Sabine's Gull!

Adult Sabine's Gull

14.15-16.55 from the fishing boats:
Common Scoter: 1E
Fulmar: 1w
Gannet: 19W    5E
Cormorant: 9 around
Arctic Skua: 2 around.  LP + DP
Kittiwake: 6W
Sabines Gull: 1W
Yellow-legged Gull: 1+ juvenile around
Black Tern: 2W adult + juvenile
Sandwich tern: 84W
Common Tern: 72W
Swift: 5 out
Harbour Porpoise: 2
Grey seal: 2

Adult Sabine's Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon

 Juvenile Kittiwake almost as nice Sabine's

Common Terns on the move off the fishing boats this afternoon

Long-tailed Blue!

08.00-10.30 from the hide:
Teal: 6W
Common Scoter: 1E
Fulmar: 5W
Balearic Shearwater: 1W
Gannet: 268W.    4E
Cormorant: 7 around
Dunlin: 4W
Great Skua: 1W
Arctic Skua: 2W   1E
Kittiwake: 56W    3E
Sandwich Tern: 219W
Common Tern: 220W
Grey Seal: 1
Harbour Porpoise: 2+

 While having a cup of tea in the observatory garden Jacques suddenly shouted Long-tailed Blue, the butterfly had flown in over our heads and fortunately landed on the garden plants, brilliant! a Dungeness first for me.

 Long-tailed Blue

A tailess Pied Wagtail taking a liking to Jacques car at the observatory

After lunch at the ARC there was very little to change from the last few days, plenty of Wood Sandpipers, the same 4 Ruff, 7 Garganey etc. Oh how easy it is to become blase!

 A Dunlin in front of Firth Hide during this afternoons deluge

As I was parking my car at the fishing boats this afternoon the heavens opened, so I made my way to Firth Hide instead, where a juvenile Black Tern was still present and there was an adult Yellow-legged Gull on one of the islands, waders were represented by 10+ Dunlin, 8+ Common Sandpipers, a Greenshank, a Green Sandpiper, a Whimbrel and a Ringed Plover all being battered by the deluge.

 Common Sandpiper being battered by the deluge

 A Greenshank bought in by the rain

 Just for Jacques

Swallows drying out on the roof of the VC

Saturday and Sunday!

Saturday!

With gale force South Westerly blowing I was expectant of a good sea watch, the first half hour was very busy but passage soon dried up.
05.15-08.30 from the sea watch hide with AJG, SO, CP, JTM & OL.
Great-crested Grebe: 1W
Common Scoter: 22W   2E
Fulmar: 17W
Gannet: 105W   67E
Great Skua: 2E    3W
Arctic Skua: 2E
Kittiwake: 9W
Little Tern: 2W
Sandwich tern: 74W
Common Tern: 422W
Swift: 9 out
Harbour Porpoise: 1+
2 visits to the ARC saw little change to recent days with 8+ Wood Sandpipers, 5+ Common Sandpipers, 4 Ruff, 3 Redshank, 7+ Garganey, 2 Little Gulls and Great White Egrets all among the the commoner waders, wildfowl and Gulls, not forgetting the Sand martins over the lake.

This afternoons sea watch carried on where this mornings left off!

14.15-16.00 from the fishing boats with AJG, RW, CP & JTM,

Common Scoter: 2W

Fulmar: 3W

Gannet: 5W

Cormorant: 3 around

Great Skua: 1E

Yellow-legged Gull: 3+ around all juveniles

Kittiwake: 1 around

Sandwich Tern: 173W

Common Tern: 202W

Common Swift: 3 out

Grey Seal: 1

 Juvenile Common Tern CT5 from Firth hide last evening

At Firth hide in the evening a single juvenile Black Tern and 4 Little Terns among the many Common Terns and 3 Sandwich Terns, 9 Knot, 5 Dunlin, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 6 Common Sandpipers and 4 Redshank. There was also a colour ringed juvenile Common Tern which I believe is a British bird, am waiting for confirmation of this.

 Juvenile Black Tern from Firth

 Little Terns with a Knot in the background 

Black-tailed Godwits

 Sunday

Overslept this morning so no sea watch, apparently the sea was very poor this morning so the lay in was worth it. From Firth staring into the sun, I could just make out 2 juvenile Black Terns but little else, so abandoned and went to the ARC. On the way 2 Cattle Egrets were in the sheep fields at Boulderwall. As I got home early I spent a few hours in the garden trying to clear some of the damage done by yesterdays gales.

