Marsh Sandpiper

Marsh Sandpiper

Yesterday morning after another tedious sea watch I went to Hanson Hide, on opening the flaps I could see a small flock of Redshanks which were new in, getting myself settled I started to scan the flock with my scope an immediately spotted a smaller paler wader among them, first thought was Greenshank but immediately dismissed it due to size, which only left Marsh Sandpiper. With a little panic setting in I doubled checked the bird, size between Redshank and Wood Sandpiper, needle straight thin bill, long green grey legs, slight supercillium and blackish spots on its back making it an adult, happy with the identification I put the news out. 

Marsh Sandpiper with Redshanks

Marsh Sandpiper, Redshanks and Lapwing

Marsh Sandpiper chased by Lapwing

Marsh Sandpiper, Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit and Lapwing

Marsh Sandpiper, Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit and Lapwing

Common Sandpipers

Greenshank with juvenile Redshank

Satellite tagged eclipse drake Garganey still present

Cattle Egret at Boulderwall

05/07/2023

 

After the sea watch I joined DW at The Patch where he spotted this juvenile Yellow-legged Gull the first of the year. Also 30+ Mediterranean Gulls there and a couple 2nd year Yellow-legged Gulls.

Even by recent standards this mornings sea watch was abysmal!

07.00-08.00 from the hide 
Great-crested Grebe: 1  present

Kittiwake: 3W
Mediterranean Gull: 7W towards The Patch
Sandwich Tern:  1W    4E
Guillemot: 2W
Gannet: 18W
Cormorant: 1W    1E
Swift: 24 in    
Harbour Porpoise: None seen today again
Grey Seal: 1

1 of the Common Sandpipers at The ARC today

Yesterdays Wood Sandpiper at the ARC was still present today, along with another, 2 Common Sandpipers, a Black-tailed Godwit, 8 Dunlin. 10 Little Ringed Plovers, 7 Ringed Plovers, a Garganey and all the other usual suspects. 

A walk around the reserve late afternoon in the strong winds saw many Sand Martins around, 8 Common Terns, a Black-tailed Godwit and the usual Gulls, a Hobby flashed over Christmas Dell but I saw little else, the pool behind Dengemarsh Hide is drying up rapidly. 

Pine Hawkmoth, the highlight of a soggy moth trap this morning

03/07/2023

Meadow Pipit on the Sea Kale behind the sea watch hide

Another unsurprisingly dour sea watch, if I don't look I will never have a good one.

 07.30-09.00 from the hide with OL

Common Scoter: 1E
Oystercatcher: 1E
Kittiwake:2W
Mediterranean Gull: c9 around
Sandwich Tern:  4W
Guillemot: 4W
Gannet: 2E     52W
Cormorant: 2W    3E
Swift: 5 in
Harbour Porpoise: 2
Grey Seal: 1

This Cattle Egret was new in at the ARC this morning, along with a Common Sandpiper and 4 Dunlin, in 3 visits today there was very little change.

The back packing drake Garganey was still present at the ARC

A Great White Egret heading over the ARC car park towards Boulderwall

An afternoon visit to very windswept Burrowes saw just 2 Common Terns of any note, At the Firth the wind was so strong I was unable to keep my binoculars steady despite standing in the shelter of the screen, a complete waste of money, the only people who use it are those that turn up in perfect weather conditions, at Makepiece there is now not even the pretence of any shelter as everything has been removed. I got as far as Scott before giving up when I came across a party of 4 dog walkers. 

A Small Mottled Willow not annual in my trap was the highlight from last nights trapping.

02/07/2023

Unsurprisingly this mornings sea watch not much to get excited about.

07.00-09.00 from the hide with RW & JC,

Mallard: 1W
Teal:1W
Common Scoter: 8E
Oystercatcher: 1W
Kittiwake: 7W
Mediterranean Gull: c8 around
Sandwich tern: 9E   5W
Common Tern: 2W
Guillemot: 1W
Auk sp: 2W    1E
Gannet: 1E      21W
Cormorant: 11W
Harbour Porpoise: 3+
Grey Seal: 2

Eclipse drake Garganey, its satellite tracker just about be seen here, shame the ring is unreadable.

Juvenile Little Ringed Plover with a Little Egret from Hanson Hide

No change avian wise on the peninsula in the persistent strong westerly wind.

Large Emerald, although fairly common nationally it is less than annual in my trap

Lozentaeniodes formosana, this one no doubt wandered from the Pines in the army camp

Metzneria lappella a regular in the trap

01/07/2023

Green Sandpiper with Lapwing and Ringed Plover from Hanson

As expected the reserve was fairly quiet today in the strong wind, plenty of eclipse wildfowl are present, a moulting adult Great White Egret and several Marsh Harriers, most the smaller birds were keeping themselves in deep shelter, a trickle of Sand Martins were passing through along with a few Swifts, 

Reed Warbler from Hanson

Eclipse drake Garganey from Hanson

1 legged Common tern from Hanson

My first Shore Wainscott of the year yesterday

29/06/2023

Caspian Tern

In general things are very quiet on the avian front, this weeks stand out highlight was the Caspian Tern found by Pete and Pam on Tuesday, as usual for this species it only stayed for the day. There have been a trickle of returning waders on the ARC Wood and Green Sandpiper, Dunlin, Little Ringed and Ringed Plovers. Sand Martins are trickling through and the odd Great White Egret are turning up. There have been at least 4 Garganey around including the one with the back pack.

Eclipse drake Garganey bearing a satellite tracker. Possibly a Spannish scheme

2 Lapwing chicks in the ox bow by the track to the visitor centre this afternoon

26/06/2023

As my car was in for service today I took the bus to Northpoint GP and walked up to the golf course to see some Orchids, unfortunately the Lizard Orchids were more or less finished, the Bee Orchids were completely burnt, but at least the Pyramidal Orchids added a splash of colour, as did the many Marbled Whites and Skippers. I stupidly decided to walk back home, between Jurys Gap and the sand pit 3-4 pairs of Yellow Wagtails were the highlight. At Scotney the Cape Shelduck was still present with the hordes of Egyptian Geese, at least 100 Sand Martins were hawking over the main lake.

Lizard Orchid, well past its prime

Pyramidal Orchid

Many Marbled Whites

Cape Shelduck with Egyptian Geese at Scotney

Dichrorampha alpinana from todays catch

 

25/06/2023

I have been hearing Yellow Wagtails while going through my moth traps in the mornings, today I walked out into the fields opposite and found several young Yellow Wagtails, also a couple of adults that were obviously feeding young in a nest out in the bean field. I have also seen a Hobby regularly hunting Dragonflies along the track.

Drake and duck Garganey in flight at the ARC today, also 3 Little ringed Plovers and 10 Ringed Plovers there.

Duck Garganey

My first Cynaeda dentalis of the year was in the trap this morning, one of my favourite micro moths, feeds on Vipers Bugloss.

23/06/2023

Yesterdays Large Tortoiseshell found by Owen was still present by the Long pits this morning. It gave excellent prolonged views.

Another nice find by Owen this morning the first ever Scarce Emerald Damselfly. Nearby several Lunar Hornet Clearwings came to a lure.

One of my library images of a Lunar Hornet Clearwing

This Little Stint on the ARC this afternoon was in the company of 2 summer plumaged Dunlin, presumably all failed breeders returning south, also 2 Garganey present there. A Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over while I was at the Long Pits this morning the first I've seen for several weeks.

A Small Yellow Wave, a common moth but the first I have trapped for 9 years