21/05/2026 Calais

On Thursday myself, Chris, Jacob, Richard and Jonathan went on a day trip to the Calais area, it is always great to go there but it does make me realise how nature depleted we are in the UK. At one small marsh we saw several Marsh Warblers, a flock of 6 Cuckoo's, Turtle Doves, Honey Buzzards, Bluethroat, Short-toed Treecreepers, Spotted Flycatchers and lots more. At another site more Honey Buzzards, Melodious Warblers, along with lots of the common warblers and finches, it seems everywhere you stop there are birds and parking seems to be free. At Oye Plage Zitting Cisticolas were plentiful, also a couple of Icterine Warblers, Grasshopper Warblers, Stilts, Black-necked Grebes, Kentish Plovers, a Montagu's Harrier and lots more. We even made it back to the observatory in time to see the Red-breasted Flycatcher go to roost.

A singing White-spotted Bluethroat

At least 8 Honey Buzzards were noted on this trip

Singing Melodious Warbler

A Swallowtail Butterfly

Spotted Flycatcher

Marsh Harrier

Lots of Zitting Cisticolas on the coastal strip

A 2nd calendar year Montagu's Harrier was probably the biggest surprise of the day

Spoonbill

16-17/05/2026

A sea watch this morning produced 8 Manx Shearwaters and an Arctic Skua of note,

A fairly quiet weekend on the peninsula with little new to be seen, 4-5 brief Spotted Fycatchers were about as good as it got.

Great-crested Grebe feeding chicks on the Boulderwall Flood

Struggling to swallow the fish

Try again 

Success on its way down

 Spoonbill and Garganey on the ARCSpoonbill on the ARC

Spoonbill over Boulderwall

Drake Garganey at the ARC

These 2 Wigeon were a surprise on the ARC this morning, the first I have seen for several weeks.

15/05/2026

An early morning Bittern at the ARC

Garganey still at the ARC, another was on the Boulderwall flood this evening

 A Friday Birders Club away day to Rye Harbour LNR today, a long walk all the way round seeing plenty of birds and finishing back at the car park to feast on Owens home made Madeira Cake and Tea, an excellent day out with excellent company, we must do it more often.

Sadly the only Little Tern we saw at Rye Harbour LNR today

Good to see some Sandwich Terns Nesting

11 species of wader were seen including this Red Knot

This Spoonbill was a nice surprise 

White-fronted Goose at Castle Water

14/05/2026

Another very cold May sea watch this morning, the highlights were 23 Manx Shearwaters moving West along with 80+ Kittiwakes.

I've been hearing a Green Woodpecker from my garden daily and today I finally spotted it out in the field on one of the telegraph poles.
 

In between the showers several Hobbys were hunting over the ARC complex this afternoon, a drake Garganey was on the main lake from Hanson with a handful of Dunlin, a Redshank and 2+ Avocets. Plenty of Swifts were around especially during the showers along with Swallows. House and Sand Martins.

13/05/2026

Meadow Pipit on the perimeter wall

A single Arctic Skua and 109 Kittiwakes were the highlights of a 90 minute sea watch this morning.

In 4 visits to the ARC today the highlight was a party of 7 Sanderling dropping in immediately after one of the very heavy showers. The showers also dropped large numbers of Hirundines and Swifts which quickly melted away as each shower cleared.

Sanderling and Avocets

Black-headed Gulls sitting out a thunder and hail storm at the ARC

Lesser Whitethroat at Dennis's

 

12/05/2026

Early morning in the frost at Hanson 6 Avocets, 2 Common Sandpipers, 4 Ringed Plovers and 2 pairs of Oystercatchers along with several pairs og Black-headed Gulls and Common Terns. In the reeds and bushes the Warblers were in full song despite the cold but not a breath of wind. By the track the first Southern Marsh Orchids are now blooming.

Frost on the picnic table at Hanson early this morning

Southern Marsh Orchid at the ARC

At Boulderwall the Lapwing chicks are growing apace while dicing with death by pushing through the anti predator fence and running along the track🙄 Along towards Dengemarsh 4 Fox cubs were out exploring there new world.

Lapwing Chick Boulderwall flood

Fox cubs along the bridleway

From the viewing ramp 5+ Hobbys, Bittern, Bearded Tits, Marsh Harriers and more Warblers.

Bittern from the ramp

Hobbys from the ramp

At Dengemarsh the new rafts are attracting the Common Terns, as the Herring Gulls seem to be settled on there nests on the islands the Terns should hopefully be relatively safe. Ther was still 2 Yellow billed Great White Egrets there today.

Great-crested Grebes at Dengemarsh

Sqabbling Common Terns at Dengemarsh

Female Pochard at Dengemarsh

Drake Pochard at Dengemarsh