Autumn's arrival

There are many signs of Autumn arriving, some more obvious than others, and for me the most significant is a change in the birds and their behaviour. Often around September, after an exhausting breeding season and a subsequent moult into nice new feathers, some species which may have been largely absent in gardens during the summer will return in search of food. Large mixed tit flocks, often interspersed with goldcrests, treecreepers and chiffchaffs, descend on gardens as their natural food supply dwindles. Long-tailed tits will come in search of suet, while the coal and marsh tits favour black sunflowers or sunflower hearts to cache away for the winter. Nuthatches will do the same, and you may notice more regular visits than at other times of year, as they busily collect seeds to cram in to any nook or cranny they can find.

Long-tailed tit

Chiffchaff

Goldcrest

Coal tit

Nuthatch

Marsh tit

Squirrels and jays are both famous for their 'caching' behaviour, with the latter believed to be the reason for the wide distribution of oak trees in the UK.

October is normally the time when large charms of goldfinches appear in gardens, particularly in the south east, frantically feeding before some head further south to spend the winter. At Feathers we've had a charm of about 20-30 birds regularly visiting the feeders for the sunflower hearts.

Of course, Autumn is also the time for summer migrants departing and winter migrants arriving. We're still seeing the odd one or two house martins and swallows even now, while the first redwings and fieldfares we first spotted a couple of weeks ago.

Redwing showing how it got its name

Autumn changes

Continuing on from July's heatwave, we had a mostly fine August and September, which are typically two of the quietest months of the year for activity on the feeders. October is often when things pick up, but so far we're still experiencing temperatures in the high teens to low twenties, so only on an 'off' day are we seeing lots of birds using the feeders. From tomorrow onwards the forecast is back to average for the time of year (around 15°) with more rain than we've seen in some time, so I expect the food to start going down more rapidly.

While we expect this downturn on the feeders during Autumn, it normally coincides with an increase in summer migrants passing through on their way south, but this year we've had little more than a few visiting chiffchaffs. We spotted our first redwing on Saturday 6th, yet still this week we have seen a solitary swallow and around 10 house martins passing over. Mistle thrush activity has increased, buzzards (up to 6) have been enjoying the warm weather, sparrowhawks have been dropping by regularly and the kestrels are getting plenty of stick from the local corvid population as always. I've also seen and heard skylarks flying over on a few occassions in the last week. Coal tits are back in higher numbers now, as they often are at this time of year, taking the black sunflowers away to cache for the winter. Long-tailed tits have been passing through, but with plenty of natural food still around, they're not often coming down to the feeders just yet. We had hardly seen pied wagtails in the summer, and then two weeks ago a couple turned up and the number built throughout the week up to a maximum count of over 10. Fleeting glimpses of grey wagtails leave a lot to be desired. Although there doesn't seem to be a bumper crop of acorns, a few jays have been dropping in to the oak tree in the car park for a bite to eat. Finally, our tame pheasant, who looked a right mess at the start, now looks a million dollars.

Jay

Buzzard

Pied wagtail

Pheasant

First Spring Arrival Dates 2017

2017 Spring Migrant first arrival dates at Feathers, Salehurst, East Sussex

Swallow: 7th April (2016: 23rd April)

House Martin: 19th April (2016: 4th May)

Swift: 26th April (2016: 28th April)

Chiffchaff: 17th March (2016: 1st April)

Blackcap: 7th April (2016: No early birds)

Whitethroat: 20th April (2016: 14th April)

Cuckoo: 7th April (2016: 13th April)

Spotted Flycatcher: 31st August (2016: Only autumn migrants)

Autumn Migration first and lasts

Good number of Hirundines lingered on til the 14th October - House Martins and Swallows all swarming around above the shop, farm house and Church, feeding up before their long migration south. We are still getting reports from customers of Swallow sightings, mostly around coastal areas. The bulk of Chiffchaffs have moved on too, though there are still a few around and I'm sure some will stay over winter.

I saw my first Brambling and Fieldfares when visiting in-laws in Norfolk (Ingham) on the 15/16th October, then our first Fieldfares here on the 18th. A few flocks have passed over since, but none have stopped off so far and no Redwings yet either. Hopefully the Met Office's prediction of lower-than-average temperatures for November may bring a few in. Lots of Mistle and Song Thrushes have joined the Blackbirds over the past month, feeding mostly in the yew trees.

