| Eakring Bird news | ||
| September 2003 | ||
| Featuring news and sightings from Eakring | ||
September
1st
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| A drake Mandarin was at Eakring Flash early evening, but was flushed by the shooting fraternity as they prepare hides for the new season. Six Yellow Wagtails there, eventually flew off north and two Common Buzzards were also in the nearby area. | |
September
2nd
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| A single Greenshank
was heard calling as it roamed the area and five Common
Buzzards were over Red Hill. At Eakring Field Farm, a
count of 22 Turtle Doves was a new
highest count and more than double that recently achieved
at the end of August. A Hobby flew over
Eakring Flash after a successful hunt. Visible migration this morning consisted of 29 Meadow Pipits, 60 Swallow and 47 House Martin, with single Yellow Wagtail and Grey Wagtail through. |
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September
3rd
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| Snipe were at Eakring Flash (2) and Eakring Meadows (3) this morning, with a Green Sandpiper at the former mentioned site till flying off south-west. Also two Grey Wagtails there. 27 Golden Plover were in fields east of Eakring Flash and just eight Turtle Dove this morning at Eakring Field Farm. | |
September
4th
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| Two Whinchat and a Redstart at Eakring Meadows this morning, with two Hobby again present. This morning they were in the Eakring Flash and Tug Bridge Farm area. The single Greenshank remained, but today was favouring waters to the west of the recording area around Red Hill. | |
September
5th
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| Now two male Redstarts in the Hawthorns at Penny Pasture Common, Eakring Meadows this morning, with the two Whinchats still there. Two/three Hobby in the Lound Wood/Red Hill area and 11 Turtle Doves at Eakring Field Farm. Eakring Flash held two Snipe and a Green Sandpiper at the southern-end. | |
September
6th
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| Three Whinchats and two male Redstarts present at Eakring Meadows this morning. Water Rail, Green Sandpiper and two Snipe at Eakring Flash and single Hobby south, with another two Snipe at Eakring Meadows. | |
September
7th
|
 |
Highlight of the morning was the Honey
Buzzard which eventually drifted south over Red
Hill, just north of Eakring village at 10:05-10:20am.
This was followed later in the morning by a Peregrine.
Five Common Buzzards were again in the Red Hill area
today. Only one Whinchat remained at Eakring Meadows, the Water Rail was still at Eakring Flash and a Tree Pipit flew south-east during a decent Meadow Pipit passage of 222 birds. Some Swallows also heading through the area today, with 75 south and south-east. The first Siskins of the Autumn included four heading south-west. |
September
9th
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| A Green Sandpiper and three Teal were at Eakring Flash, with two Shoveler dropping in mid-morning and representing a new species for the year. Migrants included Turtle Dove north, 77 Meadow Pipit, 58 Swallow, four Yellow Wagtail and single Siskin all south. Two Whinchats were at Penny Pasture Common, with four Common Buzzards in the area. | |
September
10th
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| Two Shoveler, Green Sandpiper and Water Rail at Eakring Flash during the evening. | |
September
11th
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| Two Shoveler, Green Sandpiper and Spotted Flycatcher along the old hedge at Eakring Flash late afternoon, with Turtle Dove and 293 Lapwing in fields at Eakring Field Farm. | |
September
12th
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| The two Shoveler were again present, this afternoon in with 28 Teal which arrived overnight. A single Common Buzzard was in the Red Hill area. | |
September
13th
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| A good selection of wildfowl at Eakring
Flash this morning with three Shoveler,
single Wigeon (with four west) 25 Teal
and 22 Gadwall. A Green Sandpiper was at
the southern-end along with two Snipe. Further Snipe were
two at Eakring Meadows, with 63 Golden Plover in with 325
Lapwing in fields opposite Eakring Field Farm. Five Common Buzzards today included four together mid-morning over Lound Wood and an adult Hobby was over Eakring village and then Red Hill. A Whinchat was at Eakring Flash (Robin Brace) |
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September
14th
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| An adult male Peregrine was in the area this morning and seen twice in the Eakring Flash area. A Whinchat was the only bird of note at Penny Pasture Common, Eakring Meadows. 12 Snipe flew west and Turtle Doves today, included singles at Eakring Flash and Oil Bore Holes in Eakring village. | |
September
15th
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| Very quiet this morning, but Green Sandpiper and Reed Warbler were noteworthy at Eakring Flash, with late Sedge Warbler there. | |
