
Early autumn passerine migration was the highlight of August, with a nice variety of species present at the local migrant hotspots. I’ve been spending most of my birding time at the enigmatic Hastings Country Park, a local nature reserve which extends along the coast from eastern edge of Hastings to Fairlight. I often hear it referred to as having ‘potential’ when it comes to migration action but there are few regularly birding it so a lot probably gets missed. I’m going to spend the first part of this post summarising how the month has played out at HCP and the second with some other highlights.
Hastings Country Park migration report

Firstly, a few reflections on birding Hastings Country Park (HCP from here on) based on a year spent birding here. The site is made up of a series of ‘glens’ — wooded valleys descending onto the shoreline between the cliffs — and the higher (usually less vegetated) ground between. My impression is that the glens act as migrant sinks whenever the weather is poor — a strong wind and birds drop down into the sheltered valleys and become much harder to detect.

Improving the chances of picking up migrants on days with strong winds therefore involves finding spots which are both relatively sheltered and where the vegetation is lighter. I’m still figuring these out for different wind directions but some progress is being made e.g. the scrub around Warren Lane seems to be reliable in a south-westerly. Finding migrants on fine days (at least, autumn days) seem to be easier going and I’ve had some stunning ones where there’s evidently been a lot of movement overnight. Also some unexpectedly rubbish ones though and I imagine this also has some relationship with weather conditions the preceding night.

The month started with the early stages of Willow Warbler passage. I’ve never witnessed this on the south coast before so it’s been such a treat watching them as they gather here in numbers, particularly the vibrant yellowish juveniles. They have been a consistent presence at HCP (and everywhere else along the coast here) throughout August.

From the 4th Common Whitethroat numbers began to increase, joined also by smaller numbers of Lesser Whitethroat. A few Garden Warbler were seen in the first half of the month with my first at HCP on the 7th followed by three on the 12th, one on the 16th and no more since. Both scarce at the beginning of the month, Blackcap and Common Chiffchaff were becoming as abundant as Common Whitethroat and Willow Warbler respectively by the 31st.

Reed Warbler were more regular than I expected given their skulking habits, with the first at HCP on the 16th August, two on the 20th and three on the 22nd. A hoped for Sedge Warbler did not materialise. The first passage Goldcrest of the autumn was on the 22nd while the first (and only) Common Firecrest was on East Hill on the 28th.

My first Common Redstart of the autumn was on the 11th, followed by further singles on the 20th and 31st. Flycatchers were thin on the ground, with just one Spotted Flycatcher on the 31st. Similar story for Whinchat with just two on 16th.

Two Northern Wheatear on the 7th were my first of the month. There were a further seven on the 16th, three on the 27th and three on East Hill on the 28th. Aside from the three on East Hill, these were invariably found on the fields and fences surrounding the coastguard cottages and Bale House.

Small numbers of Meadow Pipit present at the beginning of the month were presumably local breeders, but these had cleared out by the end of the month leaving just the odd early passage bird. Tree Pipit were only occasional and always in flight, with two on the 16th and singles on the 22nd and 28th. Similarly only encountered as flyovers were Yellow Wagtail, which started to appear towards the end of the month with one on the 28th and four on 31st.
Passage Swifts were barely noted, with just one on the 11th, and Sand Martin, Barn Swallow and House Martin (first over North’s Seat on the 27th) numbers were low throughout the month. Appropriately heralding the arrival of autumn proper, my first Siskin of the year were groups of 5 and 6 through the Country Park on the 31st.
Other highlights
Elsewhere on the 10k there was more passage migrant action underway. Hastings had its own small wonders, including a group of 16 Willow Warbler moving through Alexandra Park on the 9th and a migrant fall on West Hill on the 25th. Not much to report from my two visits to Combe Valley Countryside Park which is looking in a bit of sorry state: the wetlands are almost completely dry and the willows there seem to have some kind of affliction which is turning their leaves a rusty red. If anyone know what this is I’d love to know.

The Pannel Valley scrape water levels continued to hold up thanks to the managements pumping efforts and I saw a few nice passage waders there including two Spotted Redshank and a Wood Sandpiper on the 26th and a regular group of Ruff. A Red-backed Shrike and Wryneck were seen by many there on the 25th but had disappeared by the time I could get down there the following day. A nice consolation prize was a beautiful male Common Restart (pictured below). The Ruddy Shelduck on the 19th were a novelty — more on that in my post.

The highlight from my only visit to Pett Level was a raft of 38 Common Scoter in Rye Bay. A single visit to Winchelsea Beach on the 25th yielded my only Pied Flycatcher of the month, flycatching from an elder along the shingle strand that runs up to Long Pit. Also present were another two Common Redstart.

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