03/03/2024

2 Great Northern and the Black-throated diver yesterday on the ARC, which I believe are still present on the reserve today.

07.35-09.35 with RW from the sea watch hide, Wind NW 2 Temp 4°  partly cloudy

Brent Goose: 54E (6 parties most appeared to come straight across the channel)  

Eider: 4E     All drakes, my first of the year

Great-crested Grebe:  70+ on sea

Oystercatcher: 5E

Kittiwake: 5E

Black-headed Gull: 103W

Mediterranean Gull: 23W    3E

Common Gull: 27W

Great Black-backed Gull: 7 present (1 adult)

Herring Gull: present n/c

Guillemot: 24W      60+ on sea   

Auk sp: 6E    103W

Red-throated Diver: 2E    165W 

Gannet: 39W

Cormorant: Present n/c 

Skylark: 1 in off

Carrion Crow: 2 in off

Harbour Porpoise: 6+

Grey Seal: 1

A drake Scaup on the mobile home pit by the entrance to Brett's, found by the Burt family this afternoon

The depth marker at the old Scott Hide is now submerged, I have never seen Burrowes this high.

29/02/2024

 

Polish ringed Black-headed Gull TJVV still at the fishing boats yesterday afternoon

The sea watching continues to not impress, but if your not there you won't see it.

07.30-09.30 with RW from the hide. Wind SSW 5-6, Temp 10°  Clear

Brent Goose: 193E (5 flocks)  1W

Velvet Scoter: 1E

Great-crested Grebe:  c100 on sea

Oystercatcher: 1E

Kittiwake: 22W

Black-headed Gull: 30 SE out to sea

Mediterranean Gull: 10E  

Common Gull: 46 SE out to sea

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 1 present

Guillemot: 28E    c100 on sea   

Auk sp: 83E    11W

Red-throated Diver: 26E    11W

Fulmar: 1E      1W     

Gannet:103E   11W 

Cormorant: Present n/c 

Harbour Porpoise: 1

I just managed to get to the ARC for half an hour then predictably the rain came to spoil the day.

The Glossy Ibis still frequenting the Horse Paddocks this morning

2 Great Northern Divers on the ARC this morning

Great White Egret at The ARC this morning 

27/02/2024

The highlight of a rather dull sea watch was these 5 Red-breasted Mergansers, my first of the year.

07.45-09.45 Wind N 3, Temp 6°  Clear

Common Scoter: 4E
Red-breasted Merganser: 5E
Great-crested Grebe:  529E   63 on
Oystercatcher: 1E
Kittiwake: 1E 
Black-headed Gull:  Present n/c
Mediterranean Gull: 1E  
Common Gull: Present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c
Herring Gull: present n/c
Guillemot: 25E    
Razorbill: 3E    
Auk sp: 80E    
Red-throated Diver: 29E    15W
Fulmar: 1E      
Gannet:16E    
Cormorant: Present: 646E   121W
Carrrion Crow: 2 NW in off 
Harbour Porpoise: 3

One of the Little Owls came out in the sunshine

The Black-throated and Great Norther Divers were on the ARC at the southern end. In a very flooded Willow Trail a couple of Chiffchaffs and several squealing Water Rails and a Great White Egret, if we don't get a very dry March, April and May then I can't see that there will be any nesting islands, apart from rafts that will be commandeered by the Herring Gulls. Even the new islands at Makepiece are only just clear of the water level, but they are already all but washed away with just thin strips showing that nothing would nest on. I hope I'm wrong but I am fearful.

The second Great Northern Diver was on Burrowes, also a couple of Goldeneye, 3 Ravens were noted but little else.

At Scotney 500+ Wigeon, 12 Pintail from the double bends, the geese seem to have deserted the sward, likewise the Golden plovers and Lapwing.

One of 3 Ravens over the reserve this afternoon

26/02/2024

Fulmar making light work of the force 8-9 NE wind this morning

Despite the appalling weather an interesting 2.5 hrs spent in the sea watch hide. As it was a NE wind I was able to keep perfectly dry in the hide though it was still very cold.

