An away day!

Friday morning I started at the fishing the boats, Ian was already diligently staring out to sea. In the short time I was with him of note a Balearic Shearwater went down channel, 2 Arctic Skuas were chasing Terns and 9 Little Terns went down.

As GH had not seen a Roller in Britain but many abroad, news that one was still present at Horsey myself, DW and GH mad our way to Norfolk arriving about 15.30. We made our way down the track to where a small group of birders were gathered only to be told that the bird had been lost. We made our further down the track where DW quickly relocated the Roller albeit very distant. After a while the bird came a little closer but not much and then flew even closer but landed behind a bush. Shortly after it suddenly appeared in flight over the track and flew south for c800mts once again landing out of sight. We made our way to the sea wall and walked to where we thought the bird was and relocated it again but still distant hunting from posts out in the field.    

 Hearing that there were 40+ Seals on the beach we made there and were delighted to see a mixture of Grey and Common Seals rolling around in the surf and resting on the beach. Interstingly none of the Common Seals looked much like the unidentified one at Dungeness!

 While watching the Seals an adult Arctic Skua flew along the beach and landing on the beach. After a couple of minutes it suddenly shot off across the beach and out to sea and attacked a Tern that it must have spotted from at least 600 yards amazing!

 After a lay in this morning I visited the ARC where a good selection of waders were on show. 4 Greenshanks, 4 Common Sandpiper, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Snipe, 6 Little Ringed Plovers, 1 Ruff, 2 Redshank, 3 Golden Plovers, 2 Ringed Plover, c10 Oystercatchers, 100+ Lapwing, the Black-necked Grebe, 3 Willow Warblers  and several each of Reed and sedge Warblers. From Dennei's Hide another Black-necked Grebe, a Wood Sandpiper and a Common Sandpiper.

Greenshanks dropping into the ARC

 A quick visit to the fishing boats early afternoon saw the usual 1st summer Little gull and 2 strange guys throwing  porridge into the sea to feed the fish!
This evening at the ARC most the waders had disappeared but an eclipse Garganey was showing from the screen, also a male Marsh Harrier being repeatedly attacked by a Peregrine.

A spectacular show! A pity it was to distant for the camera.

Garden Watch

20 minutes at the fishing boats this morning was enough. Only a handful each of Gannets and Common Terns on a flat calm sea.

Very few birds trapped or seen at the observatory despite other south coast sites seeing reasonable numbers of migrants.

 While sitting in Firth hide with BP (AKA King Squacco), a Sparrowhawk flew past and almost leisurely plucked a Pied Wagtail from the air. Soon after a Marsh Harrier flew past the hide only feet from us, it was so close you could almost touch it as it glided past. A shame we were looking directly into the sun. Also from Firth a Wood Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpipers and a Black-necked Grebe with another from Dennis's hide. By the track to Makepiece  2 Clouded Yellows. The Great White Egret still on Dengemarsh per BP.

At the ARC 6 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Common Sandpipers and 3 Golden Plovers among the Lapwings were of note. From the screen an eclipse Garganey among the 100s of other wildfowl.
This afternoon I spent a couple of hours sitting in the front garden sky watching over the Rape fields 2 Common Buzzards, 3 Marsh Harriers, 2 Little Egrets, a Hobby chasing the 100s of Sand Martins, House Martins and Swallows that were hawking over the fields, also a couple of Yellow Wagtails were of note. Probably the most unusual sighting was a White Admiral that flew over the garden and headed off over the fields towards the ARC Pit. 

Slow on the sea

07.45-08.45 from the fishing boats not the most riveting sea watch:

Great Crested Grebe: 7 off shore

Gannet: 375 E

Common Scoter: 26E  4W

Arctic Skua: 2E

Kittiwake: 3E

Common Tern: 7W  3E

Sandwich Tern: 1E

Sand Martin: 12 out

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: c4

 On Burrowes of note 2 Black-necked Grebes among the many Coot and Eclipse duck, 2 Common Sandpipers, 2 Little Gulls, 2 Egyptian Geese, 2 Whimbrel over and a Wood sandpiper that dropped in briefly. Also there a female Tufted duck trying to impersonate a Scaup.

 At the ARC highlights were 2 Common Sandpipers, 4 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Common Snipe, an eclipse Garganey among all the other eclipse wildfowl,  200+ Sand Martins a Marsh Harrier and several Willow Warblers.

