Friday 18/10/19

Taken during the brief appearance of the Sun from Dennis's picnic area.

08.00-10.00 From the sea watch hide with AJG
Common Scoter: 1E    6W
Gannet: 795W
Cormorant: present n/c
Merlin: 1 in
Arctic Skua: 6W   5 around
Kittiwake: 4W
Little Gull: 22W
Sandwich Tern: 93W
Guillemot: 2W
Razorbill: 22W
Auk sp: 44W
Swallow: 14 out
Alba Wagtail: 7W
Meadow Pipit: 42W
Goldfinch: 75 in
Harbour Porpoise: 2
At a windswept  Scotney 426 Golden Plover, 2 Ruff, 4 Redshank, a Turnstone and the usual feral Geese on the Sward.
On the reserve a Black-necked Grebe on Burrowes from Dennis's picnic area, the Red-throated Diver
still present seen distantly from Dennis's. The Gull roost by the entrance track held an adult Yellow-legged Gull and at least one Norwegian ringed Great black-backed Gull.
At the ARC the Little Stint and Garganey still present, also a Knot there per BW

Adult Mediterranean Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon

14.00-15.30 from the fishing boats:
Brent Goose: 2W
Common Scoter: 6W
Great-crested Grebe: 5 o/s
Gannet: 21E  46W
Grey Plover: 1W
Great Skua: 3W
Arctic Skua: 5 around
Little Gull: 5W
Mediterranean Gull: 2 around
Caspian Gull: The now regular 1w colour ringed bird on the beach
Sandwich Tern: 48W
Razorbill: 2W
Auk sp: 5W
Wheatear: 1 on beach

1w Common Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon. A species I rarely point the camera at.

Thursday 17/10/2019

07.00-09.00 numbers kindly provided by AJG
Brent Goose: 1E
Common Scoter: 2W  12E
Red-throated Diver: 1W
Great-crested Grebe: 18 o/s
Gannet: 149W
Peregrine with prey on beach & being mobbed by Sparrowhawk
Great Skua: 2W
Arctic Skua: 8W
Kittiwake: 4W
Little Gull: 3W
Mediterranean Gull: 4W
Sandwich tern: 234W
Razorbill: 10W
Auk sp: 36W
Swallow: 26 out
Linnet: 12 in
Meadow Pipit: 47 in
Goldfinch: 35 in

 1 of 2 Short-eared Owls in The Desert today

Wandering around The Point and Desert found several Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests, 3 Ring Ouzels, c15 Song Thrushes, 2 Short-eared Owls, a Wheatear, c40 Swallows, many Goldfinches and Linnets with fewer Chaffinches, Skylarks and Meadow Pipits, also a Brown Hare and a Bank Vole.

 Wheatear

 1 of 3 Ring Ouzels

Brown Hare

Another good afternoon sea watch in good company:
14.00-17.00  with CP, AJG and PT.
Brent Goose: 11W
Common Scoter: 25W
Red-breasted Merganser: 4W
Red-throated Diver: 1W   1 on
Great-crested Grebe: 9 on
Sooty Shearwater: 1W
Gannet: 385W
Cormorant: c100 around
Golden Plover: 4W
Turnstone: 3 on beach
Common Snipe: 2W
Great Skua: 2W
Arctic Skua: 16W  8 around roughly!
Kittiwake: 11W
Little Gull: 62W
Caspian Gull: 1 x1w on beach un-ringed
Sandwich tern: 380W 
Guillemot: 7W
Razorbill: 16W
Auk sp 58W
Swallow: 7 out
Grey Seal: 1
Harbour Porpoise: 2

A shy un-ringed Caspian Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon

Wednesday 16/10/2019

Today's sea watch was not as good as hoped for given the strong southerly winds for the first couple of hours, this may have been down to the poor visibility in the constant drizzle and occasional deluge, but any day when I see 100+ Little Gulls and 2,000+ Swallows, a few Skuas, a Merlin come bombing in off the sea is still a good day.

 1 of the Little Gulls past the fishing boats today

1 of todays Arctic Skuas

07.00-12.15 from the fishing boats with CP, AJG, PT & DW.
Brent Goose: 10W
Common Scoter: 55W
Great-crested Grebe: 13 o/s
Manx Shearwater: 1W
Gannet: 676W
Cormorant: present n/c
Dunlin: 5W
Great Skua: 1W
Arctic Skua: 7W/around
Kittiwake: 23W
Little Gull: 83W
Mediterranean Gull: 24W/around
Sandwich Tern: 242W
Guillemot: 15W
Razorbill: 52W
Auk sp; 78W
House Martin: 14 out
Swallow: 2,370 out
Goldfinch: 140 W
Harbour Porpoise: 2+
Grey Seal: 1

