Not the best weekend!

A lazy start on Saturday after a full English I went to the reserve. Not long after arriving news of a domestic disaster involving a washing machine took up most of my day and the early part of this morning.

Reg by the visitor centre

When I did get out this morning I was just settling myself in the Screen hide when a call from DW alerted me to an Ortolan Bunting found by SM and apparently seen very briefly early morning by SO. When I arrived the bird had gone missing  and after a while I wandered further down the Gully and stood with NB and CT scanning the scrub which held Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers and Blackcaps. I saw in the distance DW arrive in the company Mr Chidwick. Shortly after he arrived DW was indicating  that the bird was in front of him on the other side of the Gully, being at the far end of the Gully by the time I and NB along with CT arrived the bird had disappeared never to be seen again. (I'm sure Mr Chidwick tried to throw his scope at it lol).
With all 4 Skua's and Shearwaters being reported, I went down to the concrete road to stare at the sea and only managed 3 Arctic Skua's chasing Terns, probably the same 3 birds that have been around for several weeks. Another watch early evening in the rain saw the same Skua's with the addition of 36 Common Scoter going into Hythe bay.