04/08/2024

4 of the 10+ Green Sandpipers in the Scotney sandpit this morning, also 2 Wood Sandpipers, 6+ Common Sandpipers, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 8 Avocets, a Greenshank,12 Whimbrel over and a few Yellow Wagtails.

What I believe is an early juvenile Merlin in the sandpit this morning

Willow Warbler were around in numbers today

I couldn't resist another shot of my local Little Owl basking in the sun

There was many birds at the ARC today though the vast majority were the local wildfowl, migrant wise there did not seem to be any new arrivals apart from Warblers in the bushes and a single Grey Plover briefly per SO.

At the ARC the Great-crested Grebes were nurturing their two babies

One of at least four Garganey that were present at the ARC today

03/08/2024

Very little change around the area at the moment, the main interest is still the ARC and the Sandpit.

At the Sandpit which appears to be rapidly filling with water  up to 3 Wood Sandpipers, 17 Green Sandpipers, 7 Common Sandpipers, 2 each of Ruff, Greenshank, and Black-tailed Godwit, 10 Avocet, 3 Snipe, 4 Little Ringed Plovers and a few Dunlin.

The ARC has plenty of wildfowl including up to 7 Garganey,  but few waders.

The sea is still non productive though Richard and I dis manage 2 juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls at the fishing this afternoon.

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull

Juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull

Juvenile Herring Gull

A Southern Hawker at the ARC found by DW

01/08/2024

A sea watch this afternoon with Richard produced the first Balearic Shearwater of the year but absolutely nothing else of note. I have been without a car for few days which is probably just as well in the warm temperatures of the last few days, I am now fully mobile so will hopefully get out more with the arrival of some migrants to motivate me.

The Scotney Sand Pit, East Sussex still looking good for waders despite the water level rising slowly.

A visit to the sand pit this morning found a Wood Sandpiper, 9 Green Sandpipers (down from a high of 28 last week) 5 Common Sandpipers, 2 Snipe, 2 Greenshank, 4 Little Ringed Plover, 10 Avocets including a very young chick, several each of Shelduck, Teal, Gadwall and Yellow Wagtails, all the Sand Martin holes have now been vacated. 2 Hares were present. A lovely site to visit the only downside is that all the views are quite distant. On the way back to the ARC I stopped off to see my local Little Owl

Great White Egret fending off an attack by a Lapwing

Catching and devouring a small Pike in front of Hanson

Yay, the Great-crested Grebes have a chick at last

Wood, Green and Common Sandpiper from Hanson

Green Sandpiper with Avocet chick

Mum Avocet with chick

Little Grebe from Hanson

The Leucistic White Cheeked Pintail was still present on the ARC today

28/-7/2024

The adult White-runped Sandpiper that graced the islands in front of Hanson Hide for a couple of hours until a Peregrine came through and spooked it. The Sandpiper seemed to be staying in close company with a Dunlin. In the above image you can see how much smaller the Sandpiper is compared to the Dunlin.

Up to 7 Garganey have been seen from Hanson hide recently, usually showing quite well on the short spit to the left of the hide. The first gorgeous lemon yellow juvenile Willow Warblers have started to appear around the peninsular.

It's the time of year when the juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls start to appear at the fishing boats, particularly when bread is thrown out for them. I have not spent much time there yet as there is very little passing off shore. 

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull at the fishing boats

At the Scotney sandpit I had a magical encounter with a Leveret, for several minutes it nibbled weeds on the track totally ignoring me, it was as if it new I was not a threat to its safety. When it eventually moved off into the fields I carried on up the track to view the sand pit. I saw 15 Green Sandpipers (there has been up to 28 present) 4 Common Sandpipers, 2 Greenshanks, 12 Avocets, 5 Black-tailed Godwits, a Ruff, several Little Ringed Plovers, a few Yellow wagtails and the nesting Sand Martins. This morning there was another adult Curlew sandpiper there per Owen. 

Palpita vitrealia the only moth of any note to find its way into my trap

25/07/2024

A pitiful sea watch this morning, at least the watches can only get better.

07.50-08.50 from the hide: 

Common Scoter: 1E

Kittiwake: 5W     

Black-headed Gull:  14W

Great Black-backed Gull: 5W

Sandwich Tern: 3W

Common Tern: 10W

Gannet: 8W     4E

Grey Seal: 3

Harbour Porpoise: 3

There were still a few Swifts moving through the peninsular along with the usual July Sand Martins. A Kingfisher at the ARC was the first I have seen here for some weeks, whether they bred or not this year I have no idea. The Avocet chicks are still faring well, as are the Common Tern chicks, the Grebes are still sitting surely they must hatch in the next couple of days. Up to 7 Common Sandpipers are on the ARC islands, 20 Dunlin, 4 LRPs and 4 Ringed Plovers,  also new in an escaped leucitic White-cheeked Pintail.

A visit to the Scotney sand pit at lunch time saw 16 Green Sandpipers, $ Common Sandpipers, 5 Black-tailed Godwits, a Ruff, 2 LRPs and a 9 Avocets.

Garganey from Hanson today

You gotta love a Shoveler duckling with its oversize bill

A leucistic White-cheeked Pintail on the ARC today

Adult Little Grebe from Hanson today

The 2 Avocet chicks from Hanson today

 Polish ringed Black-headed Gull T2VL from Hanson again today

Some of the 16 Green Sandpipers present today in the Scotney Sand Pit East Sussex

Black-tailed Godwits and a Ruff in the Scotney sand pit East Sussex