A bumper arrival of WHINCHATS

TUESDAY 13 SEPTEMBER

 

The hottest day of the year in the South East with the thermostat hitting an incredible 34 degrees C (94 fahrenheit) in some parts - remarkable!

 

Believing there to be Honey Buzzard potential in a freshening Southeasterly breeze, I spent the morning up IVINGHOE, birding the usual area between 0900 and 1400 hours. As it was, raptor migration was poor, with just 5 migrating juvenile Common Buzzards over to the south in that duration. Birding was better on the ground, with no less than 9 WHINCHATS lined up side by side on the fenceline beyond the sheep pen. I also flushed a GRASSHOPPER WARBLER from the grass by the pen that flew into the weeds into the overgrown field, while other migrants included 5 COMMON REDSTARTS (two by the stile at the bottom of the car park slope, 1 by the car park and 2 in Inkombe Hole), a Lesser Whitethroat, 6+ Common Chiffchaffs, 19 Meadow Pipits and a CLOUDED YELLOW butterfly. A few Common Treecreepers, 4 Coal Tits and a Jay were also noted in Top Scrub.

 

A further single WHINCHAT was on Pitstone Hill