28/01/2025

A day of sea watching:

 07.40-09.30 joined by RW & CP + 12.30-15.00 with RW & JY

SSW 8-9 with blustery showers. 8º

Brent Goose: 2W

Common Scoter: 2W

Great-crested Grebe: 1 present
Dunlin: 120W (single flock)
Kittiwake: 67W   32E 
Black-headed Gull: 1,231W
Common Gull:  546W
Herring Gull: Present n/c

Caspian Gull: 3W (2 x 1w + 2w)
Great Black-backed Gull: 150W
Lesser Black-backed Gull: 7W

Guillemot: 4W   4E
Auk sp: 62E     90W
Red-throated Diver: 43W     2E
Fulmar: 16W    
Sooty Shearwater: 3W
Gannet: 355W      32E   
Cormorant: Present n/c
Harbour Porpoise: 1

Grey Seal: 1

Common Seal: 1

Unsurprisingly in the appalling weather today there was no other news from the peninsula.

27/01/2025

A partially leucistic Herring Gull

A  blustery SW wind force 6 gusting 8,   9º and mainly dry.

07.40-09.30 joined by RW & OL

Brent Goose: 10E

Common Scoter: 6W

Red-breasted Merganser: 1W drake

Great-crested Grebe: 2 present

Kittiwake: 159W      22E

Black-headed Gull: Present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 2E

Common Gull:  Present n/c

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: 41W

Lesser Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Guillemot: 2E    4W

Auk sp: 58E     74W

Red-throated Diver: 65W

Fulmar: 8W    2E

Gannet: 445W      37E   

Cormorant: Present n/c

Grey Seal: 1

5 Russian White-fronted Geese viewed from Cockles Bridge this morning

There was no sign of the Pinkfeet or Tundra Bean Geese at Dengemarsh, Boulderwall or Scotney, even Greylags were hard to find today.

Another sea watch this afternoon from the hide with RW in even more blustery conditions.

14.00-15.20

Kittiwake: 97W     

Black-headed Gull: 100s present

Mediterranean Gull: 2W

Common Gull:  100s present

Herring Gull: 1,000+ present

Caspian Gull: 3W. 2 x 1w + a 2w

Great Black-backed Gull: 37W

Lesser Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Guillemot: 3E   

Auk sp: 17E     12W

Red-throated Diver: 3W

Fulmar: 3W

Gannet: 59W      11E   

Cormorant: Present n/c

Grey Seal: 1

The wind picked up to force 9 this afternoon with 1,000s of Gulls feeding on the Shellfish ripped from the sea bed by the stormy weather.

1w Caspian Gull

                                          1w Caspian Gull with an adult Herring Gull

1w Caspian Gull in the sea spray

Another 1w Caspian Gull

An adult Mediterranean Gull

26/01/2025

A constant stream of Gannets passing east from sunrise

14 Fulmars was a good number for here

Kittiwake making light of the weather. Most of them were quite far out, those that were close were too quick for me with the camera.

A bone chilling southerly wind blew straight into the hide through the slats this morning, I would liked to have stayed for another hour till the rain arrived but the cold was getting to me, also the sea spray was a constant nuisance fogging up the telescope spoiling an otherwise enjoyable sea watch.

07.30-10.30 joined by CP & OL

Brent Goose: 6E

Common Scoter: 1E

Red-necked Grebe: 1 flew in from west, landed and lost in troughs.

Great-crested Grebe: 1E

Oystercatcher: 4E

Turnstone: 2E

Dunlin: 10E

Kittiwake: 457E   

Black-headed Gull: Present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 4E

Common Gull:  Present n/c

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: 46E

Lesser Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Great Skua: 1E along the shoreline

Guillemot: 8E    

Auk sp: 94E     22W

Red-throated Diver: 102E      2W

Fulmar: 14E

Gannet: 1,813E       105W      

Cormorant: Present n/c

Harbour Porpoise: 2

Grey Seal: 1

Common Seal: 1

Only about 6 of the 1800 Gannets noted were last years young, hopefully they winter out in the deeper water to explain the lack of them.

