31/12/2023

Another wild and wet sea watch this morning, I was hoping the force 10 southerly overnight was going to produce some birds, unfortunately not.

After the sea watch I went home to a full English breakfast and didn't bother to come back out again due to the appalling weather.

08.20-09.50 with RW & OL,

Wind SSW 8, Temp  7° Squally hail Showers

Brent Goose: 6E

Pintail: 2W (drake & duck)

Great-crested Grebe: 1W

Oystercatcher: 1E 

Kittiwake: 66W      

Black-headed Gull: present

Common Gull: present

Great Black-backed Gull: present

Herring Gull: present

Lesser Black-backed Gull: present

Great Skua: 1W

Guillemot: 262W     

Razorbill: 14W     

Auk sp: 360W     

Red-throated Diver: 19W  3E

Fulmar: 3W

Gannet: 195W 

Cormorant: present

Out of the 228 species recorded on the peninsular this year I managed to see 213 of them, my poorest total in the last 14 years, sadly I don't think next year will be any better.

The Divers are still in situ apparently, The Cattle Egrets are by the Airport approach road and the Glossy Ibis are still at the back of Boulderwall Fields in the Horse Paddocks but difficult to see.

Hopefully we will all have a great and happy 2024 with plenty more birds.

29/12/2023

 

The juvenile Little Gull that has been present in front the power station for a few days

This mornings watch was saw many birds but a distinct lack of variety

Wind SW 6, Temp  11° Overcast

08.15-09.45 with RW, SO,

Brent Goose: 4E

Pintail: 10W

Common Scoter: 4W    1E 

Great-crested Grebe: 1W

Knot: 1W

Curlew: 2W

Kittiwake: 281W  

Little Gull: 1juvenile present    

Black-headed Gull: c500 present

Common Gull: c200 present

Great Black-backed Gull: present

Herring Gull: present

Yellow-legged Gull: 1 ad present

Lesser Black-backed Gull: present

Guillemot: 2,860W     

Razorbill: 55W        

Red-throated Diver: 322W    8E

Fulmar: 3W

Gannet: 163W 

Cormorant: 2,260 into Rye Bay

A couple of Pintail passing the sea watch hide

Sanderling at the fishing boats this afternoon

One of the many Kittiwakes today

Great Northern Diver and Black-throated Diver from Dennis's Hide this afternoon also 4 Goldeneye present but little else of note. There are still 12 Cattle Egrets feeding in the field by the Lydd Airport approach road, though they can be difficult to see sometimes. The 4 Glossy Ibis can also be elusive in the horse paddocks around Homeleigh Farm. 

27/12/2023

An enjoyable return to sea watching after spending the last week in Lanzarote eating and drinking too much.

Wind SW 8, Temp  11° Overcast

08.00-09.30 with OL,

Brent Goose: 1W

Shelduck: 13W

Wigeon: 37E

Common Scoter: 2E  

Grey Plover: 24W

Knot: 8W

Dunlin: 12W  

Kittiwake: 259W  

Little Gull: 2 present ad+1w     

Black-headed Gull: present

Common Gull: present

Great Black-backed Gull: present

Herring Gull: present

Lesser Black-backed Gull: present

Great Skua: 1W

Guillemot: 190W     

Razorbill: 291W     

Auk sp: 549W     

Red-throated Diver: 12W   1 present

Fulmar: 1W

Sooty Shearwater: 1W

Gannet: 549W 

Cormorant: 283W 

Harbour Porpoise: 2  

Grey Seal: 1

Common Seal: 1

The 4 Glossy Ibis are still frequenting the Horse Paddocks but are more difficult to see through the fences. On burrows the 2 Great Northern divers and the Black-throated diver are still in residence, also at least 5 Goldeneye there and 3 more on the ARC.

