10/09/2026

Little Owl

An early morning cycle ride to The Midrips this morning, first stop was the local Little Owl sitting out in the early morning gloom. At Scotney the mirror calm lakes were smothered in feral geese, despite the yesterdays heavy rain more small islands have appeared in the lakes, but very few waders apart from Lapwing on the main lakes, 2 Ruff, 2 Common Sandpipers and a single Green Sandpiper with just 2 Curlew fighting for space on the sward among the Egyptian Geese. The Sward also held a couple of Wheatears and c20 Yellow Wagtails. 

Only 3 Golden Plover in the ploughed field at Jurys Gap but I could see more on the shingle in the ranges.

Little Stint at The Midrips

Inside the Midrips on the shingle I counted 136 Golden Plover but unfortunately nothing else with them,

the green wall held the usual Yellow and Pied Wagtails, Wheatears and Meadow Pipits. The pools are looking much better thanks to the high tides, as usual the first was the most productive holding a Little Stint, a Sanderling, 5 Dunlin, and 8 Ringed Plovers, there were many Sandwich Terns off shore.

Little Stint with a Sanderling on The Midrips

Dunlin on The Midrips

A couple of the Wheatears that were present on the Green Wall at The Midrips

Juvenile Little Gull at the old Sandpit Jurys Gap 

At the sandpit today a juvenile Little Gull, 3 Common and 2 Green Sandpipers and a Hobby, moving on to flat pit where a Spotted Redshank, a Greenshank, 4 Common Sandpipers, 8 Dunlin and 4 Ruff were scattered around the margins. 3 more Ruff were on the eastern causeway.

Apparently the Red-necked Phalarope was still on Burrowes despite island clearance work clearing out all the other waders.

At the fishing boats this afternoon several Arctic Skuas, a couple of which gave close flybys, also several Little Terns and Black Terns with numerous Sandwich and Common Terns tooing and froing.

Arctic Skua at the fishing boats this afternoon

Juvenile Little Terns at the fishing boats

Juvenile Black tern at the fishing boats

09/09/2026

Garganeys from Hanson first thing this morning

Early morning from Hanson was very quiet, as I was leaving Owen called to say 3 White Storks were  in the hay field 3 area. I joined JY in a drive to Dengemarsh where the Storks were seen to land on the MOD land, eventually they left gained height and disappeared out to sea. 

Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint and Dunlin from Firth

I joined John and Owen at Firth where the morning light as usual was appalling, we found a Curlew Sandpiper, 3 Little Stints and a few Dunlin all of which were spooked by a Peregrine. As we left the reserve we received news of a Phalarope sp behind one of the islands viewed from Dennis's. The bird was showing on a arrival but distant, in the appalling light and distance we were struggled a bit to identify it. but soon realised its identity as it came marginally closer. After the Phalarope it was very quiet day bird wise.

Curlew Sandpiper showing its white rump

Heavily cropped image of the Red-necked Phalarope on Burrowes viewed from Dennis's

 Cattle Egrets flying west over my house late morning

A pink Vestal from yesterdays catch

Bloxworth Snout in the trap this morning

07/09/2026

I'm hoping the sea watching will pick up this week, there are already many Sandwich Terns off shore with attendant Arctic Skuas moving in and out of the bay, looking at the some of the numbers of Skuas reported I'm sure some of them are being double counted as follow the Terns in and out of the bay with the tide, anyway they are still good to see.

Yellow Wagtail Jurys Gap

I've been spending a bit of time around The Midrips and Jurys Gap recently, as I usually have it to myself,  I'm hoping to re-locate the American Golden Plover to no avail so far, lots of Yellow Wagtails, Wheatears and Hirundines, a few waders and the first Black-necked Grebe of the autumn.

Whimbrel Jurys Gap

Wood Sandpiper from Firth

Firth today was much quieter than of late, 3 Little Stints, Wood and Common Sandpiper, Greenshank, Ruff, Dunlin and Ringed Plover. Unfortunately the WWBT seems to have left us but 3 Black Terns remain.

Spotted Flycatchers and Lesser Whitethroat at the top of Long Pits Yesterday

A Wheatear that visited my garden this lunchtime

Wheatear

Wheatear

04/09/2026

First thing this morning another visit to Jurys Gap wasn't the best choice, I located the Golden Plover flock easily enough, but due to the very strong wind they were all hunkered down in ruts or behind the sparse vegetation and quite distant, despite multiple scans of the flock I was unable to pick out anything different.

After a late breakfast I visited the ARC Hanson hide arriving just before a fast moving rain storm started. As the rain cleareda message came through that Tom had spotted a Grey Phalarope feeding off the fishing boats, I was soon there and after short wait I spotted it albeit quite distantly making a short a flight, which it another 6 times before it disappeared, not the most satisfying of views but i'll take it. While I was there a Balearic Shearwater made a fairly close flyby and 2 Caspian Gulls were on the beach. Another visit to the fishing boats early-mid afternoon saw very little of note.

Juvenile/1w Caspian Gulls at the fishing boats late morning

Mid afternoon at Burrowes saw at least 8 Black Terns and the White-winged Black Tern, a juvenile Little Gull, a Little Stint, 4 Ruff, 2 Greenshank, a Wood Sandpiper and several Common Sandpipers.

Over the road at the southern end of the ARC another juvenile Little Gull was showing quite well among at least 4 Black Terns.

Juvenile Little Gull at the ARC late afternoon

Juvenile Little Gull at the ARC late afternoon

Adult Black tern at the ARC late afternoon

Juvenile White-winged Black Tern in front of Firth mid afternoon

01/09/2026

Short-eared Owl over the old sandpit

No sign of yesterdays Red-necked Phalarope at the Jurys Gap Sandpit this morning, but compensation in the form of a Short-eared Owl that flew over towards Camber. The few bushes there held lots of Willow Warblers, Common and Lesser Whitethroats and a couple of Blackcaps.

Red-backed Shrike

I found a Red-backed Shrike just north of the trapping area late morning. Late afternoon Jacob found a Wryneck in the same place, both birds were still present at dusk. Also there today Many Sylvia Warblers and Willow Warblers.

At the ARC 3+ Garganey, 2 Black Terns, a Little Gull, 2 Wood Sandpipers, several each of Ruff and Common Sandpiper along with usual wildfowl.

From Firth, the White-winged Black Tern still present today with 4 Black Terns, 3 Greenshank, 4+ Ruff, 2 Little Stints, a Wood Sandpiper and Common Sandpipers.

Willow Warbler

Common Whitethroat

30/31/08/2026

A few of the many images I took of the confiding Red-necked Phalarope I came across on my early afternoon visit to the Jurys Gap Sandpit, East Sussex today. Also Wood Sandpiper, Ruffs, Common Sandpipers and a juvenile Black Tern.

1 of 2 Whinchats along the fence line of Flat Pit, East Sussex, also 2 Curlew Sandpipers and 5 Ruff.

Definitely just a record image of a Storm Petrel passing the sea watch hide yesterday  morning

Balearic Shearwater passing the fishing boats yesterday

The Images below were taken yesterday, the Terns were still present today plus a nice suite of waders. At the ARC nothing much has changed, Garganeys still present and good suite of waders present

34 Knot, 2 Curlew Sandpipers, a Dunlin and a Juvenile Black Tern at Firth yesterday

Juvenile Black Tern from Firth

Juvenile White-winged Black Tern from Firth

Whimbrel from Firth