13/09/2022

A short walk around the bushes this morning found a few Wheatears, lots of Meadow Pipits, a few Hirundines going south and not much else.

Black-tailed Godwit in small pool by Axell viewpoint ARC

From Hanson today 2 Wood , 5 Common, a Curlew and  a Green Sandpiper, a Little Stint, an Avocet, 4 Dunlin, a Redshank, 87 Golden Plover, 5 Glossy Ibis, 2 Black Terns etc. A Spotted Flycatcher at the pines.

Glossy Ibis's on the ARC today

1 of 2 1w Caspian Gulls on Burrowes today

 Yellow ringed H049T a bird from Heligoland

3 Curlew Sandpipers, a Dunlin, a Ringed Plover, a Little Stint and a Greenshank flew over, from Firth viewpoint which was very uncomfortable today in the North East wind and drizzle, amazingly there was no else there, can't think why.

1w Yellow-legged Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon

Just a couple of Arctic Skuas chasing Sandwich Terns off shore from the fishing boats were the highlights of a short sea watch this afternoon.

I apologise for the Sandwich Tern overload, my excuse is that they were feeding close in to the fishing boats and very little else was passing.

 

11/09/2022

2 Pied Flycatchers trapped at the observatory this morning

Also lots of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps ringed, also a very noisy Great Spotted Woodpecker. Highlight was definitely a flock of 24 Curlew Sandpipers that flew over, even I could hear them but only managed to see 6 of them.

My first Red-throated Diver of the Autumn flew West past the fishing boats this morning

Glossy Ibis at Springfield Bridge this evening

Fairly quiet at Springfield Bridge this evening as most of the waders seemed to have departed, just single each of Curlew Sandpiper and Ruff, along with usual Lapwing and Common Snipe.

Great White Egret at Springfield Bridge this evening

March Mallow moth just about annual in my trap

 

10/09/2022

Temminck's Stint still distant at Dengemarsh this morning

Cattle Egrets coming to roost on Dengemarsh this morning

A couple of visits to Dengemarsh today saw 4 Wood Sandpipers, 4 Green Sandpipers, 3 Curlew Sandpipers, 7 Ruff, 2 Greenshank, Temminck's Stint, 40+ Common Snipe, 8 Cattle Egrets, 6 Great White Egrets, 7 Little Egrets, Bittern, Hobby, Bearded Tits, many Yellow Wagtails, Swift, 100s each of Sand Martins and Swallows, lesser numbers of House Martins, 2 Raven, Whinchat etc.

3 of the 4 Wood sandpipers at Dengemarsh this morning

Ravens over Dengemarsh this morning

Grass Snake from Hanson this afternoon

A quieter day at the ARC but very nice to see the Grass Snake, Little Stint another Wood Sandpiper, a few Golden Plover, 3 Black Terns etc.

Green Sandpiper over Dengemarsh early evening

I didn't do any sea watching today but it was apparently fairly slow compared to recent days, just a handful of Balearic Shearwaters were seen, along with the Arctic Skuas, Black, Little and Sandwich Terns which have been hanging around in the bay for some days now. Highlight was probably an Osprey that went out to sea.

Starlings gathering in front of the house this evening

 

A superb Moon rising over the ARC tonight taken from the garden

09/09/2022

Balearic Shearwaters from the fishing boats

Most of the time this week I have spent at the fishing boats sea watching, good to see 150+ Balearic Shearwaters, only modest numbers of Arctic Skuas and only 2 Great Skuas, 2,000+ Sandwich Terns, 100+ Common Terns, a few each of Black and Little Terns and a single Arctic Tern were the highlights of our efforts. A Long-tailed Skua was seen and photographed by Jacob in the hour I spent getting lunch😢

Black Tern from the fishing boats

Arctic Skua from the fishing boats

Common Tern from the fishing boats

2nd Calendar year Caspian Gull at the fishing boats

1st Calendar year Caspian Gull at the fishing boats

Adult Yellow-legged Gull at the fishing boats

Good numbers of Wood, Curlew, Common and Green Sandpipers, Little Stints, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwits etc have been seen daily around the reserve, with a bonus Temminck's Stint at Dengemarsh still present. A Wryneck turned up at the Long Pits today which I managed to get 2 brief unsatisfactory views of.

1 of 4 Spotted Flycatchers at the top of the Long Pits today

A spike of Autumn Lady's-tresses at the Long Pits

A rather distant Temminck's Stint at Dengemarsg today

Common Sandpiper at the ARC

05/09/2021

Balearic Shearwater from the fishing boats today

Adult Mediterranean Gull at the fishing boats

1w Mediterranean Gull at the fishing boats

Mediterranean Gull trying to rob a Sandwich Tern of its Sand Eel at the fishing boats

When the hunter becomes the hunted at the fishing boats

A Common Gull joins the chase

A flock of 21 Dunlin past the fishing boats this afternoon

Guillemot at the fishing boats

Swift over Burrowes late morning

Curlew Sandpiper from Hanson today

Glossy Ibis from Hanson today

6+ Ruff from Hanson today

Several Common Snipe from Hanson today

Dunlin from Hanson today