6th June

The length of the day's list reached a new low for the year - just 4 entries for the Bill - but despite the relentlessly brisk westerly wind there was a very unexpected oddity in the form of a brief singing Common Rosefinch at Southwell early in the morning. The only other migrants worth a mention were 2 Chiffchaffs and a Sedge Warbler grounded at the Bill and 2 overflying Grey Herons there at dusk.


Common Rosefinch - Southwell, 6th June 2015 © Pete Saunders
 
Nick Hopper was back with us for a couple more sound recording sessions towards the end of last week and, reflecting the migrant situation by day, had his first night (3rd/4th June) that drew a complete blank. The next night was hardly any better but it did come up with a complete surprise when a Coot was logged just after midnight on 5th June:
 

 
The recording gear is sensitive enough to pick up even quite faint captures like this one, but in being able to do so it's also very susceptible to being all but overwhelmed by background noise of all sorts - we've already mentioned wind noise, but the hiss on this Coot recording is sea noise which has turned out to be quite an issue in what seems on the face of it to be no more than a light onshore breeze; with any luck further refinements to the technique will enable Nick to negate some of these issues as he continues with the project, but in the meanwhile why was there a Coot over the Bill a couple of night ago?

And for something completely different, thanks to Ken Dolbear for photos of a couple of the scarce coastal vetches that are currently in flower at Broadcroft BC reserve - Bithynian Vetch (top) and Yellow Vetch (bottom):