25/09/2020

AJG braved the very cold North Westerly gale and did an early morning sea watch from the fishing boats:

06.30-07.30

Gannet: 22E

Cormorant: 252W

Sandwich Tern: 131W

Cormorant 252 down

Arctic Skua: 3E (all dark phase)

All I can do is admire his tenacity!

I don't know why but I thought it would be a good idea to walk from home dow to Denge Marsh Gully. The bushes by the water sports centre and go cart track entrance held lots of Chiffchaffs, Reed Buntings, Chaffinches, Greenfinches and Goldfinches, in the fields Linnets, 2 Yellow Wagtails, Pied Wagtails and Meadow Pipits, Swallows were playing chicken with the cars as they hawked low along the road, while overhead House Martins and few Sand Martins were hawking and unseen Siskins went over. When I got to the kids Carp pond (the locals will know where i mean) there was a first for me there in the form of a Great White Egret strutting around quite unconcerned by my presence, if only I'd bothered to carry my camera but with the threat of rain I'd left it at home. When I got to Springfield Bridge the 2 Cattle Egrets were still present, a Ruff was roosting on an island and 100s of Hirundines were hawking over Denge Marsh, a Marsh Harrier was doing battle with the wind over the reed beds. In the Sunflower field a flock of c50 linnets with c10 Reed Buntings were flitting around, at least 4 Stonechats were also there.

As I walked along the Gully a Merlin whizzed through, 2 Ravens croaked overhead and several Chiffchaffs were flitting around the Gorse. I carried on to the beach, where on arrival the heavens opened, the rain only stopped when i was 50 yds from home!😂 needless to say I was a little damp when I got home. Although I had the full Jack Wolfskin waterproof clothing on, the rain always manages to find a way in usually via the hood, even with the storm flaps velcro'ed  down my pockets managed to fill up with water.😞 But it was still a very enjoyable walk.

Glossy Ibis at the ARC early afternoon

Apart from the usual wildfowl, Hirundines, Egrets and Ibis there was very little to see on a windswept ARC and even less on Burrowes.

A short sea watch mid-afternoon from the comfort of my car at the turning circle saw just a handful each of Sandwich Terns, Gannets and Cormorants. A Wheatear was picking insects off the road as I fed the gulls bread. A young GBB Gull struggled over the beach towards me with an obviously broken wing, it must have been hungry as the GBBGs don't normally come to close unlike the greedy Herring Gulls. I made sure it had its fill of bread, which is probably not good for it, I doubt it will survive the night with number of Foxes around.   

This young Great Black-backed Gull has a broken wing

Wheatear at the turning circle this afternoon

A Merlin turns itself into a guided missile over the sea at Galloways late afternoon

 Late afternoon at Galloways with the now gale force wind, there was unsurprisingly no sign of any Owls, another or the same Merlin was chasing a Meadow Pipit.