Osprey, or not osprey, that is the question

Yesterday was a day of rejoicing, and confusion, in equal measure, with lots of other excitement thrown in too.

The rejoicing was at the news that, a little over a year after its discovery, Minsmere's western purple swamphen has been officially accepted as a wild bird and added to the British list. This becomes the 610th species for Britain, and can finally be added to the Minsmere list. The decision follows careful consideration into both the identification and the origins of this popular visitor by the British Ornithologists' Union Rarities Committee - they judge the authenticity of all rare birds seen int he UK. Interestingly, it also follows hot on the heels of recent reports of the most northerly record of a western purple swamphen in France last week, just across the Channel. Perhaps it won't be long before the next "blue-chicken" turns up in the UK!

Last year's western purple swamphen, photographed by Philip Tyler

The confusion was caused by the identification of a rather pale looking bird of prey seen over the North Wall. Initially identified as an osprey, it was also claimed to be a honey-buzzard, but the consensus in the end was that it was pale-phase common buzzard that is a regular in the area. Or perhaps there were two or three different birds, not just one. Either way, it once again highlighted how tricky some birds can be to identify.

The North Wall/North Bushes area is pretty productive at this time of year as various migrants pause to refuel on the abundant blackberries, seeds and insects before continuing their journey south. It's probably the best area to look for lesser whitethroat, with late August being the best time to see these understated warblers. There's also varying numbers of whitethroats, blackcaps, chiffchaffs and willow warblers in this area, as well as regular yellow wagtails, whinchats and spotted flycatchers, flocks of finches, and hobbies overhead. A late juvenile cuckoo was still present yesterday. 

Whinchat by Ian Clarke

This area is also great for insects, including butterflies, dragonflies, bees and wasps, crickets and grasshoppers and beetles, though identification of these species can be tricky. Numbers of the popular beewolfs, pantaloon bees and other digger wasps and mining bees are, however, declining rapidly, but the wasp spiders are still present along the dunes.

Wasp spider by Jon Evans

The best area for birdwatching at the moment is definitely the Scrape. The biggest numbers and variety of waders are usually on East Scrape, but West Scrape is also good and the visibility has been improved there as a result of our weekly work parties. Habitat management work, including cutting and burning vegetation on the islands and banks, is usually confined to one part of the Scrape, ensuring that other remains remain good for birdwatching. Weather permitting, we'll probably be working on the Scrape again on Thursday, when the bird ringing demonstrations add a bit of extra variety to the day's sightings.

The most numerous waders on the Scrape are black-tailed godwits and dunlins, with flocks of both reaching as many as 200 at times this week. There are still 20-30 avocets, while other species present in double figures usually include spotted redshanks, lapwings and ringed plovers. Look carefully among these and there also ruffs, green, wood and common sandpipers, snipe and redshanks, while other species seen over the past week have included golden and little ringed plover, little stint, curlew sandpiper, knot and sanderling.  It's not just waders on the Scrape either. A few little gulls and common terns remain, several little egrets and yellow and pied wagtails are usually feeding, and numbers of teals are increasing daily. The first wigeons are beginning to return too.

With a bit of luck and patience, the reedbed hides may produce views of bitterns, marsh harriers, bearded tits, kingfishers, reed warblers and otters. The latter have even been seen catching cormorants at Island Mere this week! Swallows and sand martins are usually hawking over the reedbed too.