August Update: the Last Days of Summer
August is always a month of high expectations, as the start of autumn migration brings the prospect of some unusual visitors to the patch. Overall counts, however, continued to be rather disappointing, with species numbers ranging from 43 to 49, compared to last year’s August record of 53. As always, full lists and bar charts can be found on the eBird site at https://ebird.org/hotspot/L12697095 As in previous years, Song Thrushes have disappeared completely from the list in August, presumably keeping their heads down during their annual moult. Black Headed and Lesser Black Backed Gulls have also eluded us, and a distant fly-past from a pair of Canada Geese represented our only wildfowl sightings of the month. A single Grey Heron has been the only regular visitor on Setley Pond, despite the higher water levels this year compared to summer 2022. On the other hand, Marsh Tits have become easier; after struggling to find them earlier in the year, at least one family group has been