Badger makes the day!

Very little passage at sea again this morning as was expected and no grounded migrants around the point.

At the ARC 8+ Little Gulls hawking with the Black-headed Gulls, also 30 each of Swallow and Sand Martin that moved off as soon as the rain cleared.

 At Scotney 15+ Yellow Wagtails, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 6 Dunlin, 4+ Avocet, a Greenshank, a fly over Whimbrel, 2 Little Gulls but again I could not find the Long-tailed Duck.
Galloways was so enthralling I fell asleep! later while chatting to MS and RS an adult male Marsh Harrier gave us a superb view.

 This afternoon was the first time I have ever had the chance to photograph a Badger in broad daylight. Many thanks to D and G for the call.

Garganey and Baltic Gull!

07.50-08.20 from the sea watch hide was predictably slow considering the fresh north wind. Indeed after half an hour and a grand total of 8 Gannets west, c20 Comic Terns over The Patch and the highlight of 3 Little Egrets coming in at 08.05. 

At the ARC a drake Garganey showed well at the south end, From the causeway 7+ Little Gulls and 3 Black-necked Grebes could be seen.

I was unable to locate the Long-tailed Duck on a wind swept Scotney, but 2 Little Gulls could be seen.

 Garganey southern end of ARC

 A plod around the reserve found the Hookers Bittern still booming, several Bearded Tits and Sedge Warblers and 7 Black-tailed Godwits on Hayfield 3.

 A call early evening from DW about a very good candidate for Baltic Gull on Burrowes from Makepiece, saw me watching it a few minutes later. It was as usual for Burrowes fairly distant, but my poor images show just how small and black this bird is against a Great Black Backed Gull but lacks detail, I believe it to be a Baltic Gull.

Sea Watching

From the sea watch hide 05.40-10.00 and 13.45-16.00 with AJG, BB, DW, PT. Thanks to AJG for collating the totals.

Red-throated Diver: 39E 

Black-throated Diver: 1E

Fulmar: 10E

Gannet: 93E 

Brent Geese: 674E including a partly leucistic bird

Common Scoter: 1420E

Velvet Scoter: 3E

Red-breasted Merganser: 9E 

Shoveler: 2E

Garganey: 2E

Oystercatcher: 2E

Curlew: 1E

Whimbrel: 1E

Great Skua: 5E

Arctic Skua: 11E 

Sandwich Tern: 473E

Common Tern: 103E

Little Tern: 3E

Kittiwake: 12E 

Little Gull: 62E

Mediterranean Gull: 1E 2 on sea

Auk sp: 1E 2E

Swallow: 1 in

a Mid morning visit to Scotney found the Long-tailed Duck still on the pit immediately east of the main pit, 4+ Avocet, 2 Little Gulls, 5 Curlews and 2 Egyptian Geese. On Hayfield 3 8 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Bearded Tits, 10+ Sedge Warblers and a booming Bittern were the highlight of a wander around the reserve. 

The Hume's Leaf warbler is still present in the trapping area per OL.

A small sea passage!

An hour from the sea watch hide before a dental appointment this morning was relatively productive as I managed 2 new birds for the year with a flock of 7 Whimbrel and 9 Little Terns, but otherwise it was fairly quiet with a couple of Arctic Skuas, a few Scoter, Divers and Waders,  2 further watches late morning and late afternoon were just as quiet.

 At Scotney the Long-tailed Duck was still present on the east pit also a Little Ringed Plover on that pit. On the main pit 4+ Avocets and the 2 Egyptian Geese. Scotney Court Farm held 4 Yellow Wagtails, 4 Corn Buntings and a pair of Swallows.

A Slow Day

A very slow hour at the sea watch hide this morning with a Bonxie being the highlight, though I did just miss an Iceland/Glaucous Gull drift west just before I arrived.

A wander around the lighthouse area found 9 Willow Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap, also a couple more Willow Warblers in the moat.

A walk along the fishing boats failed to find the mystery gull, even though the fish man had been and thrown boxes of discarded fish on to the beach for gulls to feast on.

No sign of last nights Black Terns on the ARC this morning, just a Common Tern among the Black Headed Gulls, 2 Mediterranean Gulls over and 7 Little Egrets at the south end of note.

The turf at Scotney held only 5 Curlew, 2 Ringed Plover with 2 Avocets on the edge and 2 more at the Sussex end of note. The Long-tailed Duck was once again on the pit immediately east of the main pit.  

