Thursday 10 October 2013

The first wave of October THRUSHES

THURSDAY 10 OCTOBER


The view from the car park..


....with REDWING after REDWING flock


........and eventually one perched

 Overnight, the wind swung from Northwest to Northeast, freshening up to a force 6-7. Although largely clear skies, the swing was enough to divert the first major fall of thrushes of the autumn and hearing of many thousands at the Pinnacle (Sandy, Bedfordshire) (SB, MT, et al), I drove up to IVINGHOE BEACON to check from there. It became immediately apparent that huge numbers were passing over to the west, a flock of REDWING within the first 10 minutes of viewing being of 650 birds! I watched from 0830-1145 hours, being joined for about an hour by my good friend Francis Buckle. The tally was a big one - 3,123 REDWING by the time I packed up - although only one-tenth of the total at Sandy! All of the flocks were migrating along the same line, taking them either over the car park or the summit.
Relatively few FIELDFARE were involved with the movement - just 55 logged - and very little of anything else - 1 Eurasian Skylark, 3 Meadow Pipits and a single BRAMBLING. Very surprisingly not a single Chaffinch on the move.
I had intended to stay much longer but a certain DUSKY WARBLER pulled me away prematurely.........

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