Sunday, 26 September 2021

26/09/2021

Guillemot
Migrant RIB arriving this morning, evading all Border Force Vessels and millions of £s of technology. 😂
By the time these 3 Border Force vessels and millions arrived the migrant RIB had already landed
07.00-09.30 from the fishing boats with AJG who kindly collated the numbers:
Common Scoter: 16W
Sooty Shearwater: 2W
Gannet: 207W
Merlin: 1 hunting off shire
Kittiwake: 9W
Mediterranean Gull: 3W
Sandwich Tern: 131W
Arctic Skua : 3W
Razorbill: 1W
Guillemot: 4W
Auk sp: 2W
House Martin: c25W
Swallow: 61W
Apart from a few Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps in the bushes the dearth of passerines continues.
Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua 
13.30-16.00 from the fishing boats with NB, JB, DB, AJG, OL, & RW who kindly kept the log:
Brent Goose: 1W
Common Scoter: 2E    45W
Red-throated diver: 1W
Great-crested Grebe: 1E
Manx Shearwater: 2W
Balearic Shearwater: 1W
Gannet: 137W
Cormorant: 8E  22W
Curlew: 1W
Kittiwake: c200 loafing offshore
Mediterranean Gull: 2E  12W
Sandwich Tern: 258W
Common Tern: 3W
Arctic Skua & Sandwich Terns
Manx Shearwater
Common Scoter
Common Tern
No sign of the Black Tern on the ARC today, 2 Garganey and the Black-necked Grebe still present there. 
On the reserve in the fields still at least 8 Cattle Egrets, the Glossy Ibis the usual Great and Little Egrets and a few Yellow Wagtails of note. Burrowes held up to 3 Ruff, 8 Knot, 15, Dunlin, 50+ Golden Plover, a flock of c20 Ringed Plovers flew through as did a single Sandwich Tern.
Cattle Egret
Great White Egret
Four-spotted Footman
Delicate
 

Thursday, 23 September 2021

23/09/2021

 As I keep being asked when the hides are going to open again. As far as I know Firth Hide will never open again as it  has been replaced by the Firth Look Out which probably seemed liked a good idea, in reality it is only really usable in perfect weather especially with a scope, very few birds stay on the close islands as the first person to walk onto the Look Out flushes them. Makepiece won't open until they can get enough funding to replace it. Scott Hide has been replaced by another Look Out with the same drawbacks as Firth. Dengemarsh should open in the next couple of weeks, don't hold your breath. Hanson won't open until the new Willow Trail Boardwalk is completed, so probably not till next year at the earliest. The Screen is open albeit with the back completely removed, at the moment the vegetation is so high little can be seen, most people walk past the screen and stand on top of the bank. The good news is Christmas Dell hide is open at the moment, so somewhere to eat your sandwiches and have a sleep. Dennis's Hide is open at the moment so at least some of Burrowes can viewed irrelative comfort.

The best hide at the moment is the car, especially by entrance track where the Egrets and Ibis sometimes show very well, though I expect to find double yellow lines there one day.😂

An Obliging Great Egret again today


The Cattle Egrets weren't to bad either
Todays sea watches were again poor but least the sun shining:
07.30-08.30 
Common Scoter: 4W
Gannet: 110 feeding 
Cormorant: 11 around
Merlin: 1 in off the sea
Grey Plover: 2W
Kittiwake: 1 at Patch 1w
Mediterranean Gull: 1 at Patch 1w
Sandwich Tern: 2E
Guillemot: 1E
Swallow: 131 SW
House Martin: 46 SW

13.30-15.30 from Fishing boats:
Common Scoter: 35W       5E
Red-throated Diver: 1W
Gannet: 51W
Cormorant: 14E
Kittiwake: 43W      19 on
Sandwich Tern: 137W
Arctic Skua: 4W      1E
Guillemot: 1E   1 on
Swallow: 28 SW
Wheatear: 1 around
Grey Seal !
Harbour Porpoise: 4

The bushes were very quiet, a few each of Chiffchaff and Blackcap. 
Lydd Fields had a few Yellow Wagtails and  Meadow Pipits over with a couple of Marsh harriers and Common Buzzards. Dengemarsh the 2 juvenile Hobby's still present, a single Wheatear, 2 Ravens and more Yellow Wagtails. 

