The Lincolnshire Bird Club

At least 2 Spotted Flycatchers this evening in Woodhall, by the entrance to the Glenn Lodge caravan site.

Rob

"NIL RETURN" x 2 - Sunday 9th September

This morning, I thought I would follow up Robert's Spotted Flycatcher report of yesterday evening at Glenn Lodge Caravan Park (both Glenn Lodge and Glen Lodge according to 2 notice boards there), Woodhall Spa. It could be one of the last inland SpotFly reports this autumn.

I spent the best part of an hour there from 10.30 checking all the trees along the road (especially the massive Oak at the entrance), the tree branches in the sun in the nearby field and also the trees inside the entrance. At one stage, I found myself mingling with the happy campers going to and from the Ablutions Block.... Anyway, there were only the usual suspects flitting about.....Chaffinches, Titmice, Robins,etc plus a number of Swallows zooming around.....but DEFINITELY NO Spotted Flycatchers remaining in the area.

In for a penny, in for a pound....so, I then returned via Lincoln and drove on to the Fillingham Cowfields, arriving just before 12.30. The cattle were in the large field well to the left of the stile on entry, ie. in the very field where all the action was on Friday 7th September ( incl. 7 adult Spotted Flycatchers) but sufficiently far away for me to check it out thoroughly - nothing to report (NTR) and also NTR in the hedges and trees in Fields 1, 2, 3, and 4. No migrants were seen at all except for the occasional Swallow.....but I was really looking for Spotted Flycatchers and patrolling the hedgerows................
from a distance of some 25 - 50 yards so as to maximise my hedgerow scanning potential.

So, 2 successful days :

Fri 7th Sep - Fillingham Cowfields : 7 adults
Sat 8th Sep - Linwood Warren : 10+ incl. 2 juveniles

but today (Sun) 2 x "NIL RETURN".

As they say, "You can't win 'em all!."

Freddy

Third visit to Hubbards Hills,Louth, the sun trap that is the valley paid off again, 6 Spotted Flys were active on the western side, all keeping close company so perhaps a family party. Also seen was a Hobby and a Buzzard.
Geoff.

I happened to have logged on just after 2.00pm today and I saw Geoff's post (2.20) at c.2.30pm. It was then the Rapid Response Action Mode.....and I arrived (32 miles later) at the southern entrance to Hubbard's Hills just before 3.30, where I parked.

Knowing the site from 2 previous recent visits, one thought had occupied my mind during the journey - sun and shade......and, as expected, once I had reached the western side of the hilly slope, unlike for Geoff's earlier visit in the sun am/early pm, the whole area of the upper hillside - which is where I assumed (rightly or wrongly) that Geoff had seen the SpotFlys in the bushes there) - was in deep shade =no flies = no SpotFlys. I spent about 30 minutes walking as far as the Crowtree car park and back, checking the trees in the sun but there was nothing to report.

I then patrolled the western hillside overlooking a long stretch of tall trees still in bright sunshine in the valley bottom.....and at 4.10pm through binoculars I picked up a signature Flycatcher movement : a pair of Spotted Flycatchers were feeding from a tall Ash Tree with virtually leafless upper branches, about 50 yards away. Even at that distance and to the naked eye, their white-feathered breasts stood out remarkably well in the bright sunshine. A third bird appeared very close to an adult....a juvenile. Although I watched the tree and its 3 feeding Spotted Flycatchers for over half an hour no other birds appeared there except for a Willowchiff and a female Chaffinch (plus the ubiquitous Pigeon). Either the 3 were a breakaway group from Geoff's 6 or they were a separate group.

By 5.00pm, the cloud had built up and the SpotFlys disappeared to the right.

Thanks, Geoff, for putting the news out at a 'reasonable' time and for not saving it up until this evening. It's great to have had the chance to see such a late group of inland Spotted Flycatchers.

Freddy

Afternoon visit to the Hubbard's Hills, 3 or 4 Spot Fly's and a Goldcrest were in the sun on the east side of the valley feeding on insects on a tall Ivy covered tree.
Geoff

Geoff,

Your several posts re Hubbard's Hills have shown it to be a really prime site for autumn post-breeding/pre-migration Spotted Flycatchers. A number of us SpotFlyophiles have recognised the presence of cattle as a presumed attraction at some autumn sites.....as instanced at Swanpool Cowfields, Fillingham Cowfields, and to a lesser extent at Linwood Warren (although not at Baumber or Woodhall Spa). However, Hubbard's Hills supreme, and continuing, attraction appears to be (as you mentioned in your post yesterday) a seemingly unique valley suntrap, liberally dotted with numerous very tall 'ancient' trees.

The other Spotted Flycatcher autumn sites mentioned above now appear to have run out of their nominated birds but Hubbard's Hills carries on past mid-September with yet more reports. Brilliant!!

Freddy

And another in the Woodhall area this morning, 19th Sept, feeding from willows by the north-west corner of Halstead Wood.

John Watt

3 More Spotted Flycatchers at Hubbard's Hills - Sat 22 Sep

Although I had been to Hubbard's Hills on Tue 18th Sep and seen 2 adult and 1 juvenile Spotted Flycatchers feeding in the sun in a tall, ancient Ash Tree (as viewed from the grassy hillside), Geoff's post of 19th Sep with its 3 or 4 Spotted Flycatchers feeding in a tall Ivy-covered tree in the valley bottom intrigued me and encouraged me to pay one further visit today (Sat 22nd Sep : officially the first day of autumn, 11.15 - 12.45pm).....more in hope than expectation......but 'nothing ventured, nothing gained'.

