Whitethroat - Orcombe Point. It's been a terrible autumn for Whitethroats locally. This is the first one I've seen in well over a month!
Orcombe from 0720 'til 0930 - 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Redpoll, c50 Pied Wagtails, 22+ Siskins, 140+ Linnets, 12+ Greenfinches, 120+ Goldfinches, 90+ finch sp, c40 Chaffinches, 9+ Skylarks c180 Meadow Pipits, 1 Whitethroat, c15 Chiffchaffs, 6 Goldcrests, 1 Stonechat, 5 Song Thrushes, 6 Swallows, 7 House Martins, 9+ Blackbirds, 1 Grey Wagtail and 1 Coal Tit.
Mudbank - 3 Tufted Ducks, c200+ Pintail, 1 Whimbrel, 350+ Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, c260 Black-tailed Godwits, 8 Bar-tailed Godwits, 3 Greenshank, 6 Redshank, 4 Grey Plovers, 23 Ringed Plovers, c50 Teal, 1 Sandwich Tern and a flock of 13 Siskins over. One Goshawk over the other side of the river.
Yesterday - 3 Pale-bellied Brent Geese with c300 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and 18 Great Crested Grebes. Three Buzzards and an adult Mediterranean Gull in a newly ploughed field on Orcombe.
Another superb photo!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful little bird.
Can't resist bringing in John Clare again! He is famed as an observer of birds. His poem, from about 1830's, 'The Happy Bird' links a whitethroat with spring rather than autumn. Here are the opening lines:
The happy whitethroat on the sweeing bough
Swayed by the impulse of the gadding wind
That ushers in the showers of April, now
Carols right joyously; and now reclined,
Crouching, she clings close to her moving seat
To keep her hold.....
For anyone interested, the whole 14 lines can be found free online. Just key in The Happy Bird.
Many thanks for that Norfg37 - lovely words and very fitting for those early spring arrivals. All the best. Matt.
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