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Stonebridge to Pyes Hall 24 Oct
http://lbcarchive.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=17826		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Phil Espin [ Wed Oct 24, 2012 5:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Stonebridge to Pyes Hall 24 Oct
09.00 to 16.00 with Andy Sims

5,000 Starlings
1,000 Redwings
500+ Blackbirds
500+ Fieldfares
50 Song Thrush
7 Ring Ousel
2 Mistle Thrush
150 Robins
50 Goldcrests
20 Reed Buntings
1 Lapland Bunting
2 Chiffchaffs
1 Blackcap
1 Swallow
1 ringtail Hen Harrier
1 Spotted Redshank
200 Brent Geese

Around 12.30 in dense fog and misty rain we had what we thought was a Phyllosc hovering in long grass just to the east of the Pyes Hall sluice. We watched it flicking around in marram grass and nettles for a couple of minutes. It looked very dark/blackish on the uppers particularly on the tail and primaries but seemed paler grey on the under parts. It also seemed to have a dark chin and pale throat with streaks, possibly caused by wet feathers we thought. It had dark legs and appeared to be a funny looking chiffchaff. Andy tested his new camera on it and when he zoomed the picture up we had a shock. There was a single picture from the rear and the primaries and tail were blue. To compound the mystery the photo showed rufous orange on the undertail/rear of the flanks. While we were looking at the photo on the camera screen the bird disappeared and we could not relocate it in the next 3 hours.

We mentioned it to several other birders we saw but no one else had seen it or relocated it.

Although the photo appeared to show some characters of red flanked bluetail we could not reconcile that with the bird we had actually seen in the field. When we got back to my place some quick checking in Collins showed it could not be a bluetail. All we can assume at the moment is that there was some kind of photographic abberation caused by the poor light. Hopefully Andy will be able to load the picture later and you can have a look for yourself. Any comments welcome.
Author:  Anthony Bentley [ Wed Oct 24, 2012 6:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Stonebridge to Pyes Hall 24 Oct
I can only Add

1 Garden Walrbler (Pyes)
1 Black redstart (Grainthorper Sluice)
3 Brambling (Grainthorpe Sluice

After seeing Andy's Picture I thought it was a Bluetail (How wrong was I) Walking back to the car I saw a chiffchaff with wet dark patches on the rear of the bird in the same place that the blue was on the mystery bird and another patch where the red was. My mind was then made up that colour absorbtion from the camera was reason for the colouring of the bird.
Author:  Stephen Lorand [ Wed Oct 24, 2012 8:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Stonebridge to Pyes Hall 24 Oct
South of here, between Stonebridge and Quad 3, numbers and species were fairly similar. Most noteworthy were 630 Fieldfares, 1,000 Redwings, 300 Blackbirds, 40 Song Thrushes, 6 Ring Ouzels, 1,800 Starlings, 140 Robins, 65 Goldcrests, 8 Chiffchaffs, 2 Blackcaps, 4 Twite, 9 Siskins, 12 Bramblings, 12 Long-tailed Tits, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 4 Woodcocks, 9 Whooper Swans and 2 Swallows.
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