Chiffchaffs!

06.15-08.15 from the sea watch hide with BB & AJG who kindly collated the numbers:

Brent Goose: 171 up

Common Scoter: 47 up

Red-throated Duver: 19 up

Great-cressted Grebe: 12 around

Fulmar: 2 around

Gannet: 46 up

Cormorant: present n/c

Oystercatcher :2 up

Meiterranean Gull: 1 at The Patch

Iceland Gull: 1 x 1w at The Patch

Kittiwake: 1 down

Oystercatcher 2up

Guillemot: 1 on

Carrion Crow: 3 in

Harbour Porpoise: 5+

A walk around the area with AJG saw an arrival of Chiffchaffs with 50+ being seen, also an old dog Fox. On the beach 3 Wheatears and 20+ Meadow Pipits.

 Chiffchaff at the Old Lighthouse

Northern Wheatear near the lifeboat Station

On Tanners Pool the Ring-necked Duck and 2+ Smew still in residence were joined by a drake and duck Garganey.

By midday Scotney was fairly windswept, consequently there was little to be seen.

This afternoons sea watch from the turning circle:

13.45-15.00 joined by AJG who woke me up! It was rather slow.

Red-throated Diver: 7 up

Great-crested Grebe: 8 around

Gannet: 27 up

Great Skua: 1 around

Guillemot: 1 on sea

Auk sp: 1 up

The mv still attracting moths. This morning Clouded Drab, Small Quaker and early Grey all new for the year. 

 Clouded Drab

Small Quaker

Fog Bound!

I opened the curtains at dawn, looked at the dense fog and got back into bed for another hour. 

Eventually I made my way to The Point where the fog was even thicker so did not hang around. New Diggings could have held 100s of Grebes and no one would have been able to them. 

Corn Bunting in the fog at Denge Marsh

I decided on a walk from Springfield Bridge to the bottom of Denge Marsh Gully in case the odd migrant had found it's way there. Apart from a few Linnets, Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Chaffinches and Reed Buntings little was to be seen there, however 2 Corn Buntings were good, a Chiffchaff and a Peregrine which appeared out of the gloom and disappeared just as quickly.

The rest of the day was a write off with the fog lingering all day.

Abysmal is the best that could be said about today's early mornings early sea watch. 

Myself and LG relocated to The Patch where both the 2nd cal yr Iceland Gulls were still present along with a 2nd cal yr Caspian Gull and 3rd cal yr Yellow-legged Gull. 

 Before the anglers arrived

 Flushed from the beach by anglers

A short wander around the lighthouse area found just a Chiffchaff of note.

3 Black-necked and a Slavonian Grebe was still on the New Diggings and the Ring-necked Duck was  still on Tanners Pool.

 Looks like a full crop of placenta

As the day warmed up raptors started to be in evidence. An hour sky watching from home saw a kettle of 7 Common Buzzards, 2 displaying Marsh Harriers, a Peregrine and a Raven.
2 Little Owls were again showing at Lydd Camp.
At Scotney a walk out to the back lakes found 6 Avocets of note but little else.
This afternoon AJG joined me in very slow sea watch at the fishing boats. Comfortable chairs and warm sunshine made it pleasantly bearable.
14.10-15.40
Common Scoter: 8 down
Red-throated Diver: 1 up
Great-crested Grebe: 9 on sea
Gannet: 1 up
Turnstone: 11 on sea
Kittiwake: 1 up
Sandwich Tern: 4 up

Guillemot: 1 on sea

 Guillemot at the fishing boats this afternoon

 First Early Thorn of the year

 Pine Beauty new for my trap.

Plutella Xylostella in the trap this morning

A slow morning Sea watch:
06.20-08.20 with AJG,BB & LG.

Brent Goose: 144 up
Common Scoter: 6 up  1 down
Red-throated Diver: 13 up  3 down
Great-crested Grebe: 17 around
Fulmar: 7 up   1 down
Gannet: 48 up
Cormorant: present n/c
Mediterranean Gull: 1 up    1 down
Iceland Gull: 1w at The Patch
Kittiwake: 27 up
Guillemot: 3 on sea
Auk sp: 4 up
Alba Wagtail: 2 in
Harbour Porpoise: 3+ around
A short walk around the Lighthouse found no migrants.
At Scotney the only avian interest on the main lake was the Herring Gulls on the islands that were squabbling with each other for nest sites. The feral Barnacle Geese have gone and no sign of any grey geese.
The Little Owls were just about showing at Lydd Camp today.

 Very poor image of 2 Little Owls at Lydd Camp

 2 of 3 Black-necked Grebes on New Diggings

A wander along the causeway gave views of 3 Black-necked Grebes, a Slavonian Grebe and 4 Goldeneye, in the bushes Reed Buntings, Linnets and 2 Green Woodpeckers.

