Merlin!

Juvenile Sabine's Gull at the puddles by the fishing boats this afternoon

07.30-09.00 from the sea watch hide thanks to AJG for collating the numbers:
Brent Goose: 62W
Wigeon: 20W
Tufted Duck: 3E
Common Scoter: 3E
Eider: 3E
Gannet: 102W
Cormorant: present n/c
Merlin: 1 in
Curlew: 1W
Great Skua: 1W
Arctic Skua: 1W
Kittiwake: 3W
Mediterranean Gull: 6E
Sandwich Tern: 13W
Razorbill: 1E   1W
Auk sp: 3E
I joined JTM on a walk around the trapping area and Moat where we saw 9 Ring Ouzels (OL saw 11 more at the top end) c30 Song Thrushes, c10 Redwing, c120 Fieldfare, flushed a Woodcock from The Moat, Brambling, Siskin, Chiffchaffs, Goldcrests, House Martin and many Robins.

 3 of at least 8 Black Redstarts around today

Merlin trapped inside the wheelhouse of Joe's fishing boats!

Not a happy Merlin (a very large juvenile female)

Short video of the Merlin turn the volume up

These Barnacle Geese came in off the sea then flew east

Juvenile Sabine's Gull at the fishing boats

I just spotted it time to stop the car and take a snap

The regular German 1w Caspian Gull

The following is from The Patch, Sea Watch hide and Fishing Boats:
Brent Goose: 31W   19E
Barnacle Goose: 6 in then East
Common Scoter: 8E
Red-throated Diver: 2 o/s
Great-crested Grebe: 17 o/s
Gannet: c150W
Cormorant: present n/c
Merlin: 1
Turnstone: 5 on beach
Dunlin: 2E
Sanderling: 1E
Bar-tailed Godwit: 1E
Woodcock: 1 in and landed in power station car park
Great skua: 2W
Arctic Skua: 2W
Kittiwake: c30 o/s
Sabine’s Gull: 1 around
Black-headed Gull: c200 at The Patch
Mediterranean Gull: c30 o/s
Herring Gull: c500 at The Patch
Yellow-legged Gull: 2 on beach ad + 1w
Caspian Gull: 2 on beach both 1w
Lesser Black-backed Gull: 6+ at The Patch
Great Black-backed Gull: c100 at The Patch
Razorbill: 4W
Guillemot: 1W    2 on sea
Auk sp: c60W
Black Redstart: 1 in + 5 at The Patch, 2 more at the lighthouse
Starling: 260 in
Brambling: 2  1 at The Patch & 1 at the boats

A newly arrived Brambling feeding by the puddles 

Yellow-browed Warbler!

Juvenile Sabine's Gull

07.15-09.15 from the sea watch hide with with SO, LH, PH and AJG who collated the numbers
Brent Goose: 1E
Gannet: 137W
Cormorant: present n/c
Great Skua: 1W
Arctic Skua: 3W   5 around
Little Gull: 1 around
Sabine's Gull: yesterdays juvenile still present
Mediterranean Gull: c30 around
Sandwich Tern: 16W
Razorbill: 8W
Auk sp: 36W

Little Gull

 Yellow-browed Warbler at the observatory. The same bird with very different plumage tones in different light and background.

A walk around The Desert and southern Long Pit was disappointing, highlights being a juvenile Marsh Harrier over, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 8 Stonechats, a few Chiffchaffs, Skylarks and Siskins. 

While I was having lunch this male Sparrowhawk came onto the garden fence

13.45-14.45 from the fishing boats this afternoon with PH & LH who kindly collated the numbers.

Brent Goose: 2W

Great-crested Grebe: 2 o/s

Gannet: 15 around

Turnstone: 8 on beach

Kittwake: 7 o/s

Sandwich Tern: 4W

Auk sp: 32W

Stock Dove: 9 out

Wheatear: 1 on beach 

On the reserve this afternoon a juvenile Long-tailed Duck and a Red-throated Diver from Dennis's, from Firth a Little Stint and a Dunlin were the highlights.

Sunset over this evening Harrier roost.

5 Marsh Harriers came to roost this evening along with a Merlin and 42 Pied Wagtails. 2 Sparrowhawks and a Common Buzzard were also seen.

Sabine's Gull!

