10-11/09/2020

Yesterday and today AJG has continued to do the early morning sea watch and an afternoon sea watch from the fishing boats, they can only be described politely as disappointing.

 Great Spotted Woodpecker at The Point

1 of at least 3 Black Redstarts usually around the Polish memorial

Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs have started arriving on the peninsular in numbers, overhead Siskins and Meadow Pipit numbers are increasing, while Willow Warblers, Common Whitethroats and Lesser Whitethroat numbers are falling. I flushed a Short-eared Owl from The Desert yesterday, though the highlight was a party of 19 Common Buzzards over the observatory that gradually drifted off in land. Today there were still a few Wheatears and a Whinchat around, also still lots of Stonechats all around the peninsular, there were still good numbers of Yellow Wagtails around, especially where there are cattle.

Around the hay fields at least 6 Cattle Egrets, a nice Wood Sandpiper and 2 Green Sandpipers and plenty of Yellow Wagtails. Great White Egret numbers seem to have increased so if we get a still evening I'll check the roost. At least Hobby's are still around Denge Marsh chasing the many Hirundines.
On the ARC the Glossy Ibis still in residence, as is the Little Gull, up to 4 Black-necked Grebes and 6 Garganey are present, along with a Little Stint, several Bar-tailed Godwits and Ruff, 200+ each of Golden Plover and Lapwing, a few Dunlin and Common Snipe, Great White Egrets and the usual wildfowl.

Short-eared Owl in The Desert

Sparrowhawk in The Desert

2 of a party of 19 Common Buzzards over the observatory yesterday

Wheatear

Brown Hare flushed today from the Broome behind Jarmans

Wood Sandpiper on hay field 1

Some of the 6 Cattle Egrets at hay field 3

Some of the 6 Cattle Egrets at hay field 3

1 of 10+ Clouded Yellows I've seen around the peninsular

Makepiece Hide

I checked out Makepiece hide this afternoon and was surprised to find it empty considering the number of people walking around the reserve. You are required to wear a face mask while in the hide which is not a problem, there is a hand sanitiser when you go in and the benches are socially distanced. Without the back seats using a scope is problematic though can be done but not very comfortably. I found it difficult to concentrate, as I could hear people walking by and kept thinking I should leave to give them a chance to come in, but no one attempted to come in. However after 15 minutes in there given that this afternoon was warm with just a light breeze I was frozen, which explains why the hide was empty. As both doors are open and the hatches in front of the benches have been removed, thus creating a gale force through draught, I am certainly not looking forward to going in there on any windy day, also I imagine it will be very wet in there if it rains, so probably unusable most days in the winter and late autumn. You won't have to worry about Covid 19 killing you in the hide the frost bite will get you first.