Monday 28/10/2019

I spent very interesting day around the observatory where 80+ birds were trapped and ringed. At least 2 Woodcocks were seen, 1 in The Moat and another came in off the sea and flew past me at the lighthouse and disappeared towards the observatory. A Merlin flew over The Moat, 2 Swallows, a Fieldfare and a Mistle Thrush flew over The Desert, also several Brambling, Siskin and Redpoll flew over the observatory.

A short sea watch by AJG was a complete non event.

A very nice P collybita tristis ringed late morning

 P collybita tristis

 P c tristis alongside a P collybita with dark and light background

 A gorgeous Yellow-browed Warbler was among lots of Goldcrests ringed and seen today

This smart lad was huge with a wing of 70mm, probably a continental bird. I believe 25+Blue Tits were ringed today, a single flock of 32 flew NW over the observatory this morning with many more being seen.

 1 of at least 5 ringed today

 The Firecrests in the bushes were very uncooperative today

 The only Redwing caught today

This big lad probably of continental extraction found its way into the Heligoland late afternoon

Sunday 27/10/2019

A very lazy day today, a long lay in but up just in time to watch the rugby, followed by a full English.

Fortunately AJG was up and about sea watching from the hide this morning.

06.40-07.40

Gadwall: 1W

Common Scoter: 5W

Gannet: 55W

Kittiwake: 24W

Mediterranean Gull: 14W

Sandwich tern: 6W

Razorbill: 4W

Auk sp: 196W

Late morning at Scotney where 1,000+ Golden Plover were again on the sward but very flighty, so difficult to scrutinise properly, among them were 2 Curlew, 2 Redshank, 2 Ruff and c200 Lapwing, the usual feral geese were also present.

 Ruff in front of Firth late afternoon

A late afternoon visit to Burrowes saw the Red-throated Diver and Long-tailed Duck but both distant, a Ruff and and 2 Greenshank were other highlights. Very Gulls came in to roost on Burrowes this evening, the only notable bird was a 2w Yellow-legged Gull.

Greenshanks over Burrowes this afternoon

Friday 25/10/19

 Adult Mediterranean Gull gleaming in the early morning light

07.15-09.15 from the fishing boats, many thanks to AJG for collating the numbers:
Common Scoter: 5W
Red-throated Diver: 1E
Great-crested Grebe: 15 o/s
Gannet: 729W
Cormorant: present n/c
Turnstone: 3 on Beach
Great Skua: 1E
Arctic Skua: 4W
Kittiwake: 186W
Little Gull: 1W juvenile
Mediterranean Gull:  27 o/s
Sandwich Tern: 26 o/s
Guillemot: 8W
Razorbill: 66W
Auk sp: 124 o/s
Very few grounded migrants around the peninsular today. Around Dengemarsh Gully a single Swallowon its way south was the I could find there.
On the sward at Scotney I spent a long time scanning back and forth through a flock of c1,000 Golden Plover but could only find 2 Curlew, 3 Ruff and a Turnstone among them, the usual feral geese were present.

 1st calendar year Caspian Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon.

13.30-15.00 from the fishing boats:

Brent Goose: 2W

Common Scoter: 3W

Great-crested Grebe: 13 o/s

Gannet: 56W     20 o/s

Grey Plover: 1W

Arctic skua: 2 o/s

Kittiwake: 41W    23 o/s

Mediterranean Gull: 6o/s

Yellow-legged Gull: 1 1st cal year bird present

Caspian Gull: 1 1st cal year bird un-ringed present

Sandwich tern: 14W    8 o/s

Razorbill: 4W

Auk sp: 41E           9W

2w Caspian Gull in the roost next to the reserve entrance track

On Burrowes the Long-tailed Duck and Red-throated Diver still present but can be amazingly elusive.

Thursday 24/10/19

Brambling on the power station fence on Tuesday

07.30-09.30 from the fishing boats, numbers kindly collated by AJG:
Brent Goose: 2W
Shelduck: 4W
Wigeon: 14W
Teal: 2W
Pintail: 1W
Common Scoter: 6W       5E
Red-breasted Merganser: 1W
Red-throated Diver: 2W
Gannet: 620W
Cormorant: present n/c
Knot: 11W
Dunlin: 2W
Curlew: 1W
Arctic Skua: 3W
Kittiwake: 18W
Mediterranean Gull: 5 o/s
Sandwich Tern: 27W
Razorbill 54 down
Guillemot 2 down
Auk sp: 66W
Pied Wagtail: 38W
Starling: 700 in

A soggy Firecrest

A walk around The Point this morning saw 9 Firecrest, 37 Goldcrest, 1 Chiffchaff, 8 Swallows through, 11 Black Redstarts, 220 Goldfinches, 16 Siskin and 2 Brambling over, a few Meadow Pipits, 4 Stonechats, 3 Song Thrushes, singles of Fieldfare, Mistle Thrush, Collared Dove, Grey Wagtail and Merlin, a party of c20 Blue Tits came out of the lighthouse Garden and headed off west, also 2 Brown Hares.

14:30-15:30 from the fishing boats:
Common Scoter: 2E
Gannet: 9E   48W
Arctic skua: 1 around
Kittiwake: 4W
Mediterranean Gull: 11E
Sandwich Tern:  24W

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