24/05/2021

Some of todays Manx Shearwaters

06.00-14.30 with AJG, OL, CT

Common Scoter: 79E

Fulmar: 2E     19W

Manx Shearwater: 417W      4E

Great-crested Grebe: 8W     4 on

Gannet: 521W         83E

Kittiwake: 37W    5E

Sandwich Tern: 6W    23E

Common Tern: 3E

Great Skua: 7W

Arctic Skua: 1E

Guillemot: 25W     3E

Auk sp: 36W       8E

Swift: 1 in

Swallow: 1 in

House Martin: 15 in (1 flock)

Harbour Porpoise: 6+

Grey Seal: 1

Baby Meadow Pipit fresh out the nest by the perimeter wall

 

One of the many Swifts around today

The Hobby's around the hay fields have been very photogenic, mainly because they are cold and starving 

I spent an hour laying on the beach in the rain on Saturday photographing this flock of 44 Sanderling. They were quite tame all the time I lay fairly still gorging themselves on the abundant shellfish washed up by the storms.

21/05/2021

3 Manx smudges from this morning

A horrible day of howling gales with intermittent light showers meant another a few hours spent in the sea watch hide, which will hopefully still be intact tomorrow as the storm continues overnight.

07.00-10.30 joined by AJG

Common Scoter: 88E

Great-crested Grebe: 17W  2 on

Manx Shearwater: 43W

Fulmar: 10E      9W

Gannet: 58E    118W

Cormorant: 7 around

Kittiwake: 18W

Sandwich Tern: 7E

Guillemot: 1E

Auk sp:14W     4E

Swift: 7W

House Martin: 2W

Swallow: 4W

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 3+

Another hour watching this afternoon produced barely a bird.

The Tufted Duck had taken over the abandoned Coots nest

The Glossy Ibis pushed the Tufted Duck out and made some alterations

Admiring its work

Add a bit more weed 

Try it for comfort

Yup that will do nicely

The new owner of the nest today

20/05/2021

As the appalling spring weather continues at least I can fill most of my day staring at the sea. 

07.00-10.30 joined by OL & JTM

Brent Goose: 8E

Scaup: 1E drake

Common Scoter: 64E       115W

Red-throated Diver: 1E

Great-crested Grebe: 1E      4 on

Fulmar: 8W

Gannet: 64E   131W

Cormorant: 26 around

Oystercatcher: 4W

Kittiwake: 27E      13W

Sandwich Tern: 12E.  3W

Common Tern: 15E

Great skua: 2E

Arctic Skua: 2E

Guillemot: 3E

Auk sp: 18E   14W

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 14+

The 3 black smudges are Manx Shearwaters they rarely come past close enough for decent pics 

15.00-18.30

Brent Goose: 5E

Common Scoter: 23E

Fulmar: 5E       3W

Manx Shearwater: 36E

Gannet: 424E     73W

Oystercatcher: 1E

Whimbrel: 3E

Kittiwake: 35E

Mediterranean Gull: 1E   1st summer

Sandwich tern: 22E

Common Tern: 1W

Great Skua: 3E

Arctic Skua: 2E

Guillemot: 6E

Auk sp: 55E  9W

Swift: 3W

Four black smudges in this pic

19/05/2021

 

Reed Bunting in the Rape field late morning

This mornings early morning sea watch

07.00-09.00 with AJG

Brent Goose: 6E

Common Scoter: 243E      12W

Great-crested Grebe: 8 around

Fulmar: 3W

Gannet: 68E     23W

Cormorant: 13W

Shag: 1E

Oystercatcher: 2E      6W

Ringed Plover: 7 in off

Sanderling: 6E

Kittiwake: 12W

Sandwich Tern: 4E

Common Tern: 20E

Arctic Skua: 2E

Auk sp: 3W

Swallow: 6 in off

Swift: 1 in off

Black Redstart: 1 male around

Harbour Porpoise: 8+

Grey Seal: 1

Common Gulls on the nest

Kingfisher over Burrowes this morning

As all the hides remain closed on the reserve, I only went to Dennis's look out to make sure I didn't get a soaking, unlike some poor souls I saw trudging back along the return trail wet through because there is absolutely no shelter from the weather,  The only waders on Burrowes were a Whimbrel, a Ringed Plover and the resident Oystercatchers. 