Black-headed Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon swallowing whole what I think is a Sand Eel

1w Caspian Gull near the fishing boats this afternoon

18/12/2023

Great Northern Diver past the fishing boats this afternoon

Although this mornings sea watch was busy in numbers, variety was a little lacking:

Wind SW 5-7, Temp  10° Overcast

08.00-09.30 with RW,

Brent Goose: 1W

Common Scoter: 3W  

Great-crested Grebe: 1E    

Turnstone: 2W

Kittiwake: 56W       

Black-headed Gull: present

Mediterranean Gull: 1W

Common Gull: present

Great Black-backed Gull: present

Herring Gull: present

Lesser Black-backed Gull: present

Guillemot: 175W     

Razorbill: 417W     

Auk sp: 169W     12E

Red-throated Diver: 78W    4E    3 present

Gannet: 464W 

Cormorant: c3,400W into Rye bay

Harbour Porpoise: 2  

Grey Seal: 1

Common Seal: 1

Black-necked Grebe at the Sussex end of Scotney GP today

1w Caspian Gull and a 2w Yellow-legged Gull on Burrowes this afternoon

One of 3 Great Northern Divers and a Black-throated Diver on Burrowes at the moment

Adult Caspian Gull in roost opposite Jarman's today

Summer plumage Black-headed Gull at the fishing boats today

A family of Bewick Swans feeding in what can only be described as a mud hole

Juvenile Bewick Swan with Egyptian Geese in the mud hole

Greylag Geese a in the mud hole

15/12/2023

4 Whooper Swans at the southern end of the New Diggings early this morning

As I drove over the causeway on my way to the sea watch hide this morning I spotted 4 Whooper Swans at the southern end of The New Diggings, presumably the Walland Marsh birds roosted there last night. They were out at Midley late morning with 44 Bewick Swans per RW.

After yesterdays entertaining sea watch, with very still conditions this mornings watch was a very dull affair.

The 3 Amigos are still frequenting their favoured puddle opposite the horse paddocks 

Some of the c3,500 Golden Plover at Scotney today 

I walked from Pigwell to the Sussex end of Scotney and back today, it seems churlish to say it was disappointing with 1,000s Golden Plover, Lapwing, Starlings, Wigeon and of course feral Geese there, but I was disappointed that I was unable to find any wild Geese or scarce wildfowl.

On Burrowes late afternoon 2 Great Northern Divers and the Black-throated Diver were present. I joined RW in a wander around to to Christmas Dell just to see how the works there was progressing, it has certainly opened up the vista but difficult to say to much as much of the work appears to be underwater, due to the very high water levels on the reserve, certainly they are the highest I can recall seeing.

Black-headed Gull TJVV at the fishing boats early afternoon in a very short visit

 

12/12/2023

Poh ringed Back-headed Gull still wintering at the fishing boats today

A slight improvement on yesterday!

Wind SW 5, Temp  11° Cloudy with Drizzle

08.00-09.30 with RW, OL

Brent Goose: 9E

Common Scoter: 10W    2E

Red-breasted Merganser: 2W

Great-crested Grebe: 3E     1W

Sanderling: 1W

Kittiwake:136W       

Little Gull: 3W  (1 juvenile)

Black-headed Gull: present

Mediterranean Gull: 1W

Common Gull: present

Great Black-backed Gull: present

Herring Gull: present

Lesser Black-backed Gull:  6W

Guillemot: 15W       4E

Razorbill: 48W     6E 

Auk sp: 58W         23E

Red-throated Diver: 59W    4E  3 present

Fulmar: 5W 

Gannet: 207W   41E

Cormorant: c800W

Harbour Porpoise: 1  (first I’ve seen for a few weeks)

Grey Seal: 1

The Scotney Brent goose clearly showing its satellite tracker on its back

A wander along the front of Scotney GP I found that the coloured ringed Brent Goose was still present but it was also sporting a satellite tracker, which I had not spotted before, the bird was very distant until today. Hopefully I will get a reply soon from the group that marked it with a list of its travels. Also at Scotney a spectacular c3,500 Golden Plover, but apart from 4 Dunlin and a Curlew I could find nothing else among them.

