Sunday August 14

We are starting to reach the business end of August when European passerines join juvenile Arctic waders as they head for tropical climes. The hope is that some of these migrants will pause in the UK as they head south, and just maybe something noteworthy will arrive at Morton Bagot.

Not today though. Despite encouraging conditions; cloudy with very little wind, and quite warm, Dave and I saw pretty much the same birds as I saw on Friday. In fact, the drier flashes and pool  contained only three Green Sandpipers, and the juvenile Dunlin has moved on.

On the plus side at least three Snipe were present on the margin of the nearest flash, and there are now seven Teal despite the reduced amount of water. The highlight was an adult male Redstart in the hedge beyond the flash, and the continuing presence of two Whinchats, a Lesser Whitethroat, one or two Willow Warblers and Spotted Flycatchers, three Blackcaps, and 14 Whitethroats.

None of these migrants came close enough, or posed for sufficiently long, for a photograph, but a hunting Sparrowhawk did oblige at Netherstead.

Sparrowhawk

It created havoc among the House Martins, Swallows, Goldfinches, and Pied Wagtails in particular.

A posse of Pied Wagtails

The cloudy conditions were detrimental to my chances of seeing many insects, but a Holly Blue did show well.

Holly Blue