Mediterranean Gulls!

A short watch at The Patch this morning:

Common Scoter: 8W

Gannet: 16W    2E

Cormorant: 14 around

Mediterranean Gull: 3  (1ad + 2  3rd cal yr)

Black-headed Gull: c150    6 juveniles

Herring Gull: c200

Lesser Black Backed Gull: 5

Great Black Backed Gull: 26

Sandwich Tern: 2 o/s

Harbour Porpoise: 2+

 Dunnock collecting nesting material in front of Dennis's hide yesterday

Yesterday afternoon I spent a little time in Hanson hide with MH. At the moment just the old Cormorant Island has any exposed beach, hopefully this weather will continue for a while and help more islands to appear in time for the autumn wader passage. While we there the lake was covered in Coots, Gadwall, Mute Swans, Tufted Ducks and eclipse Pochard, the highlight was nice views of a Bittern flying across the lake. 

This afternoon 14.30-16.00 I joined MH at the fishing boats where we sat soaking up the glorious sunshine while having an unexpectedly interesting sea watch. Mediterranean Gulls are relatively common at Dungeness, 23W is very unusual especially as we only had a single Black-headed Gull go west.

Gannet: 28W   3E
Cormorant: 13 around
Dunlin: 2 in
Kittiwake: 1W
Mediterranean Gull: 23 W   ( 19 ad  + 4   3rd cal yr)
Black-headed Gull: 1W
Herring Gull: 4 on beach    ( c40  at the fish hut)
Great Black Backed Gull: 2E     (8 at the fish hut)
Sandwich Tern: 4 o/s
Harbour Porpoise: 2+
Grey Seal: 1

 2 of this afternoons Mediterranean Gulls

Late afternoon at Scotney, 5 Black-tailed Godwits over was the highlight. To visit Scotney, park just off the main road inside the entrance to Scotney farm on the strip off rough ground on the right hand side of the concrete road immediately in front of the old wheel wash.  

Evergestis limbata in the Plodland trap this morning

Although the weather has warmed up I am still getting very low numbers of moths in the MV.