The only other news today is 11 Russian White-fronted Geese at Cockles Bridge per GP & NB.

The details of yesterdays 1w Herring Gull that was at the fishing boats yesterday afternoon. Many thanks to Mike Marsh for his prompt response 

25/01/2025

I am waiting on confirmation that this 1w Herring Gull is a Felixstowe bird, at the fishing boats this afternoon.

I will post the morning sea watch totals when I receive them, he had one job! 😂cant get the staff!

13.00-14.30 from the fishing boats.

Greylag Goose: 3W

Common Scoter: 12W

Oystercatcher: 5E

Turnstone: 5 present

Kittiwake: 9W    

Black-headed Gull: Present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 1W adult

Common Gull:  Present n/c

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Guillemot: 1W  

Razorbill: 2W     

Auk sp: 33W

Red-throated Diver: 367W   including flock of 270

Gannet: 27W       

Cormorant: Present n/c

Grey Seal: 2

4 Tundra Bean Geese in the Sussex half of Scotney Pit this afternoon, before flying off towards Walland Marsh late afternoon. Thanks to Graham Parry and Nicky Betts the finders.

6 of the 8 Pinkfeet at Denge Marsh late afternoon

Apart from the Tundra Bean Geese and the Pink-footed Geese there was little new seen today on the peninsula, the Long-tailed Duck was still insitu. Thanks to David and Tone the finders.

24/01/2025

Black Redstart on the power station perimeter wall at midday

4 Brent Geese west past the bouy this afternoon

At 07.50 this morning when I parked to go sea watching the car was rocking strongly in the wind, I thought better of it and went home for an early breakfast. By midday the wind had subsided so I went back and spent 3hrs sea watching being joined by Owen after a while.  

12.00-15.00 joined by OL 

Brent Goose: 2E     4W

Common Scoter: 5W

Great-crested Grebe: 1W

Kittiwake: 73W      9E

Black-headed Gull: c300W

Common Gull:  c200W

Herring Gull: c2,000W

Caspian Gull: 7W    (5 x 1w + 2w + 3w)

Yellow-legged Gull: 1W  (3w)

Great Black-backed Gull: 373W

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 5W

Guillemot: 9W       

Auk sp: 27W

Red-throated Diver: 4E     33W

Fulmar: 1W

Gannet: 57W       

Cormorant: Present n/c

Black Redstart: 1 behind hide again

Grey Seal: 2

Common Seal: 1

1w Caspian Gull

1w Caspian Gull

2w Caspian Gull

3w Caspian Gull

3w Caspian Gull

Very little news from the rest of the peninsula apart from the Long-tailed Duck still being present per PT

22/01/2025

A very poor return for an hour spent in the sea watch hide.

08.00-09.00 with RW & OL. NNW 2       3º

Oystercatcher: 1E 

Black-headed Gull: Present n/c

Common Gull:  Present n/c

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Guillemot: 1E   

Razorbill: 1E      1 present      

Auk sp: 2E

Red-throated Diver: 16E       22W

Gannet: 20E   6W

Cormorant: Present n/c

Grey Seal: 1

Common Seal: 1

On my back home for breakfast there were 10 Russian White-fronted Geese viewed from Cockles Bridge

The Long-tailed Duck was still on the New Diggings but distant, No Great Northern Divers seen today.

There is much disturbance around the reserve with work being done in the hayfields, Christmas Dell, Makepiece and the ARC so it was unsurprising that my wander around the reserve saw very little.

This Great White Egret was feeding in the Dipping Pond a first for me.

A Barn Owl disappearing down the track to Hanson from the ARC car park early this afternoon

On a brighter note the new Makepiece hide is coming on a pace, image taken from Scott Lookout.
 

