First autumn REDWING and other thrushes on Ivinghoe Hills this morning

A bash around the hills from 0900 to 1015 when I was too wet to stay any longer !!

Steps Hill had an obvious influx of thrushes, with at least 6 Song Thrush, 15 + Blackbird ( some looked continental ) and rather surprisingly a single REDWING. These were all showing well in a dry weather window at 9am, but after returning there an hour later with heavy rain set in they were much less active, although still present. They are favouring hawthorn scrub, but more pertinently two large berry laden trees about 300 metres North of the car park, on the right of the path as you walk the main path towards the S bend. This is probably my earliest ever Redwing on the hills.

Little else of note though, the rain was pretty torrrential at one point, but a flock of c60 Swallows went South.

A quick look at Startop's End Reservoir ( Herts ) produced the 2 Red-crested Pochard still, but no waders or anything else of note.

Back home 9 Blacxkbirds have just invaded the cherry tree, dont usually have any! (Mike Wallen Birding)

Top quality images from ANDREW MOON

Should I Stay or Should I Go ?

That was the dilemma facing the Bacomb Hill WRYNECK this evening. After leaving the Ivinghoe Hills late afternoon, I returned once more to Bacomb, where from 1700 hours until dusk the bird was still showing exceptionally well, often down to just a few feet. It was once against commuting between the numerous active anthills on the tumulus and spent over two hours moving just 25 yards ! It was feeding voraciously and endlessly, probing its bill and then extending its tongue into the anthills and eating ant after ant, as well as the occasional Cranefly snatched from the ground. Well camouflaged, it fed without regard for its safety and was again enjoyed by large numbers of admirers - perhaps a further 80 observers before the sun faded (including several pin-stripe suited birders from Central London taking advantage of the Metropolitan line). Even birding royalty paid it homage today - a certain CDRH snooping by to take a look.

This really has been one of the birding events of all-time in Buckinghamshire - such a well-loved, well-enjoyed and cripplingly-showing rarity. Once again, I ensured its safety until dark, making sure it roosted safely in its chosen Beech tree for a fourth night (a bird such as this could be a sitting target for a local Sparrowhawk). It flew to roost at 1915 hours and kept on feeding until just seconds before. It must be really heavy by now after consuming so many ants. As darkness fell, it was another calm evening, although quite cloudy, with a light SSW wind - pretty ideal leaping conditions - but not as ideal as the last two moonlit nights.

Interestingly, viz-mig was still underway late this evening, with 11 Meadow Pipits south, and a total of 89 European Barn Swallows.

Prior to my visit to Wendover, I had tried to emulate Mike Wallen, who well-deservedly found the county's first migrant EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARD of the year - a fine adult that must have roosted overnight at Ivinghoe - which flew off south shortly after dawn.

I put in a long spell of sky-watching over Ivinghoe Beacon but it was dire - virtually nothing moving apart from local breeding raptors and large numbers of Meadow Pipits and hirundines. I was certainly expecting an Osprey at the very least, especially considering the wind veering from light SSE during the late morning. Another bird I was keen to see was Mike's COMMON STONECHAT - but again no joy and believe it or not, I have still to see one in Bucks this year after they were hit for six during last winter's freeze-up.

Tony Howell obtained some awesome images of the Wryneck whilst with me on Tuesday and over the next few days I shall upload many of them on to my local blogs. If anyone else would like to showcase their images of this beauty, please do not hesitate to email me them - this really is a bird to be proud of photographing. A real treasure.

HONEY BUZZARD is early riser

A brilliant morning, and at last a really good bird for the hills this Autumn. Highlight was without doubt an adult EURASIAN HONEY BUZZARD which appeared soaring very low ( maybe 60- 80ft ) on the East side of Steps hill at 0645am, several minutes before the sun came up. I suspect that it had just left its roost, as it thermalled up, but only enough to clear the hill, and then flew SSW over Steps Hill. If I'd been in the car park at the time it would have been straight overhead. Seems really early to get raptors but both Common Buzzard and Red Kite were hunting within minutes of this bird.

Passage of other stuff was not heavy this morning, a Reed Bunting ( not the Lapland yet !! ) passed over calling, mipits were low in number. 5 'alba' wagtails went over, but three of these together were seen really well and were Whites; several decent Skylark and Hirundine flocks.
A COMMON STONECHAT was on the fenceline on the Beacon.

At Startops Reservoir ( Herts ), no waders, but an obvious influx of 'aythia' duck with 29 Pochard and another increase in the Tufteds; still 2 Red-crested Pochard (Mike Wallen)

Nearby, Rob Andrews recorded a NORTHERN WHEATEAR at Pitstone Hill and the COMMON GREENSHANK was still present in the Quarry.

A Day in the life of a migrant WRYNECK

Disappointed with a no-show of a Bobolink in South Wales this morning, I decided to spend the day watching the Bacombe Hill Wryneck and viz-migging. It was a glorious day, with wall-to-wall sunshine, mainly clear skies and light southerly winds. I arrived on site at about 10.30am and remained until dusk, during which time the Wryneck was admired by a total of 86 people, including visitors from as far afield as Kent, Oxfordshire and Surrey. Numerous individuals phoned me during the day, keen to see such a showy and charismatic bird and I agreed to stay on to keep tabs on it, with Rob Hill, Nik Maynard, Paul Moon and Darin Stanley all arriving late in the day.

The bird fed voraciously throughout the entire period of my stay, mainly feeding on the infestation of ants around the tumulus. Like many migrant Wrynecks, it was almost totally oblivious to visitors, wandering around the grass in the manner of a Lapland Bunting or Tree Pipit, and often at just feet range. Occasionally it would wander into more dense vegetation and to avoid losing it, I kept with it so that I could direct all further visitors (one ignorant bystander interpreted this as flushing the bird). It did flush on two brief occasions when it settled for a while in its roost Beech tree but throughout the afternoon, it moved slowly around its chosen circuit, barely moving more than 15 yards, and delighted observers with its comical antics. What a truly charasmatic bird and a wonder to watch. It finally went to roost in its favoured shrub at 1910 hours.

DIRECTIONS: Literally on the western outskirts of Wendover town, park on the first sharp right hand bend on the Ellesborough Road (room for just 5 vehicles) and continue along the footpath to the first gate and take the left hand of three tracks running parallel with the Ridgeway Trail. After 300 yards, this upper track brings you out at the tumuli.

It was an excellent day for migration and I was mightily impressed with the diurnal passage, with birds migrating south direct in a line from the Quainton Hills. The largest numbers were of the hirundines, with some 116 European Barn Swallows recorded, and 15 House Martins. Next off were the raptors, with a total of 22 Common Buzzards south (including a single kettle of 15 juveniles) and a single HOBBY. Five Red Kites also drifted over but they were more than likely local birds.

The best was a party of 6 SISKINS - my first of the autumn - with a final tally of 16 Chaffinches (mostly singletons but moving south throughout the day) and 3 Eurasian Skylarks. A single YELLOW WAGTAIL also went south.

In the scrub were 3+ MARSH TITS, several Coal Tits and 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers.

WRYNECK still present

The WRYNECK is still present at Bacombe Hill this morning, showing well again on the tumulus. Images by kind courtesy of Ian Williams

WRYNECK present until dusk

Although elusive at times, the WRYNECK remained throughout the afternoon and was still present at dusk, eventually being seen by at least 35 birders before dark. Both Ashley Stowe and Ian Williams obtained further images of the bird.