Pied Flycatchers in the Rain!

 Whinchat

This morning I did a net round with Jacques and trapped just a single Blackcap, with so few birds around and rain in the forecast we furled the nets. On the way back a Tree Pipit was posing nicely on some Gorse, but I didn't have my camera with me. Once we got back to the observatory I collected my camera and went back for the Tree Pipit needless to say there was no sign of it, so I took some pictures of a couple of Whinchats that were in the High Gorse, while doing this 100s of Swallows and Martins appeared though mainly stratospheric as the rain front approached. The rain was not heavy but as soon as it started Pied Flycatchers started to appear, I saw at least 9 possibly 12 as they seemed to pop out all around, also a Spotted Flycatcher appeared, OL saw 3 Spotted flycatchers, once the rain stopped the Flycatchers seemed to melt away. Around the are there were also 4 Black Redstarts, 2 Wheatears, the usual Willow Warblers, Common and Lesser Whitethroats and a few Yellow Wagtails over, also a hunting male Marsh Harrier. There 2 more Pied Flycatchers in The Moat that I didn't see per DW also a Common Redstart per PB. I've still not seen one this autumn.     

 Pied Flycatcher

  Pied Flycatcher

  Pied Flycatcher

 Spotted Flycatcher

An hour this afternoon sea watching with RW at the fishing boats was abysmal, c40 Sandwich Terns and c40 Gannets tooing & froing offshore, 6 Common Terns flew West, 2 Mediterranean gulls went East, a single Kittiwake loitered offshore, and a single each of Grey Seal and Harbour Porpoise.

 Great White Egret & Little Egret from Hanson 

Late afternoon from Hanson there were 100s of mainly Sand Martins hawking over the lake in the drizzle, 4 Ruff, 5 Common Snipe, 7 Garganey, 2 Great White Egrets and a flock of 9 Greenshank flew through.

This evening a Cattle Egret was in the cow field at Boulderwall Farm, while on Burrowes a single Common Sandpiper, 6 Great White Egrets and 5 Danish and Norwegian rung Great Black-backed Gulls.

Honey Buzzard!

Pied Flycatcher at the observatory

Fairly quiet early morning around the trapping area, though another Pied Flycatcher was caught and ringed. 2 more Pied Flycatchers were in The Moat and another at West Beach, at least 5 Whinchats and 2 Wheatears were present along with a few Willow Warblers, Common and Lesser Whitethroats and Blackcaps.

Poor images due to severe heat haze of the Honey Buzzard over The Desert

The Honey Buzzard was obviously looking to land and rest, which it did a few seconds after I photographed it when it land on some Sallows, only to be flushed after a couple of minutes by a dog walker, it then flew a few hundred metres up the Long Pits and settled in another Sallow clump only to be flushed again by the same dog walker, it then flew NW over the reserve towards the ranges and was quickly lost in the haze.

Whinchat at Galloways this evening

At Galloways this evening at least 9 Whinchats and 3 Pied Flycatchers with a few Stonechats, a Sedge Warbler, several Common Whitethroats and Reed Warblers.

 Water Rail from Hanson this evening

2 Visits to Hanson today saw 4 Greenshank, 4 Ruff, 3 Golden Plover, 2 Knot, Marsh Harrier, Peregrine, Sparrowhawk and10 Garganey among the usual wildfowl and Lapwings.

7 of the 10 Garganey at the ARC this evening 

This Polish Black-headed Gull was again present on the ARC today

Weekend!

Pied Flycatcher in a private garden 2 birds present

 Pied Flycatchers have been the star attractions this weekend, apart from the Honey Buzzards for those lucky enough to have had them right overhead, I managed a distant bird in the heat haze. I'm not sure what the holiday weekend count of Pied Flycatchers was but I'm sure it must have been at least 40, with a few Spotted Flycatchers, Whinchats, Wheatears and as far as I know not a single Common Redstart, where are they? Willow Warblers, Whitethroats, Lesser Whitethroats and Blackcaps still form the majority of birds trapped and ringed. Most the waders seem to have cleared out along with the Black Terns, but the little Gulls and Garganey seem to be hanging on.

