04/09/2022

Due to an injured shoulder I didn't carry my camera this morning on my walk around The Desert, so I was not as pleased as I should have been when 1 of 2 Ospreys I saw while wandering came right overhead, all I could do was point my phone up at it. Also seen there were a juvenile Marsh Harrier, 3 Whinchat, a few each of Willow Warbler, Common and Lesser Whitethroat, Reed Warbler and Great spotted Woodpecker. 

13.30-15.30 from the boats with RW & OL et al 

Common Scoter: 1W

Balearic Shearwater: 1W

Gannet: 112W 

Cormorant: present N/C

Turnstone: 1E

Sanderling: 4E

Dunlin: 10E

Black-headed Gull: present N/C

Mediterranean Gull: 4E    

Common Gull: present N/C

Herring Gull: present N/C

Great Black-backed Gull: present N/C

Lesser Black-backed Gull: present N/C

Sandwich Tern: 44W   

Common Tern: 8E

Arctic Skua: 2 present

Auk: 1W

Sand Martin: 27 out

Swallow: 179 out

Grey Seal: 2

Harbour Porpoise: 8+

Clouded Yellow E along shoreline

Spotted Redshank from Hanson this evening

An excellent  late afternoon and evening visit to Hanson Hide, highlight was Temminck's Stint  found by Reg and John (many thanks for the prompt calls and texts) this evening that only stayed for a short while,

also there 3 Curlew Sandpipers, 3 Wood Sandpipers, 4 Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper, a Little Stint, 5 Ruff, 183 Golden Plover, 5 Redshank, a Spotted Redshank, Black-tailed Godwits, Common Snipe, Ringed Plovers, Black-necked Grebe, Garganey, the usual Herons and Wildfowl and a couple of colour ringed birds, not bad haul from one hide.

Great White Egret from Hanson this evening

Cattle Egret from Hanson this evening

Ruff from Hanson this evening

3 Curlew Sandpipers from Hanson this evening

Green Sandpiper from Hanson this evening

02/09/2022

Avocet from Hanson

On my way to the beach this morning I rescued another Swan from the causeway road, hanging to control its neck once it had put through the gaps in the fence, once you have control of the neck and head it's a straightforward task of controlling its wings by tucking the bird under your arm then bundle over the fence off the road to safety. I have no idea what the attraction of the road is to Swans, but every year I rescue 2 or 3.

This mornings sea watch was as expected very poor. As I was walking around the top of the Long Pits another Dotterel flew SW calling. A large Tit flock had many Willow warblers in it but nothing of note. 

Golden Plovers from Hanson

From Hanson this morning Little Stints, Common and Wood Sandpipers, Avocet, Ruff, Garganey and the usual wildfowl.  and Ibis.

Cattle Egret at Boulderwall

Marsh Harrier over Burrowes

Sandwich tern at the fishing boats this afternoon

The Red-necked Phalarope kept its distance. This image was from the Scott VP which offered the best light this afternoon. Also 4 Black-tailed Godwits and 2 Greenshank seen on Burrowes today.

2 Red-crested Pochards on Burrowes still today

White-Winged Tern at Dengemarsh this evening, another excellent find by Steve Message. Also Pectoral Sandpiper, 6 Curlew Sandpipers, 4 Ruff, 4 Dunlin, Wood Sandpiper, 2 Glossy Ibis, 3 Great White Egrets and lots of Hirundines.

Poor images but they show the key features of a juvenile White-Winged Tern

 

31/08/2022

Juvenile Dotterel flying around Galloways early morning

 

Turn the volume up to hear the juvenile Dotterel calling as it flew around

There were several Willow warblers around Galloways early morning

Willow Warblers, Common Whitethroats, Wheatears, Meadow Pipits and Skylarks made up the bulk of the birds at Galloways, no Whinchats were seen but the Dotterel was the obvious highlight.

5 Wheatears on the the shed at the entrance to Galloways this morning

The Pectoral Sandpiper still at Dengemarsh today and still distant

Dengemarsh produced 3 Egret sp, Glossy Ibis, Pectoral, Curlew, Common and Green Sandpipers, Common Snipe, Ruff, a few Common Terns and the usual wildfowl. Around the hay fields several Bearded Tits in the ditches and 7 Clouded Yellows.

