The birding really starting to hot up this autumn with the remnants of Hurricane Isaac depositing a wave of Nearctic waders in the far Northwest and high pressure and warm weather producing birds in the south.....
A busy weekend seems set....
A BAILLON'S CRAKE was discovered this afternoon at Rainham Marsh RSPB (Essex/London), being seen and photographed between 1600 and 1630 hours and then seen again by a further eight observers at 1830 hours. It was on the fabulous 'crake' pool overlooked by the new 'Shooting Butt Hide' and afforded very close views to the hide. QUIET is the key word with this individual so tomorrow morning should be very testing..
The gates will be opened especially early in the morning and on-site directions will need to be followed.
In Dorset, the juvenile SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER is still present at Lodmoor Country Park, Weymouth, showing intermittently with Common Snipes amongst the sedges on the westernmost scrape. View from either the perimeter footpath or the mound adjacent to the recycling centre. Not that far away on Portland, a MONARCH BUTTERFLY gave amazing views on buddleias in the ornamental park by the health centre in Easton.
It seems as if many North American waders have made landfall on the Outer Hebrides with 2 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS on machair at Traigh Eachcamais on North Uist, a SPOTTED SANDPIPER at Ardvule Point, South Uist', a SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER and 2 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS on South Uist at Bornisha. Pride of place however goes to a SEMIPALMATED PLOVER on South Uist on the north side of the Sound of Eriskay at Glendale. A juvenile SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER was also showing well today at Harrapol, Broadford Bay, on the Isle of Skye (Highland).
Further PECTORAL SANDPIPERS are to be found on Skokholm Island (Pembs), at Grutness (Shetland), the two juveniles at New Lambton flooded field, Washington (County Durham), two more at Feu Farm, Slains (Aberdeenshire), the long-stayer at Burton Mere Wetlands (Cheshire), 2 on Copperhouse Creek, Hayle Estuary (Cornwall), at Cley NWT (Norfolk) and at Bakers Fen, Wicken (Cambs)
Both juvenile BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS remain on St Mary's Airfield (Scilly) (where also the first-winter CITRINE WAGTAIL remains at Lower Moors and a different bird on Porthellick Pool)
A gorgeous male RED-FOOTED FALCON continues to hunt dragonflies over Nunnery Pit, adjacent to Ivy Lake, immediately east of the B2145 and just south of the A27 Chichester Bypass roundabout. It favours the trees in the extreme NW end of the pit to rest and preen - an awesome bird.
In Suffolk, the stowaway male SPANISH SPARROW-type is still present at Landguard NR, moving with House Sparrows across the common and roosting near Customs House, whilst yet another MELODIOUS WARBLER was trapped and ringed on Bardsey Island (Gwynedd) today (this site gets more that Portland Bill these days).
In IRELAND, the FORSTER'S TERN remains off Soldier's Point, Dundalk (Co. Louth), the WILSON'S PHALAROPE is still in Cork and several Pectoral Sandpipers have appeared, including 3 at Tacumshin (Co. Wexford), this latter site also hosting 2 GLOSSY IBISES again.