There are still a couple of Great White Egrets about, as well as the Glossy Ibis, the Bitterns can be heard booming albeit rather half heartedly, Reed, Sedge and Cettis Warblers along with Common and Lesser Whitethroats and Blackcaps can all be seen just about anywhere on the reserve, 10+ Hobby's can be seen around the reserve when the sun comes out along with the usual feral wildfowl.

Just as well there are no Terns on the reserve as the last free nesting space for them is being occupied by a pair of Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

The shed above is Covid safe, the one below is not apparently!

Early Purple Orchid 

One of at least 6 Hobby's at the ARC today

My late afternoon sea watch.

16.00-17.00

Fulmar: 1W

Gannet: 19E     13W

Kittiwake: 12W

Sandwich Tern: 1E

Arctic Skua: 1E

Guillemot: 4W

Auk sp: 2E   2W

Swallow: 1 in

17/05/2021

O5.30-08.30 with AJG

Brent Goose: 5W

Common Scoter: 154E

Fulmar: 4W   3E

Great-crested Grebe: 2W      5 around

Grey Heron: 2W

Oystercatcher: 1W     6E

Kittiwake: 53W

Sandwich tern: 6E

Great Skua: 1E

Guillemot: 9W

Auk sp: 4W

Swift: 55 in

Swallow: 43 in

Harbour Porpoise: 6+

Grey Seal: 2

After rather a poor sea watch I checked out the lakes looking for scarcer Hirundines or Swift as there was a steady arrival of Common Swifts this morning, surprisingly there were very few Hirundines hawking over the lakes or anything much else. 

I was about to have a late breakfast when DW called to say he had found a singing Melodious Warbler in the trapping area. When I arrived it was only a short wait before it sang again and showed itself very briefly several times so no images, but I did get a recording of it singing, see the video below.

This afternoon the rain was virtually non stop and late this afternoon I got my second Covid jab.

The singing Melodious Warbler in the trapping area today, turn the volume up.

 

Common Buzzard at the south end of the ARC this morning

Hobby waiting for the insects to start flying this morning

Brent Goose in the hay fields this evening

Great-crested Grebe on Burrowes

Red Fox scavenging at the new Scott view point

Gem from the MV trap yesterday

A Light Feathered Rustic in the MV trap this morning

The Dengemarsh concrete man

15/05/2021

Greenfinch in the garden early morning while waiting for the rain to ease

Raven silhouette over the garden

The Hobby's are still looking miserable

Whitethroat posing in the rain at Dengemarsh this morning

The damp walk around the reserve this morning was made worthwhile by finding this Cattle Egret, the first on the reserve this year. The Bitterns were again booming rather half heartedly at Dengemarsh, also lovely summer plumage adult Great White Egret, along with all the usual wildfowl and warblers. I couldn't see any Lapwing chicks this morning, but they were probably hiding and keeping dry somewhere.

Over the lakes many Hirundines but nothing unusual I could see, the only wader of note on Burrowes was a single Whimbrel.

Glossy Ibis on the ARC this afternoon

 

Friday 14/05/2021

A cold slow hours sea watch this morning saw just a few Gannets, Terns and Scoter. Next stop the hay fields which was also cold and damp, though the flock of Corn Buntings very nice to see along with the usual Yellow Wagtails. The Hobby's looked very sorry for them selves and are obviously struggling to feed. In the reeds the usual Warblers singing rather half heartedly, also the occasional Bearded Tit calling and Bittern booming. There were at least 3 Lapwing chicks in hay field, the next 2 weeks or so is likely to be very challenging for them with the host of aerial predators as well as Stoats.

There is still a flock of c24 Corn Buntings at Dengemarsh

A cold, damp dejected Hobby at the hay fields

1of 4+ Little Ringed Plovers at Scotney

A wander around Scotney was rewarding with my first Common Sandpiper of the year, nice views of hunting Hen Harrier and Little Ringed Plovers. Good numbers of Avocets can be seen but look very vulnerable to attack from Badgers and Foxes.

My first Common Sandpiper of the year at Scotney

Avocet at Scotney

1 of the many Yellow Wagtails at Scotney

Ring tail Hen Harrier at Scotney

Common Buzzard with a Rabbit

Nesting Avocets at Scotney

Common Gull does little to line its nest site unlike the Herring Gull below

An evening stroll around the reserve was pleasant, 100s of Swallows were hawking over Burrowes but no Terns appeared to be roosting. A Brown Hare gave me prolonged views as it grazed on some Broome, unfortunately the poor light did not do it justice.

Herring Gull taking over 1 of the Common Gull boxes

Brown Hare nibbling on the Broome on the reserve at dusk