TUESDAY 30 SEPTEMBER
September 2014 has been the driest September
on record in Britain and today saw a continuation of the warm, fine weather we
have been experiencing locally since about June. In fact, temperatures still
reached over 70 degrees fahrenheit today.....
Following a phone call from Mike Wallen,
Francis Buckle and I rendezvoued at IVINGHOE HILLS where MSW had witnessed an
unprecedented fall of COMMON STONECHAT along the fenceline just SSE of the
Beacon Trig Point on the edge of the Beacon Slope. We quickly relocated them and
were astounded to find a flock of 19 birds, as well as a single WHINCHAT. The
birds were ranging as far east almost to Gallows Hill and included a good number
of males. I have never seen as many Stonechats locally as this autumn - they
appear to have had a bumper breeding season.
Little else in the way of migrant activity
however - just 7 Skylark, 2 Yellowhammer and 5 Common Chiffchaff
noted.
I then decided to walk some of the Chiltern
escarpment on the other side of Wendover but surprisingly, most likely because
of the fabulous weather, virtually nothing of note was found (just a few more
COMMON STONECHAT in locations such as WELLWICK FARM).
Later in the afternoon, I returned to BLOWS
DOWNS (DUNSTABLE), where the BARRED WARBLER was present for its fourth
consecutive day. It was still frequenting the isolated clumps of Hawthorn and
Elder on the Half Moon Slope but had become much more difficult to locate,
skulking for hours in the cover. There were still at least 8 COMMON STONECHATS
lingering there, as well as 1+ Common Chiffchaff, 15 Meadow Pipit, Bullfinch and
9 Goldfinch. The Sparrowhawk also made its regular visit to the slope
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