Volunteering on Heligoland for a month allowed me to get a way of adjusting migration patterns in autumn. The primary part of September (coated in my earlier put up) used to be very productive, however the second one part delivered some even higher birding.
An instance of the adjustments over this time had been the to start with huge numbers of Whinchats. Those birds had been omnipresent at the timber and fence posts at the higher land of the island all the way through the primary weeks of my keep. Just about in a single day, the Whinchats had disappeared and had been changed via Ecu Stonechats adopting the similar positions on vantage issues around the island.
In a similar way, I used to be very extremely joyful once we aroused from sleep to Firecrests and Goldcrests flitting round and calling from each and every bush, and we occasionally ringed those lovely birds. On the other hand, I used to be extra fascinated with some birds that made extra rare appearances. Having long past years with out ever seeing a Eurasian Wryneck, I used to be more than pleased to watch 3 separate birds all the way through my keep on Heligoland. I additionally felt quite mocked via the truth that the species is so common on passage right here that folks don’t even document it within the rarities teams (since I very clearly confirmed my pleasure when somebody on the observatory discussed they noticed a wryneck at the seashore).
Along side 3 different volunteers on the observatory, I discovered a pleasing vagrant within the type of a Larger Quick-toed Lark. This discovery used to be a bit of of a fuss as we to start with targeted at the within sight waders as a substitute and put it off as a Eurasian Skylark. It thankfully remained for plenty of days, permitting many birders to hook up with it regardless of the preliminary confusion. We did see Eurasian Skylark, along with Horned Lark, as neatly although.
The most productive chook all the way through my time at the island used to be came upon one afternoon, once we had been surprised to learn a message within the rarities workforce: “Isabelline Shrike, north-eastern space”. A dash ensued, and inside of mins we had been combing the positioning along side a often rising collection of different birders (or twichers, even supposing on Heligoland just about each and every birder turns into a twitcher as a result of twitching right here manner simply strolling for 10 mins). Empty-handed, we had to go back to the observatory for the overall trapping and ringing consultation for the day. Thankfully, the chook used to be relocated and we did see it within the night time (or portions of it – the chook used to be extraordinarily secretive).
Snow Bunting alternatively confirmed really well – I lay down at the seashore all the way through a noon destroy and watched this chook forage on the minimal focusing distance of my lens. Along side Little, Rustic, Commonplace Reed, Ortolan, and Lapland Buntings, this amounted to an excellent six bunting species recorded in September.
We weren’t as a success with coastal and pelagic birds, sadly. Pink-throated Diver, Caspian Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Little Gull, Black Guillemot, Arctic Skua, and Northern Fulmar had been noticed alongside the ubiquitous Black-legged Kittiwake, Razorbill, and Commonplace Guillemot. We was hoping for some uncommon shearwaters however only a few had been noticed, and all the time via different birders.
A spotlight of my time used to be at the ultimate day, after I in spite of everything attached with a chook I’ve been in need of to peer for ages: Pink-throated Pipit. The person used to be discovered within the south harbour space and allowed prolonged perspectives, not like maximum birds noticed at the island as they fly overhead. In most cases, it is usually immature birds which might be noticed on Heligoland, making this particular person with its rosy throat in particular particular.
This sighting used to be the cherry on best of my keep on Heligoland. I’m sure that I can check out to slot in some other talk over with to the island subsequent yr, as all the environment with the opposite other people on the observatory and the birding at the island made for an excessively rewarding time.