Grasshopper Warbler at the Observatory

Despite all the nets being deployed this morning surprisingly few birds were caught, this Grasshopper Warbler was the pick of the bunch.

A walk around the Desert area found 5 Whinchats, 2 Common Redstarts, a few each of Common Whitethroats, Lesser Whitethroats, Willow Warblers and Wheatears. 

 Willow Warbler near The Patch

At The Patch 100s each of Sandwich and Common Terns in a feeding frenzy offshore with 2 Arctic Skuas in attendance. Along the track to The Patch another Common Redstart and 2 Willow Warblers.

At the top end of the Long Pits a Spotted Flycatcher and a few more Willow Warblers, (3 Spot Flys and a NIghtingale earlier per AJG).

Many Migrant Hawkers around today

 Little Tern at the fishing boats this afternoon

 13.30-16.00 from the fishing boats:
Balearic Shearwater: 1E
Fulmar: 1W
Gannet: 32E     18W
Turnstone: 1 around
Arctic Skua: minimum of 3 around
Kittiwake: 3W
Sandwich Tern: 479W
Common Tern: 226W
Little Tern: 1 around
Harbour Porpoise: 5+
Grey Seal: 1
Common Seal: 1

Arctic Skua about to grab it's prize

 A couple of Porpoises

Common Seal

Turnstone at the boats this afternoon

Terns!

 Distant Black-necked Grebe from Hanson early morning

Early morning at the ARC the juvenile Black-necked Grebe appeared among the islands, also there of note 4+ Garganey, 112 Golden Plover, 2 Wood Sandpipers, the juvenile Curlew Sandpiper and a Common Sandpiper. A Cuckoo flew across the lake into the Willow trail, a Great White Egret was at the southern end and 100s of Sand Martins were hawking over the lake.

Across the road on Burrowes the American Black Tern was still present but frustratingly staying by the far bank from Makepiece, also a few Black Terns present and 100s of Sand Martins.

Gannet at The Patch

Mid morning a feeding frenzy at The Patch, with Gannets diving for presumably Mackerel, many Terns and Gulls present also and a single Mediterranean Gull.

Around The Point at least 3 Pied flycatchers with 1 in the Moat that had been ringed earlier, another in the Lighthouse garden though very elusive and another this afternoon in a private garden.

This afternoon the Wryneck was still present at Galloways per BW & DB.

 Fulmar at the fishing boats

A long sea watch from the fishing boats this afternoon with joined by AJG, JTM, DW & PT.

12.45-16.15

Fulmar: 5W    2E
Gannet: 41W    18E
Sanderling: 3W
Dunlin: 8W
Turnstone: 2W
Arctic Skua: 4+ around
Yellow-legged Gull: 2 around
Kittiwake: 13W
Sandwich Tern: 1,071W
Common Tern: 889W
Arctic Tern: 4W
Little Tern: 5W
Black Tern: 2W
Sand Martin: 86 out
Harbour Porpoise: 3+
Grey Seal: 1

 Fulmar at the fishing boats

Little Tern at the fishing boats

Little Tern at the fishing boats

 American Black Tern

After the sea watch I went to the reserve, as I pulled up in the car park DW beckoned me over to Dennis's hide where he had seen the American Black Tern fly to, sure on enough on a small island we found the Tern which then proceeded to give us good prolonged views. 5 Great White Egrets and a Common Sandpiper were also seen from Dennis's of note.

 American Black Tern

 American Black Tern

 American Black Tern with Common Terns

American Black Tern

The last 2 days!

The last 2 mornings have the mist nets have produce fairly good numbers of bird, with Willow Warblers dominating but also Garden warbler, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher and the first Whinchat that I can recall seeing in the hand.

 Common Redstart the first I've seen this year in this country

 Spotted Flycatchers Juvenile above, adult below.

Whinchat

 Wryneck with Yellow Wagtails yesterday

Yesterday afternoon the Wryneck was showing well with some Yellow Wagtails at Galloways, but never allowed close approach, 18 Whinchats were present there along with Wheatears, Common Whitethroats and Willow Warblers.

On the ARC 2 Wood Sandpipers still present today as was the juvenile Curlew Sandpiper and the Garganeys.

 Whinchat at Galloways

Arctic Tern at the fishing boats

Mostly due to the efforts of AJG sea watching the last couple of day has recorded 1,000s of Sandwich and Common Terns moving down channel, with 10s of Arctic Terns, Little Terns and Black Terns all of which are providing easy meals for marauding Arctic Skuas of which up to 16 have been recorded.

Yellow-legged Gull at the fishing boats

 American Black Tern an excellent find by Stephen Message

Late yesterday afternoon Stephen Message found a juvenile American Black Tern among c20 Black Terns on Burrowes Pit. It resolutely stayed on the far side of the lake yesterday and did the same today all the time I was there. 

 American Black Tern with Black Tern

Not A Bad day!

