Gull-billed makes the weekend!

Saturday morning walk along the beach found a pair of Wheatears collecting food, a couple of Meadow Pipits a Skylark and several handsome Linnets. 

Wheatear collecting food on the beach

At the ARC a Fox was on the look out for an easy meal, the highlight though was 11+ Hobby's over the Tower Pits, most feeding at height, those that did come down low were always into the light thus evading the camera. There are still plenty of Warblers singing in the reeds and sallow, mainly Common Whitethroats, Reed and Sedge Warblers with a smattering of Cetti's Warblers, Lesser Whitethroats, Blackcaps and a Garden Warbler. A Bittern is still booming occasionally in the Tower Pits but remains unseen.

Dengemarsh was feast of Hobby's with at least another 11 there, a pair of Yellow Wagtails were in Hay field 3. If all the birds have as much breeding success as the Greylag Geese then it will be a good year, but I have my doubts. 

A late afternoon sea watch was just that! 30 minutes staring at a blank sea.

 Looking for a meal at the ARC

 Gull-billed Tern taken from Makepiece in the the failing light and heavy rain

An hour Sunday morning from the sea watch hide was predictably slow with a single Great Skua being the highlight, though it seems I let a Pomarine Skua fly past right under my nose!

In the cold NW wind I only had a cursory look around the ARC seeing the sam as Saturday. Parking at Springfield Bridge I scanned Dengemarsh from the bridge, realising within seconds I was woefully under dressed for the biting NW wind so quickly retreated to the car and home for a late breakfast.

As I had to go to West Sussex Sunday afternoon, I was not best pleased to get a call from MH as I was driving around the Brighton by pass, telling me Mike Puxley had found a Gull-billed Tern on Burrowes! It's amazing how many times I think there is absolutely nothing around, leave the peninsula. Fortunately the Tern was still present when I got back in the evening, an excellent bird and find by Mike Puxley, also a very nice Dungeness tick for me. 

Gull-billed Tern taken from Makepiece in the the failing light and heavy rain

Little Owl, Lydd Camp

First thing this morning I checked Burrowes to see if the Gull-billed Tern had returned without success. As it flew off north last night I also checked Dengemarsh, Brett's Marina and Scotney to no avail, but I did finally catch up with the Lydd Camp Little Owl.

A 30 minute sea watch produced a few a trickle of Gannets though most were probably in French territorial waters, the highlight was a raft of 46 Great-crested Grebes presumably non breeders.

Still plenty of Hobby's at the ARC, with one very bedraggled individual sitting in The Pines. With more rain this afternoon I was watching up to 5 Hobby's from the garden, also a superb male Marsh Harrier, 2 Common Buzzards a pair of Yellow Wagtail also a bedraggled juvenile Robin.

1st year Hobby at The Pines, ARC 

Bedraggled juvenile Robin