Vismig, Winter Thrushes and More Migrant Moths

 The last few days has seen some nice bright weather, with little or high cloud, which at this time of year screams one thing to me... vismig!

Birding time has been unfortunately scarce for me during the last few days, but I have managed two short watches up Axe Cliff, on Friday morning from pre-dawn until 08:45 and this morning (Sunday) pre-dawn until 08:40.  

Friday morning was the best weather-wise, although there was a bit more cloud around at dawn which saw the watch start off slowly, but the wind was perfect with a light to moderate north west wind.

07:10 - 08:45 at Axe Cliff on 16/10 produced (west unless stated): Marsh  Harrier (flew out to sea, chickened out, then headed off E), 5 Golden Plover (flocks of 3 and 2), 10,200 Wood Pigeon, 40+ Stock Dove, 16 Skylark, 92 Meadow Pipit, 78 alba Wagtail, 1 Grey Wagtail, 24 Chaffinch, 22 Goldfinch, 1 Greenfinch, 7 Siskin and 3 Reed Bunting.

Wood Pigeons along the cliff edge soon after dawn

As you can see from this pic, although some Wood Pigeons were hugging the coast, there were some much more distant flocks passing too - often the bigger flocks too

Marsh Harrier gaining height before flying out to sea

Same Marsh Harrier coming in-off soon after!

The flock of three Golden Plover. The two after these tagged on to a Wood Pigeon flock

 

This morning the clear skies were perfect, but there was a really brisk (and cold!) north east wind which was really hampering both the birds and me.  It was too strong and from a bad direction for smaller passerines, and the larger birds seemed to be flying in all direction making counting really hard/impossible.  It was however great to see my first winter thrushes of the autumn.

07:15 - 08:40 at Axe Cliff on 18/10 produced:  4 Golden Plover (3 SE and 1 SE then flew N about 5 mins later), 1 Snipe (flew NW), 000's Wood Pigeon (impossible to count due to flying in all directions, but by end of watch most seemed to be flying S overhead, then offshore and W, but had some flocks fly in and N! A literal nightmare for a serial counter like me!), 30+ Stock Dove, 22 Jackdaw, 1  Fieldfare (flew N, my first of the year) 53 Redwing (my first of year, some grounded but most flew through NW - so good to see/hear again), 2 Song Thrush, 25+ Starling, 9 Skylark, 20+ Meadow Pipit, 12 alba Wagtail, 12 Chaffinch, 18 Linnet, 8 Goldfinch, 6 Siskin and 1 Reed Bunting. 

Dawn today at Axe Cliff.  So wonderfully clear

Three Redwings heading away north - was my biggest single flock

 

Saturday I wasn't able to get out, but from the garden I could see Wood Pigeon and Jackdaw flocks going over.

I am disappointed to be what seems like one of the only vismiggers in the UK not to record a Woodlark over the last few days, especially in the south west where there have been some good counts (35 over Westbay on Saturday the highest I have read about).  Although we never do that well for vismig Woodlark here, which I think is because for some reason a lot of our larks pass just inland of the coast, but saying that I do think if I'd have had longer on Friday morning or was out on Saturday morning I would have got one or more.   

The sunshine over the last few days has kept a lot of insects on the wing, even today in the cold wind.  Clouded Yellows are still around albeit in smaller numbers, and I had nice views of a Painted Lady at Lower Bruckland Ponds on Friday...

Looking very fresh, so presumably emerged in the UK?

 

Also at the Ponds on Friday were a few Common Darters and numerous Migrant Hawkers, two staple late autumn Odonata species which can stay on the wind until surprisingly late in the year.  On Wednesday night last week I had the moth trap out as overnight temperatures were due to stay in double-digits, even though it was a bit windy and showery.  It did prove worthwhile as I had several migrant moths in the trap, including my first ever to-light Hummingbird Hawkmoth as well as singles of Scarce Bordered Straw, Clancy's Rustic, Turnip Moth and Rush Veneer, 3 Rusty-dot Pearl and 6 White-point.

Hummingbird Hawkmoth showing that it's a good job it looks so spectacular when flying by day.... as they're pretty dull at rest compared with all other Hawkmoths!

Looking a bit more interesting side on!

 

My second Clancy's Rustic in this garden, and I only caught a handful in all the years I trapped at Mum and Dads.

Although my 'catch-up' posts have come to an end now, I realised I haven't posted about the second wave of Caspian Gulls I saw earlier this month.  So, you are going to be getting a bonus extra blog post, which will be posted later this week...