Bird News: October 2021

The wet weather at the beginning of the month brought 58 Goldfinches to wires in Kenn and a Sparrowhawk (see photo above by Phil Whitchurch) to a Congresbury garden. The following day a Peregrine stooped into an area of houses at the village end of Wemberham Lane, followed by an explosion of Jackdaws, Pigeons and Starlings. The attack was unsuccessful and the Peregrine hammered across the sky towards the railway station.

Two Kingfishers were having a territorial dispute for winter fishing rights in Wemberham Lane wit a few migrant Meadow Pipits nearby. Speaking of Meadow Pipits, there were 25 in Kenn Moor Reserve on the 5th, probably feeding up following up after a very wet night.

The warm settled weather on the 9/10th saw the Peregrine back pylon sitting, with a pair of Stonechats nearby. Meadow Pipits were feeding up in grassland with Goldfinches harvesting the thistle seeds nearby. A couple of Linnets joined the action and a Grey Wagtail was at the end of Wemberham Lane.

Higgy heard his first Redwing of the Autumn on the evening of the 12th, they are night migrants and call to each other as they pass over. A couple of days later our new Cobthorn Reserve in Congresbury hosted Stonechat, Reed Bunting, Meadow Pipits, Starlings and Goldfinches. Over by the Little River at Yatton there were more Stonechats and Goldfinches as well as Buzzard and Kestrel.

The Peregrine back on his favourite pylon by Wemberham Lane, was chased off by six Ravens but soon returned undeterred. Three Stonechats, a Grey Wagtail and a dozen Meadow Pipits were nearby. A migrant Skylark flew over and a couple of Jays were in in the area. Bullfinch and Great Spotted Woodpecker called from one of the tall hedges and a Kingfisher was reported on a couple of days.

There was another Kingfisher in Kingston Seymour near the church and a Barn Owl around the Wemberham area. Twenty flighty Redwings appeared on Kenn Moor on the 17th and a Great White Egret flew over the Strawberry Line.

The weather changed on the 18th and the Wemberham/ Phipps Bridge area saw 80 Canada Geese and 38 Mallards on freshly cut maize. The poor weather had probably grounded some migrant Skylarks- 36 were recorded in total.

A flock of around 50 Redwings flew over Congresbury (20th) and a Sparrowhawk but not at the same time! Ploughing operations in the Wemberham/Kingston Seymour area displaced eight Little Egrets and well over a thousand birds were following the tractor, Starlings, Gulls and Corvid species. Seven migrating Skylarks called as the passed over and a Grey Wagtail was present.

Thirty Redwings were around the Strawberry Line on the 29th but no sign of Fieldfares to date. At the month end a Kestrel was hovering over the Little River and a Kingfisher flashed along Wemberham Rhyne.

Please send bird sightings to birds@yacwag.org.uk