25/07/2015 Spotted Flycatcher and Yellow Wagtail

Saturday 25th July 2015

RSPB Broadwater Warren Visit  (a.m.)
Ashdown Bird Group


11 members were given a guided tour of this burgeoning RSPB site by Alan Loweth who impressed us all with his enthusiasm and expertise.  He pointed out a great variety of flora and fauna over the course of the morning.

It was interesting to hear of the continuing restoration work which has so transformed the area, which now consists of approximately 450 acres split almost fifty/fifty between woodland and heathland, having previously been largely given over to conifer forest.

• Alan explained that there were approximately 50+ dormice resident in the Warren, making use of the many dormice boxes provided, and that the Warren was the only U.K. reserve with such a number.

• We had hoped to see adders and grass snakes, but despite Alan checking nearly all the refuges, none were seen.

 

• There were plenty of butterflies about, including green veined white, silver washed fritillary, small blue, red admiral, gatekeeper, small copper, speckled wood, and many meadow browns. Other interesting insect species noted included a spider with its funnel web, a long horned beetle believed to be Strangalia maculata, and a handsome Dor beetle. Dragonflies seen included a fine male Emperor.

• Pick of the birds was the Spotted Flycatcher seen briefly in the trees at the end of our tour, close to the car park. Also seen were a Tree Creeper, a Grey Wagtail, Buzzards, a Kestrel and a Great-spotted Woodpecker.

Scotney GP nr Lydd in Kent
Eager to make use of the good weather, I decided to spend the early evening at Scotney Gravel Pits.  What a good decision that turned out to be. 

• The target bird for me was the Yellow Wagtail and it wasn't long before I located several among the sheep in the fields at the rear of the farm .

• As a bonus I also saw a pair of Spoonbills, several Corn Buntings, an Egyptian Goose and a superb Little Owl (looking out from the first building on the farm).

RSPB Dungeness
I even had time to visit the nature reserve at Dungeness before heading home at dusk.  As you would expect there were lots of birds around including several waders.

The highlight had to be the summer-plumage Knot seen from the Hanson ARC hide.


It's good to be back in the thick of things again - surrounded by lots and lots of birds!


Additions to BUBO 2015 UK Bird List:
Spotted Flycatcher  (231)
Yellow Wagtail   (232)

 Spotted Flycatcher

• Spotted Flycatchers feed on flying insects, such as bees and butterflies, but also berries in the autumn.  They sit quite upright on an exposed branch, flicking the tail and watching for insects flying passed. Consequently, you often see them flying out from a tree and back again in a circular path.

• The Spotted Flycatcher is a summer visitor usually arriving in the latter half of May and departing at the end of August. Their wintering grounds are in tropical Africa, south of the equator.

• The Spotted Flycatcher population has declined by more than half in the last 25 years and so this is a Red List species. This decline may be due to problems in their wintering grounds and changes in woodland management in Britain.

Yellow Wagtail

• Yellow Wagtails are summer visitors from the African continent and spend their summer in pastures, meadows, marshes, riversides and arable fields, and usually near freshwater.

• Yellow Wagtails can often be found around cattle and horses, feeding on the invertebrates, such as flies and beetles, that the livestock disturb with their hooves.

• The Yellow Wagtail is a summer visitor (March-September) that winters south of the Sahara, Africa

• Their numbers have fallen by over 80% since the 1970s possibly through changes in farming practices. Consequently, the Yellow Wagtail is an Red List species of conservation concern.