Once again from the grassy hillside, I viewed the tall, ancient Ash Tree c.50 yards away and was delighted to see Spotted Flycatcher activity in the sun in the upper branches. Initially, I focussed on 1, then 2, then 3.....but all adults. I watched them feeding for over an hour on/off and then I decided to find Geoff's Ivy-covered tree en route back to the car park......he had told me by pm that it was near the 2nd bridge...looking south. My grassy hillside viewpoint was very close to the bridge below and, going down the hillside to the valley bottom, I was 'surprised' (to say the least) to find that Geoff's tall Ivy-covered tree and my tall, ancient Ash Tree were......one and the same tree!!!....growing just on the east bank of the flowing stream/aka the River Lud, and an obvious attraction with its flies around the Ivy blossom below the upper branches,.....the only part of the tree I could clearly see from my hillside vantage point.

I had wondered several times why the Spotted Flycatchers were so often flying 'down' (and momentarily out of my sight) to feed, as opposed to 'up' or 'out'.
Thanks, Geoff, for the spur to my trip today!......and yet another (Spotted Flycatcher) feather in the Hubbard's Hills cap.

Freddy

Gibraltar Point - Sun 23rd September

As 4 Spotted Flycatchers were reported yesterday at Gibraltar Point, I thought I would try my luck there today......from 09.15, my first visit to a coastal site this autumn. One had been reported at Mill Hill and three at Sykes Farm.......but they had all gone overnight and no new ones had arrived.

Compensation came in the form of very close views of the Spoonbill and a Little Egret from Jackson's Hide; surprisingly, I was the only occupant from 10.30.

Pleased to meet up on the Reserve with Rob Watson and Paul Neale again.

Freddy

Report of a Spotted Flycatcher in bushes just south of the sluice by Boultham mere yesterday morning, 22nd.

Seen by Pete Scott and Steve Botham.

_________________
Regards,

Andy.

Further to web reports, I decided to go to the Tetney Lock area this afternoon (there from 3.30-6.00pm).

As I arrived, I met up with an old Lincs birding friend, Eddie Shone who lives in the area. Together we checked out the Sycamore Trees where Terry W. had reported a RB Flycatcher this morning but there was nothing to report. Then we made our way to the Tetney Outfall Sluice to follow up Derick Evans' post.

As we arrived, we saw 2 Spotted Flycatchers feeding and they remained on view for the full hour that we spent there. In addition, we had great views of a male Common Redstart and also of a female type. Eddie had a chat with Ian S. who was in the area.

On the return trip to where I had parked my car on the usual road bend, there was a chance to chat with Brian H. who had seen the RB Flycatcher earlier this morning.

Passing the "orchard area" as seen from the Canal Bank, a Flycatcher was seen feeding briefly, but registered as a Spotted Flycatcher (which had been reported earlier) rather than the elusive RB Flycatcher.

The sun had shone throughout my visit.....which was unexpected but much appreciated. I left at 6.00pm after a most enjoyable visit....well worth the c.100 mile and 3 hour return journey.

Freddy

Hi Freddy.
After first finding the R-B Flycatcher and putting the news our on 'Birdnet' this morning. I then went to the sluice to repair a reserve sign and noted the Spot. Flys etc. In the copse & bushes as I past by.

Unfortunately only adding the Spot. Fly. Info. to my R-B Fly. Report to LBC well after Terry arrived some 2 hours later and to be honest Freddy, only as an after thought. Sorry.

Glad I did add them now as you obviously enjoyed them.
I will for sure report the next one I find ASAP Freddy.

_________________
Regards.
Del.

To err is human. To really louse things up takes a computer

Derick,

For me your post and its timing were absolutely perfect :
a. Because in your post you noted Spotted Flycatchers at 2 locations - the Orchard area and the Outfall Sluice area. Once I had seen the 2 birds at the latter site, I returned to the Orchard area for a good half an hour, viewing it mainly from the Canal Bank.....which led to the eventual sighting of my 3rd Spotfly for the afternoon.

b. Your post timing of 12.13pm allowed me several hours for travelling to Tetney and to look for the birds. So many Spotted Flycatcher reports appear (understandably) late in the afternoon and, of course, the birds then so often disappear overnight (as happened at Gibraltar Point on my Sun 23rd Sep trip).

So......many thanks, Derick, for your post, and its timing.

Terry, (re your RB Flycatcher posts of 26th Sep) :

The 'old chap with the 2 black Labradors' you met in the Orchard area is Brian H., a local birder. I'd already met him earlier further up the Canal Bank and then, later, he and I spent another 15 minutes or so by the Sycamores towards 6.00pm but the RB Flycatcher didn't show again there. He mentioned he'd met you earlier in the day.

Freddy

Gibraltar Point - Sun 30th September

A Spotted Flycatcher was reported yesterday on the LBC web, seen at Shoveler's Pool, Gibraltar Point. I was there today (Sun) from c. 12.30 but despite my 45 minutes waiting/searching,.....and sitting on the bench overlooking the area.... it didn't show, and was clearly not feeding in the area....or anywhere else I visited.

I spent some time with David Jenkins at the Sykes Farm Pied Flycatcher stakeout but it didn't show either, after its earlier appearance; and Garry Wright and I were also disappointed there. However, Garry and I did have :

Yellow-browed Warbler
Hobby overhead
Goldcrests.

Later I had vg views of the Jackson's Marsh Spoonbill feeding, and also in flight across the lagoon there. All in all, a frustrating yet not unpleasant day, despite the strong wind.

Freddy

Adult Spotted Flycatcher in Swanpool cow field hedge this morning. Also male and female Blackcaps and a Chiffchaff.

With Pete Scott.

_________________
Regards,

Andy.