12/09/2024

 With a NW wind blowing again this morning, I once again gave the sea watch a miss and went straight to the ARC, where the Pectoral Sandpiper was still showing in terrible light conditions, a single Garganey, 3 Ruff, the Glossy Ibis and a Great White Egret that had the decency to pose in good light. A good start to a great days birding.

Great White Egret at the ARC this morning

My next stop was at The Point and a wander around The Desert. A search for the Wryneck drew a blank but a flock of 11 mobile Tree Sparrows were nice and 2 even posed for me.

Tree Sparrows are now a scarcity in The Desert

In the sheltered spots a few Warblers were found mainly Chiffchaffs, but also Willow Warblers, Common and Lesser Whitethroat. I got a brief glimpse of Dartford Warbler and while waiting for it to show itself a Sedge Warbler peeked out of a Gorse bush.

Dartford Warbler

Sedge Warbler

Willow Warbler

Lesser Whitethroat

Just as I about to go home for brunch a smart juvenile Honey Buzzard drifted West over The Desert then a few minutes later came back East and was lost to view towards Lade.

Juvenile Honey Buzzard being mobbed by a Kestrel

                                     Juvenile Honey Buzzard being mobbed by a Kestrel

                                    Juvenile Honey Buzzard being mobbed by a Kestrel

Juvenile Honey Buzzard being mobbed by a Kestrel

The superb White Winged Tern this afternoon

White Winged Tern

White Winged Tern with 4 Black Terns

11/09/2024

The Tree Pipit was a nice surprise in the cold early morning at the ARC car park. The bushes around the track to Hanson held lots of newly arrived Chiffchaffs and a single Goldcrest.

From Hanson All 3 Egrets, Glossy Ibis, Marsh harrier, Common Buzzard, 2+ Garganey, Pectoral Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper and the usual wildfowl.

Poor image of a Tree Pipit at the ARC car park first thing this morning

Pectoral Sandpiper at the ARC early morning

Glossy Ibis glowing in the early morning sun

Not quite sure why I took this image

Whinchat by the entrance track to the VC

Denge Marsh and the hay fields seemed to be an avian free zone, apart from 2 Spoonbills that I glimpsed briefly flying West as I cycled between Christmas Dell and Scott. Christ was Dell is looking good but with the works ongoing very little to be seen there.

The White Winged Tern was still on Burrowes with at least 9 Black Terns, 2 Common Sandpipers, 3 Dunlin, 20 Knot that flew straight through and 2 Redshank,.

White Winged Tern

Black Tern

Apart of Knot and Shoveler flying through Burrowes just before the rain arrived

10/09/2024

A cool WNW wind meant the morning sea watch would be poor, the Gannets and Terns were mainly just feeding, with c5 Arctic Skuas harassing the Terns and a handful of Kittiwakes, a few Common Scoter moved back into the bay.

White Winged Tern was still present today Burrowes with 11+ Black Terns and precious little else. An Osprey was seen there then again over the Long Pits. The bushes were very quiet.

Black Tern

The Pectoral Sandpiper reappeared on the ARC late morning among the loafing Shoveler.

Glossy Ibis still present around the ARC

Another Sparrowhawk took a Starling in the field opposite my house while I was having lunch.

09/09/2024

It's been a busy few days on the peninsular for scarce birds, so far I have been lucky enough to see and photograph them all, even really poor efforts of Tree Pipits and Whinchats along with the usual Egrets, Ibis, Garganey and Caspian Gull. Hopefully more to come. 

Although there were a few Balearic Shearwaters off shore today there was precious little else actually moving, 5 or 6 Arctic Skuas chased the Terns off shore, the Guillemot passed by but nothing else.

One of 4 Ospreys I have seen over the last few days on the peninsula, this one at Denge Marsh

A Gorgeous juvenile Honey Buzzard toured the peninsula yesterday

A Young Sparrowhawk in my garden at the weekend

It took it 1hr 10minutes to pluck and consume this unfortunate House Sparrow. 

White Winged Tern (top left) with Black terns on Burrowes today

White Winged Tern

Black Terns on Burrowes today

Todays flighty Pectoral Sandpiper on the ARC this afternoon

One of the 2 Wrynecks around The Point in the last couple of days

Another excellent bird on the peninsular, a Red-necked Phalarope on Lade South Lake

The Denge Marsh Hobbys seem to have reared at least one very vocally demanding chick

One of at least 3 Garganey still present on the ARC in a deluge

2 of the 8 Cattle Egrets around the reserve

A Wood Sandpiper in the sandpit along with 15 Green Sandpipers, 2 Little Stints etc