The sporadic visiting Grey Wagtail arrived back with us in September and is now around most days at some point. Numbers of Pied Wagtails have increased too.

Grey Wagtail

The nicest birding moment in October however belongs to a Buzzard. Although an almost daily sighting, not once in the 6 ½ years up to now has one perched in nearby tree for pictures. On the 19th, as I was outside sampling binoculars with customers, I suddenly spotted one sat at the top of the conifer tree in the farm house garden. Fortunately the bird has quite happy to sit for 10 minutes or so, not only allowing for great views through the binoculars but a good opportunity for pictures too, albeit slightly distant for the Lumix.

Fortunately the bird took off towards us and landed in the nearest tree to where we were standing - I couldn't believe my luck!

Shortly after it was chased off my a mob of corvids, but not before I managed a picture or two I was happy with.

Shop News

This month we have started to stock a small range of Spotting Scopes, some are available to try and buy in store with lots more available online or to order in. We currently have a super deal whereby you get a FREE Alta+ 233AO Tripod when you buy a Vanguard Endeavor HD 65A or Endeavor 82A telescope. This deal won't last forever so get in quick if you're after a high quality scope at a very good price! The 65 is actually my favourite of the two and is appreciably cheaper too.

We've also recently restocked our range of Archipelago bird carvings, these make a perfect Christmas gift for bird lovers and all the prices include FREE p&p!

First Spring Arrival Dates 2016

2016 Spring Migrant first arrival dates at Feathers, Salehurst, East Sussex

Swallow: 23rd April (2015: 7th April)

House Martin: 4th May (2015: 16th April)

Swift: 28th April (2015: 8th May)

Chiffchaff: 1st April (2015: 10th April)

Blackcap: N/A (2015: 12th April)

Whitethroat: 14th April (2015: 23rd April)

Cuckoo: 13th April (2015: 23rd April)

Spotted Flycatcher: N/A (2015: 27th May)

Swallow - Poppinghole Lane - 31/03/16

Cuckoo - 14/04/16

Swift - 04/05/16

Coal Tit Influx

I have to admit to having not known about Coal Tit migration, though in my defence it supposedly goes unnoticed most years. Even now I'm struggling to find much information about it. Numbers of British Coal Tits are bolstered in the Autumn/Winter as Continental birds arrive, apparently a subspecies, though very difficult to tell apart.

We certainly seem to be spotting more Coal Tits recently than usual here at Feathers, with last week's ringing session (the first in nearly two years) adding 5 new Coal Tits to the list, which itself stood at only 9 birds over a period of 3 years. Still we are spotting Coal Tits regularly without rings, suggesting there are a fair few in the vicinity.

Coal Tit 06/10/15 (not ringed)

 The ringing started sometime around 6am (I was of course still in bed at this time!) and by the time I arrived at work the wind had picked up so fewer birds were landing in the mist nets. Still I had the opportunity to photograph a Robin and Great Tit in the hand.

Great Tit (female)

Robin

Following on from last week's blog post, the Treecreeper(s) is now regular it seems, along with the Goldcrests.

Treecreeper

Treecreeper

Goldcrest

 The sycamore tree which overhangs the entrance to the car park seems to be the main attraction, with a late influx of Chiffchaffs finding plenty of food, but no sign of any Yellow-browed Warblers which are being spotted all over the place.

Chiffchaff

The Green Woodpecker, presuming it's the same young male bird, looked a bit tidier this week!

Young male Green Woodpecker

Young male Green Woodpecker

 A pair of Grey Wagtails were back today too, having been missed for a week or so, though the 10 Pied Wagtails are very active at the minute.

Still a dozen or so House Martins being spotted regularly (including today) so I will try to make note of the last sighting date.

No early signs of any Redwings or Fieldfares yet, though I've seen a few more Mistle Thrushes than usual as of late. I still hear Siskins flying over regularly too, and with the news that plenty are on their way south (along with Goldfinches) I expect we may have a few visiting soon. Many of both species will continue their flight from their northern UK breeding grounds through the south of England on to southern Europe, but hopefully we will hang on to a few this winter with the possibility of a Brambling joining in the mix too. Fingers crossed!