an adult and a 1cy Osprey fishing successfully with the latter perching up on Long Island and the former taking its catch to the usual North Binness dead trees. About 60+ Turnstone were roosting on boats and forty or more Little Egrets were moving about, some at least flushed by the Ospreys.
A catch up with PW at Pulborough prior to his birding jaunt in Spain was quiet but one brief eagle sighting and one Marsh Harrier plus a couple of Hobbies and a few waders including thirty Snipe and three Ruff were the best of the bunch.
(Old Lady, a rather battered Aplocera spp, Rusty-dot Pearl, Dusky Thorn and Marbled Beauty)
