Friday 11 October 2024

11/10/2024

Because of the still conditions this morning I did not sea watch today. Instead I wandered straight out into The Desert, though not for long when I got the message that Tom had caught a Yellow-browed Warbler.
I ended up staying around the observatory until lunch time, during that time a Short-eared Owl flew North, a Yellowhammer flew South(a very scarce bird on the Peninsula now), lots of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps were ringed, also Firecrest, Goldcrest and a Common Redstart.
Yellow-browed Warbler was one of over 100 birds ringed this morning
Common Redstart
Starling in The Moat with a ring (not a DBO ring)
Firecrest in a private garden
One of many Chiffchaffs around today
 
One of 3 Caspian Gulls on Burrowes this afternoon
Black Tern on Burrowes
Black-necked Grebe on Burrowes
This family party of Whooper Swans arrived late afternoon on the ARC, hopefully they will hang around for the rest of the Autumn and Winter. I'd like to think the adults are the same pair that have wintered here for the few winters, only this year they have successfully raised 2 young on there breeding grounds and brought them with them.




Wednesday 9 October 2024

09/10/2024

This mornings sea watch was rather slow, so it was a blessing when Owen found a Yellow-browed Warbler in the trapping area. We made our way there quite leisurely knowing that finding a single bird in the trapping area is looking for a needle in a haystack. We spent some time looking and listening for it to no avail, eventually David called me to say it was by net site 13 not to far from where we were, a couple of minutes later we joined him and the bird soon called but deep in the Sallows, it called a few more times and we managed the briefest of glimpses, all very unsatisfying, hopefully another more showy bird will turn up. While in the TA a few Siskins and a couple of Bramblings flew over of note.

07.30-09.30 from the boats with RW, 

Common Scoter: 26W    2E
Great-crested Grebe: 2 present
Common Tern: 4W 
Sandwich Tern: 79W
Black-headed Gull: 56W
Mediterranean Gull: 14W       
Common Gull: 23W
Herring Gull: present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c
Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c  
Arctic Skua: 3W
Guillemot: 3W      
Razorbill: 61W
Auk: 29W
Red-throated Diver: 1 present 
Balearic Shearwater: 3W  
Gannet: 431W   
Cormorant: 142W/present
Sparrowhawk: 2 in off
Merlin: 1 in off with prey
Swallow: 426 out
Wheatear: 2 behind the boats
Pied Wagtail: 16W
Meadow Pipit: 10W
Goldfinch: 40W
Harbour Porpoise: 3
Grey Seal: 2
Whinchat by the Polish Memorial this afternoon
Yellow Wagtail by the Polish Memorial this afternoon
Yellow Wagtail with the Whinchat by the Polish Memorial this afternoon
One of 4 Wheatears by the Polish Memorial this afternoon
One of 2 Firecrests by the lighthouse this afternoon

A very poor image of a skulking Common Whitethroat by the lighthouse this afternoon only included as it is I believe the latest individual I have seen on the mainland.


Tuesday 8 October 2024

08/10/2024

 
Sooty Shearwater passing the boats this morning

07.15-11.00 & 14.00-15.30 from the boats with RW, OL, JY & Dave W Smith, GP.

Great-crested Grebe: 2 present
Curlew: 1W
Little Tern: 2W
Common Tern: 30W 
Sandwich Tern: 246W
Kittiwake: 2W
Black-headed Gull: 32W
Mediterranean Gull: 18W       
Common Gull: 35W
Arctic Skua: 10W      3E
Razorbill: 109W
Auk: 63W
Red-throated Diver: 2 present 
Sooty Shearwater: 1W 
Balearic Shearwater: 9W  
Shearwater sp: 2W
Gannet: 663W   
Cormorant: 82W/present
Kestrel: 1 SW out to sea
Merlin: 1 SW out to sea
Swallow: 5,915 out
House Martin: 1,023
Grey Wagtail: 1W
Meadow Pipit: 81W
Linnet: 63W
Goldfinch: 81W
Harbour Porpoise: 2
Grey Seal: 2
A rather distant Balearic Shearwater passing the boats this morning
A bruiser of an Arctic Skua at the fishing boats this afternoon


Common Snipe from Christmas Dell hide
9 New Islands have been created in front of Denge Marsh hide, although today there only Lapwings and a few Gulls on them, they do look promising.
On the ARC from Hanson 2 Black-tailed Godwits were the highlight per GJ
The Sycamore in the lighthouse garden has been chopped down for some as yet unknown reason.😢
A much anticipated moth was my first Radford's Flame Shoulder yesterday😀

Sunday 6 October 2024

06/10/2024

A juvenile Arctic Tern at the fishing boats this afternoon

An improvement in the sea watching but the numbers are still pitifully low.