 1 of at least 700 Gannets that moved west past the fishing boats today

Nice to see a couple of juvenile Brent Geese

1 of the small flocks of Goldfinches at the fishing boats

The now seemingly resident German ringed 1w Caspian Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon 

 A juvenile Merlin coming in off the sea this afternoon

 A juvenile Merlin coming in off the sea this afternoon

A juvenile Merlin coming in off the sea this afternoon

14.00-15.30 from the fishing boats:
Brent Goose: 8W
Common Scoter: 6W
Red-throated Diver: 3W
Gannet: 57W
Merlin: 1 juvenile in off
Turnstone: 5 on beach
Arctic Skua: 8W
Kittiwake: 2W
Little Gull: 30W
Yellow-legged Gull: 2 around ad + 3 cal yr
Caspian Gull: 1 around
Sandwich Tern: 104W
Common Tern: 1W
Razorbill: 7W
Auk sp: 29E   27W
Pied Wagtail: 2 on beach

 Adult Yellow-legged Gull

3rd calendar year Yellow-legged Gull

There are still a few Ring Ouzels and Song Thrushes around the trapping area but not much else per JTM. On the reserve there are still 2 Goldeneye and a Red-throated Diver on Burrowes, a couple more Ring Ouzels, 3 Cattle Egrets and Great White Egrets around Hookers and Boulderwall, while on the ARC the Little Stint still present per PT & OL. 

Tuesday 15/10/19

An excellent mornings sea watching from the fishing boats, with passerines streaming over.

07.00-11.00 with AJG, CP, DS,MH

Brent Goose: 9W

Teal: 2W

Wigeon: 14W

Common Scoter: 245W

Red-breasted Merganser: 1W

Red-throated Diver: 3W      1 on sea

Great-crested Grebe: 7 o/s

Sooty Shearwater: 1W (DS & MH only)

Gannet: 149W

Grey Heron 6 coasting down(c1 to 2 miles out)

Ringed Plover: 3W

Turnstone: 2 on beach

Sanderling: 28W

Curlew: 1W

Great Skuas: 1W

Arctic Skua: 6 o/s

Kittiwake: 4W

Little Gull: 9W

Mediterranean Gull: 36W/feeding o/s

Common Gull: 17W

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 6W

Sandwich Tern: 84W/feeding o/s

Guillemot: 2W

Razorbill: 59W

Auk sp: 103W     7E

Swallows: 582 mainly out though some appeared to come in

House Martin: 26 out

Alba Wagtail: 21SW

Skylark: 26 out    4 in

Meadow Pipit: c600 SW

Starlings: 520 in

Goldfinch: 185 SW

Linnet: 115 SW

Siskin: 2 SW 

Common Seal: 1

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 2

While we were sea watching OL,DW, JTM & JD were working the trapping area with some success, A Serin and a Woodlark over per DW, a lapland Bunting over per OL, Firecrests and Ring Ouzels per JTM & JD.

 The German colour ring 1w Caspian Gull at the fishing boats again today

14.15-15.15 from the fishing boats with AJG & OL
Brent Goose: 3W
Common Scoter: 6W
Red-breasted Merganser: 2W
Great-crested Grebe: 13 o/s
Red-throated diver: 5W
Gannet: c30 o/s
Arctic Skua: 4 o/s
Kittiwake: 3W
Little Gull: 2W
Black-headed Gull: 153W
Mediterranean Gull: 14W
Common Gull: 28W
Caspian Gull: 1 on beach
Sandwich tern: 36W
Guillemot: 1W  3 o/s
Razorbill: 2W
Auk sp: 17E   6W
Swallow: 32 out
Hummingbird Hawkmoth 1 in off

The 1w Caspian Gull resting at the Fish Shack roost late afternoon.

The reserve remains quiet with highlights being Great White, Cattle and Little Egrets, daily sightings of Bittern, a Red-throated Diver on Burrowes also Garganey there with another on the ARC. 

Monday 14/10/2019

Early this morning while counting wildfowl on Burrowes from Firth hide with heavy rain falling, 146 Knot, 12 Dunlin, 2 Redshank and a Curlew dropped in. Before the Knot landed they seemed to dunk themselves into deep water in the middle of the lake, then come to land and preen, as soon as the rain eased they all departed. Other highlights on Burrowes were a Little Stint, a Garganey, a Common Tern, 2 Goldeneye, a Great White Egret, many Chiffchaffs in the bushes, 20 Swallows and 20 House Martins over    

 A German ringed 1w Caspian gull at the fishing boats today

 10.55-13.00 from the fishing boats with JTM & OL
Great-crested Grebe: 3 o/s
Gannet: 18E     21W
Cormorant: present n/c
Turnstone: 1 on beach
Great Phalarope: 1W
Arctic Skua: 2 o/s
Kittiwake: 4W
Little Gull: 2 o/s
Mediterranean Gull: c120 o/s
Caspian Gull: 2 x 1w on beach
Sandwich Tern: 8 o/s
Razorbill: 4E
Auk sp: 8E.      23W
Goldfinch: 40E

 1w Caspian Gull un-ringed at the fishing boats today

 A couple of the c120 Mediterranean Gulls

Late afternoon on the ARC from Hanson, the highlights were, a Little Stint, 4 Dunlin, 5 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Golden Plover, 3 Common Terns and a Water Rail.

