Slimbridge

27 Sept - no sign of the Pectoral Sandpiper or the Spotted Crake early morning in misty conditions, but good views of a Water Rail opposite Martin Smith hide (pic Richard Tyler), and 3 Spotted Redshanks (pic Paul Taylor) and 2 Black-tailed Godwits on South Lake.

Brown Shrike at Flamborough Head

25 Sept - a 4hr drive to Flamborough Head, and good views of the Brown Shrike, police in attendance for the assembled masses and ensuing crowd on road/traffic etc! An adult, with chestnut cap, prominent eyestripe, brownish upperparts and buff sides to flanks. A Red-backed Shrike was in the same hedge for comparison. A Yellow-browed Warbler seen well in the Old Fall Plantation, but I couldn't pin down the Red-breasted Flycatcher.

Straits of Gibraltar, 19-20 Sept 2008

A quick visit to Gibraltar and Tarifa, courtesy of Easyjet and a return to La Codorniz hotel for one night. Two fairly full days of birding - on the 19th, the wind was an increasing easterly and I headed first to the observatory at El Algarrobo, seeing Honey Buzzard and Osprey en route from Gibraltar. Raptors were passing continuously in small numbers, mainly Booted Eagles with a scattering of Short-toed Eagles and Honey Buzzards, see table below - also a fantastic flock of 70 soaring White Storks (7). 10 Bee-eaters made a fleeting appearance on their southward journey. A Hobby and a Peregrine flew over.
I then moved on to Cazalla, more of the same species including some low ST Eagles (3), then after R and R at the La Codorniz hotel, I visited La Janda for an evening watch - excellent, although the marhses were very dry - raptors included 16 (!) Marsh Harriers, 2 juvenile Montagu's Harriers and a Black-shouldered Kite ( which I found for Tim Appleton's group), together with at least 2 Lesser Kestrels and 75 Glossy Ibis and 11 more Bee-Eaters. A late evening seawatch at Tarifa produced an adult Audouin's Gull and 7 Balearic Shearwaters, but no Cory's.
On the 20th, a mixed flock of Honey Buzzards and ST Eagles glided low over the hotel after breakfast. A visit to Tarifa beach produced at least 12 Cory's Shearwaters (10 not JM) on a quick seawatch, and a walk to the new hide revealed an amazing flock of 72 Audouin's Gulls (9), together with waders including Kentish and Ringed Plovers (13), Knot, Whimbrel (12) and Bar-tailed Godwit (11), with Yellow Wagtails also moving through. Grounded passerines included Fan-tailed Warbler (14) and Black-eared Wheatear (15).
Raptor watching at Sanctuario and Cazalla in a strong easterly wind gave good views of Short-toed and Booted Eagles (4), a few Honey Buzzards (5), half a dozen Egyptian Vultures, and 4 Black Storks (8) and an Osprey (6) - together with odd Sparrowhawks and Black Kites. An amazing couple of days with flocks of raptors continually in view against the dramatic background of the straits.

Totals - Short-toed Eagle 106 (26, 80). Booted Eagle 253 (78, 175). Honey Buzzard 109 (47, 62). Black Kite 29 (6, 23). Griffon Vulture 200 (50, 150). Egyptian Vulture 10 (0, 10). Marsh Harrier 16 (16, 0). Montagu's Harrier 2 (2, 0).Osprey 2 (1, 1). Sparrowhawk 13 (4, 9). Black Stork 4 (0, 4).

Osprey at Fairford

14 Sep - I finally saw the Fairford Osprey today, it spiralled up from the north and glided high over Broadwater then went high to the south. Maybe migrating? it has been present for 2 weeks now (photo, copyright Richard Tyler).

Otmoor again

13 Sep - 5 Hobbies seen over the reedbed, but no sign again of the Marsh Harrier. Also seen - a Raven, a Little Egret, 4 Ringed Plovers, Cetti's Warblers singing, a Kingfisher, 3 Whinchats and a Greenshank.

Sabine's Gull at Southampton....

8 Sep - I finally caught up with the juvenile Sabine's Gull at Southampton after a false start - it lingered at Riverside Park where I saw it well preening and on the water, before it flew back down the River Itchen, showing contrasting upperwings and very buoyant flight. A fantastic bird.

Grey Phalarope at Farmoor

5 Sept - a SW gale with heavy showers, and news of a Grey Phalarope at Farmoor. It was close in to the NW corner, bobbing on the swell - photo, copyright Steve Burch - a juv/1st winter. My fourth at Farmoor. Also there, a Ringed Plover, a Common Sandpiper and a leucistic House Martin.

Dotterel and Spoonbills in Glos

4 Sept - an excellent morning's birding in Glos. First, Slimbridge, where I located the Dotterel (top two, photos copyright Martin McGill and Paul Masters) distantly on the Dumbles after 2hrs search, heavy showers not helping visibility. Distinctive stop/start feeding action with longish legs, supercilium and buffish belly visible. Also there, Knot, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin and Ringed Plover.
Then a very soggy walk to the Grundon hide at Coombe Hill Meadows, where the 2 Spoonbills (lower two, top photo copyright Steve Avery, lower JM) were showing well, feeding actively. Both adults with shaggy crests. The bottom photo is my first effort at "phonescoping".... Also there, 2 Spotted Redshanks (middle, photo copyright Richard Tyler) and Whinchat - my first of the year anywhere in the UK - Wheatear and Little Egret.