Mongolia part 3!

Wallcreeper

Our visit to the Jol Valley was cut short by the weather, despite the rain we did see 3 Wallcreepers, Beautiful Rosefinch, more Lammergeirer's, and numerous Pica's and Voles.

Beautiful Rosefinch

Mongolian Finch's

Daurian Shrike

A short stop at a small wetland near Dalanzgad before the long journey back to Ulan Batur, saw Daurian Shrikes, White-cheeked Starlings, Chine Pond Heron, Little Tern, Isabelline Wheatears, Crested larks, a Paddyfield Warbler, Pacific Swifts, Richards Pipits, Hobby, Saker, Wood, Green and Common Sandpipers, Hoopoe's and more.

Juvenile Isabelline Wheatear

Richards Pipit

Crested Lark

 Steppe Eagle by the road to Ulan batur

Mongolica Hotel our base for our last 3 days, a little bit of luxury for us, hot showers and beer, though cabbage soup for breakfast was not welcomed by all our group but as usual I ate everything put in front of me. We did spend 1 night at the research centre in the Khustai National Park which was very basic, but the food was superb, as was the scenery birds and mammals.

Przewalski's Horses only to be found in the Khustai National Park

Along with the horses, many Siberian Marmots were seen, Griffon and Black Vultures were numerous, also seen Golden Eagle, Saker's, Amur falcons, Upland Buzzards, Demoiselle Cranes, Pied and Isabelline Wheatears, Mongolian Larks, many eastern Short-toed Larks were seen but all evaded my camera, Meadow Bunting, a very brief view of a Daurian Partridge and many more birds and mammals.

Upland Buzzard

Upland Buzzard

Meadow Bunting

Juvenile Pied Wheatear

Blyth's Pipit

 Amur Falcons

 Mongolian Lark

Mongolian Lark

Saker 

Saker

Saker

 3 Asiatic Dowitchers with Black-tailed Godwits

We visited Lake Bayan where Citrine Wagtailsabd various flava Wagatils were abundant but mainly camera shy, White-naped, Common and Demoiselle Cranes, genuine Bar-headed Geese, the only Gulls seen on the trip were also present here, 3 Black-headed Gulls! Richards Pipits were plentiful, Eastern Reed Buntings, Great Reed Warblers, distinctive rusty breasted form of Barn Swallow, a Swinhoe's Snipe identified from poor photographs, numerous Curlew Sandpipers were present, White-winged and Black Terns, a couple of superb very striking male Eastern Marsh Harriers. At the same site several singing Pallas's Reed Buntings one of the birds I most wanted to see.

Barn Swallow

 Pallas's Reed Bunting

 Pallas's Reed Bunting

 Pallas's Reed Bunting

 Pallas's Reed Bunting

 Azure Tit

 Azure Tit

 In the grounds of the Mongolica Hotel Azure Tits, White Capped Penduline Tits,  Great Tits, White-cheeked Starlings, Daurian Jackdaws, Black-eared kites, Amur falcons, Chough, White-backed Woodpeckers, Eastern Common Terns and of course Tree Sparrows amongst others.

 Daurian Jackdaws

White-backed Woodpecker

 Eastern Common Terns

Taiga Flycatcher

A short visit to Terlja National Park gave excellent views of Taiga Flycatcher, Eastern Nuthatch, Hawfinch, Marsh Tits, Willow Tits, Lesser-spotted Woodpecker, a strange plumaged White-backed Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail and Dusky Warbler.

Taiga flycatcher

Taiga flycatcher

Lesser-spotted Woodpecker form amurensis

Strange White-backed Woodpecker

Dusky Warbler

Probably the most imposing statute in the world

First Arctic Skua of the autumn!

Rainbow over the power station and observatory from the moat this morning

After the thunderstorm passed a wander out into the desert and trapping area found good numbers of Common Whitethroats, also a few Lesser Whitethroats and Willow Warblers, but it wasn't long before another shower came through. Sheltering in the lee of the perimeter wall a Black Redstart appeared briefly.

09.45-10.45 from the sea watch hide with AJG:
Common Scoter: 4E
Fulmar: 2W
Gannet: 96W.   7E
Kittiwake: 1E
Sandwich Tern: 31W
Common Tern: 38W
Harbour Porpoise: 3+

Yesterday's Grasshopper Warbler

From Hanson Hide of note still 2 Wood Sandpipers, 2 Common sandpipers, 3 Dunlin, 29 Golden Plover, a Black-necked Grebe and a Great White Egret, whose numbers are building with another 7 at Dengemarsh.

A very slow afternoon sea watch was bought to an end by yet another much needed deluge.

