10/09/2022

Temminck's Stint still distant at Dengemarsh this morning

Cattle Egrets coming to roost on Dengemarsh this morning

A couple of visits to Dengemarsh today saw 4 Wood Sandpipers, 4 Green Sandpipers, 3 Curlew Sandpipers, 7 Ruff, 2 Greenshank, Temminck's Stint, 40+ Common Snipe, 8 Cattle Egrets, 6 Great White Egrets, 7 Little Egrets, Bittern, Hobby, Bearded Tits, many Yellow Wagtails, Swift, 100s each of Sand Martins and Swallows, lesser numbers of House Martins, 2 Raven, Whinchat etc.

3 of the 4 Wood sandpipers at Dengemarsh this morning

Ravens over Dengemarsh this morning

Grass Snake from Hanson this afternoon

A quieter day at the ARC but very nice to see the Grass Snake, Little Stint another Wood Sandpiper, a few Golden Plover, 3 Black Terns etc.

Green Sandpiper over Dengemarsh early evening

I didn't do any sea watching today but it was apparently fairly slow compared to recent days, just a handful of Balearic Shearwaters were seen, along with the Arctic Skuas, Black, Little and Sandwich Terns which have been hanging around in the bay for some days now. Highlight was probably an Osprey that went out to sea.

Starlings gathering in front of the house this evening

 

A superb Moon rising over the ARC tonight taken from the garden

09/09/2022

Balearic Shearwaters from the fishing boats

Most of the time this week I have spent at the fishing boats sea watching, good to see 150+ Balearic Shearwaters, only modest numbers of Arctic Skuas and only 2 Great Skuas, 2,000+ Sandwich Terns, 100+ Common Terns, a few each of Black and Little Terns and a single Arctic Tern were the highlights of our efforts. A Long-tailed Skua was seen and photographed by Jacob in the hour I spent getting lunch😢

Black Tern from the fishing boats

Arctic Skua from the fishing boats

Common Tern from the fishing boats

2nd Calendar year Caspian Gull at the fishing boats

1st Calendar year Caspian Gull at the fishing boats

Adult Yellow-legged Gull at the fishing boats

Good numbers of Wood, Curlew, Common and Green Sandpipers, Little Stints, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwits etc have been seen daily around the reserve, with a bonus Temminck's Stint at Dengemarsh still present. A Wryneck turned up at the Long Pits today which I managed to get 2 brief unsatisfactory views of.

1 of 4 Spotted Flycatchers at the top of the Long Pits today

A spike of Autumn Lady's-tresses at the Long Pits

A rather distant Temminck's Stint at Dengemarsg today

Common Sandpiper at the ARC

05/09/2021

Balearic Shearwater from the fishing boats today

Adult Mediterranean Gull at the fishing boats

1w Mediterranean Gull at the fishing boats

Mediterranean Gull trying to rob a Sandwich Tern of its Sand Eel at the fishing boats

When the hunter becomes the hunted at the fishing boats

A Common Gull joins the chase

A flock of 21 Dunlin past the fishing boats this afternoon

Guillemot at the fishing boats

Swift over Burrowes late morning

Curlew Sandpiper from Hanson today

Glossy Ibis from Hanson today

6+ Ruff from Hanson today

Several Common Snipe from Hanson today

Dunlin from Hanson today

 

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