31/08/2020

Short-eared Owls at Galloways yesterday evening

AJG did his usual sea watch this morning which was abysmal.

06.00-07.00 from the fishing boats:

Common Scoter: 2E

Gannet: 11W 12 lingering off shore

Cormorant: present n/c

Sanderling: 4W

Sandwich Tern: 43W

Common Tern: 22W

Wryneck trapped at the observatory this morning

Around The Point a few Willow Warblers, Blackcaps and Common Whitethroats, 2 Whinchat in The Moat, but todays star was the gorgeous Wryneck trapped in The Moat, a stunningly beautiful bird with such cryptic plumage.

The Glossy Ibis was still at the ARC today, as were the 8 Black-tailed Godwits. I could not find anything other than a Ringed Plover and a couple of Dunlin among the Lapwing and Golden Plover.

This afternoon JY flushed a Quail near the airport and also spotted a Honey Buzzard flying high SW there. I was at Springfield Bridge with DS & MH, but despite JY giving us directions for the Honey we were unable to spot it.

Little Owl at Lydd Camp early afternoon

Clouded Yellow Denge Marsh Gully this afternoon

Elusive Pied Flycatcher in the Gully this afternoon

Some of the several Wheatears in the Gully this afternoon

One of several Whinchats at Galloways late afternoon

Saturday 28/08/2020

AJG once again did the early morning sea watch from the fishing boats and kindly sent me the numbers:

Common Scoter: 5W

Fulmar: 4W

Gannet: 53W

Cormorant: 9 o/s

Grey Plover: 3W

Ringed Plover: 11W

Dunlin: 75W

Turnstone: 1W

Arctic Skua 3 down

Sandwich Tern: 86W

Common Tern: 16W

At the ARC the Glossy Ibis is still present, as was the Little Stint, some Common Sandpipers, LRPs and Ringed Plovers also present. Viewed from the causeway many waders can be seen on the islands in front of Hanson Hide, but to distant to properly identify most of them, I'm sure lots of birds are going undetected because the hides are all still locked up.

Elsewhere on the peninsular several Great White Egrets and at least 1 Cattle Egret, a smattering of Wheatears could be seen and a single Whinchat at Galloways.

Osprey flying straight at me at Denge Marsh Gully this morning

It veers off at the last moment

As it flew along the shore towards Rye I could track its progress by the Gulls exploding off the beach 

I joined AJG for a sea watch at the fishing boats this afternoon, it can only be described as abysmal.

14.00-15.30 with AJG:

Great crested Grebe 6 on

Cormorant: 5 o/s

Dunlin: 1W

Arctic Skua: 1W

Sandwich Tern: 11W

Common Tern: 14W

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 2

At Galloways this morning I was quite surprised to find 2 Short-eared Owls as they don't usually appear until the end of September. This evening there were 3 Owls present and showing rather well. Please note Galloways is closed to the public for next 3 days at least between 08.00 and 16.30.

Short-eared Owl with its supper

Sparrowhawk at Galloways this morning

An abysmal record image of the Wryneck found by Dave Scott at Galloways this morning

This evenings image is not much better of this skulking Wryneck

 

Tuesday 25/08/2020

Sooty Shearwater

05.45-17.30 from the fishing boats with various observers throughout the dayAJG, CP, SP, JK, DW, OL, CT, JY, MH, MB, DS et al

hoveler: 1W (duck)

Teal: 13W

Common Scoter: 109W       17E

Great-crested Grebe: 3 o/s

Fulmar: 29W       2E

Manx Shearwater: 3W

Balearic Shearwater: 4W

Sooty Shearwater: 5W

Gannet: 608W   38E

Cormorant: 89W o/s

Grey Plover: 253W

Whimbrel: 185W

Bar-tailed Godwit: 4,284W

Knot: 1,413W

Dunlin:496W

Sanderling: 227

Turnstone: 14W 

Redshank: 77W

Great Skua: 5W

Arctic Skua: 46W  

Kittiwake: 13W

Sandwich Tern: 296W

Little Tern: 16W

Common Tern: 2,081W

Black Tern: 48W

Swift: 32S

Sand Martin: 4 out

Swallow: 1S

Grey Seal: 1 

Harbour Porpoise: 4+

I've got 100s more images to go through, so hopefully find some better ones tomorrow.

Bar-tailed Godwits, Redshanks, Knot & Grey Plover

Bar-tailed Godwits

Black Terns

Little and Common Terns

Common and Black Terns

Knot

Knot

Mainly Redshank

Sanderling

Common Scoter

Fulmar

Another Sooty Shearwater

Grey Plover

Bar-tailed Godwits and Grey Plover

Some Teal

 

Monday 24/08/2020

3 very poor watches from the fishing boats today, most of the hard work was done by AJG:

05:45-07:45, 08:15-08:45, 13:45-15:10

Common Scoter: 1E

Fulmar: 1W

Gannet: 126W 1E

Oystercatcher: 3E

Ringed Plover: 1E

Turnstone: 3W

Dunlin: 1W

Arctic Skua: 1W

Kittiwake: 6W

Yellow-legged Gull: 1 Juvenile present

Sandwich Tern: 207W

Common Tern: 90W

Sand Martin: 2S

Swallow: 2S

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 2

1 of many Wheatears in Dengemarsh Gully

Dengemarsh Gully held good numbers of Wheatears this morning along with a handful of Willow Warblers but little else. As the farmer was combining the fields in front of my house today, I took a stroll

out to them. Over the fields Swallows, Sand and House martins were having a feeding frenzy on the insects being disturbed by the combine, on the cut stubble 20+ Yellow Wagtails were also feeding well. A Hobby made 2 unsuccessful runs on the Hirundines, but a Common Buzzard swooped down on and flew off with what I think was a Rat. 

A poor image of the Black-necked Grebe with 1 of the 100s of Sand Martins that were carpeting the ARC

This evening on the ARC 7 Black-tailed Godwits, 4+ Common Snipe, a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper(thanks to James for pointing it out)5 Dunlin, 6 Common Sandpipers, 8 Ringed Plovers, 2 LRPs, a Ruff, a Little Gull and the Glossy Ibis.

6 of the 7 Black-tailed Godwits on the ARC this evening

1 of 2 Little Stints on Burrowes yesterday

Juvenile Black Tern on Burrowes yesterday

Greenshank on Burrowes yesterday

Convolvulous Hawk Moth trapped over night

Hummingbird Hawkmoth trapped on Saturday