20/01/2024

Lots of birds in this mornings sea watch but little Variety or quality.

07.45-09.45 with RW & SO.   Wind SW 4, Temp 3° 

Common Scoter: 1E

Great-crested Grebe: 1E

Oystercatcher: 17E 

Curlew: 4E 

Kittiwake: 48E   

Black-headed Gull: present n/c 

Mediterranean Gull: 2E

Common Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 3E

Auk sp: 870E    49W  

Red-throated Diver: 481E   39W

Fulmar: 3E       2W

Gannet: 712E  

Cormorant: present

Harbour Porpoise: 1

A very quiet day around the peninsular with little news. The Divers were still insitu on Burrowes, the 21 Barnacle Geese also still on Boulderwall Fields, the usual Egrets were still present but no reports of any Glossy Ibis. Bearded Tits and Bitterns both seen but little else.

Cattle Egret early yesterday morning in Lydd

 An alert Little Owl early yesterday morning enjoying the sunshine

Spoonbill Rye Harbour LNR yesterday

A pleasant visit to Rye Harbour LNR yesterday with Owen, Richard and Colin. Excellent views of the long staying Spoonbill on Ternery Pool. Lots of Teal sparkling in the sun and several Little Grebes, Dunlin, Ringed Plovers, Grey Plover, Redshank, Curlew, Turnstone and Oystercatchers all around the reserve, with Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipit and Skylarks. Back at the car park Owen provided us with Tea and a very nice homemade Ginger Cake. At Pett 20+ Greater White-fronted Goose, 2 Barnacle Geese one wearing a yellow Dark ring the other a white neck collar.

18/01/2024

A pre dawn visit to the ARC to see the roosting Swans was great disappointment as it seems none of them roosted there last night unless they left very early, however the 2 Woodcock I saw just as the sun peeping over the horizon made the effort more than worth while, a Cattle Egret flew over as did 2 Great White Egrets but no sign of any Glossy Ibis today.

I met Richard in the ARC car park where a Barn Owl did a very brief fly through, we decided to walk across the reserve to Dengemarsh. On the Boulderwall Fields 21 Barnacle Geese still along with feral Canada, Greylag and Egyptian Geese and a few Common Snipe, but nothing notable. Dengemarsh was very quiet, but we decided to carry on and walked right around the reserve. A single Raven flew over Scott but no sign of any of the hoped for Smew on Burrowes or anywhere else today, we couldn't even find any divers this morning, but apparently a single Great Northern and the Black-throated Diver were still present  per JY. A few more Common Snipe were seen on our way back to the car park.

This afternoon I checked the Camber Pools where this Mistle Thrush was highlight of my visit as I seldom see them these days, on the way I checked the Scotney lakes and again on the way back but very little there apart from 9 Dunlin and 2 Ringed Plovers the first I have seen this year.

One of the Lydd Little Owls late afternoon

17/01/2024

 

Bewick Swans from Hanson before sunrise

Bewick Swans leaving the ARC before sunrise

A bitterly cold sea watch from the hide with Owen saw very little change.

08.20-09.30 Wind NE 4, Temp 1° 

Common Scoter: 2E

Great-crested Grebe: 2 present

Oystercatcher: 6E  

Kittiwake: 1E   

Black-headed Gull: present n/c 

Mediterranean Gull: 1E   2 cal year

Common Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Auk sp: 488E    79W  

Red-throated Diver: 841E   73W

Fulmar: 1E

Gannet: 128E  

Cormorant: present

Golden Plover at Cockles Bridge, also 3 Cattle Egrets there.

On the reserve the divers were still present per MH. 2 Firecrests still along the entrance track between Cooks and Tanners per DB. On the marsh the 2 Tundra Bean Geese were still in the same place per NF.

Once again very little of note at Scotney this morning. This afternoon around Dengemarsh a Bittern by the pump, a Raven over, Chiffchaff at the sluice and a Skylark and a Stonechat in the set aside, the birding is pretty desperate at the moment.

16/01/2024

After watching the Bewick Swans and the 4 Glossy Ibis leave their roosts this morning, I wandered down to The Patch. There were plenty of Gulls present but sadly I could find nothing unusual among them. I then headed to Scotney but stopped to admire the Lydd Little Owls en route. A disappointing walk around the back of Scotney, mainly due to the lack of passerines and shepherds on there quad bikes flushing everything, to be fair the sheep are about to lamb, the highlight of my wander there was a single Green Sandpiper.

