Rain, Wind and Birds

Black-tailed Godwits over Dengemarsh

Sea watching this morning was slow but relatively productive:

Black-throated Diver: 1E

Fulmar: 2E

Gannet: 71E

Common Scoter: 58E 64W

Pomarine Skua: 2E

Arctic Skua: 4E

Great skua: 5E

Black Tern: 1E

Commic Tern: 81E

Arctic Tern: 5E

Sandwich Tern: 20+ off shore

Kittiwake: 3E

Auk sp: 9E

Swallow: 51 in off

Swift: 16 in off

Lesser Whitethroat: 1 newly arrived feeding on power station wall.

At the ARC Pit water levels are very high so no waders. 5+ Hobby's hawking along the railway line bank and many Swifts and Swallows over the pit also over the New diggings.

On the reserve water levels also very high so very few waders. On Dengemarsh 7 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Redshanks, 4 Oystercatchers, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit over and 3 Lapwing (All the Lapwing nests have been predated inside the anti predator fence) a steep learning curve. On a brighter note a new Tern raft at least 3x the size of the existing rafts has been launched on Dengemarsh and already some of the 30+ Common Terns were mating and displaying on it. Also there many Swifts and Hirundines up to 5 Hobby's, 2 Garganey, 2+ Bearded Tits, a Bittern booming, 2 Marsh Harriers, 2 Wheatears, 4 Yellow wagtails and a Turtle Dove on the Chicken shed roof. At the viewing ramp 3+ Hobby's giving super displays of agility catching insects and the one below alighted on the Brambles in front of me. All around the reserve Reed, Sedge, Common Whitethroats and Cetti's Warblers singing and with decent weather will be even more vocal. Also at least 2 singing Lesser Whitethroats 1 at Hookers and 1 at Christmas Dell.

Despite the weather a quality selection of birds seen today.



Hobby by the viewing ramp

Great Crested Grebe on Dengemarsh