08/08/2026

This fine chap greeted me at the Jurys Gap car park early this morning, the first of many seen on the ranges today

There are still a few recently fledged Wheatears at The Midrips

Some of the many Mediterranean Gulls that were scattered along the beach at The Midrips

As I started to make my way back to the car park, a message from Barry Wright about a male Montagu's Harrier seen by him, Gary, James and Ravi hunting the Green Wall at Galloways and heading roughly in my direction, which encouraged me to stay where I was a little longer, after about half an hour I was thinking I must have missed the bird, it appeared from behind a mound moving quickly and distantly West through the haze. I managed to obtain a few poor record images before it disappeared again. The bird did make a couple more appearances, once at Jurys Gap over the sewage works and then again heaing back towards Galloways.

The Wicks now dry

The Midrips drying out rapidly

Despite its dryness it still held 14 Dunlin, 4 Turnstone, 18 Ringed Plover, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, a Curlew and Whimbrel flew over. 2 Hobbys were hunting the ranges.

There were 100s of Pained Ladies along the Green Bank at The Midrips

Juvenile Cuckoo on the beach in horrible haze, it then took flight from a Crow and flew directly at me.

Thanks John Young for editing the above image for me, taking out some of the haze

Turnstones over The Midrips

A late afternoon visit to the reserve saw nothing new from Hanson. On Burrowes the 3 Black Terns were still present, also a Wood Sandpiper, a Black-tailed Godwit, 6 Common Sandpipers and a Greenshank flew over.

06/08/2026

Just after dawn this morning the Bar-headed Goose arrived with Greylags and Canada Geese to feed on the stubble field in front my house, making it the latest addition to my garden list.😜

It took a while but the wind suddenly blew the reeds open giving me a split second to photograph this Garganey in front of Hanson Hide. The reeds are now making viewing at Hanson a problematical at times.

Other birds there were 3 Common Sandpipers, a Dunlin, a Redshank, Great White and Little Egrets(the Cattle Egrets seem to have moved on) and masses of eclipse wildfowl, Yellow Wagtails are can usually be found feeding on the islands. Boulderwall appears to drying out rapidly, I'm not sure if that was planned or not.

Dengemarsh is looking good with lots of islands but little of note using them, the reeds still hold plenty of Bearded Tits and Bitterns can occasionally be seen with time and luck.

As for Christmas Dell, plenty of islands have been created, there are muddy margins for waders it should really be a magnet for birds, Marsh Harriers regularly hunt and overfly the area which is the only reason I can see why other don't appear to like it, the Harriers also overfly the other areas so I don't know.😒

Greenshank from Firth

Also around Burrowes today 2 Wood Sandpipers, 4+ Common Sandpipers, 2 Redshank, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, Turnstone, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, 3 Black Terns, the usual Common Terns, a Sandwich Tern and plenty of Sand Martins.

Greenshank at Firth

Juvenile Little Ringed Plover at Firth

Yellow Wagtail at Firth

2 Yellow-legged Gulls coming to bread at the fishing boats this afternoon

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls

The Yellow-legged Gulls are ver vocal and quite aggressive to the Herring Gulls when food is being offered. If you are thinking of coming to the boats to see Yellow-legged Gulls, afternoon is best as the light is superb then, they are much easier to see if you have offerings of bread no matter how stale and green it is, they will greedily devour it.

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull

A Grey Seal came up to see what all the noise was about

03/08/2026

A 90 minute sea watch with Richard and Owen was again rather poor, the conversation however was very enjoyable. 3 Gadwall East with 2 returning West a little while later was unexpected, a few Porpoises off shore and 6 Hummingbird Hawkmoths and 2 Black Redstarts behind the hide were noted.

Young Great Black-backed Gull trying to eat a very dried out and stiff Dogfish in front the sea watch hide

One of at least 3 Garganey present from Hanson this morning

From Hanson the usual throng of feral geese and many eclipse ducks along with the usual Egrets. Along the track to Hanson a large Warbler and Tit flock formed mainly of Willow, Reed and Sedge Warblers with a few Tits, both Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers.

A late morning visit to Scotney saw very little in the very hot and hazy conditions.

 Wood Sandpipers from Makepiece late this afternoonJuvenile Black Tern from Makepiece

01/08/2026

One of 4 Ravens at Galloways this morning

With news that there appeared to be an arrival of migrant birds in the bushes around The Point this morning and guessing that a few birders would be looking, I decided to go to Galloways Road, on arrival Common Whitethroats seemed to be popping up all over the Gorse and Bramble, Sedge Warblers were also much in evidence along with Willow Warblers, Stonechats was the only member of its family present, flycatchers were absent, also surprisingly Lesser Whitethroats were absent. It was still a very pleasant there.

Sedge Warbler glowing in the early morning sunshine

A bedraggled Sedge Warbler after bathing in the dew

Another Sedge Warbler

 

Willow Warblers at Galloways

Juvenile Common Whitethroat flycatching from the roof of the guardhouse

Common Whitethroat

Spoonbills with the water tower in the background as they came into Dengemarsh

Leaving Galloways there were several Yellow Wagtails feeding along the verge to Dengemarsh, as i got out of the car more or less the first birds I saw were 2 Spoonbills in the distance heading for Dengemarsh where they settled for the day apparently. Also there 2 Barnacle Geese among the throng of Canada and Greylag Geese.

Spoonbills among the Canada Geese on Dengemarsh

I checked on the Lydd Little Owl on my way home to Breakfast

Dutch ringed Black-headed Gull JK viewed from Firth

There were 3 Greenshanks viewed from the Dennis picnic area along 2 Common Sandpipers and 2 LRPs.

From Firth 6 Avocets, 3 LRPs and 2 more Common Sandpipers. A Wood Sandpiper was viewable from Makepiece.

Adult Common Gull with its newly fledged youngster on Burrowes Pit

30/07/2-26

A juvenile Pied Wagtail bathing at Scotney this morning

A visit to Scotney today found that most of the waders had cleared out overnight, also access to the back was limited due to farm work going on.

Pair of Garganey from Hanson Hide

Also at the ARC 3+ Little Ringed Plovers, a Dunlin, 3 Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper and a 4 Black-tailed Godwits per JY.

Spoonbills viewed from the Screen at the ARC

Juvenile Black Tern viewed from Firth

The waders had also cleared out from Burrowes today, hopefully a new group to drop in tonight.

Purple Marbled Moth the star of last nights catch