11/10/2024

Because of the still conditions this morning I did not sea watch today. Instead I wandered straight out into The Desert, though not for long when I got the message that Tom had caught a Yellow-browed Warbler.

I ended up staying around the observatory until lunch time, during that time a Short-eared Owl flew North, a Yellowhammer flew South(a very scarce bird on the Peninsula now), lots of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps were ringed, also Firecrest, Goldcrest and a Common Redstart.

Yellow-browed Warbler was one of over 100 birds ringed this morning

Common Redstart

Starling in The Moat with a ring (not a DBO ring)

Firecrest in a private garden

One of many Chiffchaffs around today

 

One of 3 Caspian Gulls on Burrowes this afternoon

Black Tern on Burrowes

Black-necked Grebe on Burrowes

This family party of Whooper Swans arrived late afternoon on the ARC, hopefully they will hang around for the rest of the Autumn and Winter. I'd like to think the adults are the same pair that have wintered here for the few winters, only this year they have successfully raised 2 young on there breeding grounds and brought them with them.

09/10/2024

This mornings sea watch was rather slow, so it was a blessing when Owen found a Yellow-browed Warbler in the trapping area. We made our way there quite leisurely knowing that finding a single bird in the trapping area is looking for a needle in a haystack. We spent some time looking and listening for it to no avail, eventually David called me to say it was by net site 13 not to far from where we were, a couple of minutes later we joined him and the bird soon called but deep in the Sallows, it called a few more times and we managed the briefest of glimpses, all very unsatisfying, hopefully another more showy bird will turn up. While in the TA a few Siskins and a couple of Bramblings flew over of note.

07.30-09.30 from the boats with RW, 

Common Scoter: 26W    2E

Great-crested Grebe: 2 present

Common Tern: 4W 

Sandwich Tern: 79W

Black-headed Gull: 56W

Mediterranean Gull: 14W       

Common Gull: 23W

Herring Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c  

Arctic Skua: 3W

Guillemot: 3W      

Razorbill: 61W

Auk: 29W

Red-throated Diver: 1 present 

Balearic Shearwater: 3W  

Gannet: 431W   

Cormorant: 142W/present

Sparrowhawk: 2 in off

Merlin: 1 in off with prey

Swallow: 426 out

Wheatear: 2 behind the boats

Pied Wagtail: 16W

Meadow Pipit: 10W

Goldfinch: 40W

Harbour Porpoise: 3

Grey Seal: 2

Whinchat by the Polish Memorial this afternoon

Yellow Wagtail by the Polish Memorial this afternoon

Yellow Wagtail with the Whinchat by the Polish Memorial this afternoon

One of 4 Wheatears by the Polish Memorial this afternoon

One of 2 Firecrests by the lighthouse this afternoon

A very poor image of a skulking Common Whitethroat by the lighthouse this afternoon only included as it is I believe the latest individual I have seen on the mainland.

08/10/2024

 

Sooty Shearwater passing the boats this morning

07.15-11.00 & 14.00-15.30 from the boats with RW, OL, JY & Dave W Smith, GP.

Great-crested Grebe: 2 present

Curlew: 1W

Little Tern: 2W

Common Tern: 30W 

Sandwich Tern: 246W

Kittiwake: 2W

Black-headed Gull: 32W

Mediterranean Gull: 18W       

Common Gull: 35W

Arctic Skua: 10W      3E

Razorbill: 109W

Auk: 63W

Red-throated Diver: 2 present 

Sooty Shearwater: 1W 

Balearic Shearwater: 9W  

Shearwater sp: 2W

Gannet: 663W   

Cormorant: 82W/present

Kestrel: 1 SW out to sea

Merlin: 1 SW out to sea

Swallow: 5,915 out

House Martin: 1,023

Grey Wagtail: 1W

Meadow Pipit: 81W

Linnet: 63W

Goldfinch: 81W

Harbour Porpoise: 2

Grey Seal: 2

A rather distant Balearic Shearwater passing the boats this morning

A bruiser of an Arctic Skua at the fishing boats this afternoon

Common Snipe from Christmas Dell hide

9 New Islands have been created in front of Denge Marsh hide, although today there only Lapwings and a few Gulls on them, they do look promising.

