After a somewhat dreary start at the Gap, the weather eased up a little and the wind veered from the north to a northeasterly, bringing with it a bit of overhead movement from mid-morning. Personal totals included a
Tree Pipit, five
Yellow Wagtails, two
Grey Wagtails, 197
Meadow Pipits, 83
Swallows, four
Sand Martins and 840
House Martins. Six
Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew west overhead.
Mediterranean Gulls increased to 11, but
Common Gulls remained low at four.
Sandwich Terns numbered 11 in the roost field. Only half of the site was covered on the ground, since - in terms of grounded migrants - only singles of
Whinchat,
Whitethroat and
Chiffchaff revealed themselves early on and it became clear that vismig was the order of the day. The
Treecreeper called in the Plantation and four
Skylarks were in the southeastern field. Along the beach were six
Oystercatchers and 36
Little Egrets and my wader counts later on included 66
Ringed Plovers, 80
Turnstones and 36
Sanderlings (one juvenile). A
Gannet was the only bird of any significance noted in a number of quick scans offshore.
A short, drizzle-hindered walk along the Rife mid-afternoon was rewarded with a
Hobby which pitched down in one of the fields, as well as 50 lingering
House Martins, a
Grey Heron, two
Little Egrets, a
Common Gull, two
Grey Wagtails, 29
Meadow Pipits, and a
Sandwich Tern offshore.
 |
| Hobby at Ferring Rife |