2 juvenile Curlew Sandpipers at Dengemarsh this morning

7 Clouded Yellow butterflies seen around the hay fields this morning

Black-tailed Godwit from Hanson today

The ARC was again quite birds, with Wood, Green and Common Sandpipers, Little Stint, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Greenshank, Avocets, Golden and Ringed Plovers, Black-tailed Godwits, Ruff, Water Rail, Black-necked Grebe, Garganey, Hobby, and the usual wildfowl.

Wood Sandpiper from Hanson today

Common Sandpipers from Hanson today

Juvenile Marsh Harrier at the ARC today

Common Buzzard at the ARC today

This afternoons sea watch was very unproductive, the highlight being a Dutch colour ringed Herring Gull.

14.00-15.00 from the boats.

Common Scoter: 2E

Gannet: 29E 

Cormorant: present N/C

Black-headed Gull: present N/C

Mediterranean Gull: 1E    Juvenile

Common Gull: present N/C

Herring Gull: present N/C

Yellow-legged Gull: 1 juvenile around

Great Black-backed Gull: present N/C

Sandwich Tern: 32E   

Arctic Skua: 1E    

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 2+

30/08/2022

1w Yellow-legged Gull

A strong NE wind does not bode well for sea watching at Dungeness as todays paltry totals attest.

07.00-08.00 from the boats joined by JK, 

Teal: 8W

Common Scoter: 1W

Gannet: 121E 

Cormorant: present N/C

Whimbrel: 1 over heard only

Black-headed Gull: present N/C

Mediterranean Gull: 3E    All juvs

Common Gull: present N/C

Herring Gull: present N/C

Yellow-legged Gull: 1 juvenile around

Great Black-backed Gull: present N/C

Sandwich Tern: 69E   

Common Tern: 8E

Arctic Skua: 5E     1W

Guillemot: 2E    1W

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Seal: 2

Harbour Porpoise: 3+

An Osprey put in an all too brief appearance at the ARC this morning

4 Glossy Ibis dropped onto the mud in front of Hanson Hide

Another impressive list of waders at the ARC today with 2 Little Stints, 2 Wood, 2 Green and 6+ Common Sandpipers, 2 Greenshank, 2 Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, 5 Ruff, Avocet, 20+ Black-tailed Godwits, Oystercatchers, single Knot, 140+ Golden Plover, Lapwings, 7 Ringed Plovers, 10+ Common Snipe, also present 6 Garganey, 2 Great White Egrets, 4 Cattle Egrets, Little Egrets,Bittern, Marsh Harriers, etc all from Hanson Hide.

Green Sandpiper from Hanson

Spotted Redshank bathing at Hanson

Ruff from Hanson

Common Sandpipers from Hanson

Pectoral Sandpiper on Dengemarsh at midday

At least 8 Clouded Yellow were around the hay fields

Cormorant 099 first seen on the ARC on 10/08/2022. 

It was ringed on 18th May 2022 at Hale Duck Decoy in Cheshire. 

28/08/2022

Colour marked Spoonbill at the ARC this morning

Light rain this morning dropped a few waders onto the ARC, singles of Spotted Redshank and Curlew Sandpiper, 4 Common Redshanks, 2 Avocet, 2 Little Stints were all new, they joined the Wood, Green and Common Sandpipers, Dunlin, Ringed Plovers, Common Snipe, Golden Plovers, Lapwing, Oystercatchers etc. At least 3 Garganey were present and 3 Great White Egrets. 7 Glossy Ibis and a Wood Sandpiper were on Dengemarsh.

2 Knot and a Redshank past the Fishing Bots this afternoon

A rather uninspiring 2 hours at the bots this afternoon

13.30-15.30 from the boats  

Common Scoter: 2E

Gannet: 52E  11W

Cormorant: present N/C

Redshank: 1E

Knot: 2E

Sanderling: 4E

Black-headed Gull: present N/C

Mediterranean Gull: 3E    (2 Juv, 1 2W)

Common Gull: present N/C

Herring Gull: present N/C

Yellow-legged Gull: 2 juvenile around

Great Black-backed Gull: present N/C

Sandwich Tern: 48E     10W

Common Tern: 4E

Arctic Skua: 1W

Guillemot: 1E    1 on

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 3+

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull

1w Mediterranean Gull

Harbour Seal

The sad sight of a dead Gannet drifting by no doubt a victim of bird flu, another live adult drifted past.

This poor chap is still around but appears to be feeding well

Juvenile Spotted Redshank

This evening at the ARC the juvenile Spotted Redshank came in close for the camera

The juvenile Water Rail also popped out for a brief show just before dark