A mini heatwave mid month was very enjoyable. The weather since has been pretty good, decent temperatures with a fair amount of sun and only a couple of days of rain.
Birding wise it has been very good, when normally at this time of year, it is quiet.
on the 2nd, a pair of Mediterranean Gulls dropped in at Moor Green. The female had a leg ring, which identified it as being bred in Eire two years ago. They stayed for a couple of days and then departed.
On the 12th, it was off to Frensham Common, Surrey, where a first summer male Red-footed falcon had been seen over the previous few days. We don't normally get many of this species in the UK, but at this time there was a handful or so throughout the country.
As luck might have it, as soon as I arrived at the spot, there was the bird hovering close by, hunting for food. For the next two hours I watched it, hunting and catching beetles around the common.
Acres Down, in the New Forest, Hampshire, is a recognised area to see Goshawk, so on the 19th I visited the Down in the hope of spotting one, but as it turned out, I didnt, but to compensate, three Honey Buzzards were circling close to each other in the clear blue sky. Also seen there were Spotted Flycatcher, Marsh and Coal Tit, Crossbill and Woodlark.
From there it was off to Church Norton, Sussex on the south coast, where an Elegant Tern, a very rare bird for the UK had been seen with the breeding group of Sandwich Terns.
Unfortunately the bird wasn't seen, by me or any of the many other birders that were also there. Apparently the bird had been seen early morning flying out to sea and didn't return that day.
Birding wise it has been very good, when normally at this time of year, it is quiet.
on the 2nd, a pair of Mediterranean Gulls dropped in at Moor Green. The female had a leg ring, which identified it as being bred in Eire two years ago. They stayed for a couple of days and then departed.
On the 12th, it was off to Frensham Common, Surrey, where a first summer male Red-footed falcon had been seen over the previous few days. We don't normally get many of this species in the UK, but at this time there was a handful or so throughout the country.
As luck might have it, as soon as I arrived at the spot, there was the bird hovering close by, hunting for food. For the next two hours I watched it, hunting and catching beetles around the common.
Acres Down, in the New Forest, Hampshire, is a recognised area to see Goshawk, so on the 19th I visited the Down in the hope of spotting one, but as it turned out, I didnt, but to compensate, three Honey Buzzards were circling close to each other in the clear blue sky. Also seen there were Spotted Flycatcher, Marsh and Coal Tit, Crossbill and Woodlark.
From there it was off to Church Norton, Sussex on the south coast, where an Elegant Tern, a very rare bird for the UK had been seen with the breeding group of Sandwich Terns.
Unfortunately the bird wasn't seen, by me or any of the many other birders that were also there. Apparently the bird had been seen early morning flying out to sea and didn't return that day.
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