Monday October 5 - a record smashing day

Despite failing to arrive before 09.00 I was optimistic for today from the off. Weather conditions were close to perfect, mostly cloudy with a very light north-westerly following days of heavy rain. Admittedly I could have done without the showers, but the birds more than made up for them.

I quickly started to get that early autumn buzz. Two Yellowhammers flew west, and there was a steady trickle of Chaffinches. Where there had been virtually none, Song Thrushes "tsipp" calls came from the hedgerows, while a party of six Mistle Thrushes flew over. A Peregrine took off from the masts by the chat field, and just before I took shelter from the first shower of the morning I could see a pair of Mute Swans bobbing up and down on the pool.

The pool ? Yes it was back, and although the Mute Swans soon left, it was great to see wildfowl enjoying the return of a much missed habitat.

Mallards

Attracted to the rushes surrounding the pool were Stonechats. I started to count them and was soon into double figures. The site record is nine, but on every sweep I could see more. I reached 15, and later added two at Netherstead giving a record smashing count of 17. Wow, could today get any better? It could.

There was no way of getting all 17 in one shot. 

Birds were constantly in view. The Skylark count reached 29, Meadow Pipits trickled over all morning, up to eight Lesser Redpolls were flying around, three Swallows went south, and finally a Redwing, unequivocally Scandinavian in origin, flew over.

Lesser Redpoll

I had not expected to record any waders today, but still heard a Green Sandpiper over the pool, and saw a Snipe in flight beyond the flash. Here was the only place determined not to please, I only counted 19 Teal some of which were relinquishing their dowdy summer eclipse plumage, a few Mallard, and two Shovelers.

I had seen several tit flocks, the best containing at least 15 Long-tailed Tits and several Goldcrests. Of more interest to me were the warblers associated with them, and I tallied four Chiffchaffs and five Blackcaps which wasn't too bad for October.

As I reached the raptor watch point at Stapenhill Wood the star bird turned up. I heard it first, a sort of "tyoop" call that stopped me in my tracks. What was that? It called again, closer. Whatever it was it was going to be good. By the third call I was pretty certain it would be a Crossbill, but the species has a range of calls and this wasn't quite the same as the most common "kyip". That is why I decided I had to see it, and why there is no recording to support the claim. Sorry. It flew right past at close range, and was indeed a Crossbill. The first here since 2015. OK I have seen some over my garden this year, but where we live is surrounded by conifers, while there are none at Morton Bagot so Crossbills are scarce here even in a good year. This looks like being a good autumn for them.

Not many patch days are genuinely exciting, but this one certainly was.