Sunday 02/02/2020

At 06.30 this morning the rain and wind was battering my bedroom window so I  went back to sleep. AJG & RW are made of sterner stuff and made it to the sea watch hide and kindly sent me there records, I'm glad I stayed in bed.
07.45-09.15 from the sea watch hide:
Red-throated Diver: 57W
Fulmar:4W
Gannet: 218W
Cormorant: 2,000+ o/s
Kittiwake: 56W
Guillemot: 52W
Razorbill: 123W
Auk sp: 324W
Despite the gloomy weather and strong wind I took a long walk out to the back of Scotney, there are still 1,000s of Golden Plover and Lapwing there, as well as100s of Wigeon and Shoveler, but just a few Skylark, Linnets and Reed Buntings and no Tree Sparrows. Eventually I located 2 Long-tailed Duck on the most western back lake. The walk back produced a single Green Sandpiper, 2 Stonechats, 2 Common Buzzards and a Marsh Harrier of note.

1of 3 Great White Egrets at Tanners Pool this afternoon

This afternoon on the reserve most of the interest was in the Boulderwall fields and Pools, the drake Smew was hauled out at the top end of Tanners, joined by 3 Great White Egrets and a Little Egret. A very mobile Water Pipit was moving between Cooks pool, Tanners Pool then lost over Hookers.

At the back of Hookers a party of 20 Reed Buntings were the highlight.

 Some of the 1,000s of Golden Plovers flushed from the Boulderwall fields

 A Peregrine flushed the 1,000s of Golden Plovers and Lapwing, as well as 100s of Wigeon and 50+ Curlew from Boulderwall Fields. 

Curlew at Cooks Pool