11/01/2026

07.30-10.00 from the hide with OL,RW, JY, CP. Wind SW 3 Temp 8º.  Drizzle
Brent Goose: 161E  (3 flocks)
Wigeon: 2W 
Common Scoter: 1W   
Great-crested Grebe: 1E        2W
Oystercatcher: 6E
Kittiwake: 19E     13W
Black-headed Gull: Present
Common Gull: present
Herring Gull: present
Great Black-backed Gull: present 
Razorbill: 37W   
Guillemots: 8W     
Auk sp: 65W
Red-throated Diver: 7E     17W

Fulmar: 2E   1W
Gannet: 4E       28W
Cormorant: present no Count
Harbour Porpoise: 2 present
Grey Seal: 2 present

After a rather poor sea watch, a disappointing long wander around the Walland Marsh Lanes, I could only see 31 Bewick Swans though others could be down in the dips, also no sign of any of the grey Geese, possibly because several Anglers were were wandering around the Hook Wall fields. The lanes held a few Yellowhammers and Tree Sparrows, I didn't see a single Fieldfare and only 3 Redwing. While I was at Scotney the family of 3 Whooper Swans were still in the field at the back of Sand Pit.

Richard and John saw 3 Caspian gulls on the reserve between them and seemingly not a lot else.

Drake American Wigeon at the East Sussex end of Scotney 

Drake American Wigeon with Eurasian Wigeon and Coots

Tundra Bean Geese on the Scotney Sward

Pink-footed Geese on the Scotney Sward

White-fronted Geese on the Scotney Sward

The Lesser Whitethroat (halimodendri) stil visiting my garden today

09/02/2026

An average sea watch for this time of the year. It was bitterly cold in the hide today despite the + temperature.

 07.40-10.00 from the hide with RW, JY, OL. Wind SSW 5 Temp 6º

Brent Goose: 142E

Pintail: 1W

Teal: 1E    

Common Scoter: 7E    

Great-crested Grebe: 1E        2W

Oystercatcher: 16E

Dunlin: 34E

Little Gull: 16E

Kittiwake: 56E     9W

Black-headed Gull: 43E

Mediterranean Gull: 3E    

Common Gull: present

Herring Gull: present

Great Black-backed Gull: present 

Razorbill: 89E   

Guillemots: 763E     

Auk sp: not counted

Red-throated Diver: 167E     96W

Gannet: 146E       32W

Cormorant: present no Count

Harbour Porpoise: 2 present

Grey Seal: 2 present

The Geese and Swans were all still insitu today, as far as I know nothing new was found except Caspian Gulls.

The Scotney American Wigeon re-found on the ARC late morning by Ray O'reilly

Polish ringed 3rd winter Caspian Gull P:6WL at Dengemarsh late afternoon

1st Winter Caspian Gull at Dengemarsh late afternoon

 

08/02/2026

 08.00-10.00 from the hide.Wind SSW 3 Temp 9º

Brent Goose: 44E

Teal: 6E    14W

Common Scoter: 11E   4W  

Red-breasted Merganser: 2E

Little Gull: 1E

Kittiwake: 66E     12W

Black-headed Gull: present

Mediterranean Gull: 2E    21E

Common Gull: present

Herring Gull: present

Great Black-backed Gull: present 

Razorbill: 5E    1W

Guillemots: 26E     3W

Auk sp: not counted

Red-throated Diver: 9E     854W

Gannet: 5E       102W

Cormorant: present no Count

Grey Seal: 2 present

A pleasant sea watch with the highlight being a spell when 620 Red-throated Divers came through in a 20 minute spell.

After breakfast I decided against going to Scotney to see the American Wigeon as I guessed there would be some birders blocking the farmers gates, it appears I was right about that. Instead I had a look around Bretts Marina then the ARC. 2+ Firecrests at Bretts were about the best there, a Jack Snipe around the ARC was the highlight there.

Another hour spent watching the Lesser Whitethroat (halimodendri) in the garden with moth pot to hand incase it pooed for me, it didn't so still no DNA. I got excited when it had a go at House Sparrow which trie to push it off the feeder, alas there were no feathers flying.

Jack Snipe

Lesser Whitethroat (halimodendri) shouting at me

Lesser Whitethroat (halimodendri) letting a House Sparrow know who is the boss

Lesser Whitethroat (halimodendri) 

 

07/02/2026

As the appalling weather continues sea watching has been a challenge, with force 7-8 southerly blowing with drizzle this morning I was definitely not up to the challenge. A leisurely breakfast this morning whilst the very keen birders were out around Scotney looking for yesterdays American Wigeon, with the lure of a Red-necked Grebe I made the stupid decision to cycle to Scotney in what was no more than a mist, however by the time I reached the old sand pit the proper rain had started, needless to say by the time I reached home I and my optics were very wet. Later I drove to Scotney in a slight pause in the weather and quickly located the Red-necked Grebe which will now probably stay for a few weeks, hopefully the American Wigeon will be re-located around the complex in the coming days.

Drake American Wigeon with Eurasian Wigeon yesterday

Drake American Wigeon with Eurasian Wigeon yesterday

Red-necked Grebe at Scotney found by Barry Wright this morning

The Whooper Swan family were back in East Sussex behind the old sand pit this morning

The Lesser Whitethroat was still in the garden today though less evident than usual, probably the poor weather to blame.
 

