A Very Pleasant Sea Watch

After a plod from the lighthouse round the moat and back, finding only 2 Common Whitethroats, 4 Yellow Wagtails over and a few Swallows and Sand Martins on the move a sea watch was the order of the day.
DW was already at the fishing boats and had had Shearwaters and Skua's. I was there from 09.30- 13.30 the last hour in the car.
Arctic Skua's were on view virtually non stop though probably only about 20 individuals were involved as they were cruising up and down beating up the terns. 3 Bonxies W and 1 E, at least 3 Balearic Shearwaters were feeding off shore (DW had a Manx earlier), a super flock of 9 Greenshanks and 2 Sanderling W, 2 Little Gulls, 1 Shag o/s, 3 Barwits N, 20+ Guillemots o/s, 3 Wigeon W, 7 Teal W, 26 Common Scoter W, several hundred Common and Sandwich Terns with Gannets  o/s. On the beach 4 Yellow Wagtails, 3 Northern Wheatears and a Sparrowhawk.

9 Greenshanks

Balearic Shearwater

Balearic Shearwater

I resisted the temptation to go to Springfield Bridge on the news of a Corncrake being seen there. But went to the ARC Pit to be told in the car park by PT of a myriad of waders there only to see most  them go as i walked along the track to the hide leaving just 1 Little Stint, 3 Barwits, 50+ Oycs and 6 Dunlin.
A look at Boulderwall Farm for the Cattle Egret drew a blank but 4 Whinchats by the track were compensation.

White Heron Full House

In very misty conditions at Galloways this morning 3 Whinchats, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Blackcap, 4 Common Whitethroats, 8 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Stonechats and a constant trickle of Swallows west.

 Next stop Dengemarsh and the Gully in the persistant mist. As i slowly drove down the track, the aberrant Grey Heron landed briefly in the field then flew into the gully briefly, before disappearing in the mist. Also seen there 5 Common Whitethroats, 2 Willow Warblers, 1 Reed Warbler, the Great White Egret, the usual wild fowl, Swallows still trickling west and a Little Owl on the chicken shed. 

Aberrant Grey Heron

Aberrant Grey Heron

Aberrant Grey Heron

 At a still misty Scotney 48 Golden Plover, 2 Little Egrets, 2 Stonechats, 2 Yellow Wagtails 1,000+ Greylag Geese, Several Hundred Canada Geese, 4 feral Barnacle Geese and 2 Marsh Harriers.

At the Midrips the mist cleared to reveal 3 Northern Wheatears, 3 Curlews, 1 Whimbrel, 1 Greenshank, 18 Oystercatchers, 13 Dunlin, 11 Ringed Plover, 1 Turnstone, 1 Common Sandpiper, 9 Yellow Wagtails,  3 Kestrels, 11 Sandwich Terns and the Swallows still moving west.

A brief look at the northern end of the  trapping area found 2 Willow warblers, 1 Blackcap and a fly over Greenshank.

At Boulderwall Farm the Cattle Egret showing distantly, 2 Hobbys, 2 Marsh Harriers and 2 Tree Sparrows.

On the ARC from Hanson Hide the now usual flock of 200 Golden Plover and Lapwing, 190+ Knot, 10 Dunlin. 1 Blackwit, 1 Little Gull and the Goosander.

On Walland Marsh 25 Tree Sparrows near Midley, 15 Tree Sparrows on the feeders and a Turtle Dove near the Woolpack. A very good days birding clocking up 98 species without really trying.

Slow Day

Migrant Hawkers in The Desert

 A plod around The Point produced few migrants. 1 Common Whitethroat in the Desert and 3 in the Moat, 1 Hobby over the trapping area, 2 Sparrowhawks, 1 Black Redstart, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 100+ Swallows and a Honey Buzzard out to sea after being alerted to the presence of several. A raptor watch from the obs. produced another Honey Buzzard. The Glaucous Gull could be seen flying around the fishing boats from the road.

Knot, Golden Plover and Dunlin.

At the ARC the usual Lapwing flock, 200+ Golden Plover, 190+ Knot, 16 Dunlin, 1 Little Stint, 3 Little Egrets, 2 Marsh Harriers and the Goosander.
At Boulderwall Farm the Cattle Egret showed distantly also a Hobby, 2 Marsh Harriers, 2 Wheatears and a Whinchat, a Common Buzzard also circled in the distance.
At Dengemarsh the Great White Egret still present also 2 more Hobbys.

Up, Up and Away

Finally this morning after 5 cancellations i got my balloon flight. A brilliant experience pity about the cloud cover. 

Dungeness from 2500 feet

The walk from The Moat towards the north end of the trapping area was virtually bird less untill i got there i found a flock of 40+ Yellow Wagtails. In the bushes 12 Willow Warblers, 5 Chiffchaffs, 10 Common Whitethroats, 6 Lesser Whitethroats, 6 Blackcaps, 3 Green Woodpeckers, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers and a Sparrowhawk.