09.00-11.30. Wind NE 8 gusting 9 Temp 6°  Rain & Drizzle

Common Scoter: 1E

Great-crested Grebe:  341E 

Dunlin: 89E

Kittiwake: 21E 

Black-headed Gull:  Present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 4E  

Common Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Iceland Gull: 1E

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 2E

Guillemot: 32E    

Razorbill: 5E    

Auk sp: 73E    

Red-throated Diver: 39E    1W

Fulmar: 2E    1W    

Gannet:104E       17W

Cormorant: Present: 507E   92W

Harbour Porpoise:1

4 of this mornings Great-crested Grebes passing the Bouy

Very distant images of this mornings Iceland Gull

One of this mornings flocks of Dunlin

Mediterranean Gull passing the Bouy

25/02/2025

Cormorants resting on the beach by the sea watch hide

07.50-09.20 with RW, JY & OL Wind SSE 3, Temp 3°  Partly Cloudy

Brent Goose: 48E

Shelduck:1E

Shoveler: 15E        2W

Pintail: 2W

Velvet Scoter: 2E 

Common Scoter: 1E

Great-crested Grebe:  5 on 

Oystercatcher: 1E

Kittiwake: 18W       4E  

Black-headed Gull:  Present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 33E      4W 

Common Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 1E

Guillemot: 230E    17W  c40 feeding along the colour change

Razorbill: 48E     1 feeding along the colour change

Auk sp: 272E    129W

Red-throated Diver: 27E     4W

Fulmar: 2E    1W    

Gannet:16E       37W

Cormorant: Present n/c

Harbour Porpoise: 3

2 Velvet Scoters passing the hide this morning at c1km or more range. The shipping lane starts at 6 mls

A Gannet from this afternoons watch

As the wind increased to a force 6 SE, I just had to give the sea another watch, unfortunately the birds did not materialise.

12.50-14.20 from the sea watch hide

Great-crested Grebe: 1E    

Kittiwake: 9E   

Mediterranean Gull: 2E 

Guillemot: 6E

Auk sp: 14E       16W

Red-throated Diver: 11E     10W    

Gannet: 29E     3W

Cormorant: 152E        227W

Absolutely no change on the peninsular, the now seemingly resident Great Northern and Black-throated Divers were still present, along with the elusive Glossy Ibis, also the Egrets and wildfowl, nothing in the bushes.

24/02/2024

Most of the usual suspects in small numbers this morning,  52 Mediterranean Gulls was surprising as was 8 Fulmars.

07.50-09.20 with RW Wind WNW 3, Temp 5°  

Velvet Scoter: 2W 

Common Scoter: 5E

Great-crested Grebe: 2E     6 on 

Oystercatcher: 3E

Kittiwake: 20W     c50 feeding distantly off shore

Black-headed Gull:  Present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 52W 

Common Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Guillemot: 2W  c60 feeding along the colour change

Razorbill: 11W     3 feeding along the colour change

Auk sp: 46W    3E

Red-throated Diver: 3W     11E

Fulmar: 8W     

Gannet: 68W      21E 

Cormorant: Present n/c

Harbour Porpoise: 2

Grey Seal: 1 

The rain soon set in putting an end to any serious birding. The Divers were reported as still present, little else was seen.

23/02/2024

One of this mornings Mediterranean Gulls

 An improvement on yesterdays watch.
07.45-09.30 with RW, Wind WNW 3, Temp 5°  overcast

Velvet Scoter: 2W (M+F)
Common Scoter: 5W
Great-crested Grebe:  2 on 
Kittiwake: 17W     4E
Black-headed Gull: c1,000W
Mediterranean gull: 10W 
Common Gull: c1,000W
Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c
Herring Gull: present n/c
Great Skua: 1W
Guillemot: 17W  4E
Razorbill: 4W 1E
Auk sp: 18W    10E
Red-throated Diver: 12W     26E
Fulmar: 1W    1E   
Gannet: 93W      42E 
Cormorant: Present n/c
Grey Seal: 1 Bull

This poor Guillemot washed up in front the sea watch hide this morning, I thought oiled birds were a thing of the past, but recently. there seems to have been a spate of them being seen.

A Black-throated Diver and a great Northern diver were on the ARC this morning but relocated to Burrowes this afternoon joining the other Great Northern Diver. A Chiffchaff by Dennis's hide was likely a wintering individual. With this constant wet weather there has been very little new arrivals to the peninsular.