Tuesday, 21 September 2021

21/09/2021

Sea watching the last couple of days has been very slow, a few Brent Geese, Teal and Wigeon have started to move through and couple of Sooty Shearwaters were seen, otherwise its just a a handful of the same Arctic Skuas harrying the Sandwich Terns and a few Gannets, a flock of c150-200 Kittiwakes has built up off shore, Common Terns have been virtually non existent.
Elsewhere on the peninsular there has been a dearth of passerines, just small numbers of Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps, Wheatears etc. On the reserve a White Winged Tern was found yesterday on Burrowes but no sign today, I should probably have spotted it yesterday morning when I went up to Firth and Makepiece, but with a not especially strong North West wind blowing viewing Burrowes from the ridiculous lookout with a scope was impossible and very uncomfortable, even using the fence at Makepiece to rest my bins on, did not work as the fence was shaking so much in the wind, this on a relatively calm and warm day, heaven knows what it will be like in the winter, so I gave up even trying to view the lake very quickly and marched back to the car and left in a sulk. I did let the volunteer staff in the shed know politely my feelings on closing the hides, but it is not their fault and they have no say in the matter.
Brent Goose which walked along the beach in front of the sea watch yesterday
A showy Great Egret yesterday

9 Cattle Egrets together in a pre roost gathering yesterday
The White Winged Tern, images taken in the failing light

Wheatear on the perimeter wall this morning
Rooks and Jackdaw greeting a local Common Buzzard over my house late morning
Cattle Egrets and Glossy ibis late this afternoon at Boulderwall
Hoary Footman the highlight in the trap today
 

Saturday, 18 September 2021

18/09/2021

One of the many Arctic Skuas that have been hanging around offshore about to attack a Common Tern
07.30-09.00 with SO, AJG and RW who kindly kept the log:
Mallard: 1W
Teal: 5W
Common Scoter: 11W    17E
Shearwater sp: 1W
Gannet: 328E
Cormorant: 3W
Kittiwake: 96W     57 around
Mediterranean Gull: 1W
Sandwich tern: 122W   37E
Common Tern: 7W         7E
Great Skua: 1E
Arctic Skua: 12E       5W
Auk sp: 3W
Swallow: 4 out
Yellow Wagtail: 1 out
Grey Wagtail on the filter beds behind the sea watch hide
Chiffchaff in The Desert
A wander around The Desert with RW & SO was very quiet, a define clear out of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps from yesterday, we only saw a handful of Chiffchaffs, a couple of Wheatears, Yellow Wagtail over and a trickle of Hirundines, 2 Clouded Yellows were seen as well,  the highlight was a juvenile Marsh Harrier that came over the trapping area and flew straight out to sea.
Black-necked Grebe at southern end of the ARC
Cattle Egret at the ARC
1 of 2 Ravens over Lydd Fields
I spent a while late morning early afternoon in the field opposite my house waiting for the stream of Honey Buzzards to come over, I'm still waiting! while I was out there 4 juvenile Hobby's put on a superb aerial display tussling with a Kestrel, a Rook and a Crow. 2 Ravens came over cronking, a mewing Common Buzzard and a very tatty male Marsh Harrier added to the aerial festival. In the stubble numerous Meadow Pipits, Linnets, Reed Buntings and a couple of Yellow Wagtails, while in the ditch a Cetti's Warbler shouted, and a Reed Warbler skulked while a Clouded Yellow flew up and down. Who needs twitching with all that literally on my doorstep.
Juvenile Hobby
Juvenile Hobby and Kestrel tussling with each other
2 of the 4 Hobby's with a Kestrel
Juvenile Hobby teasing a Rook
13.30-15.30 with SO, AJG and RW who kindly kept the log:
Common Scoter: 3W    
Gannet: 33E     43W
Cormorant: 6W
Oystercatcher: 2E
Kittiwake: 24E      28W    15 around
Mediterranean Gull: 1W
Sandwich tern: 78E  
Common Tern: 4E        12W
Great Skua: 1E
Arctic Skua: 12E       5W
Guillemot: 4 around
Swallow: 25out
1 of 2 Great Egret and 4 of the 11 Common Snipe on Burrowes on the island to the right of Makepiece
1 of 2 Black Terns on Burrowes
Little Stint on Burrowes on island to the right of Makepiece
This mornings Marbled Beauty clearly brighter and less worn the yesterdays individual