                                         Juvenile Kittiwake at the fishing boats this afternoon

13.30-15.00 from the fishing boats with RW, JTM, LH & PH.
Gannet: 12W.    5E
Cormorant: 6 around
Dunlin: 1W
Kittiwake: 4W   1 around
Yellow-legged Gull: 2 juveniles around
Sandwich Tern: 26W.   1E
Common Tern: 3W

One of the juvenile Black Terns at Firth this evening

A much quieter evening at Firth hide where a juvenile Black Tern was still present as was the colour ringed juvenile Common Tern, 5 Dunlin and 4 Common Sandpipers were noted.  

Friday 9th August

05.15-08.00 from the sea watch hide with CP, JTM & AJG who kindly collated the numbers:
Teal: 1W
Common Scoter: 19W
Fulmar: 1W
Gannet: 404W
Cormorant: 8 around
Oystercatcher: 2W
Knot: 25W
Whimbrel: 17W
Great Skua: 3W
Arctic Skua: 1E
Kittiwake: 32W
Mediterranean Gull:1W
Sandwich Tern:  331W
Common Tern: 92W
Swift: 6 out
Sand Martin: 7 out
Harbour Porpoise: 3+
Grey Seal: 1

4 of the Wood Sandpipers from Hanson Hide

 3 Visits to the ARC today saw at least 8 Wood Sandpipers probably 12 as 4 flew high west over the track to the screen hide, also of note 2 Greenshank, 4 Ruff, 5 Common Sandpipers, a Black-tailed Godwit, 7 Garganey, 2 Little Gulls among the usual wildfowl and waders present.

2 Greenshanks with a Wood Sandpiper

13.00-15.30 & 15.30-16.45 from the fishing boats with AJG & JTM also LH & PH who did the second period and sent me there numbers:
Common Scoter: 51W
Manx Shearwater: 1W
Gannet: 46W
Cormorant: present n/c
Ringed Plover: 1W
Oystercatcher: 1E
Whimbrel: 3W
Great Skua:1W
Arctic Skua: 1 around
Kittiwake: 6W
Mediterranean Gull: 4W all juveniles
Little Tern: 2W
Sandwich Tern: 191W
Common Tern: 248W
Sand Martin: 67 out
Swift: 79 out

 Late afternoon a Pied Flycatcher turned up in a private garden on the estate, many thanks to Dave & Sheila Bunney for allowing me access.

Humming bird Hawkmoth in the same garden

 Wood Sandpiper at Firth this evening

 Some of the Wood Sandpipers, Redshanks and a Knot at Firth this evening that dropped in briefly during a shower, also many Swifts that appeared and disappeared just as quickly.

 2 of the 6 Wood Sandpipers that dropped into Firth during a shower

 2 Little Terns at Firth this evening

Pitsea ringed Black-headed Gull 2PRF at Firth this evening it was also present on 02/08/2019. There were also several colour ringed Great Black-backed Gulls present on the islands in a an influx of Gulls today.

Tufted Duck and her brood from Firth

First Balearics of the Autumn! (Wednesday 7th August)

06.30-08.30 from the sea watch hide with RW & AJG who kindly collated the numbers:
Common Scoter: 1W   4E 
Fulmar: 6W
Balearic Shearwater: 2W
Gannet: 433W
Oystercatcher: 1W
Whimbrel: 1W
Great Skua: 1W
Kittiwake: 34 down
Mediterranean Gull: 2W both juv/1w
Sandwich Tern: 79W
Common Tern: 312W
Sand Martin: 2 out
Harbour Porpoise: 5+
At The Patch were 2 Mediterranean Gulls and 4 Black Redstarts.
3 visits to the ARC where of note 8 Wood Sandpipers, 4 Common Sandpipers, 4 Ruff, 1 Greenshank, 4 Dunlin, 3 Little Ringed Plovers,1 Black-tailed Godwit, 5 Garganey, 2 Little Gulls, 100s of Sand Martins and the usual eclipse wildfowl.

 Adult Yellow-legged gull on the beach this afternoon

13.30-15.30 with RW, JTM & AJG.
Great-crested Grebe: 1 around
Fulmar: 1W
Gannet: 5E   13W
Cormorant: 14 around
Redshank: 3W
Knot: 1W
Dunlin: 5W
Mediterranean Gull: 2E Juv/1w
Yellow-legged Gull: 2   adult + juvenile
Sandwich Tern: 97W.    12E
Common Tern: 23W
Sand Martin: 21 out
Harbour Porpoise: 5
Grey Seal: 1
Common Seal: 1

Juvenile Yellow-legged gull on the beach this afternoon

2nd cal yr Great black-backed Gull JK889 on the beach this afternoon

 Ringing Details

1 of 3 Juvenile cattle Egrets in the Boulderwall fields this afternoon

2 Sanderling among 10 Dunlin, 5 Common Sandpipers, 3 Common Snipe, a Sandwich tern and c100 Common Terns from Firth this evening.

 2 of the 3 Common Snipe at firth this evening

Scalloped Hook-tip a common moth but only the second to be attracted to my trap