Sunday 20 August 2017

Spoonbill!

 Common Whitethroat
A pleasant walk around the lighthouse area, the desert and trapping area saw plenty of birds if you managed to managed to bump into the roving flocks. Common Whitethroats were the most numerous species followed by Great & Blue Tits, Lesser Whitethroats, Reed and Willow Warblers also a single Great-spotted Woodpecker. A Little Egret flew over the desert  as did 2 Dunlin, a Little Ringed Plover, a Common Buzzard, a Peregrine and a Sparrowhawk. Butterflies were numerous with several Painted Ladies and a Clouded Yellow.
 Common Whitethroat taking a spider from its web
 Lesser Whitethroat
 Reed Warbler
 Painted Lady
While having lunch dozens of Swallows and Sand Martins were hawking over the fields in front of the house, 2 Marsh Harriers, a Common Buzzard and a Hobby flew through.
A very slow sea watch at the fishing boats this afternoon, highlights being a Great Skua, an Arctic Skua and a brief juvenile Yellow-legged Gull. 
 Spoonbill on the ARC
On my way home I stopped off at the ARC as Liz & Paul Hunter had told me they had seen a Spoonbill on the islands from Hanson early afternoon. On my arrival the Spoonbill was in usual pose asleep but did wake up briefly, also there 2 Garganey, 4 Dunlin, a Little Ringed Plover, 7 Little Egrets and many Sand Martins. Over the road the juvenile Black Tern seen by JR was still on Burrowes.  
Garganey on the ARC

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