 Wryneck at Galloways

Early morning I had Galloways all to myself, lots of Common Whitethroats and Willow Warblers along with a few each of Lesser Whitethroat, Sedge and Reed Warbler were in the Brambles and Gorse and on the fence and road, joined by c14 Whinchats, Stonechats, Meadow Pipits, Wheatears and Reed Buntings all were picking off a multitude of emerging insects as was the very elusive Wryneck. 5 Whimbrel and 3 Curlew flew over and a Corn Bunting put in a brief appearance, an excellent start to the day.

Willow Warbler Galloways

A quick stop by the watch towers saw the Little Owl at Lydd Camp

 1 of many Yellow Wagtails at The Midrips

A walk along sea wall at The Midrips saw c150 Golden Plovers roosting at the western end, many Yellow Wagtails were zipping around all over, a minimum of 10 Wheatears were jumping along the path grabbing emerging insects, while in the shallows on the lakes, 13 Avocets, 10 Black-tailed Godwits, 6 Dunlin, 4 Ringed Plover, 3 Redshank, 2 Greenshank, a Spotted Redshank, a Grey Plover and a Wood Sandpiper were busy feeding.

 Wood Sandpiper at The Midrips

Dunlin at The Midrips

 c150 Barnacle Geese now at Scotney so it looks like the regular wintering flock has returned

Early afternoon from Hanson 2 Wood Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper, a Dunlin and 2 Garganey were seen among the eclipse ducks but little else.

13.45-15.45 from the fishing boats with AJG who kindly collated the numbers:

Common Scoter: 2

Fulmar: 1W

Gannet: 22 around
Arctic Skua: minimum of 3 around
Sandwich Tern: 880W  32E
Common Tern: 168W
Arctic Tern: 4W
Little Tern: 2W
Black Tern: 7W
Swallow: 2 out
Sand Martin: 12 out
Late afternoon from Firth Hide 6+ Black Terns, c200 Common Terns, a Great White Egret, a Hobby and a Sparrowhawk of note.

Very little coverage of the bushes around the point this morning, but a few Willow Warblers were trapped and processed early before the wind picked up. At Galloways the Wryneck was still present though very elusive and at least 3 Whinchats there per L & PH.

The ARC still had 3 Wood Sandpipers and up to 9 Garganey per BW. 

An hour at the the fishing boats mid morning produced 5 Black Terns, 2 Little Terns, 4+ Arctic Skuas and a Grey Plover of note.

 Little Tern at the Fishing Boats

12.40- 16.45 from the fishing boats with L & PH, RW, BW and AJG who kindly collated the numbers:

Great-crested Grebe: 1 around

Fulmar: 2W   3E

Balearic Shearwater: 2W

Gannet: 37W 116E
Grey Plover: 1W
Little Ringed Plover: 1 landed briefly on beach before flying out to sea
Dunlin: 2W
Turnstone: 1W
Arctic Skua: 4+ around
Mediterranean Gull: 1W juvenile
Yellow-legged Gull: 1+ around
Kittiwake: 13W
Sandwich Tern: 1,196W
Common Tern: 636W
Little Tern: 3W
Black Tern: 1W
Dunlin 2 down
Little Ringed Plover 1 landed briefly on beach before flying out to sea
Harbour Porpoise: 5+ around
Grey Seal: 1 around

 Arctic Skuas at the fishing boats

The above Gull was at the fishing boats late this afternoon, looks like its got Caspian genes in it.
Greater coverts not right but good for Yellow-legged also same applies with bill. Am happy to be put right though.

A few migrants!

Around the trapping area this morning 2 Tree Pipits, 10 Wheatears, 50+ Whitethroats, 20+ Lesser Whitethroats, 10+ Willow Warblers and a Blackcap among a large flock of Great and Blue Tits.

The Patch was very quiet when I visited it. 4 Black Terns flew west early morning per AJG.

There was little change at the ARC where 4 Wood Sandpipers, 3 Common Sandpipers, 68 Golden Plovers, 4+ Garganey, a Black-necked Grebe are all still residing here, 9 Black-tailed Godwits dropped in briefly. 

 Willow Warbler after a bath

At Dengemarsh and the Gully another 5 Wheatears and several each of Whitethroat and Willow

Warbler, also 20+ Yellow Wagtails, 2+ Great White Egrets there.

14.00-15.30 from the fishing boats with AJG:
Gannet: 9W
Osprey: 1 out
Kittwake: 5W
Sandwich Tern: 206W
Common Tern: 130W
Sand Martin: 3 out
Swallow: 2 out
Harbour Porpoise: 5+
Common Seal: 1

 Late afternoon at Galloways a Whinchat, 4 more Wheatears, a Sedge Warbler and several more Common Whitethroats, Willow Warblers and Stonechats. Galloways will be open for the next 3 days.

My first Whinchat of the Autumn at Galloways

The sward at Scotney was covered in Greylags, Canada, Barnacle and Egyptian Geese, also a few more Yellow Wagtails.