Juvenile Sabine's Gull today's undoubted highlight

07.15-11.15 from the sea watch hide many thanks to AJG for collating the numbers:
Brent Goose: 1W   1E
Common Scoter: 10W     2E
Velvet Scoter: 1W
Red-breasted Merganser: 3W
Great-crested Grebe: 4 o/s
Gannet: 921W
Cormorant: present n/c
Marsh Harrier: 2 in
Great Skua: 11W
Arctic Skua: 24W  5 o/s
Little Gull: 25W
Kittiwake: 6W
Sabine’s Gull: 1 o/s
Mediterranean Gull: 7W
Sandwich Tern: 458W
Razorbill: 42W
Auk sp: 85W
House Martin: 24W/out
Swallow: 346W /out
Skylark: 27 W/out
Woodlark: 1 W/out
Meadow Pipit: 140W/out
Rock Pipit: 1 on beach
Pied Wagtail: 9W/out
Grey Wagtail: W/out
Starling: 800 in
Goldfinch: 7,500 W/out
Linnet: 150 W/out
Siskin: 6 W/out

Friday 18/10/19

Taken during the brief appearance of the Sun from Dennis's picnic area.

08.00-10.00 From the sea watch hide with AJG
Common Scoter: 1E    6W
Gannet: 795W
Cormorant: present n/c
Merlin: 1 in
Arctic Skua: 6W   5 around
Kittiwake: 4W
Little Gull: 22W
Sandwich Tern: 93W
Guillemot: 2W
Razorbill: 22W
Auk sp: 44W
Swallow: 14 out
Alba Wagtail: 7W
Meadow Pipit: 42W
Goldfinch: 75 in
Harbour Porpoise: 2
At a windswept  Scotney 426 Golden Plover, 2 Ruff, 4 Redshank, a Turnstone and the usual feral Geese on the Sward.
On the reserve a Black-necked Grebe on Burrowes from Dennis's picnic area, the Red-throated Diver
still present seen distantly from Dennis's. The Gull roost by the entrance track held an adult Yellow-legged Gull and at least one Norwegian ringed Great black-backed Gull.
At the ARC the Little Stint and Garganey still present, also a Knot there per BW

Adult Mediterranean Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon

14.00-15.30 from the fishing boats:
Brent Goose: 2W
Common Scoter: 6W
Great-crested Grebe: 5 o/s
Gannet: 21E  46W
Grey Plover: 1W
Great Skua: 3W
Arctic Skua: 5 around
Little Gull: 5W
Mediterranean Gull: 2 around
Caspian Gull: The now regular 1w colour ringed bird on the beach
Sandwich Tern: 48W
Razorbill: 2W
Auk sp: 5W
Wheatear: 1 on beach

1w Common Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon. A species I rarely point the camera at.

Thursday 17/10/2019

07.00-09.00 numbers kindly provided by AJG
Brent Goose: 1E
Common Scoter: 2W  12E
Red-throated Diver: 1W
Great-crested Grebe: 18 o/s
Gannet: 149W
Peregrine with prey on beach & being mobbed by Sparrowhawk
Great Skua: 2W
Arctic Skua: 8W
Kittiwake: 4W
Little Gull: 3W
Mediterranean Gull: 4W
Sandwich tern: 234W
Razorbill: 10W
Auk sp: 36W
Swallow: 26 out
Linnet: 12 in
Meadow Pipit: 47 in
Goldfinch: 35 in

 1 of 2 Short-eared Owls in The Desert today

Wandering around The Point and Desert found several Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests, 3 Ring Ouzels, c15 Song Thrushes, 2 Short-eared Owls, a Wheatear, c40 Swallows, many Goldfinches and Linnets with fewer Chaffinches, Skylarks and Meadow Pipits, also a Brown Hare and a Bank Vole.

 Wheatear

 1 of 3 Ring Ouzels

Brown Hare

Another good afternoon sea watch in good company:
14.00-17.00  with CP, AJG and PT.
Brent Goose: 11W
Common Scoter: 25W
Red-breasted Merganser: 4W
Red-throated Diver: 1W   1 on
Great-crested Grebe: 9 on
Sooty Shearwater: 1W
Gannet: 385W
Cormorant: c100 around
Golden Plover: 4W
Turnstone: 3 on beach
Common Snipe: 2W
Great Skua: 2W
Arctic Skua: 16W  8 around roughly!
Kittiwake: 11W
Little Gull: 62W
Caspian Gull: 1 x1w on beach un-ringed
Sandwich tern: 380W 
Guillemot: 7W
Razorbill: 16W
Auk sp 58W
Swallow: 7 out
Grey Seal: 1
Harbour Porpoise: 2

A shy un-ringed Caspian Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon

Wednesday 16/10/2019

Today's sea watch was not as good as hoped for given the strong southerly winds for the first couple of hours, this may have been down to the poor visibility in the constant drizzle and occasional deluge, but any day when I see 100+ Little Gulls and 2,000+ Swallows, a few Skuas, a Merlin come bombing in off the sea is still a good day.

