Cuckoo!

A few Willow, Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers along the track from the ARC car park to Hanson this morning. Very little of note in front the hide this morning, but late afternoon 4 Garganey, 30 Black-tailed Godwits, a Common Sandpiper, 2 Great White Egrets and all the usual wildfowl.

 Common Redstart in The Desert

This mornings walk around The Desert saw of note a Common Redstart, 4+ Willow Warblers, 5+Common Whitethroats, 7 Wheatears, 5 Stonechats, 15+ Yellow Wagtails, a Sparrowhawk and a Marsh Harrier.

 Stonechat in The Desert

Juvenile Linnet in The Desert

 Wheatear in The Desert

1 of many Hummingbird Hawkmoths seen in The Moat recently

 Swallow from Plodland

While emptying my MV Yellow Wagtails were calling virtually non stop as they dropped into the field opposite to feed. Over the fields the sky was full of 1,000s of Swallow, Sand and House Martins, also a couple of Swifts many Gulls attracting the attention of Peregrines, a Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, 2 Common Buzzards and 2 Marsh Harriers while all feasting on what I assume were flying ants, Some of the Swallows and Sand Martins settled on wires in front my house allowing me to get some images from my small balcony. 

 Sand Martin from Plodland

 Juvenile Cuckoo at Scotney

This afternoon at the back of Scotney I spent a lot of time with a juvenile Cuckoo which eventually gave superb views, many Yellow Wagtails there, 6+ Wheatears, a Whinchat, many Hirundines, a Peregrine, 2+Marsh Harriers and a kettle of 10 Common Buzzards. On the lakes a Greenshank, a few Dunlin and the horrible sight of many 100s of feral geese.

  Juvenile Cuckoo at Scotney

  Juvenile Cuckoo at Scotney

1 of many Yellow Wagtails at Scotney today

1 of 2 Turnstones at the fishing boats this afternoon

At the fishing boats this afternoon very little offshore, a Fulmar was the highlight among an handful each of Gannets and Sandwich Terns, 2 Turnstones fed along the shore line. I cut short the sea watch due to the volume of holidaymakers and anglers there. I did see a first for me there someone fly fishing! Needless to say he didn't catch anything while I was there. I think I'll hibernate for the next 3 days.  

At Galloways late afternoon of note just 2 Whinchats, 5 Stonechats, a few Common Whitethroats and Willow Warblers.

Clifden Nonpareil courtesy of the DBO

Dotterel!

This mornings sea watch was very uninspiring and consequently a short one. A wander around the lighthouse, station bushes and out to the eastern end of The Desert saw just a handful of Common Whitethroats, a few Meadow Pipits, 9 Wheatears, 17 Yellow Wagtails, a Marsh Harrier, a few Swallows over and a Hare, when I reached the Pilots Path a movement nearby caught my eye and the shingle morphed into a juvenile Dotterel which showed very well for just over an hour before flying off towards the ARC.

 Juvenile Dotterel

 It did several wing stretches

 Blending in with the shingle as it spots overhead danger

On my way back to my car this Black Redstart popped up in front of me

I went to Scotney to check an odd report of an Ibis sitting on a fence by the main road, needless to say I found no sign of an Ibis. The sward around the lakes was literally smothered with what I estimated to be c2,000 feral geese of 5 species.

An excellent couple of hours at the ARC this afternoon where 2 Spoonbills showed well, as did 4+ Garganey, 31 Black-tailed Godwits, 14 Dunlin, 6 Redshank, a Golden Plover, 4 Ringed Plovers, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, a Common Sandpiper, a juvenile Mediterranean Gull 2+ Marsh Harriers, a Great White Egret, 5 Little Egrets and a photogenic Spotted Flycatcher, also a superb display by a juvenile Peregrine. Also present all the usual wildfowl and the usual many Sand Martins.

 Spoonbills from Hanson

 Juvenile Peregrine from Hanson

 A very photogenic Spotted Flycatcher in front of Hanson (my first this year)

A quick look late afternoon from Firth to see how the islands are progressing saw 40+ Dunlin, 10+ Ringed Plovers and a Sanderling running around within a few feet of the working digger.

P:C65 Polish ringed juvenile Yellow-legged Gull 

05.45-09.45 from the sea watch hide & 10.20-12.00 from the fishing boats with AJG et al:

Shelduck: 15 up

Teal: 3 down

Common Scoter: 71 down    6 up

Great-crested Grebe: 5 around

Fulmar: 6 up

Gannet: 104 up   121 down

Cormorant: present n/c

Turnstone: 6 around

Sanderling: 2 down

Dunlin: 127 down

Great Skua: 4 down

Arctic Skua: 20 down

Pomarine Skua: 1 down

Yellow-legged Gull: 2 juveniles around

Kittiwake: 9 up 7 down

Sandwich Tern: c100 up

Common Tern: c150 down

Black Tern: 2 down

Sand Martin: 4 out

Harbour Porpoise: 8+

Greay Seal: 2

At lunchtime on the reserve 22+ Black Terns on Burrowes, also 60+ Dunlin, 8+ Common Sandpipers, many Sand martins and 20+ Swifts.

