23/10/2020

This mornings sea watch from the fishing boats with Sam Perfect and AJG who kindly kept the log:

07.10-09.10 from the fishing boats

Common Scoter: 4E  5W                           

Red-breasted Merganser: 1W                             

Red-throated Diver: 1W                     

Great-crested Grebe: 9 o/s 

Gannet: 186W

Cormorant: present n/c                                

Merlin: 2 around                                  

Oystercatcher: 5E                            

Knot: 3W                                       

Turnstone: 5 on beach                                        

Curlew: 1E                                       

Arctic Skua: 3 around                         

Great Skua: 2W                                   

Kittiwake: 6 down                                

Mediterranean Gull: 103W                                     

Sandwich Tern: 261W

Razorbill: 69W

Guillemot: 10W

Auk sp: 488W

White-fronted Geese opposite Scotney Farm Yard this morning

I had a long walk around the back of a breezy Scotney this morning, I came across a small flock of Tree Sparrows, a few Corn Buntings and a party of 14 White-fronted Geese, also I had my first 3 figure count of Egyptian Geese 104 there.😧 Also a trickle of Swallows heading Southeast. 

Passage Swallow

Swallow about to take an insect, pity it is not quite in focus.

The Shorelark by Littlestone Golf Course, St Marys Bay found by Alison Borlase this afternoon. As the area is like a Winalot advert it was amazing that it was still present at 17.20 when I left site, so hopefully it will still be there tomorrow.

The gorgeous and confiding Red-backed Shrike at Littlestone Golf Course, St Marys Bay today

22/10/2020

 .                            Merlin hunting over beach behind the fishing boats this morning

07.10-09.40 from the fishing boats with SP and AJG who collated the numbers:

Dark-bellied Brent Goose: 1E

Velvet Scoter: 1W drake

Common Scoter: 1W    2E

Red-throated Diver: 4W  

Gannet: 485W   

Cormorant: 680 pushed from Lade Bay by the Range Boats

Peregrine: 1 out

Merlin: 3 hunting around the beach

Sparrowhawk: 1 in off

Oystercatcher: 2W

Turnstone: 18E

Kittiwake: 2W

Black-headed Gull: 17W

Mediterranean Gull: 4W

Common Gull: 42W

Herring Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: 149W

Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 181W

Arctic Skua: 2 o/s

Great Skua: 1W

Razorbill: 9W

Skylark: 15N

Swallow: 31S

Alba Wagtail: 4 on beach

Rock Pipit: 2W

Goldfinch: 525W

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 2+

Another 90 minutes at the fishing boats this afternoon was very poor with juat a handful of Terns and Gannets.

German ringed 3rd calendar year Caspian Gull preening moments before being flushed by another Merlin

Life history of the 3rd calendar year Caspian Gull that was in the roost by the track to the VC this afternoon. Also an adult Yellow-legged Gull present.

At Boulderwall the 2 Glossy Ibis and 3 Cattle Egrets were still present this afternoon, along with a Great White Egret. 4 Black-tailed Godwits on Burrowes were the only notable birds seen there.

The islands on the ARC are disappearing quite quickly, so no surprise that it was very quiet avian wise there. 

20/10/2020

A slightly better sea watch today  

A surfing Red-throated Diver

My first Great Northern Diver of the year this morning

Just a lone Arctic Skua today chasing the Sandwich Terns

Common Scoter enjoying the surf toady

White-fronted Geese with Greylag and Canada Geese at Scotney today

The Dartford Warbler thats been in The Desert for a few days

A Common Redpoll trapped and ringed at the Observatory recently

Both Glossy Ibis still insitu at Cooks Pool with a Great White Egret. At least 3 Cattle Egrets present there again today. My first Goldeneye of the autumn was on Burrowes today. Apart from an increase in the number of Pintail there appeared to be very little else on Burrowes. The same was noted at the ARC today.

