Friday, 28 October 2022

28/10/2022

Brent Geese passing the fishing boats today
A poor sea watch today, small numbers of Brent Geese, Gannets, Auks and Sandwich Terns, the Arctic Tern and Common Tern were still present and a Merlin was hunting off shore.
Arctic Tern at the fishing boats

Common Tern at the fishing boats

Redwing flushed from the Kerton Road triangle
1 of 2 Dartford Warblers in the Kerton Road triangle
The Glossy Ibis showing well this morning at the ARC


A brilliant surprise to find this pristine Deaths Head Hawkmoth in my MV trap this morning

Small Mottled Willow moth my first for several years
1 of 4 Vestals in the trap this morning

Thursday, 27 October 2022

27/10/2022

Record of a distant Grey Phalarope
08.00-13.00 & 14.00-16.00 from the fishing boats with JS, JY, JH, SM, DW
Common Scoter: 4E     1W
Red-throated Diver: 1E    1W  1present 
Great-crested Grebe: 9W  4 present
Sooty Shearwater: 1W
Gannet: 369W
Cormorant: present n/c
Oystercatcher: 4E
Turnstone: 3 present
Sanderling: 1W
Grey Phalarope: 1W
Kittiwake: 630W
Black-headed Gull: present n/c
Mediterranean Gull: 31W     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: 18W
Common Tern: 1W
Arctic Tern: 1 present
Arctic Skua: 9W
Guillemot: 32W
Razorbill: 1,521 W
Merlin: 1+ around, seen several times heading out to sea to hunt.
Swallow: 9 out to sea
Grey Seal: 1
Harbour Porpoise: 3

Merlin over the fishing boats direct into the sun.
Arctic Tern

1 of 9 Arctic Skuas past
Crimson Speckled by the fishing boats
                                            Crimson Speckled by the fishing boats

A few images from yesterday
Dartford Warbler
Stonechat
Kingfisher at the ARC

Little Stints at the ARC
An odd Lapwing at Scotney

Tuesday, 25 October 2022

25/10/2022

Merlin on the beach this morning
The sea was fairly quiet today with just a few each of Gannets, Little Gulls, Razorbills, Sandwich terns, the highlight was a drake Eider that flew west.
Dartford Warblers around The Desert
In my wander around The Point today there were small flocks of finches, Skylarks and a few Swallows

A very distant drake Long-tailed Duck on Scotney main pit today
A walk along the cycle path at Scotney, saw all the usual feral Geese, along with usual Duck, Lapwings and Golden Plover, a Raven, 2 Common Buzzards, 2 Marsh Harriers flew over. It was only on my back along the path that I spotted the Long-tailed Duck which I assume is the same bird seen there at the weekend by Neil Burt.
At the ARC the female Long-tailed Duck was still present, as were the 2 Glossy Ibis, Little Stint and a Dunlin.
Little Stint at the ARC today
One of 22 Great White Egrets on Burrowes this afternoon
Ruff with Lapwing on Burrowes this afternoon
Grey Wagtail on the reserve this afternoon


Monday, 24 October 2022

24/10/2022

Hen Harrier heading out to sea at the fishing boats this morning
08.00-11.00 & 13.30-15.30  from the fishing boats with JS, JY, DW & DS:
Common Scoter: 17W     8E
Red-breasted Merganser: 1W
Red-throated Diver: 3W     1 present
Great-crested Grebe: 8W     6 present
Balearic Shearwater: 1W
Sooty Shearwater: 1W
Gannet: 873W
Cormorant: present n/c
Hen Harrier: 1 Ring tail out to sea
Oystercatcher: 4E
Ringed Plover: 1W
Little Stint: 1W
Kittiwake: 1 Feeding in bay
Little Gull: 204W
Black-headed Gull: present n/c
Mediterranean Gull: 1 feeding in bay
Common Gull: present n/c
Herring Gull: present n/c
Herring Gull sub sp Argentatus: 1 present
Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c
Sandwich Tern: 75W
Common Tern: 1W
Arctic Tern: 1W
Arctic Skua: 1 feeding in bay
Guillemot: 7W
Razorbill: 517W
Auk sp: 165W
Short-eared Owl: 3 in 
Swallow: 11W
Grey Seal: 1
1 of 3 Short-eared Owls seen from the boats today
Arctic Tern

Arctic Skua harrying a Sandwich Tern
Argentatus Herring Gull, a big bruiser of a bird

Long-tailed Duck at the ARC today, also a Little Stint there

Sunday, 23 October 2022

23/10/2022


Polish Ringed Caspian Gull at the fishing boats 1 of 3 birds today
An unringed individual

                                     

An excellent day spent at the fishing boats staring out to sea, my favourite pass time.
My thanks to all present today for their helping collating the numbers.
                                                      Little Gulls at the fishing boats 
Many Gannets past the fishing boats today
Red-throated Diver
Arctic Tern
Arctic Tern with a Mediterranean Gull
Common Tern

This poor Gull was still around today and seems to be able to feed itself