Over the road on the ARC 15 Black-tailed Godwits, 4 Dunlin, 2 Common Sandpipers, 3 Ringed Plovers, 2 Little ringed Plovers and the usual wildfowl.

Another sea watch this afternoon 14.10-16.00 was very slow, with just an Arctic Skua, 2 Oystercatchers and a Whimbrel of any note.

Spoonbill!

 Common Whitethroat

A pleasant walk around the lighthouse area, the desert and trapping area saw plenty of birds if you managed to managed to bump into the roving flocks. Common Whitethroats were the most numerous species followed by Great & Blue Tits, Lesser Whitethroats, Reed and Willow Warblers also a single Great-spotted Woodpecker. A Little Egret flew over the desert  as did 2 Dunlin, a Little Ringed Plover, a Common Buzzard, a Peregrine and a Sparrowhawk. Butterflies were numerous with several Painted Ladies and a Clouded Yellow.

 Common Whitethroat taking a spider from its web

 Lesser Whitethroat

 Reed Warbler

 Painted Lady

While having lunch dozens of Swallows and Sand Martins were hawking over the fields in front of the house, 2 Marsh Harriers, a Common Buzzard and a Hobby flew through.

A very slow sea watch at the fishing boats this afternoon, highlights being a Great Skua, an Arctic Skua and a brief juvenile Yellow-legged Gull. 

 Spoonbill on the ARC

On my way home I stopped off at the ARC as Liz & Paul Hunter had told me they had seen a Spoonbill on the islands from Hanson early afternoon. On my arrival the Spoonbill was in usual pose asleep but did wake up briefly, also there 2 Garganey, 4 Dunlin, a Little Ringed Plover, 7 Little Egrets and many Sand Martins. Over the road the juvenile Black Tern seen by JR was still on Burrowes.  

Garganey on the ARC

Leach's Petrel!

 Great White Egret over my house first thing this morning

 Reed Warbler

 Willow Warbler

 Lesser Whitethroat

At the ARC the bushes by the track to the tower were alive with warblers, Reed Warbler, Willow Warbler and Whitethroat were in the majority with smaller numbers of Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap and Sedge Warbler, Sand Martins and Swallows were much in evidence over the lakes. From Hanson a Garganey showed well, also there 3 Dunlin, a Little Ringed Plover, another Great White Egret and the usual wildfowl. Also a Clouded Yellow butterfly by the car park.

 Garganey

 Clouded Yellow

 Turnstone at the fishing boats

13.45-16.45 from the fishing boats joined by AJG, SO & PT.
Common Scoter: 3 up
Eider: 1 female around
Great-crested Grebe: 5 around
Fulmar Petrel: 2 up  1 down
Leach’s Petrel: 1 down (to far out for any images but gave good scope views)
Gannet: 59 up
Cormorant: 17 around
Turnstone: 6 around
Arctic Skua: 5+ around
Yellow-legged Gull: 1 juvenile around
Kittiwake: 25 down
Sandwich tern: 186 down
Common Tern: 61 down
Sand Martin: 12 out
Swift: 15 out
Wheatear: 2 on beach
Grey Seal: 1
Harbour Porpoise: 8+

 Eider at the fishing boats

Curlew Sandpipers!

 Curlew Sandpipers

 Curlew Sandpipers

3 Excellent visits to the reserve found a total of 48 Curlew Sandpipers, 20 Knot, 31 Black-tailed Godwits, 30+ Dunlin, 20+ Ringed Plover, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 3 Wood Sandpipers, 3 Green Sandpipers, 6 Common Sandpipers, 4 Ruff, a Little Stint, 200+ Lapwing, 10+ Oystercatchers, 5 Great white Egrets, 6 Garganey, 2 Black Terns, 100s of Sand Martins and all the usual wildfowl.

 Colour ringed Curlew Sandpiper

 Little Stint from Firth

 Great White Egret from Hanson

 3 of 5 Garganey from Hanson

09.30-12.00 from the fishing boats:

Common Scoter: 8 up
Great-crested Grebe: 5 around
Fulmar: 2 down
Gannet: c120 down
Cormorant: 12 around
Turnstone: 27 down
Arctic Skua: 4+ around
Kittiwake: 36 down
Little Tern: 11 down
Sandwich Tern: c400 down
Common Tern: c220 down
Black Tern: 13 down
Grey Seal: 1
Swallow: 2 out
Harbour Porpoise: 5+
Hummingbird Hawkmoth: 2 in

Turnstones past the fishing boats

14.15-16.15 from the fishing boats with AJG who kindly collated the numbers:

Common Scoter: 12 down
Fulmar: 2 up
Gannet 64 up
Arctic Skua: 3 around
Kittiwake: 18 down
Little Tern: 6 down
Sandwich Tern: 218 down
Common Tern: 118 down
Black Tern: 2 down
Swift 3 out

Arctic Skua  from the fishing boats