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2 Sep 2012 - Finally some migrants...

Headed out to Rush Hills Scrape first thing this morning and then birded Waxham south dunes. Not too much on the scrape - 25 Dunlin plus about 20 Ruff and a few Black-wits, but no too much else.

Although hard work, Waxham turned out to be quite good. A slow moving rain shower pushed quite a lot of hirundines  south (about 200 Barn Swallows and a slightly smaller number of House Martins) plus about 5 Common Swifts. The swifts that I saw well enough were all juveniles and one bird showed well, flying up and down the dunes. I've provided a few photos showing a number of features of juvenile Common Swift.

Other migrants in the dunes were 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Yellow Wagtail (perched on the top of the Hawthorn bushes), 8+ Blackcap, 5 Lesser Whitethroats, plus about 10 Common Whitethroat and 2 Chiffchaff which might have been local birds. Also 5 Yellow Wagtails flew over plus a Great Spotted Woodpecker.

A pair of Chinese Water-deer were a nice distraction on the way home.

Juvenile Common Swift - pale faced appearance and frosty underwing coverts.

Juvenile Common Swift - pale upper wing coverts

Juvenile Common Swift - frosty underwing coverts and scaly vent

Juvenile Common Swift - pale throat and forehead


Juvenile Common Swift - pointed tail feathers gives a 'Needle-tail' like appearance when tail fully closed.

Juvenile Common Swift

Juvenile Common Swift

Juvenile Common Swift - pointed tail feathers
Juvenile Yellow Wagtail.

Common Whitethroat

Lesser Whitethroat

Reed Warbler - migrant.

Reed Warbler - migrant.
Stag Chinese Water-deer (doe in background).

Doe Chinese Water-deer.


Headed out to Rush Hills Scrape first thing this morning and then birded Waxham south dunes. Not too much on the scrape - 25 Dunlin plus about 20 Ruff and a few Black-wits, but no too much else.

Although hard work, Waxham turned out to be quite good. A slow moving rain shower pushed quite a lot of hirundines  south (about 200 Barn Swallows and a slightly smaller number of House Martins) plus about 5 Common Swifts. The swifts that I saw well enough were all juveniles and one bird showed well, flying up and down the dunes. I've provided a few photos showing a number of features of juvenile Common Swift.

Other migrants in the dunes were 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Yellow Wagtail (perched on the top of the Hawthorn bushes), 8+ Blackcap, 5 Lesser Whitethroats, plus about 10 Common Whitethroat and 2 Chiffchaff which might have been local birds. Also 5 Yellow Wagtails flew over plus a Great Spotted Woodpecker.

A pair of Chinese Water-deer were a nice distraction on the way home.

Juvenile Common Swift - pale faced appearance and frosty underwing coverts.

Juvenile Common Swift - pale upper wing coverts

Juvenile Common Swift - frosty underwing coverts and scaly vent

Juvenile Common Swift - pale throat and forehead


Juvenile Common Swift - pointed tail feathers gives a 'Needle-tail' like appearance when tail fully closed.

Juvenile Common Swift

Juvenile Common Swift

Juvenile Common Swift - pointed tail feathers
Juvenile Yellow Wagtail.

Common Whitethroat

Lesser Whitethroat

Reed Warbler - migrant.

Reed Warbler - migrant.
Stag Chinese Water-deer (doe in background).

Doe Chinese Water-deer.


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