03/02/2025

This Fieldfare in Dengemarsh Flood yesterday was the days highlight for me, as it is a scarce species around the reserve.
 

A very long hour in the sea watch hide

08.00-09.00     SSW 1-2    3º

Wigeon: 4W

Great-crested Grebe: 2 present

Kittiwake: 3E   

Black-headed Gull: Present n/c

Common Gull:  Present n/c

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Razorbill: 10E

Guillemot: 1 present

Auk sp: 11W      11E   

Red-throated Diver: 5W    3E

Fulmar: 1E    

Gannet: 5E      17W

Cormorant: 672W    14E

Grey Seal: 3

Common Seal: 2

I found this Woodcock in dense bushes at the Long Pits this morning with the aid of a Thermal Imager, without the imager I would have blundered on and flushed it, instead it allowed me to photograph it and leave site with it still insitu.

Jack Snipe at The ARC found with the aid of a Thermal Imager, also 8 Common Snipe present.

One of 4 Cattle Egrets in the Cockles Bridge Triangle

My local Little Owl watching a couple of Buzzards fly over.

Now at least 9 Yellowhammers at Lydd FC. To put it in perspective thats more than were seen over the whole of peninsular the last few years.

On the reserve there were still 8 Russian White-fronted Geese present but no sign of the Pinkfeet, 2 Water Pipits were reported from the hayfields and the Long-tailed Duck is still present, otherwise very little of note.

01/02/2025

Pink-footed Geese and Russian White-fronted Geese

 08.00-09.00 with RW    Very Poor watch today despite a promising breeze.

Wind SSE 2-3    3º

Great-crested Grebe: 3E        13 around

Oystercatcher: 1E

Kittiwake: 5W    

Black-headed Gull: Present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 2E

Common Gull:  Present n/c

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Guillemot: 1W

Auk sp: 5E    

Red-throated Diver: 7W    12E

Fulmar: 1E    

Gannet: c30  feeding off shore  

Cormorant: Present n/c

Grey Seal: 1

The first Black-necked Grebe of the year was showing on Denge Marsh early afternoon

Part of the group of 6 Pink-footed Geese and 8 Russian White-fronted Geese behind the Corale today

These Goldeneye on the New Diggings are part of the c20 strong group on the reserve

The Long-tailed Duck on the New Diggings remaining as distant as ever

There was a Red-throated Diver in the SW corner of the New Diggings this morning but no sign this afternoon.

4 Tundra Bean Geese on Scotney main lake about to swim from Sussex into Kent

Some of the 48 Bewick Swans at Midley today, a very nice herd but sadly only 1 juvenile among them, it wont be long before they leave us and hopefully return next November with lots of youngsters, though I have serious doubts about that happening. Also at Midley c100 Fieldfare and 4 Tree Sparrows.

31/01/2025

These Velvet Scoters brightened up a very damp and dreary sea watch

07.55-09.30  SSW 5          6º    Rain

Brent Goose: 5W       2E

Shelduck: 1W

Velvet Scoter: 5W  (single flock)

Common Scoter: 7W     3E

Great-crested Grebe: 11E

Kittiwake: 26W   

Black-headed Gull: Present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 4W  

Common Gull:  Present n/c

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Caspian Gull: 1W. 1w bird

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Guillemot: 7W     5E       4 present

Auk sp: 17W 

Red-throated Diver: 11W     5E

Fulmar: 1E

Gannet: 68W    11E 

Cormorant: present n/c 

Grey Seal: 1

Common Seal: 1

Common Scoters

Mediterranean Gull

Late morning the wind veered from SSW to SSE but still raining prompting me to go back to the sea, certainly more birds but no quality.

13.30-15.00  from the hide

Common Scoter: 7W

Kittiwake: 56W 

Guillemot: 143W.   8E

Razorbill: 31W

Auk sp: 244W    36E

Red-throated Diver: 36W     

Fulmar: 1W

Gannet: 168W    11E

Cormorant: present n/c 

To the unknown reader who left a comment on yesterdays blog, I realise it wasn't a good Blog but didn't think it was that bad. 😂

30/01/2025

A bright chilly morning with not much moving at sea except Auks. There were however 1,000s of Gulls offshore feeding.

 08.00-09.30 joined by RW & CP.   NNW 3  3º

Shelduck: 2E

Great-crested Grebe: 17E

Kittiwake: 74W    

Black-headed Gull: Present n/c

Common Gull:  Present n/c

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Auk sp: 313W           12E

Red-throated Diver: 46W        14E

Gannet: 24W      8E   

Cormorant: Present n/c

Grey Seal: 2

Common Seal: 1

After breakfast and hanging around for a courier to arrive I went down Dengemarsh road, first stop to count the Yellowhammers just 3 today, then down to the manure heap where I could view the 6 Pink-footed Geese, they were quite difficult to see as they were distant and had to be picked out as they fed behind a reed lined ditch. I was going to look at Denge Marsh but there was work going on so I missed the new in Black-necked Grebe. Instead I went to Scotney and as it was a sunny day I guessed the Little Owls would be out sun bathing, they did not disappoint!

The local Little Owls sunbathing early afternoon

At Scotney again many Lapwing and Golden Plover, 2 Redshank and a Curlew loads of Wigeon but little else.

At the fishing boats I was joined by Richard where we saw good numbers of Auks but little else.

13.30-15.00 with RW at the fishing boats

Common Scoter: 3W  

Great-crested Grebe: 15E

Kittiwake: 13W

Red-throated Diver: 13W

Guillemot: 77W      3E

Razorbill: 202W

Auk sp: 1,088W

Gannet: 28W

Harbour Porpoise: 1

Common Seal: 1

Grey Seal: 2

Late afternoon there were 2 Cattle Egrets and 4 Little Egrets in the Horse Paddocks. 

The Long-tailed duck was still present on the New Diggings but the new Great Northern Diver was gone per JY.

29/01/2025

Large numbers of Gulls streaming West along the shore line this morning, strangely very little moving off shore, the passage petered out just after 09.00. As I was on my own the only way to get any count was to do timed counts. 

07.45-09.15   W 3      7º

Common Scoter: 4E

Kittiwake: 54W  (many more probably missed trying to sort out counts)  

Black-headed Gull: c7,500W

Mediterranean Gull: 15W  (many more probably missed trying to sort out counts)

Common Gull:  c800W

Herring Gull: c4,500W

Caspian Gull: 3+W. 

Great Black-backed Gull:Present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Guillemot: 18W

Razorbill: 6W

Auk sp: 47W 

Red-throated Diver: 46W    3E

Gannet: 9W  

Cormorant: present n/c 

Merlin from Cockles Bridge

At Cockles Bridge there were 4 Cattle Egrets and 5 Little Egrets, while there I noticed the above Merlin perched on some dredged reeds, I quickly drove home to add it to my from the garden year list

Curlew on the Scotney Sward this morning

1,000+ each of Golden Plover and Lapwing on the Scotney Sward with 8 Curlews, 4 Redshank and 2 Dunlin, but still no Ruff. There were still 48 Bewick swans on Walland today per BH.

6 Pink-footed Geese on Boulderwall Fields

The Pinkfeet were relocated on Boulderwall Fields by JY this morning but quickly disappeared again.

The new Makepiece Hide viewed from Scott look out

I still haven't managed to obtain any decent images of the Water Pipits on the hayfields

Another poor image but it is my first Firecrest of the year at Firth lookout today

The long-tailed Duck is still present on the New Diggings but is always distant when I make the effort to look for it. Another Great Northern Diver has appeared on Burrowes today .

This is one of 2 Hares on the reserve today

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