04/02/2026

 

Brent Geese passing this morning

A very poor and cold sea watch this morning. 

 08.00-09.00 from the hide with RW,  Wind SE 4 Temp 6º

Brent Goose: 72E     in 3 parties

Common Scoter: 1E     

Kittiwake: 9E    

Black-headed Gull: present   

Common Gull: 38E

Herring Gull: present

Great Black-backed Gull: present 

Auk sp: 73E      12W

Red-throated Diver: 23E       6W

Fulmar: 1W

Gannet: 12E   3W

Cormorant: present

Whilst I was having a late breakfast the Lesser Whitethroat(halimodendri) on the feeders entertained me 

A long walk around the Scotney Complex in glorious sunshine, saw 1,000s each of Lapwing and Golden Plover, Avocet was new for year for me on flat pit also the Little Stint there, the 1w drake Scaup was on the flooded sand pit, there were several Marsh Harriers hunting the game strips but still no Hen Harrier coming in my direction. The 3 Whooper Swans have now moved from East Sussex to Kent and were feeding in fields at the back of Bretts.

Golden Plover, Lapwing and Dunlin on the Scotney Sward

2 adult and a juvenile Whooper Swan at the back of Bretts

Little Owl

2 more Whooper Swans were moving between Cockles Bridge and the ARC, a Black-tailed Godwit on the new Boulderwall flood was my first of the year,

On Walland Marsh the 4 Bean Geese and 3 Pink-footed Geese were moving between Ashentree Lane/Hook Wall and Beaconsfield Flood, the Bewick Swans were still around Ashentree. I heard no reports of White-fronted Geese today.

Jack Snipe

Great White Egret

2 Whooper Swans vacating the ARC as I arrived

02/02/2026

A few Pintails on the move this morning

  07.50-10.00 from the hide with JY, RW, OL  Wind ESE 4 Temp 6º

Brent Goose: 16E

Shelduck: 3E

Gadwall: 2E

Wigeon: 11E  

Pintail: 33E      6W 

Teal: 6W

Common Scoter: 15E     

Dunlin: 95E      150W

Kittiwake: 78E     36W

Black-headed Gull: present

Mediterranean Gull: 1E    

Common Gull: present

Herring Gull: present

Great Black-backed Gull: present 

Razorbill: 548E

Guillemots: 822E 

Red-throated Diver: 356E       22W

Fulmar: 1E

Gannet: 196E   

Cormorant: 4,000+present

Grey Seal: 1 present

Another rather gloomy day on Walland Marsh, but no near as bad as yesterday when Neil Burt found 7 grey geese late afternoon which he thought were Tundra Bean Geese, but due to how far the birds were away from any viewing position and the rain he was unable to certain.

Late this morning the birds were still distant and ID was still uncertain. Early afternoon the Geese moved position and when I re-found them they were nearer to a viewing position allowing us to eventually ID them as 4 Tundra Bean Geese and 3 Pink-footed Geese. There were also at least 13 Whitefronts present. 

3 Pink-footed Geese with Whitefronts and a Greylag, Walland Marsh today

Tundra Bean Geese, Walland Marsh today

Nadine the Bewick Swan bearing a satellite tracking neck collar, this LINK allows you to follow her as she moves, as well as being able to see where she came from, an excellent web site.

Tree Sparrows on Walland Marsh today, there are pockets of them scattered around the marsh.

Lesser Whitethroat (halimodendri ) still in the garden at dusk

Whooper Swans at the back of the sand pit yesterday

31/01/2026

The Lesser Whitethroat (halimodendri) has now survived the all of January in my garden despite the weather and Sparrowhawks.

 07.45-10.30 from the hide with JY, RW, OL  Wind SSW 5  Temp 7º

Brent Goose: 1W      12E

Wigeon:  8W      68E   

Teal: 31W

Common Scoter: 17E     1W

Great-crested Grebe: 1E

Oystercatcher: 1E

Kittiwake: 193W       26E

Black-headed Gull: present

Mediterranean Gull: 6E    2W

Common Gull: present

Herring Gull: present

Great Black-backed Gull: present 

Razorbill: 50W

Auks sp: 1760W        140E  

Red-throated Diver: 25E       464W

Fulmar: 2W     3E

Gannet: 57E     261W

Cormorant: present

Birding the last few days has been very hard work, mainly due to poor weather and the reserve being closed for a couple of days. It was good to get out on my bike today after the sea watch, with the dividend of coming across 3 Whooper swans.

2 adult and a juvenile Whooper Swans on the flooded Jurys Gap sand pit

2 adult and a juvenile Whooper Swans flying out to the fields to feed

                             2 adult and a juvenile Whooper Swans feeding in the fields

1w drake Scaup asleep on Scotney main pit from the double bends

Ruff on the Scotney Sward

26/01/2026

Birding arouns the peninsula was hard work today in the grim conditions. A cold SE wind with mist/drizzle made walking around unpleasant which I didn't do for very long. Unsurprisingly there was very little local news,

A beautifully camouflaged Jack Snipe 

 

1 of 2 Water Pipits that kept there distance in the gloom

A party of 16 Reed Buntings were feeding at the top of hayfield 3, along the bridleway which is very muddy and pretty much impassable without wellies due to vehicles and diggers.

A 1w Caspian Gull at Dengemarsh

The Lesser Whitethroat is still present today. This image taken on the 24th when we had a few minutes of sunshine.