Observations

An unusual gull, a hungry gull, and a record flock enliven a quiet autumn

A review of the birds of September-October 2024

September started with a few stormy days and easterly winds which delivered three Pintail and a juvenile Garganey. Then two adult Garganeys appeared with a male the next day (perhaps the long-staying August birds reappearing?). With a few more days of easterlies, other duck started to arrive in numbers with Shoveler up to 139 and Teal up to 82, whilst Wigeon arrived and numbers grew to a peak of 26. Autumn goose numbers remained low with a maximum of only 80 of both Canada Geese and Greylag Geese. Small numbers of Egyptian Geese were present, with a recce by a pair of Red-Crested Pochards. Up to five Great Crested Grebes remained throughout September, but a hungry visiting adult Great Black-backed Gull ate one of them, and the rest disappeared.

One of August’s Great White Egrets continued its autumn residency for most of September.

A record flock of 92 Cormorants arrived from the south one September day, possibly disturbed from a roost lower down the Lee valley, with 45 heading back south a little later; this beat the previous largest count at Rye Meads of 85 in 2010.

Waders this autumn continued their woeful showing with little variety, only one or two Common Sandpipers through much of September were the least bit unusual. Green Sandpipers peaked at six in September and seven in October and Snipe at a miserable seven and eight respectively, probably reflecting the dry conditions in the meadow which continued through October. Good counts of Lapwings began with 100 in mid September and peaking at 129. Numbers started to dwindle as water levels on No 1 lagoon rose. 

The first wintering Common Gulls returned, and a gull roost flight count produced 390 Black-headed Gulls going south, with 97 Herring Gulls and 80 Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Curiously the phenomenon of larger gulls gathering on No. 10 Lagoon pre-dawn was noted again this September, perhaps as many as 300, at least 60 of which were Herring Gulls.

Our headline ‘unusual gull’ was however a superb 2nd winter Caspian Gull on No. 1 Lagoon one afternoon in late October, only the second Rye Meads record.

The last two Swifts of the year made it into September, as did two final Hobbies.

In mid September a juvenile Marsh Harrier appeared briefly; it or another returned for three days a month later.

Kingfisher sightings picked up with up to three seen throughout the period; the less welcome Ring-necked Parakeets peaked at 16 in September and five in October. There was little of interest on the corvid front apart from a pair of Ravens and up to five Jays busily planting up the site with Oaks. How helpful…

Autumn hirundine passage remained light with Sand Martins at four, while Swallows trickled through in September with a max of only 13, and the last four in late October. House Martins were better represented with 70 in September with the last 12 just into October.

A Yellow Wagtail in September was to be our only autumn record. Of the warblers, a single Willow Warbler was the only one for the period. Well into September there was a big day for Chiffchaffs (80), and some malingering warblers, with a Spotted Flycatcher and a Coal Tit thrown in for good measure!

The last dates for both Reed and Sedge Warbler were (unusually) the same, in late September. Garden Warbler did not feature at all, and Sylvias were generally scarce with five single Lesser Whitethroats and even fewer Common Whitethroats. A few Goldcrests continued to roam the site.

A short moment of excitement overload occurred in late October when at least three Bearded Tits flew from the meadow into the Draper reedbed; later it transpired there were four males, but by the end of the month it wasn’t clear if they were still on site – there’s a lot of reedbed now at Rye Meads for them to hide in.

Redwings arrived on cue and 80 moved south in mid September, but few hung around, there being little in the way of berries this year. Of Fieldfare there was no sign.

Dry conditions in the meadow seemed to suit the passage Stonechats. There were up to three birds from mid September to the end of October, but ringing has shown there were at least seven individuals, so they were clearly moving through. Sadly no Whinchats showed up, but a Wheatear briefly graced the RSPB car park.

A few days of high pressure and light NE winds delivered the first Meadow Pipits in mid September; passage was light with a maximum of 31. Our other regular diurnal migrant, the Skylark, barely made it at all, being recorded on just three days in October. In fact there was no real passage of passerines overhead, Chaffinch mustered two singles in September and peaks of six on two days in late October. There was a single Siskin and two Redpolls in October, Greenfinch numbers reached a miserly seven and Goldfinch a mere eight. Finally a single Yellowhammer raised hopes that a winter roost might be coming, but a maximum of eight Reed Buntings in the period suggests we might not be kept too busy!