21/09/2021

Sea watching the last couple of days has been very slow, a few Brent Geese, Teal and Wigeon have started to move through and couple of Sooty Shearwaters were seen, otherwise its just a a handful of the same Arctic Skuas harrying the Sandwich Terns and a few Gannets, a flock of c150-200 Kittiwakes has built up off shore, Common Terns have been virtually non existent.

Elsewhere on the peninsular there has been a dearth of passerines, just small numbers of Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps, Wheatears etc. On the reserve a White Winged Tern was found yesterday on Burrowes but no sign today, I should probably have spotted it yesterday morning when I went up to Firth and Makepiece, but with a not especially strong North West wind blowing viewing Burrowes from the ridiculous lookout with a scope was impossible and very uncomfortable, even using the fence at Makepiece to rest my bins on, did not work as the fence was shaking so much in the wind, this on a relatively calm and warm day, heaven knows what it will be like in the winter, so I gave up even trying to view the lake very quickly and marched back to the car and left in a sulk. I did let the volunteer staff in the shed know politely my feelings on closing the hides, but it is not their fault and they have no say in the matter.

Brent Goose which walked along the beach in front of the sea watch yesterday

A showy Great Egret yesterday

9 Cattle Egrets together in a pre roost gathering yesterday

The White Winged Tern, images taken in the failing light

Wheatear on the perimeter wall this morning

Rooks and Jackdaw greeting a local Common Buzzard over my house late morning

Cattle Egrets and Glossy ibis late this afternoon at Boulderwall

Hoary Footman the highlight in the trap today