Miss some, photo the others

Today was as much about what I failed to photograph as what I managed to photograph. After watching and photographing a Chiffchaff  playing in the fountain, I was messing with the computer while half watching England bowling at Bangladesh in the ODI, when I had a quick look out side andf theer was a male Brambling feeding on the ground. By the time I'd got my camera it had moved on, not to be seen again. From where I was "working" I can seen the little waterfall that goes into out pond, and a few minutes later I looked up, saw a very small bird drop down into the bathing pool, and grabbed my binoculars and was pleased to see a stunning Firecrest. Of course by the time I had my camera it had gone, and it didn't reappear. I did take a few pictures of the comings and goings, mainly of the hundred or so Goldfinches feeding outside the lounge.

Chiffchaff 

 Chiffchaff 

Chiffchaff 

 Chaffinch

 Goldfinches

  Goldfinches

 Blue Tit and Robin

 Wren

Robin and Goldfinch

Mellow Yellow

Once it gets to late September the number of species of moths I catch starts to reduce and slowly the composition has a particular autumnal feel about it.

 Sallow

Many moths are quite variable and the Sallow is no exception. I must admit I puzzled of the moth below for a while, but I think it is a colour morph of the Sallow. It's not (Thanks Ben) it's a Brick.

Brick

Dusky-lemon Sallow

Another of the Sallows is the Dusky Lemon Sallow, a moth I catch about every three years!

Barred Sallow

The Barred Sallow is another infrequent visitor to the garden. .

  Centre-barred Sallow

 Far more frequent is the Centre-barred Sallow

This general colour scheme is a recurring theme with moths at this time of year, perhaps to blend in with the turning leaves.

 A few others from last night. 

 Black Rustic

 Autumnal Rustic

 Brown-spot Pinion

 Mallow

 Ana all the time I going through my moth traps at this time of year I can see one or more migrating Chiffchaffs coming dawn to bath and drink in the "waterfall" in the garden, through my conservatory window.

Swallows on the move.

Today was another day with substantial numbers of both Swallows and House Martins moving along the cliff top. I guess our feeling is that they are leaving our shores, their "homes" for a winter break further south, but it is probable that they were essentially African birds that evolved to travel north to make use of our summer insects when they are breeding and this would enable them to move from an extremely crowded and competitive environment.

This is one of our local breeders, taking a rest from flying in and out of the stable by the paddock, to straighten out its feathers.

Many of these birds will fly across Europe and then the length of Africa to winter in South Africa. In 1978 I spent three months in Jo'burg working on the start up of a pharmaceutical plant, and just down the road there was a reed bed  with a roost of over two million Swallows. I'm not sure which part of their breeding range they would have come from, but it would certainly mean that they would have a round trip of around 12,000 miles.

There are still a lot of Chiffchaffs around. This is another migrant, but not such a long distance traveller. \most of or Chiffchaffs end up spending the winter in southern Europe and North Africa, around the Mediterranean Sea, a strategy many would like to follow. More Chiffchaffs are wintering in the UK as our winters are becoming milder. These birds will suffer in bad winters, but in mild ones have the advantage over their travelling sibling of missing the perils of the long migration flights.

As I wandered along the cliff top I noticed this Herring Gull, already with its winter head plumage. Gone is the bright gleaming white look, and instead its been replaced with a rather grubby shawl. 

Mothing last night was very poor, I didn't catch one migrant, but I did see just one Silver Y along the cliff top. This was about a foot from the edge, and as my phone said "Welcome to France" it must have been the closest Silver Y to the border photographed today.

Lots of birders have been searching the cliffs up at Langdon, looking for the Ortolan that I photographed last week, as it reappeared in the same place yesterday. Hoping that we might even find one on the Bockhill side of the village I did scrutinise the bushes carefully, and keep and ear open for the sound of Yellowhammers. Buntings often appear in mixed groups, they have an affinity when feeding and roosting that is probably due to the safety in numbers fact. All I did find with the couple of Yellowhammers I found was a Reed Bunting. Not a rarity, but a regular migrant in small numbers here.

I did sit for a while, contemplating the world, and I noticed that I was sharing the seat with a rather nice beetle. I really know little about beetles, but I think that this one might be a Knotgrass Leaf Beetle (Chrysolina polita). I might well be wrong, If you know I am and know what it is, pleas leave a message below.

Bath Time

The drinking and bathing pool in our little waterfall down to the pond is well sheltered and shaded and ideal for the birds to bathe or drink safely. however it is very poorly lit and I have no position I can get to so that the sun is behind me, nevertheless it makes fascinating watch for the comfort of the lounge through the open doors. Here are a few of the birds I watched during an hour or so today.

Male Blackcap

Goldfinches

Great Tit

young Greenfinch

young House Sparrow

Starling

female Blackcap

Blue Tit

Chiffchaff and Dunnock, note the Chiffchaff is ringed.

female Blackbird

Male Blackcap, returned or another one.

Dunnock

female Chaffinch

male Chaffinch

KOS Meeting - Bockhill

The first outdoor meeting of the new season took place at Bockhill yesterday. A total of 15 members enjoyed a pleasant walk round the area, with Jack Chantler and Brendan Ryan leading the walk. Although there were no rare birds to see, there were a good number of migrants on view, including an obliging Tree Pipit, several Spotted Flycatchers, a Wheatear and a Redstart, Swallows and martins were passing through in good numbers and the local Ravens put in a late appearance and there were large numbers of Chiffchaffs in most areas.

As well as the birds it was good to see several Adonis Blue butterflies, the tailed end of the second generation of this chalk loving species. We failed to find any of the Long-tailed Blues that arrived earlier this year. This migrant species is widespread in the northern hemisphere, but seldom reaches Britain. When it does it may breed, but the species, in which ever stage, doesn't manage to survive our winters. Of course global climate change could change this, but judging by our last two winters I don't thinks so ta the moment! They feed on pea species and females were seen laying eggs in August and newly emerged adults have been seen in the last few days.

Another speciality of the area is the delicate small orchid, Autumn Ladies Tresses, and the group was able to admire the lawn of one of the house along Kingsdown leas, where this beautiful little plant is flowering in large numbers.

 

Evidence of the large number of Chiffchaffs around came back at home, when a succession of birds came down to our "waterfall" in the pond to drink and bath. The soft hweet call could be heard from various areas in the garden meant that there more around than could be seen They remain hidden by the leaves, still thick on the trees, although many more windy periods like last week could see an early shedding.

Most evenings lately we've hosted at least two badgers. Unfortunately there's been quite a bit of friction when the first to arrive become possessive of the plate of peanuts. I solved the problem lat night as I was watching when the second badger arrived. I carefully opened the sliding door and was about to put out a small container of nuts, hoping not to scare them off. Far from this the number two badger virtually took the plastic box out of my hand, so intent was he on getting his share while the first one was still occupied with the usual plate.