| Eakring Bird news | ||
| August 2004 | ||
| Featuring news and sightings from Eakring | ||
August
4th
|
|
| Three Teal were on Eakring Flash this evening. | |
August
5th
|
|
| No sign of yeasterday evening's Teal, but two Wigeon at Eakring Flash this morning, were the first birds of the Autumn period. Numerous warblers were in the Willow scrub and in the hedges here, including at least two Grasshopper Warblers still singing. A Whinchat was at the southern-end of Eakring Flash and three Turtle Doves were commuting between Eakring Flash and Eakring village. | |
August 6th
|
|||
| Two Hobby were over Lound
Wood early afternoon including one juvenile bird. A
Common Buzzard was also present around the same area,
with another later seen heading high south over Lound
Wood. On nearby Eakring Flash, a pair of Little Grebe have successfully hatched three young today. This is the first confirmed breeding here since an attempt failed last year. The two Wigeon remained and two Turtle Dove were at the southern-end of the flash briefly. |
 |
|
August
7th
|
|
| Two Ruddy Ducks (a female and immature) were on Eakring Flash late evening. | |
August
11th
|
|
| A Whimbrel eventually flew very high south-west over Eakring Flash at 17:40pm this evening and a Hobby was hunting around the Eakring village area. At least one young Little Grebe has survived the heavy rain of recent days on Eakring Flash and a female Ruddy Duck remains from August 7th. A Snipe there, was the first returning bird of the Autumn. | |
August
13th
|
|
| A Whinchat was at the southern-end of Eakring Flash this morning. A single Yellow Wagtail flew south and another was around the pastures area. Good numbers of Willow Warblers in the area. | |
August
14th
|
|
| The Whinchat
was again in the rough vegetation around the southern-end
of Eakring Flash this morning, with at least one Grasshopper
Warbler still present. Good numbers of common
warblers around the area today (mostly Chiffchaffs) but a
Lesser Whitethroat was in trees at Red Hill. Seven Yellow
Wagtails were at several sites in the area. A family
party of four Spotted Flycatchers were at Oil Bore Holes
in Eakring village. Nearby, two Jay were in trees at the
top of Mill Lane and more unusually, five were briefly
around Tug Bridge Farm. The Lapwing flock at Eakring Field Farm now totals well over 250+ birds. 16 Golden Plover there, were the first of the Autumn. |
|
August
15th
|
|
| The Whinchat was still at Eakring Flash late morning, favouring the new hedge and the adjacent cereal field at the southern-end. | |
August 16th
|
|||
| A Red Kite was in the area
late morning, from 11:55am-12:35pm. The bird was
initially located circling over the north-east section of
Lound Wood and nearby fields, then moved towards
Leyfields farm. For a while it was lost from view as it
circled low over Leyfields and appeared to be drifting
off north, but reappeared a short while later over Lound
Wood. It eventually headed off south-east and appeared to
be losing height again. This is the sixth Red Kite for the area and follows the following records:- 1999 One (wing-tagged) drifted north-west over Lound Wood/Red Hill, September 25th. 2000 An immature at Hare Hill Wood September 3rd eventually drifted off north; One Church Hill on December 23rd. 2002 One flew north-west over Eakring Flash March 8th. 2003 One in the Red Hill area from March 23-April 15th. |
 |
August
19th
|
|
| Very limited amounts of overhead migrants did include a single Tree Pipit south and six Yellow Wagtails (mostly south-east) A Spotted Flycatcher arrived early morning in the dead trees in the middle of Eakring Flash, but soon departed. A new Whinchat was at the southern-end of Eakring Flash in the rough vegetation. A Common Buzzard was over Lound Wood. | |
August
24th
|
|
| An immature Redstart was in the Hawthorns at Penny Pasture Common this morning. | |
August
25th
|
|
| The Redstart
was again at Penny Pasture Common, Eakring Meadows, with
two Whinchats frequenting the fence
posts around the pool. Nearby, 13 Golden Plover were in
fields between Eakring Field Farm and Tug Bridge Farm. A
juvenile Peregrine was seen twice in the
Leyfields and Eakring Flash area this morning. First
noted moving south-west, it later returned and hunted
briefly befoire being lost from view. A short-lived House Martin movement involved one large flock of approximately 208 birds moving south-east. Two Swift also went through. |
|
August
26th
|
|
| The
overall picture seems rather quiet on first impressions,
but persistance in this morning's coverage of the area
reveal a nice selection of species. The Redstart
remains at Penny Pasture Common, but was generally
elusive in the Hawthorn scrub. One Whinchat
remained there from yesterday and 14 Snipe were also
present. A Tree Pipit was heard as it
flew south-east over another section of Eakring Meadows.
Other visible migration was severely limited and is'nt
typical for this time of year. The only notable records
were a single Yellow Wagtail south and a Turtle Dove
south-west over Eakring Flash. Three Meadow Pipits
south-east, were the first of the Autumn. Common Buzzards have successfully bred in the area for the first time in many years (they were reputed to have bred at Lound Wood in the early 1990's) but a family party of four birds were in the Hare Hill Wood/Park Farm area this morning. Another resident Common Buzzard was again in the Red Hill area today. The juvenile Peregrine again hunted the Eakring Flash area briefly. |
|
August
28th
|
|
| The Redstart was still at Eakring Meadows. This morning, it was favouring the east-end of Penny Pasture Common. Nearby, the juvenile Peregrine was unsuccessfully hunting Wood Pigeon and 270 Lapwing were in the Eakring Meadows and Eakring Field Farm area. Four Common Buzzards were in the Lound Wood/Red Hill area (per Tony Wardell) | |
August
31st
|
|
| A female Shoveler on Eakring Flash this evening, was a nice end to the month. It was also the first of the year and arriving in typical timing with previous Autumn records. Nearby, a Common Buzzard was high over Red Hill. |
