Water’s
Edge monthly report September 2006
The first three weeks of September were more like summer than August
with temperatures in the middle of the month reaching the mid 20’s
centigrade. The hot weather was often accompanied by misty or foggy
nights but winds were typically light and variable allowing bird
migration to continue unhindered but by the same token producing
few surprise arrivals. It remained very warm to the end of the month
with winds typically originating from the south or west. Rainfall
was about average due to some heavy overnight rains and persistent
rain on the 25th and 29th.
On hot days in mid month Chiffchaffs broke into autumnal song while
Robins became suddenly conspicuous as they set about establishing
their winter territories. Blackbirds and Song Thrushes also ‘reappeared’ after
their late summer moult with the first arrival of continental Song
Thrushes on the 24th during a brief period of easterly winds. The
warm weather also encouraged a few migrants to linger around the
park with last recorded dates for summer visitors being generally
later than in recent years. A Willow Warbler was still in residence
on the 3rd when a Whitethroat was also seen to be followed by its
Lesser cousin, typically lingering later to the 13th when the last
Sedge Warbler of the year was also located. A Yellow Wagtail over-flew
the park airspace on the 10th while a single Reed Warbler was still
in evidence on the 26th when two Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap were
also present.
The last Sand Martin was seen on the 13th but Swallows increased
to 200 on the evening of the 17th prior to moving to their night
time roosts site. These modest numbers pale into insignificance
compared to frequent roost counts in excess of 10,000 birds noted
around the clay pits during autumns between 1977 and 1990. Since
1991 there has never been a count of more than 3000 birds with the
last roost of 1000 being in 2002; this is a sad decline for this
most charismatic of summer visitors which has unfortunately been
replicated across much of Eastern England.
From the late 1990’s Grey Wagtails increased as an autumn migrant
in the Barton area leading to regular wintering for several years
but this habit seems to have lapsed and there were no records from
the park between October 2005 and September 18th when a single bird
was noted in the north-east corner of the park. Two birds were in
the same area, feeding on the sewage works, on the 25th and there
were three the following day. These are typically dated autumn passage
records but it remains to be seen whether the wintering habit will
become established again. Seldom seen during the summer six Bullfinches,
four males and two females, made a fine sight on the 26th when they
were feeding on seeded ragwort on the side of the Marsh Lane path.
The last day of the month produced the first Stonechat of the autumn,
a female on the northern meadows.
Although the number and variety of wildfowl were usually very limited
it was this group of species which produced a new record for the
park bird list when a juvenile Red-crested Pochard was found on pond
A south on the evening of September 1st. It was loosely associating
with Mallard and Tufted Ducks but departed overnight and could not
be re-located the following morning. As well as being the first record
for the Country Park it is the first in the Barton clay pits area
since 1996. Often assumed to be escapes from wildfowl collections
there is a thriving population on the near continent and post breeding
dispersal often brings birds to the east coast in early autumn. Shoveler
were the other wildfowl species which created most interest as they
increased to 23 birds on the 16th and remained in good numbers to
the end of the month. Gadwall numbers also built up to 18 individuals
during the same period and a single Pintail flew over the northern
ponds on the 26th. Following a long absence a single Great Crested
Grebe appeared on pond B from the 23rd to the 25th with two birds
being noted together on the 26th; while 8-10 Little Grebes lingered
on the northern ponds throughout.
Raptors were notable by their absence with just the odd Sparrowhawk
being seen along with a one day Kestrel before two superb adult Hobbies
put in an appearance hunting dragonflies high over the northern ponds
on the afternoon of the 8th. This was somewhat surprisingly the first
record of this species over the park this year in spite of frequent
sightings in the spring over the pits to the east towards Barrow
Haven.
The muddy edges of pond A north failed to attract any waders at all
but the northern new lagoon held a high tide roost of waders from
mid month. Redshank typically dominated the roost increasing from
41 on the 4th to 57 by the 13th and reaching a peak of 73 during
23rd to the 26th. They were joined by increasing numbers of Black-tailed
Godwits; one juvenile on the 13th then 5 on the 14th and eventually
up to 25 birds in the last week of the month. More unusual was the
brief appearance of small numbers of Bar-tailed Godwits, all juveniles,
after one being seen on the 9th there were 14 roosting on the 13th
and 11 on the 14th. A single Knot was also present during 25th to
26th with three on the 30th while a Common Sandpiper lingered from
late August to the 4th forming the last record of this species for
the year.
There were no sightings of Common Terns but a juvenile Black Tern
flew out onto the estuary from pond A north on the morning of September
16th during a period when good numbers of this species had been drifted
into central England by warm south-easterly winds. Following a blank
spring passage this was the first record of this delightful species
for the year.
The hot weather meant that the number of dragonflies was most impressive
but by September there are few species still on the wing with Migrant
Hawker and Common Darters dominating the species list. Ruddy Darters
were also still present in good numbers. Butterflies also prospered
with a late generation of Commas being particularly evident mid month
and good numbers of Red Admirals also being notable. Speckled Woods
continue to be the most numerous species on the park but we seem
to have missed out on the Camberwell Beauty influx which brought
a single individual to the Far Ings area early in the month.
Graham
Catley
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