28/06/2024

J99AM 2nd Calendar year Great Black-backed Gull on the beach in front the hide this morning, this is the second time I have recorded this bird.

A better sea watch than I thought would be.

06.45-08.00 from the hide:

Swift: 3W
Kittiwake: 1W
Black-headed Gull: 13W
Mediterranean gull: 1W (adult)
Great Black-backed Gull: 9W      J99AM  present 
Sandwich Tern: 5W
Auk: 1E
Fulmar: 2E
Manx Shearwater: 3E
Gannet: 2E      64W
Grey Seal: 1
Harbour Porpoise: 2

Most of the rest of my day was taken up with domestic stuff, but I did get down to the ARC this evening,

where 22 Black-tailed Godwits were making use of the newly emerged islands, along with 4 Avocets, 2 Ringed Plovers and a Dunlin. also there several 100 each of Pochard and Gadwall, a Hobby chasing the Hirundines, 2 Cuckoo, 2 Marsh Harriers and 3 Common Terns. At least 60 Swifts were hawing over the causeway and north bank along with Sand Martins, House Martins and Swallows

There were 22 Black-tailed Godwits present from Hanson this evening

2 of the 4 Avocets present this evening

27/06/2024

 I've spent some time wandering around the back of Scotney checking the lakes and fields, the fields have been relatively disappointing with just small numbers of Corn Buntings and Yellow Wagtails, Barn Owl and Little Owl were seen but usually distant. On the lakes it look as though the Avocets have done well, unfortunately the crops are now so tall it is extremely difficult to view. The Sand pit has been the most productive producing 10 species of wader and the breeding Sand Martins. The Arc has not yet been very productive though I'm sure it will soon start to produce the birds, at the moment it seems there is just a lone pair of Avocets nesting and an Oystercatcher with 2 chicks along with the now traditional 100s of Gadwall and Pochard. I spent an hour this afternoon at the fishing boats doing my first summer afternoon sea watch of the season, it was very pleasant but apart from 29 Swifts departing our shores it was like watching paint dry.

5 of the 15 Green Sandpipers that were present on this visit

A long wander around the reserve last night found several Norfolk Hawkers, it is amazing the way that the  once very rare Dragonfly has colonised the south coast so quickly.

This Wren seemed to be trying out sing a Cetti's Warbler

This Greenshank was flying around the the very nearly completely dried out hay fields, until it rains or water is pumped on to the fields there will very little of interest to see avian wise.

This young Badger was snuffling its way around the predator fence

Garganey on Burrowes from Firth, at least islands are starting to appear on Burrowes

A Wall Lizard found on my wanderings

A tatty Beautiful marbled from the Plodland trap

True Lover Knot

Clearwings

I've been a little tardy in keeping the blog up to date, mainly because of the fine weather the last place I want to be is sitting in doors looking at a computer screen. I have spent much time out in the field looking for Clearwings and generally birding, by the time I get home I have a bite to eat a shower and fall asleep, my age is catching up with me.

Fiery Clearwing the star among Clearwings

Currant Clearwing. This one came to lure in my garden.

Six Belted Clearwing can be found quite easily in areas with Birds-foot Trefoil

Orange-tailed Clearwing was politely abundant when I had Identified its food plant Wayfaring tree

Orange-tailed Clearwing

 

19/06/2024

Summer plumaged Spotted Redshank was a surprise during my early morning visit to the Scotney complex. Shelducks seemed to have been very successful there this year judging by the number of ducklings present. Yellow Wagtails were present in small numbers but few Corn Buntings were seen but that could have been due to the strong wind. 

2 of the the probably 5 returning Green Sandpipers 

A Sand Martin peering out of its nest hole in the quarry

Little Owl on guard

At the ARC there appears to be 3 sitting Avocets, the Oystercatchers have hatched 2 chicks hopefully with the help of the Avocets the Crows and Harriers will be chased away and they will fledge. Again not a single Tern was seen here though 3 were reported from Burrowes. 

A rather ragged Grizzled Skipper in the trapping area yesterday

A few moths from the Plodland trap recently

Lime Hawkmoth

Blue-bordered Carpet

Portland Ribbon Wave

Metalampra italica

Evergestis limbata

Fox Moth

17/06/2024

Grass Snake hunting Marsh Frogs at the ARC

Marsh Frog ARC

As is usually the case this time of year the birding is very quiet as most birds are settled down to nesting. 

Norfolk Hawker in the  trapping area today

Close up of a `Norfolk Hawker looking straight into the camera

Small Skippers have appeared all over the peninsula

Young Great Tit from the Hanson Hide nest where at least 7 fledged, not a bad result considering the poor weather.
 

16/06/2024

Manx Shearwater (Library image from last autumn)

07.00-09.00 with JD, MW from the sea watch hide

Common Scoter: 5E

Kittiwake: 2W 

Great Black-backed Gull: 3E     4W

Herring Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 3W      12E

Commic Tern: 6W       2E

Great Skua: 1E

Guillemot: 7E   5W

Auk sp:  4E     5W

Fulmar: 5W

Manx Shearwater: 60W    2E

Gannet: 17E    140W

Harbour Porpoise: 2

Grey Seal: 1

Manx Shearwater (Library image from last autumn)

With the peninsular still being swept by this annoying strong wind the few birds that are around were keeping their heads down, so a long wander around the reserve saw very little. The 2 Avocet pairs are still sitting on the slivers of islands on the ARC from Hanson, a few Hobbys were darting around seemingly not very successful in catching much. Once the clouds moved through most of the Swifts departed with them.

15/06/2024

 07.15-09.00 with RW, AM from the sea watch hide.
Common Scoter: 11E
Great-crested Grebe: 2 present 
Curlew: 1W    
Kittiwake: 3W
Black-headed Gull: 2E   
Great Black-backed Gull: 2E      1W
Herring Gull: present n/c
Sandwich Tern: 2W
Common Tern: 4W
Guillemot: 2E  
Fulmar: 2W
Manx Shearwater: 109W    1E
Gannet: 13E    33W
Swift: 5E
Grey Seal: 1

The rest of my day was taken up with domestic stuff.

14/06/2024

 With overnight strong winds a few Manx Shearwaters were expected but not 288 of them, a single Arctic skua East was also a surprise.

07.15-09.30 with RW, JD, OL. 

Common Scoter: 12E

Great-crested Grebe: 3 present 

Kittiwake: 9W

Black-headed Gull: 37W

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 7W

Arctic Skua: 1E

Guillemot: 3E  

Fulmar: 2W

Manx Shearwater: 288W

Gannet: 29E    44W

Swift: 3E

Harbour Porpoise: 2 

Grey Seal: 1

A Great-crested Grebe taking a large Marsh Frog

At the ARC 2 pairs of Avocets appear to be nesting on the small amount of islands that are now showing, hopefully no heavy rain will come in the next few weeks. There still seems to be several Hobbys present and at least 3 Cuckoos, a Bittern is still booming regularly in front of the screen hide leading me to think it is unpaired. A Norfolk Hawker was along the the track to Hanson.

2 Cal year Great Black-backed Gull J99AM ringed as nestling in southern Norway last June.

The Hobbys around the reserve have been very entertaining and showy

Good to see the Norfolk Hawkers around the reserve