Vis-migging

Yesterday I spent the fist two hours after dawn vis-migging on the patch, along with a few other Patchwork Challengers at other sites. It's fair to say that conditions weren't exactly ideal, but I was hopeful I might get a patch yeartick like a Brambling, Siskin or Tree Sparrow. I didn't, and my rather modest totals area as follows:

• Redwing - 46
• Meadow Pipit - 15
• Skylark - 4
• Pied/alba Wagtail - 13
• Grey Wagtail - 1
• Reed Bunting - 2
• Golden Plover - 300
• Curlew - 2
• Snipe - 1
• Lapwing - 3

There were a few other things moving around, such as Goldfinches, Linnets and wildfowl, but I assumed these to be local birds. The Pied/White Wags were probably most interesting (for me), as I think I would otherwise assumed these were just local birds moving around the site, but it appeared these were definitely birds moving south. 

My vis-mig vantage point

I curtailed my vis-migging session at the start of the third hour when I saw two waders drop into the Silt. Assuming them both to be Ruff, I nevertheless had a nagging thought that the smaller of the two could be something more interesting (e.g. Pec Sand). Tracking them down, they proved to be a Ruff, and a smaller Ruff. Oh well. The Silt Lagoon also held a Redshank, whilst there were 103 Pochard and a Goldeneye on Ferry Lane Lake. 

2 Ruff