Monday 25 October 2010

Redwings and Swallows - a contradiction

I recall seeing, in the early 1980s, a field of Fieldfares and Redwings above which flew some Swallows. This sight was so striking that I've often remembered it but have never seen it repeated, until yesterday.

At Hope Point there were three Redwings feeding on the berry-laden scrub, while a handful of Swallows and House Martins flew north into the breeze. The run of northerlies has presumably caught some of the late-emerging birds before they could migrate south, and also blown in the early migrants from the tundra. We await the photos of Swallows overflying some of the many Waxwings this week.

A good number of other species flitting around the clifftop, including one rufous bird that flitted from bush-top to bush-top and then plunged in, not to be seen again. It looked like a Dartford Warbler but couldn't have been, because it showed too well. Oh yes it could, and Gerald even got a good photo of it (here).

My own photos of birds were a struggle....
..... so I took refuge in one of the holes in the Shrike-field beside the golf course where the last downland flowers still bloomed, and where I had been told some strange plants had been seen.
Now to me, these look like the Stocks that you plant in the garden, and indeed the base of each one (carefully spaced) seems to have been disturbed so I think that someone has been adding to our natural flora here. Graham, since you told me about them, you are the prime suspect. We'll see what flowers emerge next spring.
Also in the small pits were Harebells.........
........ Carline Thistles(which seem to have had a good year).......
..... and Blue Fleabane which I've not previously seen in these parts.

There were Goldcrests in many of the pines and firs, and at least two Firecrests were in the clifftop gardens and two more at the bottom of Kingsdown Hill.

3 comments:

Warren Baker said...

Dartford Warblers and Firecrests ! Very nice.

Kingsdowner said...

Yes, Warren, we live in a blessed place.

GrahamH said...

Non est mea culpa!