25th October 2009 Beachy Head WSW5 Clear

Little Egret 1

Golden Plover 1

Great Spotted Woodpecker h

Swallow 5

Skylark 3

Stonechat 1

Whitethroat 1

Chiffchaff 4

Firecrest 2

Goldfinch 15

Redpoll 1

Siskin 3

A late Common Whitethroat in the Beachy Head Hotel Garden

Whilst we considered the above individual didn't look out of the ordinary for communis any late Autumn Common Whitethroats are worthy of scutiny:

Eastern races of Common Whitethroat are not on the British List. Both icterops and rubicola may be identifiable owing to their cold, grey plumage tones (with greatly reduced rufous tones on the wings), while biometrics and moult strategy may offer some support. However, it is unclear whether volgensis, which forms a clinal bridge between the familiar communis and eastern rubicola may resemble icterops and rubicola in certain key characters. Consequently a ringing recovery from breeding birds seems the only way to be certain of racial origin at present. (Racial identification and assessment in Britain: a report from the RIACT subcommittee BB 99 December 2006 619 -645).

Adult female Peregrine over the Beachy Head Hotel Garden

23rd October 2009 Trow Quarry, South Shields

Eastern Crowned Warbler - the first record for Britain

Snipe 2

Lapwing 3

Blackcap 2

Eastern Crowned Warbler 1 ex.

Yellow-browed Warbler 1

18th October 2009 Beachy Head NW1 Clear and cold

Little Egret 2
Dark-bellied Brent Goose 1 Top Fields
Merlin 1
Golden Plover h
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
House Martin 12
Swallow 9
Skylark 3
Grey Wagtail 1
Pied Wagtail 3
Black Redstart 1
Wheatear 1
Redwing 1
Ring Ouzel 1
Chiffchaff 7
Goldcrest 2
Long-tailed Tit 9
House Sparrow 2 Cow Gap
Brambling 2 + 3h
Goldfinch 42
Redpoll 2
Siskin h

Wheatear opposite Shooter's Bottom

Black Redstart in the Old Trapping Area

Ringed Long-tailed Tit along the Cliff Path

Dark-bellied Brent Goose in the top fields opposite Belle Tout Wood

17th October 2009 Beachy Head NW2 Clear and cold

Sparrowhawk 3

Golden Plover 2N

Great Spotted Woodpecker 1

Skylark 6W

Pied Wagtail 3W

Wheatear 1

Song Thrush 3

Redwing 10

Chiffchaff 5

Goldcrest 1

Firecrest 1

Chaffinch 12W

Brambling h

Greenfinch 35W

Goldfinch 42

Siskin 8

Reed Bunting 4W

Stanwell Moor, Surrey

Brown Shrike 1 juv. cristatus

Didcot tip, Oxfordshire

Gull showing characters of atlantis Azorean Yellow-legged Gull 1 adult

Fox on Crowlink

Clouded Yellow along the Cliff Path

10th October 2009 Wajima

10/10/09 Walked a circuitous route around the river valley to the east of Wajima before again looking along the main river. Took a shared taxi to Noto Airport where we departed at 16.05 arriving Haneda at 17.10. Took the limousine bus to Narita where we stayed overnight at the Holiday Inn before our following morning departure for London Heathrow.

Juvenile Black-eared Kite over the river valley east of Wajima

Adult Little Egret along the main river in Wajima

Temple in Wajima

River valley to the east of Wajima with Wajima Harbour in the background

Species noted:

Japanese Green Pheasant 1 male

Japanese Cormorant 12

Little Egret 1

Black-eared Kite 25

Black-tailed Gull 25

Grey Wagtail 1

Japanese Wagtail 4

Blue Rock Thrush 2

Bull-headed Shrike 2

Tree Sparrow 15

Meadow Bunting 5

9th October 2009 Wajima

9/10/09 Walked to the Lighthouse Point in Wajima for shortly after dawn but disappointingly there were no seabirds moving in the calm conditions. Walked the river valley to the east of Wajima into the forest before again trying the harbour and river area.

Adult Brown Dipper in the river valley to the east of Wajima

Adult Japanese Wagtail in the river valley to the east of Wajima

Species noted:

Japanese Cormorant 12

Little Egret 3

Great Egret 2

Mandarin Duck 40

Teal 1

Spot-billed Duck 4

Black-eared Kite 40

Black-headed Gull 1

Vega Gull 2

Common Kingfisher 1

Red-rumped Swallow 12

Grey Wagtail 1

Black-backed Wagtail 2

Japanese Wagtail 6

Brown-eared Bulbul 5

Brown Dipper 1

Blue Rock Thrush 2

Long-tailed Tit 25

Varied Tit 1

Bull-headed Shrike 1

Carrion Crow 2

Large-billed Crow 8

Tree Sparrow 15

Meadow Bunting 8

8th October 2009 Wajima

8/10/09 Typhoon No. 18 duly arrived with hurricane-force northeasterly winds and driving rain. Some spectacular waves were lashing the coast visible from our Hotel. We stayed indoors until the weather improved slightly late afternoon so we made the short walk to the main river in case any storm-blown birds might be sheltering there.

Species noted:

Streaked Shearwater 5
Japanese Cormorant 12
White-fronted Goose 4
Mandarin Duck 10
Wigeon 1
Teal 1
Mallard 20
Black-eared Kite 20
Black-headed Gull 40
Vega Gull 20
Blue Rock Thrush 1
Carrion Crow 2
Tree Sparrow 5