September
17th
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| Greenshank at Eakring Flash late evening, with a single Wigeon there (per P Ellis and G Sadler) | |
September
18th
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| A Short-eared Owl was a
surprise discovery at Penny Pasture Common mid-afternoon;
flushed from the grass at close range. It later perched
openly for several minutes before flying off, but
remained in the area. It had been found earlier in the
morning (Robin Brace and Tony Wardell)
frequenting the western-edge of the common, before it
flew into fields where it remained and showed well for 15
minutes. This is only the fourth record of Short-eared
Owl for the area. Also in the Eakring Meadows area, was a single Whinchat along the roadside hedge and still one Turtle Dove in fields at Eakring Field Farm. At nearby Eakring Flash the Greenshank remained for it's second day and 190 Golden Plover were in fields at Church Hill. |
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September
20th
|
|
| Greenshank
and Water Rail at Eakring Flash this
morning, with an immature male Peregrine
over nearby Lound Wood and three Common Buzzards over
(two of which continued south-west) Two more were distant
over Red Hill. There was a good passage of Meadow Pipits today (346 south-east) with movement gaining momentum from around mid-morning onwards. Very few Swallows, but in a similar situation to the previous species, there was a slight increase as the morning continued. Other migrants included five Skylark, single Hobby south-west and four Jays heading in the same direction over Tug Bridge Farm. Certainly some common species are presently undergoing some degree of dispersal movements. Dunnocks were noted moving south (2) and arriving at Eakring Flash high from the north (2) but Robins are also passing through, with a noticeable increase in birds at all sites. The Whinchat again remained at Eakring Meadows. |
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September
21st
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| The first Pink-footed Geese of the Autumn were 15 west at 07:45am and 21 south-west at 11:05am. 28 Wigeon west represented a significant count for the area and the drake continued it's stay at Eakring Flash, with Greenshank there. | |
 |
Much of the day was given over to visible
migration watching from Eakring Flash, with Meadow Pipits
again dominating by moving through in numbers. A total of
523 went south-east throughout the morning, with most of
the expected species just reaching double figure counts.
Only 13 Swallows were noted and the 34 House Martin south-east were all in one group. Siskins included two singles both north-west and more interesting records involved three Jay, four Dunnock south and a Wheatear south-east with a party of Meadow Pipits. There were other Wheatears present in the area this morning, with a single at Eakring Flash and three more dropped into fields at Church Hill late morning. The same fields also held a minimum of 275 Golden Plover (but commuting birds made counting difficult) a single Dunlin and 123 Lapwing. Another 100 Lapwing were at Eakring Field Farm and nearby, the Whinchat remained at Eakring Meadows. |
September
22nd
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| Much quieter this morning because of the blustery wind, but a Pintail briefly at Eakring Flash for five minutes, was only the third-ever record and brought the year list total to 135. This equals that achieved in 2001. One of the Wheatear remained at Church Hill, where again, good numbers of Golden Plover were present. | |
September
23rd
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| A Hobby was hunting Swallows around the Red Hill area during the afternoon (per AC Wardell) | |
September
25th
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| Very quiet this morning. The Water Rail, present for most of the month was heard at Eakring Flash again and there were in excess of 400 Golden Plover in fields at Church Hill. Two Sand Martin south set a latest-ever date. | |
September
27th
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| A Greenshank was at the southern-end of Eakring Flash. A Sand Martin with Swallows provided a new latest-ever date (per Robin Brace and Tony Wardell) | |
September
29th
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| Still
very quiet in the area. A Greenland Wheatear
was at Eakring Field Farm and visible migration
highlights were two Redwing, two Jay and 53 Sky Lark
south-west, with 12 Swallow south. Aside from Jays -
other dispering species moving through, included single
Coal Tit and several Goldcrest at a couple of sites.
Numbers of Song Thrush have also increased after a small
influx. Two were also noted heading south-west. Still good numbers of Golden Plover and Lapwing in the Church Hill area. The Greenshank noted on 27th, was again present this afternoon and the Water Rail also seen (per Tony Wardell) |
