30 October 2011

A wander along the dunes behind the village this morning produced an unusually late Swift which, as I observed it, came low over the houses and appeared magically to transform from a typically plumaged individual into a lovely sandy colour.  As I watched it it did this trick several times, until I was totally confused.  I didn't have my phone on me so I ran back to Pete's house and he came back with me, in his slippers, and I took my camera to try to get some shots.  We relocated it and had a good look.  Half the time it looked like a bog-standard Swift and half the time looked much more suggestive, but out of context, and having not seen any Swifts for over a month, I was beginning to doubt my own vision.  After about ten minutes we were still not sure what we were watching and so we phoned Tim, who arrived on top of the Hermanus and decided to put out the news as a possible Pallid Swift, in the hope that that we could con some proper birders into a visit so they could identify it for us.  The bigwigs duly arrived and, typically, some were in the Pallid camp and some in the Common.  As it stands at present we don't know, and people are making convincing arguments either way.  Here are my pictures (µ43 rules!) which have only been cropped, not altered in any other way.  You can click on them to see the larger versions.  What do YOU think?

PS Just been out for another look and found out that Dick Filby took a decent shot of the underparts which he is going home to study.  So we might have a conclusive identification soon...

Publish Post

Update - here are Dick Filby's photos.  Still not conclusive - but he's leaning more towards Common Swift.

29th October 2011.

39 Snow Buntings south beach,Great Skua,Little Gull Tim.

Friday 28 October 2011

A few hours in the north dunes this afternoon during a flying visit back home produced 2 Northern Wheatears, at least 800 Pink-footed Geese, a handful of Reed Buntings in the dunes scrub, a Coal Tit and, frustratingly, a fly-over 'tick' bunting that came in off the sea, called 3 times and headed west towards the wind turbines.25 Snow Buntings south beach,one male Black Redstart south dunes,200 Little Gulls Tim.

27th October 2011.

Pallas's Warbler north dunes,Black Redstart south dunes,three Snow Buntings south beach Tim.

26th October 2011.

Four Lapland Buntings south dunes,two Black Redstarts in Hermanus Tim.

25th October 2011.

Firecrest in lighthouse garden,Black Redstart in Hermanus,six Snow Buntings in north dunes,large no's of common thrush's Tim.

16 October 2010

The Yellow-browed Warbler was still below the Hermanus (here is a nice pic of it from Tim's blog), and a Black Redstart was on the roofs of the monstrous houses now built at the start of the valley.  A nice adder was catching the last rays before heading towards the land of nod for the winter.

15th October 2011.

Yellow-Browed Warbler and Ring Ouzel in south dunes,two Bearded Tits,two Grey Wagtails,four Med Gulls, one 1st winter one 2nd winter two ads Tim.

13th October 2011.

2 Short Eared Owls in the north dunes,Ring ouzel south dunes,Bramblings Siskins Lesser Redpolls Mistle Thrushes south,Large no's of common thrushes,Woodcock Tim.

14 October 2011

At last some signs of an Autumn on the east coast. Tim had a good day with a Great Grey Shrike and two Yellow-browed Warblers in the Valley. After work I flushed this Short-eared Owl from the Totem Pole Bushes, which then landed for a quick photo,Two 2nd winter Med gulls in chalet park,three Wheatears in the south dunes Tim.

7th October 2011.

Woodlark north dunes,4 Wheatears Tim.

30th September 2011.

Male common Redstart south dunes,Tree Pipit,13 Crossbill's south,Yellow Wagtail,Siskins and Redpolls south,7 Med Gulls in chalet park 2ads,4 2nd-winter,1 1st winter Tim

29th September 2011.

3 Med Gulls in chalet park,2ads,2nd-winter,Whinchat north dunes,yellow wagtail,Siskins and one lesser redpoll south Tim.