More Blackwits

18th August - some obvious passage this morning.  My first Yellow Wagtails of the Autumn flew south over my head calling as I stood in the meadow.  Two birds that rather than continue their passage, veered sharply right at the river and descended to the cattle field where they were soon lost in the long grass.  Two separate Hobbies flew over south during the morning and the tit flock that I watched along the railway hedge held a single Willow Warbler and at least 10 Chiffchaffs.

Hirundines were noticeably flying through in pulses, mainly House Martins, but also some Swallows and Sand Martins and 4 Swifts.  200-300 House Martins went through in a couple of hours, often flying in from the SE and flying NW into the stiff breeze.  Amongst one group of 10 birds was one that when it flew over my head had a very long tail!! This gave it a Swallow sp look, but from the upperside it looked like the House Martins it was with, including a pure white rump.  The tail itself showed feathers sticking out at the base - a very odd feature.  The views I had gave me no reason to think that it was a Swallow or even Red-rumped Swallow, other than the tail was long.  It flew straight through, so went down in my book as an aberrant House Martin, but a frustrating sighting.  Whilst waiting to see if this bird would return, I watched a couple of Black-tailed Godwits fly in from the north and descend to the spit.  I went back round to the west bank and took a couple of record shots and confirmed that they were both adults.