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	THE THURSDAY GANG
About Us Aims Join Us Outdoor Events Indoor Meetings Bird Sightings Projects News From The Reserves Outdoor Events Report News From The RSPB Photos Help Required Visitors Stop Press	At present the Gang is somewhat depleted in active members, but nevertheless are still carrying on as before seeking out birds and generally having a good time. Over the past few weeks the autumn migration has been on all our minds, so much so that we have been acting rather strangely. One of our number has a habit of forgetting his binoculars and things, whilst another doesn’t remember he is driving his car for the day and that is when we have already been to our first stop. Our main problem is that the missing two members are the ones who have the good hearing, of the three remaining, two can not hear the high pitched singing or calling birds and the other only has good hearing in one ear. So you can imagine us walking around on a Thursday, particularly in woodland, few birds are heard by the two and the other one hears them, but is not sure what direction to look! I think it is time to change our title to ‘The Geriatric Gang’ As most ‘oldies’ do, we complain and moan about not seeing all the birds that are reported and never finding any rarities for ourselves. Anyway, back to the migration, I have to say we have been doing rather well this autumn. So when does the autumn migration start? It has been said that some waders are on the move south in July and this is surely the case, as below I list the dates we have seen the ‘goodies’:- August 2nd – We saw several spotted redshanks in breeding plumage, little ringed plover, goshawk, hobby, golden plover, greenshank, wood sandpiper and little gull. Some of these would definitely be on migration. August 9th – A merlin seen at Strumpshaw Fen. August 13th – An Arctic skua, gannets, common scoter, grey plover, garganey, ruff and green sandpiper August 30th – Our first wigeon, pintail, pochard, sanderling, dunlin and common sandpiper August 31st – Our first pink-footed goose. September 3rd – Knot. September 6th – Brent goose, curlew sandpiper, Cetti’s warbler, chiff chaff, willow warbler and jay. September 10th – Great skua. September 13th – Water rail, little stint and pectoral sandpiper. September 17th – Red-throated diver, Manx shearwater, guillemot and razorbill. September 20th - Ross’s goose, peregrine. September 25th – Long-billed dowitcher. September 27th – Sabine’s gull, red-breasted merganser and corn bunting. October 1st – Great northern diver, Bewick’s swan, Mediterranean gull and stonechat. October 4th – Wheatear, lesser whitethroat, blackcap, lesser grey shrike, great grey shrike and subalpine warbler October 8th – Yellow-browed warbler. October 11th – Redwing. October 15th – Slavonian grebe and eider. October 18th – Wryneck and fieldfare. October 22nd – Snow bunting. October 25th – Great white egret, barred warbler and firecrest. October 29th – Red-necked grebe. November 1st – Bittern. All the birds listed were seen on the day for the first time this autumn and several being seen on other days, but I was trying to avoid a too long a list, as you have seen it is probably long enough anyway. Good birding and a merry Christmas and a happy New Year from the Crazy Gang, whoops, ‘The Thursday Gang’.

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