 Sea watching has been dire even with light South Easterlies, the warm settled weather may be pleasant but it does very little for the birding.

 As it has been so hot for I have spent a lot of time sky watching seeing a distant Honey buzzard, 20+ Common Buzzards, several each of Marsh Harrier, Hobby, Sparrowhawk, a single Peregrine and a few stratospheric Swifts.

1 of at least 3 Pied Flycatcher at the Sanctuary

 Iphone image of Pied Flycatcher 

Common Buzzard over my garden

1st cycle Mediterranean Gull at Firth this evening

At Burrowes this evening c300 Oystercatchers roosting, 4 Redshanks, 2 Ruff, a 1st cycle Mediterranean Gull and little else. Now that the Terns have fledged and left it was eerily quiet. 

Redshanks at Firth this evening  including a colour ringed juvenile

Water Rail at Hanson this evening

Hanson was very quiet this evening just 2 Greenshanks, 3 Ruff, 3 Garganey and Common Sandpiper among the usual wildfowl. A Water Rail showed well albeit briefly in the failing light.

Bittern!

05.55-06.55 from the sea watch hide per AJG:
Common Scoter: 2W
Fulmar: 1W
Balearic Shearwater: 1W
Manx Shearwater: 1W
Gannet: 55W
Sandwich Tern: 272W
Common Tern: 34W
Again very quiet avian wise around The Point this morning, a few Common and Lesser Whitethroats, Stonechats and Willow Warblers.

Reed Warbler at Galloways

At Galloways a Pied Flycatcher, a Whinchat, Common Whitethroats, Reed Warbler, Stonechats and the usual fare.

 Bittern from Hanson Hide

 

 At the ARC a Bittern put on a superb if brief showing from Hanson hide. Also there 3 Little Gulls, 2 Greenshanks, 2 Redshanks, 3 Ruff, a Wood Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper, 2 Dunlin, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Golden Plover, a single Common Snipe, Water Rail, Great White Egret, Little Egret, a Peregrine, 2 Marsh Harriers and 7+ Garganey among all the usual wildfowl.

 Very poor images of a distant leucistic Harbour Porpoise at the fishing boats this afternoon

 13.00-16.00 From the fishing boats with AJG, JTM & JH:
Common Scoter: 2E
Great-crested Grebe: 1W
Gannet: 24W
Cormorant: 9 around
Whimbrel: 2W
Arctic Skua: 1W
Sandwich Tern: 142W
Common Tern: 4W
Black Tern: 9W
Swallow: 4 out
Sand Martin: 36 out
Grey Seal: 2
Harbour Porpoise: 10+ including a Leucistic individual

 Whinchat at the Observatory

Around The Point this morning although there wasn't many birds there were some nice birds, 2 Whinchats, Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Wheatear, Black Redstarts, Common and Lesser Whitethroats, Reed Warblers etc. 

Wheatear at the Observatory

 Wasp Spiders around the Observatory

Galloways was quiet with another Pied Flycatcher and a few each of Common Whitethroat and Stonechat but little else.

 Pied Flycatcher at Galloways

On the ARC from Hanson 4 Greenshank, 2 Wood Sandpipers, 2 Common Sandpipers, 3 Redshank, 3 Ruff, 2 Dunlin, 12 Garganey, a Great White Egret among the usual Gulls and wildfowl. 

Pointing out the Red Underwing on Hanson Hide

13.00-15.00 from the fishing boats per AJG
Common Scoter: 12W
Coot: 1 drifted east on the tide close inshore (would have been a Dungeness sea watch tick for me)
Arctic Skua: 3W
Sandwich Tern: 144W
Common Tern: 59W
Swallow: 6 out
Sand Martin: 54 out

Pied Flycatcher in a private garden this afternoon, many thanks to Dave Bunney for allowing access

Willow Warbler after a bath

 Hummingbird Hawkmoth

This evening on Burrowes I was unable to find the Black Tern or anything else of note, I did note 3 Norwegian and 1 French ringed Great Black-backed Gull.

Scorched Carpet the best in the trap this morning