Hoary Footman a first for my trap yesterday

Thursday, 16 September 2021

16/09/2021

This mornings sea watch was scaled down version of yesterdays watch, with 6+ Arctic Skuas back and forth chasing a few Sandwich and Common Terns, a flock of 90 Kittiwakes were loitering offshore, as were a c20 Gannets, a Guillemot on the sea was a first for the Autumn for me, 10 Common Scoter moved West, probably the only birds actually migrating were 3 Teal that flew West, at least 7 Harbour Porpoise were offshore with a Grey Seal. 3 Grey Wagtails were on the settling beds behind the sea watch hide.
A pleasant hour in the  warm sunshine this afternoon at the fishing boats with AJG who kindly collated the numbers:
14.30-15.30
Gannet: 8E
Cormorant: 9 around
Kittiwake: 13 around
Mediterranean Gull: 1E
Sandwich Tern: 31 around
Common Tern: 1 around
Arctic Skua; 6 around
Guillemot: 1 on
Auk sp: 1W
Swallow: 39 out
Sand Martin: 11 out
Harbour Porpoise: 9+
Grey Seal: 1
1 of many Chiffchaffs around this morning
A chilly early morning around the bushes c40 Chiffchaffs, 15 Blackcaps, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 5 Common Whitethroats, 3 Wheatear and Tree Pipit I nearly trod on which is exactly what I have to do to be close enough to hear them call. As soon as temperature started rising the birds seemed to melt away. 
The Glossy Ibis was still on its chosen island at the ARC today, also 3 Clouded Yellows there. 2 Cattle Egrets were at the top of Cooks pool with 2 Great Egrets and a Little Egret. Burrowes from Dennis's a Black-tailed Godwit and a Common Snipe among the Lapwings.
An hour in the Lydd Fields 11.00-midday skywatching for Honey Buzzards which failed to materialise again, but instead saw a Common Buzzard, a Marsh Harrier, a Hobby, 2 Sparrowhawks, 4 Yellow Wagtails, several Reed Buntings, a Reed Warbler, a Cetti's warbler calling, more Chiffchaffs and 100s of Greylags dropping into the stubble.
Cattle Egrets at top end of Cooks Pool
Reed Bunting Lydd fields
Yellow Wagtail Lydd fields
Hummingbird Hawkmoth on the perimeter wall early morning
A late Small Elephant Hawkmoth in the trap yesterday
 

Tuesday, 14 September 2021

14/09/2021

An unusual pale headed Arctic Skua
06.30-08.30 AJG, MC, OL
Gannet: 41E         8W
Cormorant: 5W
Oystercatcher: 6E
Kittiwake: 9E
Mediterranean Gull: 2E
Sandwich Tern: c200 around
Common Tern: 3 around
Arctic Skua: minimum 20 around
Great Skua: 1 around
Grey Seal : 1
Harbour Porpoise: 6+
The chap in the Kayak certainly had the best views of the Arctic Skuas this morning
First Razorbill of the autumn with a 1w Mediterranean Gull
The afternoon sea watch was very similar to the morning watch, with the addition of 2 firsts of the autumn for me, a Razorbill and summer plumage Red-throated Diver,  though another was seen this morning by another birder.
The bushes seemed devoid of birds today. There was no news from the reserve today though I not sure if any of the locals bothered to visit today. The Glossy Ibis was on its usual island late afternoon and at least 1 Black-necked grebe was present on the ARC.
This evening at Galloway's and out to South Brooks just 2 each of Wheatear and Whinchat and a Common Buzzard, it looks so good for raptors and Owls but I saw none.
c400 mainly Swallows with a few Sand Martins around the fishing boats this afternoon