Purple Heron and Skuas

Most of the day was spent sea watching except for the Purple Heron twitch.

Totals for watches: 05.30-10.00, 14.35-15-45, 16.50-19.00 Thanks to AJG for collating the totals. 

Red throated Diver 10E 

Fulmar 9E 

Gannet 107E 

Brent Goose 125E

Scoter 1,082E     40W

Velvet Scoter: 2E

Eider 7 females E

Garganey 1E

Knot 15E

Oystercatcher 137E

Whimbrel 13E

Bar-tailed Godwit: 14E

Razorbill 1W

Guillemot 2 on

Auk sp 22 E

Arctic skua 25E 

Bonxie 16E 

Med Gull 2

Kittiwake 3E    6W

Little Gull 21E

Common Tern 1,247E

Arctic Tern 2 E

Little Tern 17 E

Black Tern 10E

Sandwich Tern 235E

Swallow 13 in

Harbour Porpoise: 8+ 

Grey Seal: 1

Purple heron

 A call from the joker at c10.40 alerted me to a Purple Heron he had seen drop into the Hookers reed bed viewed from the ramp. The Heron was not showing when I arrived but a Sedge Warbler giving regular song flights helped to pass the time, along with 2 Marsh Harriers, a Greenshank and a couple of Swallows. The Heron eventually gave good flight views before landing partially obscured in the reeds where it caught a huge fish.  A Cuckoo showed quite well on the way back to the car as did a Dunlin and a Greenshank in the Dengemarsh Flood. My first Lesser Whitethroat of the year was singing in a traditional spot near the Dengemarsh hide.

Purple Heron

Sedge Warbler in song flight