Autumn Migration Starts

 It's been a good week, despite the hissing down rain, as the first few passerine migrants started to appear.

 

Yesterday was full of interest around the Mere and the first bird I saw on arrival in first field was a Wheatear, followed by two Whinchats and four Black Terns. Ruff flew south overhead on their out and I got photos of a couple over the Mere. Later a Hobby was over Heslop's and a couple of Marsh Harriers flew over too. 

 

Chiff Chaffs were singing and a single Willow Warbler was seen, as were three Lesser Whitethroats and a Common Whitethroat.The 15-strong Barnacle Goose herd that has been here for a while expanded to 31 and a Curlew flew over going west.

 

Dave H messaged to say he'd just seen 3 Great White Egrets and 4 Little Egrets over the boat yard heading towards the Mere, and a short while afterwards they appeared at the Mere:

Three Great White Egrets landing in the tree tops

Four Little Egrets appearing

The seven Black Terns from Thursday had dwindled to four and were very mobile over by the north shore. Photos were taken but they were at extreme range and are meagre record shots.

Two of the four distant Black Terns

Black Tern (centre of pic!)

Wheatear and two Whinchat on first field fence

Wheatear

Two Whinchat

Whinchat

Whinchat

Whinchat

Ruff fly-by

Ruff leaving the Mere going south

Ruff over the Mere

Chiff Chaff in first field

As above

Earlier in the week a few Common Sandpipers called in to the Mere and gave a brief photo opportunity:

Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpipers

Same Common Sandpipers as above

A couple of Hobbies came by as I walked along the south side and gave great views. One seemed to be just polishing off a dragonfly as it appeared.

Hobby munching

Hobby

Two Hobbies

Willow Warbler

Despite seeing Black Terns, Wheatear and Whinchats this week, the highlight for me was on Tuesday when I spotted two Mistle Thrushes in the trees by Wassand Hall. They have been conspicuous absentees from my Mere list this year, so it was good to see them at last. Normally they are seen quite often during January and February but not this year.

Mistle Thrush

Mistle Thrush

In the same area, a Jay flew through just a minute or so after the thrushes. The light was grim and over-exposure was the quickest way to get a shot or two before it disappeared.

An over-exposed Jay

I don't usually end on a question but I will this time. On a walk round the garden today I saw a small hole had appeared overnight. It's not big enough for a mole so I'm guessing it's a mouse of some kind. I've left the trailcam pointing at it so hopefully something will emerge eventually (or not 😀).

The hole is being monitored by a trailcam

It's A Bug's Life

 Today dawned sunny, calm and cool which soon turned into sunny, calm and warm - perfect for insects.

 

There were plenty of Common Blue butterflies and Common Blue damselflies along the south side of the Mere, and Brown Argus too. 

 

A good patch of brambles was where the action was though, starting with a hornet and what I thought was a hornet mimic (Hornet hoverfly) but turned out to be a wasp mimic instead.

Volucella inanis, Wasp Hoverfly (smaller than Hornet Hoverfly)

Volucella inanis x 2

My favourite hoverfly turned up too, showing its Batman insignia particularly well.

Batman hoverfly

Batman insignia detail

Batman was joined for a photo by a smaller hoverfly, a Common Flower Fly.

Common Flower Fly (Syrphus ribesii) and Batman hoverfly (Myathropa florea)

There weren't that many butterflies during my walk (a bit early in the day for some of them) so only nine species seen, but it was good to see two Holly Blues on the same bramble flower.

Holly Blues - a male and female

As above

Only three species of dragonfly today but plenty of them - Ruddy Darter, Common Darter and Migrant Hawker.

Ruddy Darter

Another Ruddy Darter

Common Darter

Migrant Hawker

As above

Further along, during my walk home, I was watching a Red Admiral basking in the sun and turned to leave when I saw a Common Darter on the next fence post. Just along from that was another Holly Blue, resting on the wire of the same fence. I tried several times to get a decent photo of them all together but I wasn't totally successful as you can see...

Holly Blue, Common Darter and Red Admiral

Here are photos taken of each one individually.

Holly Blue

Red Admiral

Common Darter

Also on the way home going past Weatherhill a beetle ran across the path:

Harpalus rufipes - Strawberry Seed beetle 

Apparently these beetles are used as a biological agent to control seed-eating pests such as aphids, although they feed on strawberry seeds themselves.

It's been a rather quiet week on the birding front but the sight of three Hobbies at the Mere yesterday was nice, as was the sight of a Kestrel sorting out a few Magpies that were harassing it. 

Kestrel v Magpie

I don't know why the Kestrel chose to stay on the ground when it could have easily flown off, as it eventually did. 

 

I'll finish with a few bird photos, none of which are particularly noteworthy, but what else am I going to do with them 😂😂😂😂

Jackdaw

Little Grebe by the north reed bed

Hobby over the north reed bed