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September Alongside August, September is one of the very best months in the year at Cliffe as the late Summer-early Autumn wader passage continues. Impressive number so hundreds of black-tailed godwits and avocets are augmented with waders on passage such as wood, green, common and curlew sandpiper, little stint, greenshank, whimbrel and ruff. Cliffe has an enviable record for turning up rarities at this time of year, so it is always worth giving the wader flocks a thorough scan just in case something unusual is about. Early September is also a good month for enjoying the summer plumages of a number of wader species that we're more familiar with in their winter plumage, knot, bar-tailed godwit and grey plover are all typical examples. By the latter half of the month a change of emphasis takes place, the wader passage starts to dry up with a reduction in the number of species present and greater numbers of the wintering waders (dunlin, grey plover etc) turning up. September is also a prime month for other migrants on the move. Look out for parties of swallows and martins and a variety of warblers on the move and by the ned of the month the first fieldfares and redwings should be arriving from their Arctic breeding grounds. Finally September is the last month that summering insects can be properly seen, look out for dragonflies like migrant hawker, ruddy and common darters in the more woody, sheltered areas of the reserve. Here too you may see butterflies like red admiral, small tortoiseshell. peacock and comma feeding up before their winter hibernation. In the grasslands common blues, wall browns and late clouded yellows can still be seen with the last of the years bees.
Latest sightings 5/9. 1 black-necked grebe, 1 red-necked grebe, 3 spoonbill, 1 KENTISH PLOVER, 775 avocet, 29 curlew sandpiper, 6 knot, 1 turnstone (amongst 15 species of wader) 70 goldfinch. 6/9. 1 red-necked grebe, 1 black neckd grebe, 2 little stint, 1 whimbrel, 1 little ringed plover 11/9. 2 black-necked grebe, 1 red-necked grebe, THAMES; 1 juv long-tailed skua, 5 arctic skua, 1 sabines gull. 12/9. 2 little stint, 15 curlew sandpiper, 2 yellow legged gull.
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