Another walk along the fishing boats this afternoon once again failed to locate the mystery gull, but a duck Eider flew by close inshore eastwards.
A look down Dengemarsh Gully was unrewarding, I would have done better to have spent the time in my sun chair in the garden watching Marsh Harriers. 

Black Terns!

3 early Black Terns hawking insects over the ARC this evening.

Bitterns and Beardies!

 Once the mist cleared the reserve this morning it resounded to the sound of numerous Sedge Warblers, Cetti's Warblers, Reed Buntings and Linnets blasting out there song, accompanied by several Bearded Tits and Chiffchaffs, a Common Whitethroat and a Blackcap. A flyover Green Sandpiper relocated briefly behind Christmas Dell and a pair of Marsh harriers did some food passes. A bittern was booming at Hookers and another at the ARC, 4 Swallows flew through, 4 Yellow Wagtails were in the fields by the path to Lydd, a Raven was back and forth taking food to its young and the Long-tailed Duck was on Burrowes.

 Sedge Warbler in song flight.

 At the Scotney complex this afternoon 4 Little Gulls on the main pit, 22 Ringed Plover, 18 Dunlin and 2 Curlew on the turf, round the farmyard 20 Yellow Wagtails, 2 stunning White Wagtails and 2 Corn Buntings. On the back pits 46 Avocets.

Redstarts, Ring Ouzels and a Gropper!

20 minutes at the sea watch hide was enough time to know that no sea passage was happening today although a few passerines were seen to come in. The highlight on the sea was 6 Gadwall drifting by, the Glaucous Gull was seen down by The Patch.

Around The Point a Black Redstart, 30+ Willow/Chiffs, 3+ Blackcaps, a male Redstart trapped in The Moat, 2 Ring Ouzels dropped into The Desert and a Grasshopper Warbler was reeling along the Pilot Path. The Hume's Leaf Warbler was seen again today along the Pilot Path. A Raven and 3+ Swallows flew over.

 Redstart held by DW.

 Ring Ouzels in The Desert.

 Early afternoon in Dengemarsh Gully highlights were a Wheatear and a female Redstart.

 Male Redstart Galloways.

Rubicola Stonechat Galloways.

Mid afternoon at Galloways, the highlights were 2 more Redstarts, 7 Stonechats including a Rubicola and 6+ Willow Warblers.

At Scotney 5 Little Gulls, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 8 Ringed Plovers, 14 Dunlin and 6 Curlew, the Long-tailed Duck was in its usual spot on the lake immediately east of the main pit. 

A few migrants

As I arrived at the car park this morning BB was driving away, which told me everything I needed to know about the state of the sea passage. I met SO and we had wander around the bushes and trapping area seeing c20 Willow Warblers, c15 Chiffchaffs, 1 Swallow and 2 Blackcaps along with the resident Wheatears and Black Redstarts. 

Black Redstart at the power station

At Scotney the Long Tailed Duck still present, 6 Ringed Plover, 14 Avocet, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Swallows, a Common Buzzard, 6 Corn Buntings and 6 Tree Sparrows.

A couple of hours this evening wandering around the deserted reserve was very pleasant, plenty of Sedge Warblers, Cetti's Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers, Little Egrets, Shelducks, Shoveler, Tufted Ducks with a few Teal, 3+ Marsh Harriers, a Raven, a Peregrine, 2 more Swallows and best of all a Bittern booming regularly and not another person to be seen. 2 more Swallow on the wires opposite Plodland tonight.

At least the weather was good!

Sea watching from the point this morning was very poor with just a handful each of Red-throated Diver, Gannet, Brent Geese, Scoter and Sandwich Terns. A Serin was to high for me hear, though DW heard it at least twice.

A wander around the reserve with SB and BP saw a couple of Swallows through, a Raven over, a Wheatear and good numbers of Sedge Warblers.

At Scotney the Long-tailed Duck has reappeared on the pit immediately east of the main pit, by the farm 3 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Corn Buntings and c50 Linnets. On the back pit 16 Avocets and the 2 Egyptian Geese, 2 Marsh Harriers and a Common Buzzard over the fields.  

 Marsh Harriers from Christmas Dell this evening.

This evening a wander round Dengemarsh saw the Raven again taking food back to its nest while doing battle with a Peregrine but little else of note. 2 Marsh Harriers from Christmas Dell and a Water Rail squealing were the highlights there.