03/04/2025

3 Eider passing the sea watch hide early morning

 Another grim day on the land avian wise, a complete circuit of the Scotney complex found plenty of Skylarks, 2 Corn Buntings, 4 Avocet and 2 Green Sandpipers but no Yellow Wagtails and only a small number of Tree Sparrows. 

The sea was quite good this morning and late afternoon with the arrival of our first Great Skua of the spring and first Common Terns. Screenshot from Trektellen below.

01/04/2025

3 of the 25 Garganey that flew East past the hide this morning 

A flock of Avocets passing the hide this morning

A much better than expected sea watch with a nice trickle of Dabblers and Waders.

07.15-10.15 from the hide with RW, JB, AB, JY, OL, DW.

Garganey: 25E 

Shoveler: 61E

Pintail: 7E

Teal: 43E

Eider: 1W

Velvet Scoter: 3W

Common Scoter: 130E  

Red-breasted Merganser: 17E 

Great-crested Grebe: 4E 

Oystercatcher: 2E

Avocet: 12E

Curlew: 1E

Knot: 9E

Dunlin: 4E

Sandwich Tern: 24E

Kittiwake: 2E   

Black-headed Gull: 13E

Common Gull: 32E

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Razorbill: 1E

Auk sp: 23E

Red-throated Diver: 7E    1 Present

Gannet: 15E  

Cormorant: present

Meadow pipit: 2E

Raven: Present

Harbour Porpoise: 11+

A couple of close Scoter this morning

Red-breasted Mergansers passing the hide this morning

A drake Garganey with Dunlin on Hay Field 1

Late morning till mid afternoon walk around the reserve in the chilly ENE wind I wasn't expecting to see much. As I approached Hookers my first Sand Martin of the year flew over. On Hay Field 1 31 Dunlin and

a Ringed Plover dropped quickly followed by a fine drake Garganey. While I was there 4 Green Sandpipers flew over and dropped into Hay Field 2, also 12 Brent Geese.

A Water Pipit on Hay Field 3

1 of 3 Cattle egrets in the Cockles bridge Triangle