Army Ornithological SocietySPTA West
Actually it is more like SPTA Centre as the main western area was out of bounds as large metal hunks charged around with lots of other smaller metal hunks. My car is not built to withstand that sort of impact so it took to stony tracks elsewhere. Near the Deptford Down air strip they have been breeding pheasants, as I soon discovered when keeping a tally on numbers. It went down on birdtrack as species present. There were still lots of Chiffchaffs about and on the open areas there were Stonechat and Yellowhammer. I also saw my first flock of Fieldfare for the winter as birds flew over me. It was also the day of my last sighting of a Swallow (so far). A Robin tried to drown out the Apache flying nearby amongst the cacophony of other bird calls. It was a a lovely day with 27 species plus lovely examples of Command Speckled Wood butterflies. Visiting the impact area on a sunny afternoon produced a Red Kite and a soaring Ring tail as well as Meadow Pipits gallore. A flock in the distant looked like Golden Plover and I was positive I saw another flock in Gloucestershire as I headed to Wales for a funeral. All I need to do is confirm they are back on the Plain! The cold chill now in the air certainly helps portray an autumn air though when ringing there was a Whitethroat and a Grasshopper Warbler in the nets which should not be here. I have to remind myself that an Indian Summer was still here until a few days ago. As ever there were still lots of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps as well as Meadow Pipits. Another Goldcrest was caught and Great Tits developed a taste for my flesh. Ringing again on the site a few days later we were distracted by the boom, whistle and bang coming from the west as we collected more Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Meadow Pipits from nets. All morning this noise went on and from where my was parked I could see the dirt rising up as the whistling stopped. That morning another Hen Harrier flew past and on a net run a Merlin also flew past very quickly. It was the last day of ringing at West Down until April next year so having talked about the arrival of thrushes around the place I was able to ring my first Redwing. The exercise on the West is over and this weekend winter surveys start.
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