13.55-15.25 from the fishing boats with AJG & MH
Gannet: 55W
Arctic Skua: 1E
Kittiwake: 1W   1E
Sandwich Tern: 27W
Common Tern: 11W
Swift: 7 out
Harbour Porpoise:4+

Willow Warbler behind The Patch

As it was high tide when I visited The Patch this morning there was very little in the way of Gulls and Terns to be seen, only 1 colour ringed Herring Gull N2JT a regular here. Behind the hide 2 Willow Warblers were foraging in the meagre plant growth in the rocks and 2 Wheatears were on the perimeter fence.

A short wander around the bushes saw double figure numbers of Common Whitethroats and Linnets, and single figure numbers of Lesser Whitethroats, Willow Warblers, Wheatears and Stonechats.

An afternoon sea watch from the fishing boats 14.00-15.30 joined by AJG, BC & RW

Common Scoter: 2W

Gannet:12W   13E

Cormorant: 4W

Mediterranean Gull: 1 juv around

Black-headed Gull: 134W

Sandwich Tern: 209W  17E

Common Tern: 10W

Sand Martin: 3 out

Swift: 3 out

Harbour Porpoise: 4+

Great White Egret from Hanson

This afternoon from Hanson 2 Wood Sandpipers, 2 Common Sandpipers, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, a Black-necked Grebe, a Garganey and a showy Great White Egret, along with the many eclipse wildfowl.

 Catching a small Pike

Swallowing the Pike

This evening from Firth hide 2 colour ringed Common Terns, 2 Black Terns and 2 juvenile Mediterranean Gulls among the roosting Black-headed Gulls and Common Terns, a Hobby flew through and 2 Common Sandpipers with 3 Ringed plovers were on the mud.  

Locally bred juvenile Wheatear

Fairly quiet again at The Point this morning, 30+ Common Whitethroats were seen along with several Lesser Whitethroats and Willow Warblers, of note another Nightingale was trapped and processed, also a locally bred juvenile Wheatear.

At the ARC 3 Garganey among the 100s of eclipse ducks present, 2 Common Sandpipers, 23 Golden Plovers, Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers among the many Lapwing and Black-headed Gulls.

Dengemarsh held 4 Great White Egrets, a Ruff, a Wood Sandpiper, c100 Sand Martins and the usual Marsh Harriers.

A 30 minute sea watch from the fishing boats this afternoon saw just 5 Gannets and c30 Sandwich Terns. 

Sedge Warbler from Firth

From Firth 2 Black Terns among the 200+ Common Terns, 4 Sandwich Terns, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Common Sandpipers on the exposed mud, In the cleared Sallows in front the hide Common Whitethroats, Reed, Sedge and Willow Warblers are easy to see.

Common Whitethroat from Firth

Little Ringed plover from Firth

Common Sandpiper from Firth

100s of Gulls following the tractors working in the fields opposite my garden this evening

 Nightingale

A quieter morning around the point today, though the Nightingale was a nice addition, a few each of Willow warblers, Reed warblers, Common Whitethroats were also caught and processed. In The Moat a very elusive Pied flycatcher,  a few more Common and Lesser Whitethroats, Willow Warblers and a single Sedge Warbler. Nearby a juvenile Black Redstart.

 Willow Warbler

Early afternoon at the ARC from Hanson saw the long staying Wood Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpipers, a Little Ringed Plover, 2 Garganey and a Black-necked Grebe.

The afternoon sea watch was predictably very quiet, but a pleasant couple of hours sitting in the sunshine with a cooling sea breeze.

 The only notable sighting from the fishing boats this afternoon

 Restharrow

3 more new moths in the Plodland MV. A Restharrow was a surprise even though there is a colony just couple of kilometres from my garden it was not a moth I expected. 2 Cydia amplana were also new as was an overdue Rosy Footman.

Rosy Footman

Cydia Amplana

Pied Flycatchers!

Early morning around the point better numbers of migrants than of late, with Garden Warblers, Blackcap, Common and Lesser Whitethroats, Willow Warblers and Reed Warblers, a Common Redstart was found at the Long Pits per AJG, also Pied Flycatcher there per DS.
Early afternoon the Flycatcher was still present though very elusive, another was found in a private garden, then 2 more were found at Galloways by L & PH both were still present this evening.
Thinking the pines might hold some migrants I joined AJG & SO in a stroll up to the pines seeing just a couple of Willow Warblers and Common Whitethroats and a Bittern which flew over.

  Many thanks to Dave Bunney for allowing me into his garden to photograph the Pied Flycatcher

 Pied Flycatcher

Pied Flycatcher

This Sandwich Tern seems to have speared the fish

 Avocets from Firth this evening

A visit to Firth this evening found another Pied Flycatcher behind the hide, in front the hide 6 Avocets, a Black Tern, 3 Common Sandpipers and a Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull.

 Adult Black Tern from Firth this evening

 Bittern over the entrance track yesterday

This Gypsy Moth is the first to find it's way into the Plodland trap