 A sea watch late afternoon from the fishing boats was no improvement on this morning with an adult Mediterranean Gull, a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, a Whimbrel and a few Common Terns fishing.

Early evening from Springfield Bridge the Great White Egret and a Hobby.

Dungeness Swallowtail

When I arrived at the fishing boats at 07.20 AJG was already there looking bored. He'd had an early flush of 300 Common Terns but not much else. In the next hour the highlights were Shearwater sp. so far out that ID was impossible and a Marsh Harrier coasting eastwards.

A visit to the ARC the highlights were 2 Garganey, 2 Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper, a Little Ringed Plover, a Black-tailed Godwit and a Hobby. Along the track to Hanson 4+ Willow Warblers in the bushes. 

Swallowtail by Dennis's Hide (Photograph courtesy of Steve Broyd the finder)

 A wander around the reserve found a few more Willow Warblers along with Cetti's, Reed and Sedge Warblers and Whitethroats. Along the tracks numerous butterflys, Painted Ladies, Red Admirals, Peacocks, a couple of Clouded Yellows, Brown Argus and many more. The Great white Egret was on show at Dengemarsh and still Common Tern chicks being fed on the rafts. As we made our way along the return trail we got news of Swallowtail Butterfly at Dennis's hide found by Steve Broyd. On arrival the butterfly had disappeared, after about an hour looking around the area seeing a Little Gull and 2 Black-necked Grebes on Burrowes, also 2 Peregrines high over the lakes, a group of us were standing by the visitor centre when the Swallowtail flew across the car park and disappeared over the bank by the centre, as far as I know not to be seen again. Many thanks to Steve Broyd for letting me use his image of the butterfly.  

At the ARC this evening the 2 Garganey on show from the Screen Hide along with 3 Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper and a Black-necked Grebe.  

Black Terns

 07.35-12.10 from the fishing boats:
Balearic Shearwater 2W
Fulmar:  5W
Gannet: 182W
G C Grebe: 5W + 6 on sea
Common Scoter: 363W
Tufted Duck: 1W
Teal: 8W
Curlew: 1W
Whimbrel: 2 W
Sanderling: 15W
Ringed Plover: 2W
Turnstone: 4 on beach
Little Gull: 2 around
Kittiwake: 4W
Mediterranean Gull: 6 around
Y.L.Gull: 1 juv.W
Bonxie: 3W
Black Tern: 89W
Common Tern: 642W
Sandwich Tern: 55W
Swift: 34 out
Swallow: 2 out
Sand Martin: 256 out

Another watch from 14.45-17.00 was very slow:
Gannet: 64W
Common Scoter: 163W
Kittiwake: 4 W
Mediterranean Gull: 2W
Y.L.Gull 1 adult on the boats
Bonxie: 1W
Sand Martin: 157 out

2 visits to the ARC at lunch time and again this evening found of note, 1 Greenshank, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Green Sandpipers, 2 Common Sandpipers, 6 Little Ringed Plovers, 1 Ringed Plover, 2 Redshank and the Black necked Grebe. As shower came in this evening c150 Sand martins appeared over the lake.

Nodding birder

At The Patch this morning 2 Juvenile Mediterranean Gulls and an adult Yellow Legged Gull on the beach among the Black Headed, Herring and Black Backed Gulls.

c90 minutes at the fishing boats this morning was slow with highlights of the usual Little Gull patrolling the shore line 6 Sanderling and 4 Turnstone. Off shore small numbers of Common and Sandwich Terns a few Gannets, c150 Common Scoter flew east and 4+ Harbour Porpoises.

At the ARC from the Screen the highlight was 3 Green Sandpipers. By the pines 2-3 Willow Warblers and little else.   

Mediterranean Gull from the fishing boats

 This afternoon another 2 and half hours at the fishing boats was so good I fell asleep on the fishing nets! I did see 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls fly west as did an adult and juvenile Little Tern, 40+ Common Scoter flew east and the usual Common and Sandwich Terns feeding off shore.

Common Sandpiper from Makepiece Hide

 As I was driving across The Causeway late this afternoon I received a message from SB about a Spoonbill on Burrowes from Makepiece. A few minutes later I was watching the Spoonbill in normal pose asleep! While I was in Makepiece a Common Sandpiper flew in and the 2 Egyptian Geese could be seen.