Sunday 13/10/2019

Another day of sea watching in strong southerly winds with occasional showers and mizzle.
07.00-12.30 from the sea watch hide and 14.30-15.30 from the fishing boats:
Aided by AJG, SO, LH, PH, JTM, MH et al.

Brent Goose: 9W
Common Scoter: 4W   16E
Great-crested Grebe: 1W     6 o/s
Red-throated Diver: 3W    1 o/s
Leach's Petrel: 1W  seen only from the fishing boats this morning and not by me!
Sooty Shearwater: 8W
Manx Shearwater: 3W
Balearic Shearwater: 1W
Gannet: 893W
Cormorant: present n/c
Merlin: 1 in
Turnstone: 1W
Great Skua: 7W
Arctic Skua: 7W   4+ o/s
Kittiwake: 31W
Little Gull: 45W
Mediterranean Gull: 13W
Guillemot: 39W
Razorbill: 224W
Auk sp: 406W
Skylark: 4W
Swallow: 108 out
Meadow Pipit: 49 in
Rock Pipit: 1W
Chaffinch: 5W
Linnet: 108W
Harbour Porpoise: 2+

Friday 11/09/2019

 Yesterday I spent the afternoon at Copt Point reading rings on Mediterranean Gulls, there was only about 150 birds present  but I still managed to read 16 rings, one of which was a Hungarian bird. See map and life history below.
Mediterranean Gull Red ring marked H0A7
Date;              Place;                Country;                   Latitude;Longitude;         Name
2012.06.19.; ;Bugyi (Kavics Union);Hungary;     48;47.2038;19.135;     Privigyei Csaba;
2012.08.02.; ;Wissant (beach);France;                  07;50.8875;1.6583;     Renaud Flamant;
2013.08.19.; ;Wissant (Stubblefield);France;        07;50.8791;1.6697;     Jürgen Steudtner;
2013.10.14.; ;Strouanne (Cap Blanc-Nez);France; 07;50.9002;1.6758;    Jürgen Steudtner;
2013.10.15.; ;Strouanne (Cap Blanc-Nez);France; 07;50.9002;1.6758;    Jürgen Steudtner;
2017.04.21.; ;Antwerpen (Total-colony);Belgium; 20;51.2569;4.325;     Renaud Flamant;
2018.03.04.; ;Boulogne-sur-Mer;France;               07;50.7333;1.5833;    Eric Petit-Berghem;
2018.08.12.; ;Strouanne (Cap Blanc-Nez);France;   07;50.9002;1.6758;  Renaud Flamant;
2018.09.19.; ;Strouanne (Cap Blanc-Nez);France; 07;50.9002;1.6758;    Jürgen Steudtner;
2018.09.20.; ;Strouanne (Cap Blanc-Nez);France; 07;50.9002;1.6758;    Jürgen Steudtner;
2019.08.25.; ;Folkestone (Copt Point);    (UK);     51.0833;1.1833;         Renaud Flamant;
2019.08.29.; ;Folkestone (Copt Point);    (UK);     51.0833;1.1833;         Renaud Flamant;
2019.10.10.; ;Folkestone (Copt Point);   (UK);       51.0834;1.1993;        Martin Casemore;

As today was such a wet and windy day sea watching was thing to do today:
07.00-10.00 with PE and AJG who kindly collated the numbers:
Common Scoter: 5W   6E
Sooty Shearwater: 2W
Gannet : 1,761W
Cormorant: present n/c
Great Skua: 2W
Arctic Skua: 22W   2 around
Little Gull: 1W
Kittiwake: 21W
Sandwich Tern: 704W
Guillemot: 1W
Razorbill: 44W
Auk sp: 47W

A brief look at the Boulderwall Fields saw 3 Cattle Egrets and not much else.