22/02/2024

 Another abysmal sea watch!

07.10-09.10 with RW, OL PE  Wind SSW 6, Temp 9°  Fog & drizzle

Brent Goose: 3E

Shelduck: 1W

Common Scoter: 1W

Great-crested Grebe: 3 on

Oystercatcher: 1W

Turnstone: 1W

Dunlin: 1W     

Kittiwake: 25W   3E

Black-headed Gull: Present n/c

Common Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Guillemot: 32W 

Razorbill: 5W  

Auk sp: 91W     13E

Red-throated Diver: 5W      5E

Fulmar: 1W    4E   

Gannet: 19E      62W  

Cormorant: Present: 626W then started coming back  

Harbour Porpoise: 3

A young female Sparrowhawk took out a feral Pigeon in my garden

A Tufted Duck in front of Hanson hide today in one of the many deluges

A pair of Great-crested Grebes from Hanson 

Great White Egret from Hanson

21/02/2024

 The sea watching continues to be somewhat the same, plenty of birds but little variety.

07.45-09.15 with RW & Sue.  Wind SW 7, Temp 9°  overcast

Brent Goose: 20E

Common Scoter: 4W

Great-crested Grebe: 1E     1 on

Turnstone: 1E     

Kittiwake: 32W   

Black-headed Gull: Present n/c

Common Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Guillemot: 42W  13E

Razorbill: 18W  2E

Auk sp: 425W       64E

Red-throated Diver: 12W      64E

Fulmar: 1W    1E   

Gannet: 154E      39W  

Cormorant: Present n/c

Harbour Porpoise: 3+

As this appalling weather continues I spent much time today scanning the fields from the comfort of home and racking up at least 42 species.

Mute Swan: 32

Mallard: 7

Barnacle Goose: 39

Greylag Goose: 326

Canada Goose: 9

Egyptian Goose: 2

Cormorant: No Count

Grey Heron: 2

Little Egret: 1

Great White Egret: 2

Moorhen: 1

Common Buzzard: 1

Marsh Harrier: 2

Kestrel: 1

Sparrowhawk: 1

Lapwing: No Count

Golden Plover: 20+

Curlew: 4

B H Gull: No Count

Common Gull: No Count

Herring Gull: No Count

Great Black backed Gull: 5

Stock Dove: 30+

Collared Dove: 2

Wood Pigeon: No Count

Feral Pigeon: TO MANY

Skylark: 1

Dunnock: 2

Wren: 1

Robin: 1

Blackbird:1

Blue Tit: 4

Great Tit: 4

Jackdaw: No Count

Rook: No Count

Carrion Crow:

Starling: No Count

House Sparrow: No Count

Goldfinch: 12

Greenfinch: 6

Chaffinch: 3

Reed Bunting: 1

20/02/2024

 

Some of the 6,000+ Guillemots and Razorbills that flew west past the hide while we were watching this morning.

Slow start, picked up with the arrival of range boat at 08.00, Auks kept on coming till 09.30 but still no small Auks.

07.40-09.40 with RW, OL & Sue.  Wind SW 5, Temp 9°  clear

Teal: 11E

Common Scoter: 8E    15W

Great-crested Grebe: 2E   4 on

Dunlin: 6W    

Kittiwake: 357W   

Black-headed Gull: Present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 3W      1E

Common Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Guillemot:  4,597W 

Razorbill:  1,532W

Red-throated Diver: 53E    242W

Fulmar: 3W   1E  

Gannet: 84W  

Cormorant: Present n/c

Harbour Porpoise: 1

I had to spend several hours at home today waiting for the delivery of my repaired Swarovski telescope, so spent some time watching the feeders.

One of at least 14 Goldfinches visiting my feeders, image taken through the windows

Nice to see at least 5 Greenfinches visiting

Great Northern Diver over Burrowes

It would appear that the wild Swans have left Walland Marsh for their long journey back to Russia. The Glossy Ibis is still elusive around ARC, Boulderwall and the horse paddocks. I couldn't find any Cattle Egrets today. The Black-throated Diver was still on the ARC and at least one Great Northern Diver remains on Burrowes. Nothing else of note was seen.