05/09/2020

Glossy Ibis with a Garganey at the ARC yesterday

AJG did a short sea watch this morning which as you can see was very poor:
06:00-06:45 from the fishing boats:
Common Scoter: 2E
Gannet: 9W
Cormorant: present n/c
Sandwich Tern: 524W   26E
Common Tern: 1W
Swallow: 2 out
We did another short sea watch this afternoon which was even worse, the highlight being a Swift that went went out as we climbed into our cars.

Today at the ARC the Glossy Ibis still present, also a Garganey, a Little Gull, c150 Golden Plover. 200+ Lapwing, c40 Knot, 2 Ruff both juveniles, 6 Black-tailed Godwits, a Bar-tailed Godwit and a couple of Dunlin.

Whinchat in The Desert

1 of 3 Sedge Warblers seen today at the Long Pits, along with good numbers Common Whitethroats, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers, with smaller numbers of Lesser Whitethroats and Reed Warblers.

2 of the 3 Redstarts seen around the Long Pits today

1 of c15 Lesser Whitethroats seen around the Long Pits today

Spotted Flycatcher top of the Long Pits

Sparrowhawk at The Moat

Wheatear by The Moat

The Drone that's used for spotting illegal migrants returning to Lydd Airport

This flock of Golden Plover were circling Galloways before heading off out over the channel, I estimated the flock to be about 50 in number, so was surprised when I counted them on the computer screen to find there was 80!  Also at Galloways 6+ Whinchats, 4+ Wheatears, numerous Stonechats and Common Whitethroats.

Low flying Golden Plover

One of several Wheatears at Galloways

Young Fox at Galloways

Whinchat on the hayfield electric fence this afternoon

5 of at least 9 Whinchats at the the hay fields this afrenoon

Whinchat and Yellow Wagtails at the hay fields

1 of at least 3 Great White Egret at Denge Marsh, also an adult Ruff there.

5 of the 6 Cattle Egrets at the Hay fields this afternoon, also 2 Greenshank there.

Up to 4 Hummingbird Hawkmoths have been visiting my garden almost daily this summer

03/09/2020

06.00-08.30 from the fishing boats with SP & AJG who collated the numbers:
Wigeon: 2W
Common Scoter: 13W
Great-crested Grebe: 2W
Gannet: 24W
Great Skua: 2W
Arctic Skua: 2W
Sandwich tern 233 down
Common Tern 2 down
Auk sp:1W
Sand Martin: 695 out
House Martin: out 38
Swallow: 540 out
Grey Seal: 1
Harbour Porpoise: 3+

Some of the 100s probably 1,000s of Sand Martins over the ARC this morning

Newly fledged Swallow from the screen hide nest

Glossy Ibis still present today

In 2 visits to the ARC today, The Glossy Ibis was still showing well, also 10 Black-tailed Godwits, 4 Bar-tailed Godwits, c200 each of Golden Plover and Lapwing, a Little Stint, 3 Dunlin, a Ruff, 3 Avocet, 2 Common Snipe, 2 Ringed Plovers, 3 Common Sandpipers, 2 Garganey and many Hirundines.
A scan through the large Gulls in the roost by the entrance track to the VC found an adult Yellow-legged Gull, a new for Dungeness Norwegian ringed Great Black-backed Gull JC544 also a returning Normandy ringed G.B.B.Gull 99L.

Above is the known life history of G.B.B.Gull JC554

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

13.30-16.00 from the fishing boats with CP and AJG who collated the numbers:
Common Scoter: 8W  1 o/s
Graet-crested Grebe: 6 o/s
Balearic Shearwater: 1W
Gannet: 32W
Cormorant: 17 o/s
Turnstone: 2W
Mediterranean Gull: 1W
Caspian Gull: 1 1st calendar year on beach
Med Gull 1 adult down
Sandwich Tern: 424W
Common Tern: 28W
Black Tern: 1W
Harbour Porpoise: 3+

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

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

02/09/2020

Glossy Ibis at the ARC yesterday in a brief visit

I haven't been out too much the last couple of days as I've had to do some domestic stuff. so just a few images. 

