22/10/2024

A timely call from Tom telling us he had trapped another Yellow-browed Warbler, save myself and Richard from enduring a very poor sea watch any longer.

35 minutes was more than enough of this tedious watch:

 08.00-08.35 from the Hide with RW 
Wigeon: 1W
Oystercatcher: 11E
Common Tern: 1W
Arctic Tern: 1W
Sandwich Tern: 4W
Black-headed Gull: present n/c
Mediterranean Gull: 2W        
Common Gull: present n/c
Herring Gull: present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c
Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c 
Arctic Skua: 1W
Razorbill: 12W    
Auk: 20W    3E
Gannet: 32W.   14E
Cormorant: present n/c
Swallow: 6W 
Starling: 265W

After viewing the Yellow-browed Warbler we wandered out towards The Desert, several Swallows and House Martins flew over along with a couple of Brambling and some Siskins, we only got as far as the High Gorese when Owen called saying he'd found a pair of Bearded Tits in the Gorse and Bramble by the Polish Memorial. They seemed quite happy sunning themselves giving us superb extended views, eventually they flew off North.

Female Bearded Tit

Bearded Tits

Male Bearded Tit

Little Owl sunning itself

As the weather was so nice I went out on the marsh on my Bicycle this afternoon where I encountered 3 Little Owls, 5 Marsh Harriers and 2 Common Buzzards of note, sadly no winter Thrushes yet nor wildfowl. At Scotney a Ruff and 4 Redshank were on the Sward but only a handful of Golden Plover  and no wild Geese. Later I cycled down to Denge Marsh hide where the new islands were attracting roosting Gulls (The islands on Burrowes and the ARC have nearly all submerged) among the Gulls were a Brute of a 2w Caspian Gull and a 2w Yellow-legged Gull, also several Common Snipe on the islands. Passing Boulderwall there were 7 Cattle Egrets and 2 Glossy Ibis with the cattle, it seems likely that there are now 3 Glossy ibis present on the reserve.

"You can't see me"

Another Little Owl

The resident pair of Little Owls

Yet another Little Owl out enjoying the sun

2w Caspian Gull on the new islands at Denge Marsh

2w Yellow-legged Gull on the new islands at Denge Marsh