Chiffchaffs

The Moat and the trapping area this morning produced the usual Willow Warblers and Common Whitethroats. Chiffchaffs are now appearing 6 today, with 3 Lesser Whitethroats, 2 Blackcaps, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Common Redstart, 2 Swifts, 2 Tree Sparrows over, 4+ Sparrowhawks and 2 Marsh Harriers and a Common Buzzard all of which came over high had a look at the sea and went back inland.

An hour and a half at the fishing boats at lunch time found just a few Common and Sandwich Terns with Gannets feeding off shore.

Highlight of the day was the re-appearance of the Cattle Egret at Boulderwall Farm though distant. 

Chasing a young Rabbit

Common Terns

First stop The Midrips this morning where there was 10 Dunlin, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 juv. Sanderling, 6 Ringeed Plover, 3 Oystercatchers, 4 Shelducks, 32 Yellow Wagtails and 40+ Linnets, which was disappointing as there has been no shooting on the ranges for a week now.

At Scotney Highlights were 2 Marsh Harriers, 54 Golden Plover and 5 Curlew.

 Galloways highlights were 6 Wheatears, 1 Stonechat and 6 Common Whitethroat.

Dengemarsh highlights 1 Hobby, 2 Wheatears, Little Owl and the Great White Egret.

An hours sea watch from the fishing boats early afternoon produced 2 Balearic Shearwaters, 4 Arctic Skuas, 2 Black Terns, numerous Gannets, Common Terns and Sandwich Terns feeding off shore including an oiled Common Tern, 1 Grey Seal and several Porpoises.

In my garden a an Elephant Hawk Moth caterpillar munching my Geraniums.

 

Fishing Boat Watch

An hour and half sea watch from the fishing boats late afternoon produced 8 Arctic Skuas, 2 Balearic and 2 Manx Shearwaters, numerous Gannets, Common and Sandwich Terns, 2+ Little Terns, a couple of Arctic Terns, 4 Swifts out to sea, several Porpoises and 1 Yellow Legged Gull on the beach.   

Sea Watching

Excellent sea watching from the fishing boats this morning and late this afternoon producing 40+ Arctic Skuas, 3 Balearic Shearwaters, 1 Manx Shearwater, large numbers of terns mainly Common and Sandwich with at least 2 Artic Terns, 1 Roseate Tern, 10+ Black Terns, 20+ Little Terns, 1 Little Gull, a few Kittiwakes, Good numbers of Gannets, 5 Teal, 15+ Guillemots off shore and the Glaucous Gull still, also Harbour Porpoises on show constantly and 1 Grey Seal.

At the ARC highlights were 2 Little Stints, 1 Ruff, 3 Common Sandpipers, 200+ Golden Plover and the Goosander.
At Galloways/Dengemarsh 4 Northern Wheatears, 10 Common Whitethroats, 1 Little Owl, t5he Great White Egret and a Sprrowhawk bathing in a puddle on Dengemarsh Road.
At Scotney Highlights were 150 Golden Plover, 2 Ruff, 1 Whimbrel, 3 Marsh Harriers also 1,000+ Greylag Geese

Western Bonelli's Warbler

I started the day at Galloways where there was 1 Common Redstart, 3 Whinchat, 4 Northern Wheatears, 2 Stonechats, plenty of Yellow Wagtails overhead and several each of Willow Warbler and Common Whitethroat. As i made my back towards Dengemarsh i received a call from Mark to say that a Bonelli's Warbler had benn trapped at the obs. A few minutes later i was at the obs being shown this fantastic little warbler and a bit later the juvenile Green Woodpecker.  

After the warbler was released into The Moat i spent some time hoping to see and photograph it in the bushes alas it was not to be. Around The Moat and the Desert Willow Warblers were numerous as were Common Whitethroats, Yellow and Pied Wagtails, also seen 2 Common Redstarts.
On the sea from the fishing boats a mixed flock of 100+ Common and Sandwich Terns feeding off shore with a few Gannets, also a raft of 22 Guillemots and the Glaucous Gull gave a fly by.
At the ARC this afternoon a Cuckoo by the track to Hanson. From the hide 1 Wood Sandpiper, 1 Ruff, 1 LRP, 1 Ringed Plover, 12 Dunlin, 244 Golden Plover,300+ Lapwing and the Goosander. Also a Little Egret fishing only a few yards out giving superb views of its fishing skills.

Swallows and Martins

First thing this morning sheltering from heavy rain 200+ Golden Plover, 2 Common Sandpipers, 1 Knot, a few Lapwings, the Goosander and the usual Wild Fowl.
A soon as the rain eased the Goldies departed but in came 4 Wood Sandpipers, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Spotted Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 9 Dunlin, 1 Little Stint to be joined by another later, 2 Sandwich Terns, 2 Common Terns and many more Lapwings with many Swallows and Sand Martins over the pit.
At The Point no sign of the Wryneck in a brief search but 1 Black Redstart, 6 Yellow Wagtails, 10+ Northern Wheatears and little else of note.
At Scotney 100+ Golden Plover, 2 Ruff, 1 Whimbrel, 5 Curlew, 10+ Yellow Wagtails and many more Swallows and Sand Martins over the pit.