13.45-16.45 from the fishing boats with CP & OL.
Red-throated Diver: 1 around
Great-crested Grebe: 7 around
Shearwater sp: 1W
Gannet: 233W
Cormorant: 57W
Arctic Skua: 12W    4 around
Kittiwake: 4W
Black-headed Gull: 142W
Common Gull: 6W
Sandwich Tern: 272W
Guillemot: 1W
Razorbill: 17W
Auk sp: 13W
Swallow: 3 out
Harbour Porpoise: 2+
Grey Seal: 1
Common Seal: 1

Wednesday 09/10/2019

07.00-10.00 from the sea watch hide with RW & AJG who kindly collated the numbers:
Mallard: 1W
Common Scoter: 1E
Red-throated Diver: 1E     1W
Great-crested Grebe: 2W
Gannet: 302W
Cormorant: present n/c
Grey Plover: 3W
Great Skua: 2W
Arctic Skua: 12W
Kittiwake: 43W
Mediterranean Gull: 22W
Sandwich Tern: 426W
Common Tern: 1W
Razorbill: 61W
Auk sp:  44W
Swallow: 25 out
Grey Seal: 2
Harbour Porpoise: 3+

 Ring Ouzel

A short wander around The Desert between showers was very quiet, but we did see 3 Ring Ouzels, a Blackcap and 4 Skylarks of note.

Late morning at Boulderwall the 3 Cattle Egrets and a great White Egret were feeding by Cooks Pool.

Great Black-backed Gull JJ767 at the fishing boats this afternoon. it was ringed as a pullus on 24.06 2019 at Flatøya, Bømlo, Hordaland, Norway  59°45'15"N 005°06'44"E. Today was the first sighting since it was ringed.
13.45-15.45 from the fishing boats with RW,AJG,PT, JTM
Red-throated Diver: 1 o/s
Great-crested Grebe: 7 around
Gannet: 61W   19E
Cormorant: present n/c
Turnstone: 2 around
Arctic Skua: 6 around
Kittiwake: 8W
Little Gull: 2W
Mediterranean Gull: 4E
Sandwich Tern: 236W    74E
Common Tern: 1W
Razorbill: 4W
Auk sp: 2W
Swallow: 47 out
Grey Seal: 2
Harbour Porpoise: 2+

2nd calendar year Great Black-backed Gull with a cable tie

Tuesday 08/10/2019

An uninspiring hour from the sea watch hide this morning:
08.00-09.00
Brent Goose: 5W
Gannet: 139W   6E
Cormorant: 18 around
Arctic Skua: 3W    2 around
Kittiwake: 26W
Black-headed Gull: present n/c
Mediterranean Gull: 1E
Common Gull: 17W
Herring Gull: present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c
Sandwich Tern: c40 feeding o/s
Common Tern: 3W
Guillemot: 2W
Razorbill: 10W    1E
Auk sp: 32W   1E
Swallow: 22 out
Alba Wagtail: 3 in
Meadow pipit: 42 in
Harbour Porpoise: 3+

A lone Wheatear was probably the highlight of day for me

I spent most of the day around The Desert and trapping area for very little return. The Wryneck was still present but eluded me again, I saw at least 7 Ring Ouzels this morning but they moved on very quickly, there were still a few very skulking Song Thrushes around. I came across a single Firecrest at the old feeding station and 3 Blackcaps nearby, most of yesterdays Chiffchaffs seem to have gone over night. At least there were birds overhead in the form of 200-300 each of Swallow, House Martin and Meadow Pipit, this afternoon I found a lone Wheatear and 2 Stonechats.

I have rarely bothered to photograph Robins, but this one posed for me even though Jacques or David had got to it before me. If Robins decline in the way most birds seem to be doing I need to get as many images now as possible.

Monday 07/10/2019

AJG kindly sent me the totals for an hours sea watch this morning from the hide 07.00-08.00:
Brent Goose: 3W
Shelduck: 7E
Common Scoter: 4E
Red-throated Diver:2E
Gannet: 467W
Arctic Skua: 4W
Mediterranean  Gull: 4E
Swallow: 18 out

Adult Ring Ouzel

I spent most of the day around The Desert and trapping area seeing 7 Ring Ouzels mainly in flight being flushed by the many dog walkers, many Chiffchaffs, c25 Song Thrushes, 5 Firecrests, 6 Goldcrests, 4 Blackcaps, a Common Whitethroat, 3 Wheatears, a Black Redstart, 15 Skylark, a Great-spotted Woodpecker, 2+ Sparrowhawks, plenty of House Martins and Swallows this morning, but missed the Wryneck.

 1st winter Ring Ouzel

 1st winter Ring Ouzels

Song Thrush in The Desert

LH & PH kindly sent me the totals for 30 minute sea watch14.30-15.00 from the fishing boats:

Teal: 5E

Tufted Duck: 1W

Great-crested Grebe: 3 around

Gannet: 15 fishing off shore

Arctic Skua: 3 around

Sandwich Tern: 10W

Razorbill: 3W

Auk sp: 1E