by Greg Lee
Cold today, with the wind remaining quite strong into the night leading into a cool and crisp morning. So, with that in mind, I was pleased to be out on census in a uniform outfit of green and black, with my green RVRC trousers and my green hoodie hopefully making me stand out less to the birds. On my way down into Millcombe, I came across several of our visiting birders including Paul Holt, whose local patch is just down the coast from Sandwich Bay at Samphire Hoe. As we were peering into Secret Garden staring intently for any signs of movement, the familiar "pee-yew" of flying Siskins caught our ear and three birds flew into the Valley. I still remember the first time I saw Siskins, my grandfather had given me a VHS tape of the RSPB guide to British garden birds narrated/presented by none other than Sir David Attenborough and I watched this quite religiously as a small child. When the Siskin section came on, I was enamoured by the green and yellow plumage of these smart finches and desperately wanted to see one. So I was delighted on a late afternoon in winter to come across a small flock feeding in an Alder tree in the car park at Tewkesbury Abbey. Many years later and I still feel joy hearing these birds passing overhead.
As well as these, I also kept hearing a high-pitched "zeee" call which made me consider that a Hawfinch could be in the vicinity, however, I couldn't be sure with all the Robins and Dunnocks squeaking around the valley. As I took the path towards the Casbah, I came across Jimmy Hair, who relayed that he had sighted a Hawfinch perched at the top of the near Government, a very nice find and the first of the autumn season, after a couple of birds in the spring. The rest of census on the plateau of the island was pretty quiet, with the wind really drowning out alot of sound, although a Reed Bunting was heard near Quarter Wall. Down at the Terrace, even though it was quite sheltered, there were only a few Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Goldcrest.
Hawfinch by G.Lee
Although I hadn't seen it on census, late morning saw me return to the Rocket Pole area to see the long-staying Snow Bunting, which had taken a shine to this corner of the island, a very lovely bird and quite unbothered by my presence. Usually, this time of year, I would associate this species with low-lying shingle and sandy coast, particularly in the east, but birds do turn up in surprising places, including my local patch on Cleeve Hill sometimes. The rest of the day saw a mix of recycling, office jobs and rest before a KP shift in the evening.
Snow Bunting by G.Lee
Other sightings around the island included a Redwing in Millcombe and the long-staying Yellow-browed Warbler at the Quarries.