 1 of the Little Gulls past the fishing boats today

1 of todays Arctic Skuas

07.00-12.15 from the fishing boats with CP, AJG, PT & DW.
Brent Goose: 10W
Common Scoter: 55W
Great-crested Grebe: 13 o/s
Manx Shearwater: 1W
Gannet: 676W
Cormorant: present n/c
Dunlin: 5W
Great Skua: 1W
Arctic Skua: 7W/around
Kittiwake: 23W
Little Gull: 83W
Mediterranean Gull: 24W/around
Sandwich Tern: 242W
Guillemot: 15W
Razorbill: 52W
Auk sp; 78W
House Martin: 14 out
Swallow: 2,370 out
Goldfinch: 140 W
Harbour Porpoise: 2+
Grey Seal: 1

 1 of at least 700 Gannets that moved west past the fishing boats today

Nice to see a couple of juvenile Brent Geese

1 of the small flocks of Goldfinches at the fishing boats

The now seemingly resident German ringed 1w Caspian Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon 

 A juvenile Merlin coming in off the sea this afternoon

 A juvenile Merlin coming in off the sea this afternoon

A juvenile Merlin coming in off the sea this afternoon

14.00-15.30 from the fishing boats:
Brent Goose: 8W
Common Scoter: 6W
Red-throated Diver: 3W
Gannet: 57W
Merlin: 1 juvenile in off
Turnstone: 5 on beach
Arctic Skua: 8W
Kittiwake: 2W
Little Gull: 30W
Yellow-legged Gull: 2 around ad + 3 cal yr
Caspian Gull: 1 around
Sandwich Tern: 104W
Common Tern: 1W
Razorbill: 7W
Auk sp: 29E   27W
Pied Wagtail: 2 on beach

 Adult Yellow-legged Gull

3rd calendar year Yellow-legged Gull

There are still a few Ring Ouzels and Song Thrushes around the trapping area but not much else per JTM. On the reserve there are still 2 Goldeneye and a Red-throated Diver on Burrowes, a couple more Ring Ouzels, 3 Cattle Egrets and Great White Egrets around Hookers and Boulderwall, while on the ARC the Little Stint still present per PT & OL. 

Tuesday 15/10/19

An excellent mornings sea watching from the fishing boats, with passerines streaming over.

07.00-11.00 with AJG, CP, DS,MH

Brent Goose: 9W

Teal: 2W

Wigeon: 14W

Common Scoter: 245W

Red-breasted Merganser: 1W

Red-throated Diver: 3W      1 on sea

Great-crested Grebe: 7 o/s

Sooty Shearwater: 1W (DS & MH only)

Gannet: 149W

Grey Heron 6 coasting down(c1 to 2 miles out)

Ringed Plover: 3W

Turnstone: 2 on beach

Sanderling: 28W

Curlew: 1W

Great Skuas: 1W

Arctic Skua: 6 o/s

Kittiwake: 4W

Little Gull: 9W

Mediterranean Gull: 36W/feeding o/s

Common Gull: 17W

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 6W

Sandwich Tern: 84W/feeding o/s

Guillemot: 2W

Razorbill: 59W

Auk sp: 103W     7E

Swallows: 582 mainly out though some appeared to come in

House Martin: 26 out

Alba Wagtail: 21SW

Skylark: 26 out    4 in

Meadow Pipit: c600 SW

Starlings: 520 in

Goldfinch: 185 SW

Linnet: 115 SW

Siskin: 2 SW 

Common Seal: 1

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 2

While we were sea watching OL,DW, JTM & JD were working the trapping area with some success, A Serin and a Woodlark over per DW, a lapland Bunting over per OL, Firecrests and Ring Ouzels per JTM & JD.

 The German colour ring 1w Caspian Gull at the fishing boats again today

14.15-15.15 from the fishing boats with AJG & OL
Brent Goose: 3W
Common Scoter: 6W
Red-breasted Merganser: 2W
Great-crested Grebe: 13 o/s
Red-throated diver: 5W
Gannet: c30 o/s
Arctic Skua: 4 o/s
Kittiwake: 3W
Little Gull: 2W
Black-headed Gull: 153W
Mediterranean Gull: 14W
Common Gull: 28W
Caspian Gull: 1 on beach
Sandwich tern: 36W
Guillemot: 1W  3 o/s
Razorbill: 2W
Auk sp: 17E   6W
Swallow: 32 out
Hummingbird Hawkmoth 1 in off

The 1w Caspian Gull resting at the Fish Shack roost late afternoon.

The reserve remains quiet with highlights being Great White, Cattle and Little Egrets, daily sightings of Bittern, a Red-throated Diver on Burrowes also Garganey there with another on the ARC.