OCTOBER FEST

Still a few ouzels and bramblings in Langdon Hole last week,wheatears down to a trickle now,half a dozen young kestrels have taken up residence at Samphire Hoe,and last Thursday 9 species of butterfly were seen on the cliffs,probably their last stand I would think.Goldfinches,linnets,yellowhammers and corn buntings are flocking in the weedy margins of the arable fields on the cliffs.

 RING OUZEL

 BRAMBLING

 Several of these winter visitors have been arriving recently.

 KESTREL one of six juveniles at the Hoe

 WHEATEAR

WHEATEAR On the beach at Samphire Hoe

GREEN BRINDLED CRESCENT,a favourite autumn moth.

The SALLOW moth

 RED ADMIRAL nectaring on ivy blossom

 COMMA

GOLDFINCH

A CHARM OF GOLDFINCH

YELLOWHAMMER

RETURN OF THE GUILLEMOT

The first guillemot of the autumn has turned up in the harbour in the last week,the first of many hopefully,it was interesting to see an angler catching herrings on feathers from the Pof W pier so the gilly should be well fed at least,also the scoter is still with us.

 GUILLEMOT

 CORN BUNTING,quite a few of these on the cliffs at present.

 THE LONG TAILS

 LONG TAILED BLUES continue to emerge in the warm October sunshine.

 A YOUNG LITTLE GREBE or DABCHICK.

SPOTTED CRAKE continues to tantalise the cameras at Oare

FROM OUZO TO OUZELS

Last week was spent under glorious blue skies in Santorini,a Greek volcanic island north of Crete,there was prescious little bird life as there is no natural water and little vegetation but what was seen was pretty good,including long legged,honey and common buzzards,marsh harrier,eleonoras falcon,kestrel and an osprey,red rumped swallows,spotted flycatcher,chiff chaff,red backed shrike and blue rock thrush.Hooded crows,collared dove, house sparrow,and yellow legged gull were fairly common,and pulses of migrating swallows and sand martins were seen daily.Sorry no bird photographs but a few butterflies :-

 LANGS SHORT TAILED BLUE

 FEMALE LANGS SHORT TAILED BLUE

 RED VEINED DARTER

 SWALLOWTAIL

SWALLOWTAIL IN FLIGHT
There were not many butterflies, but in one vegetable garden we passed there were lots of long tailed blues no doubt being a nuisance to the owner.
So not a place for a birdwatching holiday but geologically and archaeologically superb,the weather was warm and sunny and it was just beginning to rain as we left,perfect.
Back home, yesterday it was Langdon Hole catching up with the ring ouzels,and messrs Ray,Ashton ,and Gould.
Estimates ranged between 15 and 25 birds in all but they were very mobile and not very co operative .

 RING OUZEL

RING OUZEL

At least these two stayed still long enough to capture their unusual feeding behaviour