10 of the 56 Bewick Swans which left the reserve just before sunrise this morning

The Lydd Little Owls sun bathing this morning

One of the Cockles Bridge Cattle Egrets

Lapwing at Cockles Bridge

One of the Great Northern Divers early afternoon

Also a distinct lack of passerines on the reserve, though a definite increase in the number of Snipe on Boulderwall Fields, I couldn't find any wild Grey Geese among the feral Greylags there but the 21 Barnacle geese were still present.

The Black-throated Diver early afternoon

One of at least 3 Bitterns late afternoon from Hanson

Late this afternoon I joined RW and CT in Hanson Hide where we had excellent if distant views of a Bittern, we saw 2 more 1 of which flew right in front the hide. A glossy Ibis made several attempts to join the duck on the ice before flying off to roost, also a Kingfisher flashed past the hide.

A Glossy Ibis attempts to land on the frozen part of the ARC just before dusk today

15/01/2024

As I was defrosting the car this morning 18 Bewick Swans flew over out onto the marsh, presumably they had roosted on the ARC. There appears to 50+ around at the moment, difficult to count as they are widely scattered, the 2 above were with the Bean Geese.

Plenty of Fieldfares across Walland Marsh but only a few Redwings. Passerines are generally thin on the ground at the moment, a few pockets of Tree Sparrows and Chaffinches but little else.

10 Pink-footed Geese on Boulderwall Fields this morning was a nice surprise, a difficult bird to catch up with in the south, they remained till early afternoon before flying off into Sussex. While watching them 2 Firecrest were feeding along the Boulderwall Track and the 4 Glossy Ibis reappeared.

3 Cattle Egrets were in the Cockles Bridge Triangle today

On Burrowes The Divers were all still present but distant, also several Goldeneye

A late afternoon drive out onto Walland started well with 4 Mistle Thrushes in the sheep field in Dennis Lane, a scarce bird here now. As I drove along the road to Hawthorn Corner a Ring Tail Hen Harrier appeared beside me, causing me to brake and stop in the middle of the road (my apologies to Brenda who was driving behind me) further a long the road at Midley Barns it or another appeared, as it swooped across a ditch it flushed a Woodcock, a nice end to the day.

14/01/2024

Without doubt the worst morning sea watch of the year so far, after 35 minutes I'd had enough.

08.10-08.45.  Wind WNW 2, Temp 2° 

Common Scoter: 6E

Great-crested Grebe: 4 present  

Kittiwake: 1E   

Black-headed Gull: present n/c  

Common Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Guillemot: 3E

Razorbill: 1E

Auk sp: 58E     6W  

Red-throated Diver: 9E   4W

Gannet: 17E  8W

Cormorant: present

The remaining Glossy Ibis showed well for a while in the Orchid field by the track to Hanson Hide

20 Barnacle Geese of unknown origin on Boulderwall Fields

4 Bewick Swans which presumably roosted on the ARC flew over Dungeness Road as drove towards the beach this morning. A later visit to the ARC where apart from the Ibis and a Great White Egret very little was noted, Over the road on the reserve 3 Great Northern Divers and the Black-throated Divers were still insitu on Burrowes, also 4 Goldeneye. Apart from feral geese little was seen on the Boulderwall Fields. 

There was also very little noted at Scotney. Nearby at Pigwell 54 Bewick Swans and 2 Cattle Egrets per DW. Out on Walland the The 2 Bean Geese were still present, also 4 Whooper and more Bewick Swans. Hen Harrier and Tree Sparrows continue to be seen at various locations on the marsh.

12/01/2024

A thoroughly grey mornings a a bird sea watch if you like the same few species.