A couple of visits to the ARC saw c200 Golden Plover, 45 Knot, Ruff, Ringed Plovers, Common Sandpipers, Dunlin, 8 Black-tailed Godwits, a Bar-tailed Godwit and the usual wildfowl.

Large numbers of Sand Martins and Swallows over the peninsular today, along with 10+ Common Buzzards that were probably local birds. The Osprey that I glimpsed distantly thanks to a quick message from RW today was definitely not local. 

Juvenile Cuckoo on the edge of The Desert yesterday

Juvenile Goldfinch in the garden this morning

Grey Seal with a cataract at the fishing boats this afternoon

A very poor sea watch with RW this afternoon 14.00-16.00:
Shelduck: 17W
Common Scoter: 3W  19E
Gannet: 39W
Cormorant: 16 o/s
Arctic Skua: 2E
Yellow-legged Gull: 1 juv/1w
Little Tern: 4W
Sandwich Tern: 52W
Common Tern: 9W
Sand Martin: 185 out
Swallow: 506 out
Harbour Porpoise: 4+
Grey Seal: 1 on beach

Juvenile/1w Yellow-legged gull at the fishing boats this afternoon

31/08/2020

Short-eared Owls at Galloways yesterday evening

AJG did his usual sea watch this morning which was abysmal.

06.00-07.00 from the fishing boats:

Common Scoter: 2E

Gannet: 11W 12 lingering off shore

Cormorant: present n/c

Sanderling: 4W

Sandwich Tern: 43W

Common Tern: 22W

Wryneck trapped at the observatory this morning

Around The Point a few Willow Warblers, Blackcaps and Common Whitethroats, 2 Whinchat in The Moat, but todays star was the gorgeous Wryneck trapped in The Moat, a stunningly beautiful bird with such cryptic plumage.

The Glossy Ibis was still at the ARC today, as were the 8 Black-tailed Godwits. I could not find anything other than a Ringed Plover and a couple of Dunlin among the Lapwing and Golden Plover.

This afternoon JY flushed a Quail near the airport and also spotted a Honey Buzzard flying high SW there. I was at Springfield Bridge with DS & MH, but despite JY giving us directions for the Honey we were unable to spot it.

Little Owl at Lydd Camp early afternoon

Clouded Yellow Denge Marsh Gully this afternoon

Elusive Pied Flycatcher in the Gully this afternoon

Some of the several Wheatears in the Gully this afternoon

One of several Whinchats at Galloways late afternoon

Saturday 28/08/2020

AJG once again did the early morning sea watch from the fishing boats and kindly sent me the numbers:

Common Scoter: 5W

Fulmar: 4W

Gannet: 53W

Cormorant: 9 o/s

Grey Plover: 3W

Ringed Plover: 11W

Dunlin: 75W

Turnstone: 1W

Arctic Skua 3 down

Sandwich Tern: 86W

Common Tern: 16W

At the ARC the Glossy Ibis is still present, as was the Little Stint, some Common Sandpipers, LRPs and Ringed Plovers also present. Viewed from the causeway many waders can be seen on the islands in front of Hanson Hide, but to distant to properly identify most of them, I'm sure lots of birds are going undetected because the hides are all still locked up.

Elsewhere on the peninsular several Great White Egrets and at least 1 Cattle Egret, a smattering of Wheatears could be seen and a single Whinchat at Galloways.

Osprey flying straight at me at Denge Marsh Gully this morning

It veers off at the last moment

As it flew along the shore towards Rye I could track its progress by the Gulls exploding off the beach 

I joined AJG for a sea watch at the fishing boats this afternoon, it can only be described as abysmal.

14.00-15.30 with AJG:

Great crested Grebe 6 on

Cormorant: 5 o/s

Dunlin: 1W

Arctic Skua: 1W

Sandwich Tern: 11W

Common Tern: 14W

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 2

At Galloways this morning I was quite surprised to find 2 Short-eared Owls as they don't usually appear until the end of September. This evening there were 3 Owls present and showing rather well. Please note Galloways is closed to the public for next 3 days at least between 08.00 and 16.30.

Short-eared Owl with its supper

Sparrowhawk at Galloways this morning

An abysmal record image of the Wryneck found by Dave Scott at Galloways this morning

This evenings image is not much better of this skulking Wryneck