16/010/2020

Wheatear by the new lighthouse

07.00-09.00 & 12.30-13.30 from the fishing boats: Numbers kindly supplied by AJG:

Dark-bellied Brent Goose: 433W     49E

Greylag Goose: 2E

Shelduck: 36E

Wigeon: 76W  

Teal: 3W

Velvet Scoter: 10W a single flock

Red-throated Diver: 1W

Great-crested Grebe: 2 present 

Gannet: 63E    

Cormorant: present n/c

Black-headed Gull: present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 1E

Common Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 27W     12 o/s

Great Skua: 2E

Arctic Skua: 3W

A gorgeous Pallas's Warbler trapped and ringed today at the Observatory

Looking miffed but showing its crown stripe 

Common/Meally Redpoll trapped and ringed at the observatory

Around the area still plenty of Redpolls, Siskins, Goldfinches, Chaffinches and a few Crossbills over, in the bushes plenty of Chiffchaffs, Goldcrests and a small number of Firecrests and at least 1 Yellow-browed Warbler also a few Blackcaps, also Song Thrushes and Redwings with small numbers of Fieldfare and at least 2 Ring Ouzels. Up to 3 Short-eared Owls were seen, a flock of 8 Great White Egrets flew out to sea but seem to have changed there mind, as I saw at least 3 flying back north with others being reported. The reserve and the ARC seem to have been very quiet with just the long staying pair of Glossy Ibis being seen, the usual Great White Egrets but no reports of any Cattle Egrets. Herons Park this afternoon was alive with Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests but once again I failed to find an eastern sprite. 

 

 

15/10/2020

07.00-109.00 & 14.45-15.45 from the fishing boats with SP and AJG who collated the numbers:

Dark-bellied Brent Goose: 75W     95E

Shelduck: 18E

Wigeon: 34W.   13E

Teal: 3E

Pochard: 1W drake

Eider: 1W drake

Common Scoter: 7W    19E

Red-throated Diver: 3E  

Gannet: 81W    14 o/s

Cormorant: present n/c

Oystercatcher: 1E

Knot: 1E

Curlew: 1E

Kittiwake: 2E

Black-headed Gull: present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 4E

Common Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 42E

Arctic Skua: 5o/s

Razorbill: 6W

Auk sp: 16W   12E

Swallow: 12N

Wheatear: 1 on beach

Carrion Crow: 35N

Starling: 370 in

Grey Wagtail: 1N

Alba Wagtail: 10N     6 on beach

Rock Pipit: 3 N

Chaffinch: 240N

Lesser Redpoll: 30N

Goldfinch: 1445N

Siskin: 25N

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 1+

Superb male Black Redstart by the trapping area this morning

A walk around The Desert and bushes saw 4+ Black Redstarts, 3+ Ring Ouzels, lots of Song Thrushes and Redwing, 3 Fieldfare, many Goldfinches, Siskins, Redpolls, Chaffinches and Goldcrests, small numbers of Meadow Pipits, Skylarks,  Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps, 2 Crossbills, 8 Swallows. Rock Pipits, also the resident Stonechats, another Wheatear and the residents. A Yellow-browed Warbler was seen in the trapping area. 

Ring Ouzel by the Long Pits this morning

Early afternoon at Herons Park a Yellow Wagtail and a few more Thrushes and Chiffchaffs but still no eastern sprite.

Jack Snipe bobbing at the ARC this afternoon

Late afternoon I flushed a Jack Snipe at the back of the ARC, very shortly afterwards I got a call from DW to say he was watching the above Jack Snipe c200 yds from where I flushed one, the same or another? very nice to see one on the ground though. 

 

Kamikaze Brent Geese coming over the beach straight at us at the fishing boats this morning

This male Merlin came in off the sea while we were sea watching at the fishing boats this morning

The results of this mornings sea watch courtesy of Trektellen

This Great White Egret flew past the fishing boats and then out to sea this morning

1 of a party of 5 Fieldfares in The Desert

1 of several Redwings in the trapping area

Chiffchaff lighthouse garden

My 3rd Short-toed Treecreeper this year at Dungeness found by Stephen Message

The superb Red-flanked Bluetail found by Sam Perfect this afternoon