On the ARC from Hanson 2 Black-tailed Godwits were the highlight per GJ

The Sycamore in the lighthouse garden has been chopped down for some as yet unknown reason.😢

A much anticipated moth was my first Radford's Flame Shoulder yesterday😀

06/10/2024

A juvenile Arctic Tern at the fishing boats this afternoon

An improvement in the sea watching but the numbers are still pitifully low.

07.30-09.30 with CP, RW & 13.30-15.45 with SM & JB

Brent Goose: 1W    1E

Teal: 16E

Common Scoter: 11W     21E

Great-crested Grebe: 1 present

Sandwich Tern: 195W 

Common Tern: 26W

Arctic Tern: 3W

Black Tern: 3W

Little Gull: 1W (juvenile)

Black-headed Gull: 24W

Mediterranean Gull: 12W          2E

Common Gull: 9W

Herring Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Arctic Skua: 10W     2E

Razorbill: 4W

Auk: 20W   15E

Red-throated Diver: 2 present     

Gannet: 512W    26E 

Cormorant: 16 present

Grey Heron: 1 out to sea

Swallow: 1,301E  out

House Martin: 197E out

Meadow Pipit: 15E

Raven: 2 over power station

Harbour Porpoise: 3

  

The diagnostic underwing of a juvenile Arctic Tern

A juvenile Black Tern at the fishing boats this afternoon

A juvenile Arctic Skua at the fishing boats this afternoon

Another juvenile Arctic Skua at the fishing boats this afternoon

A Yellow-browed Warbler was found by John Young near the Pines at the ARC this morning, I managed to hear 1 call from it but sight as it quickly melted away.

04/10/2024

Wheatears behind the fishing boats

2 sea watches today and both were very poor especially with SE breeze blowing, at least they can only improve. The Desert was quite bird this morning with lots of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps but still no sprites. Very little of note around the reserve. 

Black Redstart on the perimeter wall

Whinchat in The Desert, quite probably the last I'll see this year

Common Redstart in The Desert

Bearded Tits over  The Desert

Juvenile Arctic Skua at the fishing boats

Little Grebe from Hanson

Black-tailed Godwit on one of the rapidly disappearing islands on the ARC

02/10/2024

Brent Geese going back east this afternoon. As is usual the first groups to arrive are all adults.

The sea watching continues to be very poor.

 07.45-09.00 from the Hide & 13.15-15.00 from the boats with RW
Brent Goose: 140W     164E

Wigeon: 18W      3E
Common Scoter: 5W    7E

Great-crested Grebe: 2 present
Dunlin: 2E

Common Tern: 22E
Sandwich Tern: 8W
Kittiwake: 2W
Little Gull: 1W   1 present 
Black-headed Gull: 16W
Mediterranean Gull: 6W
Common Gull: 7W
Herring Gull: present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c
Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c  
Arctic Skua: 1W  2E 

Razorbill: 3E

Auk sp: 3E

Red-throated Diver: 1W    
Gannet: 65W   42E
Cormorant: 40W
Sand Martin: 1E
Swallow: 19E
House Martin: 5E
Raven: 4E
Grey Seal: 1
Harbour Porpoise: 2

Arctic Skua chasing a Sandwich Tern

Arctic Skua catches its prize mid air

The tables are turned

Common Tern at the fishing boats this afternoon

One of the two Black Terns on Burrowes this morning

Apart from the Black Terns there was little of note on Burrowes. There hay fields look good but this morning they're absolutely nothing there avian wise.

 Just a thought, as the fields were  allowed to completely become bone dry for at least a couple of months and no water being pumped on at all, would the drying out kill all the inverts the Ducks and waders feed on, hence no birds there now until food stocks replenished!🤷

At the ARC the Glossy Ibis , Garganey and Black-necked Grebe all still present per RW.

There were at least 30 Common Snipe in front of Christmas Dell Hide