A look at the ARC from the Willow trail which is only passable on the boardwalk as the water level has risen and still rising, no islands whatsoever left, the highlight in the trail was confiding Chiffchaff, several Water Rails were calling there. On the reserve the 2 Great Northern Divers and Black-throated Diver on Burrowes from Dennis's Hide continue to entertain visitors, which is just as well because the Firth Fence

and Scott Bus Stop offer absolutely no protection from the rain and wind, as for the Makepiece fiasco😞What were the RSPB thinking! consequently visitor numbers are falling off cliff, less birds of interest are being found, a vicious circle. Without basic weather proof hides visitors will not return, mega expensive all singing all dancing hides like the proposed new Makepiece hide are waste of of money, especially if it is going to be positioned in totally the wrong place, so that only a small part of the lake can be viewed and be dazzled by the sun doing so. 

Chiffchaff in the Willow Trail

A brief visit to the fishing boats this afternoon saw another 3w Caspian Gull before the heavens opened for yet another deluge.

3w Caspian Gull by the fishing boats this afternoon

11/12/2023

An uninspiring sea watch this morning staring into the low sun.

 Wind W 4, Temp  10° Clear & Sunny

08.00-09.15  with RW

Common Scoter:7W

Great-crested Grebe: 2W     1E

Kittiwake: 13W

Black-headed Gull: present

Common Gull: present

Great Black-backed Gull: present

Herring Gull: present

Lesser Black-backed Gull:  present

Guillemot: 2W   

Razorbill: 3W 

Auk sp: 34W         20E

Red-throated Diver: 57W    2E

Fulmar: 1W

Gannet: 88W      7E

Cormorant: 462 into Rye Bay

Some of the wild Swans were a little closer to the road than they have been lately, there were 4 Whooper Swans and 22 Bewick Swans in this group. 100s of Fieldfares were in the Hawthorns but few Redwing, nice to see 2 Mistle Thrushes there.

At Scotney the Black-necked Grebe was still present but I was unable to locate any White-fronted Geese, the main spectacle was c2,000 Golden Plover on the sward, alas I could find nothing unusual among them.

On the reserve the main intent is the 2 Great Northern Divers and the Black-throated Diver (a Red-throated Diver was also reported today). The 3 Glossy Ibis have returned to the Horse Paddocks after disappearing for a while during the cold spell. There were plenty of feral Geese on the Boulderwall Fields but no wild geese were found.

2 Great Northern Divers and a Black-throated Diver

Great Northern Diver and a Black-throated Diver

                                                                Black-throated Diver

 

Great Northern Diver 

09/12/2023

Instead of counting everything today I just watched and admired the birds 

Little Gulls making light of todays gales

1w Little Gull today

100s of Gannets were streaming past today, there were also many Red-throated divers, Kittiwakes, Auks and probably 1,000s of Cormorants all coming out of Lade Bay.

When the clouds cleared briefly this afternoon the Great Northern Diver on Burrowes was gleaming, there was 2 present today and also a Black-throated Diver per CT

White-fronted Geese at Cooks Pool yesterday, alas no sign of them today

Part of a flock of at least 40 Tree Sparrows on the marsh yesterday

07/12/2023

We were hopeful of a much more exciting sea watch this morning, sadly it was not the case. 

Wind S 5, Temp  5° Cloudy 

07.30-09.30 with RW, PE, DW et al 

Brent Goose: 9W

Common Scoter: 39W    16E

Kittiwake: 33W       15E

Little Gull: 2W 

Black-headed Gull: present

Mediterranean Gull: 7E

Common Gull: present

Great Black-backed Gull: present

Herring Gull: present

Lesser Black-backed Gull:  present 

Guillemot: 33W       7E

Razorbill: 46W     9E 

Auk sp: 319W         48E

Red-throated Diver: 16E       5W

Fulmar: 1W 

Gannet: 279W   197E

Cormorant: 1,800 E  In first 15 minutes 

Carrion Crow: 2 in off

Grey Seal: 1

Common Seal: 1

A very nice 3w Caspian Gull came to my stale bread offerings by the fishing boats earl afternoon

A 1w Yellow-legged Gull dropped into the melee

Even a juvenile Kittiwake had look but didn't stay

Polish ringed Black-headed Gull TJVV appeared as soon as the piece of bread was thrown as usual

There was still at least 1 Great Northern Diver on Burrowes today along with a couple of Goldeneye

The Avocet narrowly avoided being trampled at Scotney yesterday, there was no sign of it today nor any wild geese. The female type Common Scoter was still present though.