Pett Level
16th September 2008, Tuesday
A very strong migration of Siskins is taking place at the moment, their plaintive little contact notes coming out of the sky every few minutes. Against the overcast, flocks of up to 60 are not difficult to pick out as they dash along the coast. I wasn’t making a careful count yesterday morning, but at least 500 must have passed me in the 3 hours I was out. In comparison, other day-time migrants were rather few, headed up by hirundines, then Meadow Pipits, with a couple of Grey Wagtails and a single Crossbill.
With the number of raptors being seen elsewhere, I found it hard to decide whether I was seeing one or two Buzzards as it/they were chased by righteous crows along the old cliff-line. Likewise, the Sparrowhawks, harassed high against the clouds, could easily be either locals or migrants, and the same could be said for a couple of Nuthatches heading east as far as the scrub would allow them at Toot Rock.
2 Eiders were offshore and Pete Rouse saw a Brent Goose yesterday.
No further sign of the Dotterel by the new “Groyne Field”, where pile-driving has begun.