08.00-10.00 with RW  Wind NE 3, Drizzle, Temp 3° 

Wigeon: 3E

Common Scoter: 4E

Great-crested Grebe: 206E   

Kittiwake: 2E   

Black-headed Gull: present n/c  

Common Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 2 present

Sandwich Tern: 1E

Guillemot: 36E

Razorbill: 42E

Auk sp: 1,372E     79W  

Red-throated Diver: 748E   6W

Gannet: 217E

Cormorant: c3,500 present

On Burrowes today the Great Northern and Black-throated Divers still present, along with a handful of Goldeneye. Egret numbers are very low at the moment the peninsula but all 3 species can be found with little diligence. There appears to be only a single Glossy Ibis around at the moment which is very difficult to catch up with. Boulderwall fields is hosting plenty of feral geese including 17+ Barnacle Geese, surely all these feral geese will attract some some wild grey geese. On Walland Bewick and Whooper Swans can both be found, though the former is much more difficult at the moment. Fieldfares are plentiful at the moment with small numbers of Redwing and even smaller numbers of Song Thrush. The undoubted highlight today with the discovery late afternoon by Graham and Nicky of 2 Tundra Bean Geese at the Brookland end of Walland, viewed from the junction of Beacon Lane and Clubbs Lane both very narrow.

Tundra Bean Geese with a Bewick Swans

11/01/2024

Sunrise from the sea watch hide

07.55-09.00  Wind NE 3, Temp -1° 

Wigeon: 24W

Common Scoter: 4E

Great-crested Grebe: 33E      

Black-headed Gull: present n/c  

Common Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Auk sp: 356E  

Red-throated Diver: 344E   2W

Gannet: 108E

Cormorant: c3,000 flew from Rye Bay into Lade Bay In the first 15 minutes

Harbour Porpoise: 1

Goldeneye on the New Diggings this morning

Little Owl, Lydd this morning.

Most of the day was spent at home waiting for parcels to be delivered, however it did allow me get Glossy Ibis and Barnacle Goose on my from the garden year list.

10/01/2024

 Another bitterly cold morning meant that 90 minutes was about all we take in the hide before being frozen to the marrow. Although there was a lot of birds it was very repetitive. 

08.00-09.30 with RW.  Wind ENE 5, Temp 0° 
Brent: 2E
Common Scoter: 4E     1W
Great-crested Grebe: 144E      
Black-headed Gull: present n/c
Mediterranean Gull: 1E    
Common Gull: present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c
Herring Gull: present n/c
Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c
Guillemot: 87E
Razorbill: 71E 
Auk sp: 146E  
Red-throated Diver: 412E   3W
Gannet: 51E
Cormorant: c500 present 

An spent wandering around the ARC area was very disappointing with little sign of any cold weather movement, very few birds seen.

Black-throated Diver on Burrowes late morning

The Great Northern and Black Throated Divers remain on Burrowes along with a handful of Goldeneye. I joined DS on a walk around the reserve which was even more bridles than the ARC, we checked all the lakes for Smew, needless to say we drew a blank, the highlight was 17 Barnacle Geese of unknown origin that's how poor it was today.

09/012024

A bitterly cold sea watch this morningwhichm saw large numbers of birds but sadly no quality.

08.00-10.30 with RW

Wind NNE 5, Temp 0° clear

Common Scoter: 17E

Great-crested Grebe: 76E 

Kittiwake: 17W      

Black-headed Gull: present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 4E    

Common Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Guillemot: 119E

Razorbill: 138E 

Auk sp: 1,870E  

Red-throated Diver: 328E   

Fulmar: 1E 

Gannet: 160E

Cormorant: 3,160E 

Grey Seal: 1

Barnacle Geese at Scotney late morning

At Scotney late morning, just a few geese to look through with no surprises, Only a handful each of Golden Plover and Lapwing were present but a good count of 54 Dunlin.

A mixed group of Bewick and Mute Swans on Walland early afternoon

I could only find 27 Bewick Swans today in 4 small parties and no Whoopers , the reported Whoopers at Hook Wall were Bewick's when viewed in the scope. A party of 8 Tree Sparrows at Hook Wall were nice.

On the beach this afternoon Polish ringed Black-headed Gull TJVV came to the stale bread offerings but no Caspian Gulls or white wingers.

I the hour before sunset scanning Lydd Fields from home, the Greylag flock held 342 birds and 9 Egyptian Geese but no wild geese, a couple each of Common Buzzard and Marsh Harrier was seen, also a Sparrowhawk upsetting the 100s of corvid, the highlight was Grey Plover that flew through which is not a regularly seen bird from my garden.