20/01/2025

A slick of Cormorants offshore this morning

The sea watching can only get better!😂

 08.00-09.30 with RW & OL

Brent Goose: 4E

Oystercatcher: 14E 

Kittiwake: 5E    10W   

Black-headed Gull: Present n/c

Common Gull:  Present n/c

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Guillemot: 2E

Razorbill: 3E      

Auk sp: 27E        4W

Red-throated Diver: 9E       331W

Fulmar: 1E

Gannet: 14E   57W

Cormorant: Present n/c

Black Redstart: 1 behind hide

Grey Seal: 2

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

Starting the construction of the new Makepiece Hide

A wander around the reserve this afternoon was predictably quiet, though good to see the Makepiece construction underway. A peregrine and 2 Ravens at Christmas Dell were best I could find there, Dengemarsh was disappointing seeing no Water Pipits and little else.

Peregrine at Christmas Dell

From the track to Hanson a Water Rail was skulking in the reeds

2 of the 4 Great White Egrets from Hanson late afternoon

There was no sign of any Great Northern divers or Long-tailed Duck today. The Bewick Swans were in the usual field at Midley.

19/01/2025

The cold dreary weather continues with sea watching be like Groundhog Day! 

07.50-09.20 with RW.  SSE3 3º

Oystercatcher: 5E 

Kittiwake: 10E   

Black-headed Gull: Present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 1W. (Adult)

Common Gull:  Present n/c

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Guillemot: 2E

Razorbill: 6E      5W

Auk sp: 31E        20W

Red-throated Diver: 68E       258W

Fulmar: 2E

Gannet: 54E    24W

Cormorant: Present n/c

Merlin: 1W

Grey Seal: 1

The Long-tailed Duck and the Great Northern Diver were both reported as still being on New Diggings, a Firecrest was reported at Scott Lookout and Water Pipits still on the hay fields.

Fruitless Harrier count this afternoon for me as none roosted at my reed bed, consolation was had with 2 Little Owls calling in the dark.

A male Hen Harrier roosted in another reed bed on Walland.

18/01/2025

A very cold sea watch with very limited visibility.

08.25-09.25  wind ESE 3   2º  Fog

Great-crested Grebe: 1 present

Oystercatcher: 2E 

Kittiwake: 1E   

Black-headed Gull: Present n/c

Common Gull:  Present n/c

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Guillemot: 5E

Razorbill: 1E

Red-throated Diver: 154E

Fulmar: 1E

Gannet: 53E    

Cormorant: single flock of c2,000 drifted west past the Bouy 

Grey Seal: 1

1 0f 2 Cattle egrets at Cockles bridge this morning

White-fronted Geese in the distance through the fog from Cockles Bridge

After a very cold sea watch on my way home for a late breakfast, a brief stop at Cockles Bridge where 2 Cattle egrets and 7 White-fronted Geese could be seen.

A late morning/early afternoon walk from home to Denge Marsh Gully and back, saw the Yellowhammers opposite HRS, a Kingfisher at Denge Marsh a couple each of Marsh Harrier and Great White Egret a few Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails and not a great deal else. 

41 Bewick Swans were on Walland per GH, NB, KP et al was the only other news I heard of today.

17/01/2025

A cold watch this morning 4ºC in force3 WSW breeze. No improvement in the birds made it seem much colder.

07.50-09.30  with RW, OL & Sue H

Great-crested Grebe: 4 present

Oystercatcher: 5E     1W

Kittiwake: 41W   

Black-headed Gull: Present n/c

Common Gull:  Present n/c

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Guillemot: 1E  3W

Razorbill: 2E

Auk: 27W      58E

Red-throated Diver: 44W   93E  

Gannet: 51W   23E     

Cormorant: Present n/c.  

Grey Seal: 1

7 Russian White-fronted Geese over Lydd Fields taken from my garden, a nice garden year tick.

A 2w Caspian Gull on Burrowes before being disturbed by the work party

You can just about make out 3 Water Pipits in the above image, in the hayfield behind Christmas Dell

Water Pipit

The Long-tailed Duck and Great Northern Diver are still to be found on the New Diggings, I couldn't see the diver on Burrowes but it is probably still present. On Walland there were 34 Bewick Swans (per John Kirk) at Midley. The wintering Greenshank is still at Scotney but there was no sign of the 2 Tundra Bean Geese today but could still be present.