Poss eastern 'type' LESSER WHITETHROAT at Porth Hellick

Note the amount of white on the outer-tail feather. As I heard it give a tak call, then maybe a possible blythi LESSER WHITETHROAT? It proved very mobile feeding at the top of the Sallows

 

With overnight drizzle with a SE breeze, it gave the idea that it could be promising today. However, at first light, there was nothing moving in the garden or overhead. The only Blackbirds we saw, were the 3 locals on the grass. Graham made his way to Lower Moors and I gave half an hour down Porth Hellick. Here there was some movement all heading ESE again. 8 Blackbird flew over, but after that it was mainly 2's and -3's. A total of over 300 Fieldfare and 50 Redwing also flew through in 3 different flocks. There were also a single Lapwing, 10 Siskin, 3 Crossbill and a good count of 9 Brambling. Then I heard a tak in front me and rushed to where it had come from and out popped a Lesser Whitethroat. In the few minutes that I observed it, it showed well. It had sandy upperparts contrasting with the head, buffy flanks, and a large amount of white outer-tail feathers and all I could think of was, oh no, not another one! Infact it looked identical to the blythi 'type' I found on the Garrison in October just gone. And with this one also giving a tak call on and off, then possibly this too, is a bliyhi LESSER WHITETHROAT. After I informed the guys, I had to get to work and thought I would return later to have a look for it.

 

This was taken almost in the dark, however, you can still make out the pale upperparts.

Later I relocated it by call and again the light was crap and this was the best I could do before it disappeared. Lets hope that the bird sticks around and shows in better light conditions

  

Over 300 Fieldfares moved through at Porth Hellick with smaller numbers elsewhere on the island

 

It wasn't until after mid-day that I returned to Porth Hellick. It was still murky with drizzle, but after an hour I managed to relocate the possible eastern 'type' LESSER WHITETHROAT by call and found in the tops of the Sallows. Also in the same area above me, I could see 6 birds. 2 Chiffchaff and 4 Siberian Chiffchaff! A flock of Siberian Chiffchaff! Over and over again, I counted 4 and 2 gave themselves away by their Dunnock 'type' call. The other 2 I didn't hear. I had already seen the one at Higher Moors and I knew that Graham had heard one of singing males at Lower Moors. On the beach there was an immature Black Redstart and 2 Grey Wagtail and I could hear the Reed Bunting in the reeds. One species that did arrive overnight was Woodcock. Altogether I kicked 29 Woodcock, including 11 beside the boardwalk. That's 28 more than we had yesterday. When I returned home, I flushed another 10 in the coppice behind me garden. 39 Woodcock in total!

 

Were all the grey and white chiffchaffs all Siberian? At the time when I took these pics, the light was crap!

 

 

2 of the 39 Woodcock that I kicked today

 

Nearly all the Blackbirds that I saw on the deck were 1st winter birds

 

There were still a lot of Blackbirds around with over 100 in the Porth Hellick area and I observed at least 30 birds feeding under an apple tree at Holy Vale. But, it was nothing like yesterdays numbers.

  

I first heard 'Everybody needs Love' over 15 years ago. Eddie Hinton (15 June 1944 - 28 July 1995) was an American songwriter and session musician best known for his work with soul music and R&B singers. He played lead guitar for Muscle Shoals Sound Rhythm Section from 1967 to 1971. Who is he, well he's played with the best cats around, hit records recorded by Wilson Pickett, Arthur Conley, Aretha Franklin, Joe Tex, Solomon Burke, Percy Sledge, The Staple Singers, The Dells, Paul Kelly, Johnny Taylor, Elvis Presley, The Box Tops, R.B. Greaves, Boz Scaggs, Evie Sands, Looking Glass, Toots Hibbert and Otis Redding. He was a songwriter in his own right as well. His most well known song is "Breakfast in Bed" co-wrote with Funky Donnie Fritts, which has been recorded many times, most notably by Dusty Springfield and by UB40 with Chrissie Hynde. Eddie Hinton co-wrote 'It's all wrong But it's all right' sung by Laura Lee.
The Buffalo Killers brought in two sides produced by Dan Auerbach from The Black Keys - and then a split 7" with Heartless Bastards and Wussy.