Spoonbill from Firth Hide

 While watching the Spoonbill from Firth a hide a Peregrine flew in and spooked all the gulls and waking the Spoonbill.

Peregrine from Firth Hide

A Clear Out

From the fishing boats this morning plenty of Terns with at minimum of 2 Black Terns, 6 Little Terns, 2 Arctic Terns joined by many Common Terns and Sandwich Terns, also 2 Little Gulls and singles Arctic Skua and Juv. Mediterranean Gull, 2 Golden plover, 5 Whimbrel and a Sanderling. Highlight though was the c500 Swifts moving south.

At the south end of the ARC a Peregrine was sitting on the mud this morning and this evening it was in the lake bathing.

2 more visits to the fishing boats today saw no real change in the Terns off shore.

An evening visit to Hanson was disappointing after recent days with just 2 Little Ringed Plovers, a single Black-tailed Godwit, even the Lapwings had virtually all cleared out.
Birds of the day(had I been at home) would have been a flock of 11 Goosanders that flew over my house per PT.

Nothing new

Much quieter at The Patch this morning with no more than 15 Common Terns present and the usual 1st summer Little Gull trying to hide among the Black-headed Gulls.
09.00 I arrived at the observatory at the same as Patrick came back from doing the net rounds empty handed again! Apparently 7 nets had been out since 05.00 and not a single bird trapped!
I then headed to the fishing boats finding Mr Chidwick, Mr Ashton, Mr Hatch and Mr Smith already there looking slightly bored. After a few minutes of staring at virtually blank sea I could see why, though we did have a Black Tern and a Little Gull and c40 Common Scoter. Another short visit this afternoon found  little change in the birds or observers, but 5 Sanderling and 8 Turnstone moved west along the shoreline.
After a lovely swim late afternoon at Jurys Gap I was going to walk along The Midrips, as I started I saw CT and BH heading back, they suggested I should not bother so I went to the ARC where 5 Wood Sandpipers, 3 Green Sandpipers, 4 LRPs, 2 Yellow Wagtails and a Black-necked Grebe could be seen.       

Autumn Migration begins!

At The Patch this morning c200 Common Terns, c20 Sandwich Terns, 2 Little Terns, 1 Black Tern, 1 Juvenile Mediterranean Gull and 2 Kittiwakes among the 100s of Black-headed and Herring Gulls. Behind the hide the first 3 Willow Warblers of the Autumn for me.

Willow Warbler behind The Patch hide

 In 2 visits to The ARC 5 Wood Sandpipers, 6 Little Ringed Plovers, a Common Sandpiper, a Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Little Egrets and a Garganey were the highlights.

Little Egret from the Screen Hide

In 3 sea watches today I managed 1 Balearic Shearwater, 1 Manx Shearwater, 3+ Arctic Terns, 3+ Black Terns, 3 Arctic Skuas, c200 Gannets, 6 Kittiwakes, 1 Mediterranean Gull, the usual Little Gull put in several appearances, c150 Common Scoter flew west, c30 east and 3 Dunlin east.

What a difference an hour makes!

A thoroughly miserable day started from near the fishing boats from the comfort of my car. c50 Gannets moved West, small numbers of Common and Sandwich Terns were fishing along the colour change also a single adult Black Tern and the usual 1st summer Little Gull, 4 Common Scoter flew west and 3 east, my first Sooty Shearwater of the year flew west and 2 Turnstone were on the beach. A Grey Seal and 3+ Harbour Porpoises were off shore.

               The First summer Little Gull photographed yesterday from the fishing boats.

In 3 visits to the ARC Hanson Hide a maximum of 4 Wood Sandpipers, 6 Little Ringed Plovers, a Ringed Plover, 2 Common Sandpipers, 12 Dunlin, a Black Tailed Godwit, a Black necked Grebe, a Sparrowhawk, 2 Marsh Harriers and c200 Sand Martins and House Martins over the lake.
At Burrowes another Wood Sandpiper a Common Sandpiper and a few Swifts, the Great White Egret was still on Dengemarsh.
A short early afternoon sea watch produced nothing of note. Another hour between 18.00-19.00 saw just the first summer Little Gull and a Black tern of note. Though an hour earlier 30+ Black Terns, 2 Roseate Terns and 3 Manx Shearwaters were seen by PT.