After the huge movement of thrushes and other assorted goodies from Scandinavia into the UK yesterday, I was hoping that today would prove exciting, indeed it was !
Birds were moving in good numbers as soon as I arrived at just gone 7am, I was then joined by Rob Andrews for a good hour and a half. Redwings were pouring in, smaller numbers of Fieldfare, finches, Crossbills etc.
We then picked up a female MERLIN which arrived over Gallows Hill, was harrassed by corvids on the Beacon and then left to the West off of the top of the Beacon. We were probably watching it for about a minute and a half - really good for a Merlin. Next up we watched a RING OUZEL fly across in front of us, out over the valley, strangely it went North-West and went well out beyond the Beacon.
After a brilliant early morning Rob had to go to work ( I picked a good day to take off ) so after another period of watching the migration I bashed around Steps Hill for a bit. A large female Sparrowhawk was seen to take a Redwing, which despite being carried around, on accidentally disturbing it a minute later, the Redwing popped up into a bush.
As I got back to the 'S' bend I heard the flutey call of a WOODLARK - fantastic, it went South-west. A few minutes later I was just going onto the Beacon when I heard a raucous call, it took me a few seconds to translate this into SANDWICH TERN!! Initially I couldn't see it, but then picked it up heading due south, it then joined up with some thermalling BHGulls and went South with them.
About 15 minutes later I was out on Gallows Hill when I heard WOODLARK again, this one I saw quite well, arriving from the East, it left to the South-West. 2 in a morning !!
A brilliant morning (Mike Wallen)
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