After a very cloudy start to the day, the sun eventually came out this afternoon, and boy was it warm. Talk about overdressed.
Main highlight today was a single Chiffchaff in Penns wood and the Stonechat on the beach. Unfortunately one of the Hut owners was repairing the felt on his roof and apart from a brief view of the Stonechat there was no sign of either Black Redstart. Hopefully they will all return tomorrow.
Not so many Rock Pipits on the beach, but still an impressive 25 birds. The other 16 from yesterday really missed out today as the beach was alive with millions of Kelp Flies, which at times were flying around at head height. To me that is, not the pipits. Also here were 4 Wrens and the male Pied Wagtail.
Another interesting moment was when a rival male Kestrel entered the residence patch. There was a fair bit of "fighting" going on between the two males which eventually ended in the rival male disappearing off the radar. And I don't mean he flew off, it looks like he was possibly injured maybe killed along the bottom row of steps behind the Huts.
After an extensive search I couldn't find it, which may suggest it was injured and has taken shelter somewhere!
Last November the same male resident bird killed another would be challenger and the remains of that bird were on the steps below Rufus Castle. Its quite possible this rival has met the same fate.
From the observation place at Rufus Castle I had good views of a Sparrowhawk which landed on the cliff face and a Buzzard drifting south. Out to sea there were a few Gannets heading north, but nothing like the numbers from yesterday.
In Wakeham Wood early on in my walk I had a Goldcrest and my second Redwing this year.
Here are a few images from this afternoon.
This male Kestrel was over the paddocks just north of Wakeham Wood.
Penns Wood where there is plenty of bird activity, especially with............
A rival male Kestrel enters the Church Ope Cove air space.
The resident bird circles it and then......
.........prepares to attack..........
.........driving the intruder into the trees...............
Sadly no Black Redstarts today, but plenty of Rock Pipits.
Its hard work eating all those Kelp Flies, so a bit of stretch is in order......
.........whilst another bird has a break in a washed-up tyre. Just look at those Kelp Flies on the rocks behind.
Never to far away the "resident" Herring Gull at the north end of the beach.
A male Sparrowhawk stops briefly on the cliff face below Rufus Castle.
Birds Recorded: 30+ Gannet, Cormorant, 1 Buzzard, 1 Sparrowhawk, 3 Kestrel, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, 25 Rock Pipit, 1 Pied Wagtail, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Wren, Dunnock, 1 Chiffchaff, 4 Goldcrest, 1 Stonechat, Robin, Blackbird, 1 Redwing, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch.
Also recorded: 5 Meliscaeva auricollis hoverflies.
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On this day..........
2018
Today's Sightings Here