Start Point - yesterday
Perry has described to me what a big Start Point fall is like and yesterday we witnessed a good un. Even driving the last bit to Start down the lane the hedges were packed with Whitethroats etc and on the point any patch of cover had birds amazing! A wander around with Mike 'crinkle' Brooking and we totted up (probably underestimates): 150+ Whitethroats, 120+ Backcaps, 100+ Willow Warblers (also a few Chiffs), 25 Garden Warblers, 3 Black Redstarts, 5+ Redstarts, 4 Whinchat, 50+ Wheatear, 2 Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Grasshopper Warblers, 6 Sedge Warblers. A lot of these were at the lighthouse at first and many more around the farm and in Mattiscombe valley. Also a brief view of a Nightingale in the thickest part of the tamarisks at the lighthouse, failed to reappear or sing (female?). Also hirudines arriving and big party of Swifts over the higher ground. Pics from yesterday: Garden Warbler etc