Linnet at the Open Pits

Late afternoon on the ARC from Hanson 8 Goldeneye were the highlights among the Pochard and Tufted Ducks.

Dark Sword-Grass in the MV this morning

Very quiet on the sea this morning with just a handful of Red-throated Divers, Common Scoter, Gannets and Wigeon. A Grey Wagtail was feeding on the power station filter bed. At the Patch the 2 1w Iceland Gulls still in residence also a 1w Caspian Gull there among the usual Gulls.

Around the Lighthouse 3+ Black Redstarts, a Goldcrest and a Wheatear of note.

 Raven

 The 2 Slavonian Grebes were still on the New Diggings, apparently at least 2 Black-necked Grebes were present but not seen by me.
A pleasant walk around the reserve where every bush seemed to hold a singing Reed Bunting, several Cetti's Warblers were calling and a Raven was one of the highlights, 3 Smew including a drake could be seen from Christmas Dell hide. Denge Marsh was disappointing but held the usual wildfowl. Marsh Harriers were displaying high over Hookers along with a couple of Common Buzzards. At the back of Hookers the Hooded Merganser was still present but distant.

 Smew

Hooded Merganser

This afternoon in Denge Marsh Gully a Firecrest and another Goldcrest, the Raven was seen again but otherwise quiet.

The Sunflower field at Springfield Bridge held c100 Linnets, c40 Reed Buntings, c30 Chaffinches and 6+ Greenfinches.
2 Hebrew Characters and Common Quaker were my first moths of the year last night.

07.00-08.00 from the sea watch hide with LG.

Brent Goose: 42 up

Pintail: 59 up (single flock)

Common Scoter: 57 up

Red-throated Diver: 5 up  2 down

Great-crested Grebe: present n/c

Fulmar: 4 up

Gannet: 67 up

Cormorant: present n/c

Caspian Gull: 1 up

Kittiwake: 12 up

Sandwich Tern: 1 up

Auk sp: 3 up

Harbour Porpoise: 17

 1w Iceland Gull at The Patch

A Goldcrest and Grey Wagtail were by the perimeter wall as we walked down to The Patch. At The Patch both 1w Iceland Gulls, a Mediterranean Gull and another Sandwich Tern. 

 Black Redstart at the old lighthouse

2+ Black Redstarts, several Meadow Pipits, a Stonechat and a Wheatear by the old lighthouse this morning.

Starling in the garden

On the reserve, 6 Black-necked Grebes and 2 Slavonian Grebes on the New Diggings, the Ring-necked Duck still present, also 2 Smew and the Long-eared Owls. Yesterday evening 6 Great White Egrets came into the ARC roost also a male Merlin there.

 2nd cal yr Caspian Gull

This afternoon at the fishing boats a 2nd cal year Caspian Gull and 3 3rd year Yellow-legged Gulls came to the offerings, also 2 Peregrines came in off the sea.

 1 of 2 Peregrines at the fishing boats this afternoon

3rd cal yr Yellow-legged Gull

El Gouna!

We had a week in El Gouna, Egypt 24th February-3 March for a bit sunshine, also so the builders could rip out our bathroom and start putting a new one in. The birding was very slow as we were probably about 3-4 weeks early for but showed me the potential of this resort. Access around the resort was  easy and safe. I spent most of my time on the golf course, the beaches (early morning) and Abydos Marina. Although I saw lots of Sooty and White-eyed Gulls I just could not get close to them. If i go again I'll go for a couple of weeks and hire boats to take me out to the Gulls. Below is a small sample of some of the images I took, I've still got many to edit. 

 Nile Valley Sunbird (male) common on the golf course

 Nile Valley Sunbird (female)

 Bluethroat common around the resort

 Greater Sand Plover c20 birds daily at Abydos Marina

 Pied Kingfishers up to 8 seen daily Abydos Marina (never got close to them)

 Caspian Terns common around the resort

 Slender-billed Gull common around the resort

 Red-throated Pipit common on the golf course the last couple of days

 Water Pipit unexpected on the golf course

 White Wagtail abundant all sites

 Spannish Sparrow Abundant on the golf course

 Cattle Egret common and tame

 Spur-winged Plover c20 on the golf course daily

 Hooded Crow abundant everywhere

 Steppe Gull common at the marina and off shore

 Whimbrel only 4 seen

 Woodchat Shrike only 1 seen on the golf course

 Lesser Whitethroat common around the resort

 Black-headed Yellow Wagtail numerous the last 2 days on the golf gourse

 Yellow Wagtail probably "flava"

Isabelline Wheatear 10+ the last couple of days on the golf course