Quiet, But Good To Be Out

One of the problems of being self-employed (here he goes again moaning I can here you say!) is that you've got to take the work when it comes, and just at the moment I'm busy doing site visits and then the time consuming follow-up reports that keep me indoors! Autumn seems to have slipped by and with the application of 'sods law' when it gets a bit quiet work-wise and I can get out, the birding will be quiet at the same time, I just know it!

At this time of year I switch away from my coastal migration ringing to my farmland bird feeding station and this morning I headed to the Obs to remove the ropes that I leave on my net rides and I had a stagger round as well. And it was a stagger with 15 - 20 mph SW winds and about three oktas cloud cover.

As I have said in my blog title it was quiet, but good to be out. Grounded migrants were difficult to detect other than two Goldcrests and the 'vis' was equally discreet with just 26 Woodpigeons, 25 Starlings and three Skylarks. I did have 25 Meadow Pipits 'off passage' taking advantage to feed in some of the coastal fields before moving off when conditions improve.

The sea was equally quiet with just a single Red-throated Diver, a female Common Scoter and 21 Cormorants. However to be fair I didn't give it very long as I was getting a bit of battering in the stiff southwesterly. Other than about a dozen Greenfinches feeding on some Japanese Rose hips in the dunes that was about it!

 Grenfinch

There's some heavy rain coming through tonight and winds are going to remain fairly stiff SW - W, so it might have to be a spot of seawatching in the morning. I don't expect too much mainly because the winds are going to be 'stiff' rather than 'strong'!