07.30-09.30 with CP, RW & 13.30-15.45 with SM & JB

Brent Goose: 1W    1E
Teal: 16E
Common Scoter: 11W     21E
Great-crested Grebe: 1 present
Sandwich Tern: 195W 
Common Tern: 26W
Arctic Tern: 3W
Black Tern: 3W
Little Gull: 1W (juvenile)
Black-headed Gull: 24W
Mediterranean Gull: 12W          2E
Common Gull: 9W
Herring Gull: present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c
Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c
Arctic Skua: 10W     2E
Razorbill: 4W
Auk: 20W   15E
Red-throated Diver: 2 present     
Gannet: 512W    26E 
Cormorant: 16 present
Grey Heron: 1 out to sea
Swallow: 1,301E  out
House Martin: 197E out
Meadow Pipit: 15E
Raven: 2 over power station
Harbour Porpoise: 3
  
The diagnostic underwing of a juvenile Arctic Tern
A juvenile Black Tern at the fishing boats this afternoon
A juvenile Arctic Skua at the fishing boats this afternoon
Another juvenile Arctic Skua at the fishing boats this afternoon
A Yellow-browed Warbler was found by John Young near the Pines at the ARC this morning, I managed to hear 1 call from it but sight as it quickly melted away.

Friday 4 October 2024

04/10/2024

Wheatears behind the fishing boats

2 sea watches today and both were very poor especially with SE breeze blowing, at least they can only improve. The Desert was quite bird this morning with lots of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps but still no sprites. Very little of note around the reserve. 
Black Redstart on the perimeter wall
Whinchat in The Desert, quite probably the last I'll see this year
Common Redstart in The Desert
Bearded Tits over  The Desert
Juvenile Arctic Skua at the fishing boats
Little Grebe from Hanson
Black-tailed Godwit on one of the rapidly disappearing islands on the ARC


Wednesday 2 October 2024

02/10/2024

Brent Geese going back east this afternoon. As is usual the first groups to arrive are all adults.

The sea watching continues to be very poor.
 07.45-09.00 from the Hide & 13.15-15.00 from the boats with RW
Brent Goose: 140W     164E
Wigeon: 18W      3E
Common Scoter: 5W    7E
Great-crested Grebe: 2 present
Dunlin: 2E
Common Tern: 22E
Sandwich Tern: 8W
Kittiwake: 2W
Little Gull: 1W   1 present 
Black-headed Gull: 16W
Mediterranean Gull: 6W
Common Gull: 7W
Herring Gull: present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c
Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c  
Arctic Skua: 1W  2E 
Razorbill: 3E
Auk sp: 3E
Red-throated Diver: 1W    
Gannet: 65W   42E
Cormorant: 40W
Sand Martin: 1E
Swallow: 19E
House Martin: 5E
Raven: 4E
Grey Seal: 1
Harbour Porpoise: 2
Arctic Skua chasing a Sandwich Tern

Arctic Skua catches its prize mid air
The tables are turned
Common Tern at the fishing boats this afternoon
One of the two Black Terns on Burrowes this morning
Apart from the Black Terns there was little of note on Burrowes. There hay fields look good but this morning they're absolutely nothing there avian wise.
 Just a thought, as the fields were  allowed to completely become bone dry for at least a couple of months and no water being pumped on at all, would the drying out kill all the inverts the Ducks and waders feed on, hence no birds there now until food stocks replenished!🤷
At the ARC the Glossy Ibis , Garganey and Black-necked Grebe all still present per RW.
There were at least 30 Common Snipe in front of Christmas Dell Hide