Much the same!

A lay in meant a late arrival at the fishing boats this morning, by all accounts I didn't miss much. While I was there very little moved, a few Guillemots and Kittiwakes were tooing and froing a Little Gull fed along the tide line. Another visit this afternoon in 40 MPH winds produced a minimum of 4 Little Gulls of note. It would appear that the 1w Glaucous Gull may have departed as it has not been seen for 2 days. The Hume's Leaf Warbler was seen in the trapping area by OL.

Goldfinch on the Plodland Feeder.

On a very watery Walland Marsh the Bewick Swan herd still viewable from Caldecott Lane, 15+ Tree Sparrows at Baynham Farm. The Solar farm on the marsh viewable from Eighteen Acre Lane off the A259 is an eyesore!

At Scotney this morning my first Ruff of the year on the local patch was the highlight among 1500 Lapwing, 6 Dunlin and c20 Golden Plover. I could not find the Long-tailed Duck in its usual spot, probably due to the waves on the lake. The ARC still holds plenty of wildfowl most of which are sheltering behind the bushes, 3 red Smew could be seen from the causeway as could a Great white Egret. Once again I was unable to find the Black-throated Divers on the New Diggings so I assume they have departed.
Another first for the year for the local patch today was a pair of Goldfinches on the Plodland feeder. (126)

Wet! Wet! Wet!

07.30-09.45 (rain stop play) from the fishing boats with DW:

Red Throated Diver: 18w 3e

Great crested Grebe: c120 o/s

Fulmar: 17w

Gannet: 25w

Common Scoter: 39

Pintail: 2w

Mallard: 3w

Little Gull: 3w

Kittiwake: 26w

Auks: c75 o/s

At Scotney the Long-tailed Duck was on view from the double bends. The rest of the day was a washout.

At last my replacement mobile has arrived, but I have lost most of my contacts. Doubtless I will be asking many of you for your numbers again. 

All cleaned up!

After I originally posted the image below bemoaning my ineptness with photoshop, I was contacted by Laurence Pitcher http://www.laurencepitcher.com/ who offered to retouch the image for me. I sent him the original image which he cleaned up. See the excellent results below.

 My original image

Retouched image

With the appalling weather very little birding was done today but I did see the 1w Glaucous Gull by the fishing boats.

Unusual Road kill!

This morning I had to have my car door fixed, as I drove back across Walland Marsh I came across the above road casualty, an Albino Badger. Avian interest on the marsh was 40+ Bewick Swans and few Tree Sparrows by the feeders.

 North Thames Herring Gull P1BT

The ARC from Hanson saw lots of common wildfowl 4 Goldeneye, 2 red head Smew, 2 Great White Egrets and 2 Marsh Harriers. By the track 2 Cetti's Warblers and a Song Thrush of note.

Orfordness Herring Gull WLB

This afternoon the sea was comparatively quiet, with only a few each of Guillemots and Red-throated Divers 4 Common Scoter, 11 Brent Geese and a single Mediterranean Gull. The small gull roost beside the fish hut held a couple of colour ringed gulls, the 1w Glaucous gull was in the main roost. 

Glorious Sunshine!

07.50-16.00 Dungeness beach (1hr break mid morning):

Red-throated Diver: 87W

Great-crested Grebe: n/c c300 o/s early morning

Fulmar: 1W

Gannet: n/c c70W

Brent Goose: 238E

Wigeon: 573E

Pintail: 4E

Shoveller: 11E

Teal: 371E 3W

Common Scoter: 21W

Dunlin: 35W

Turnstone: 9 on beach

Little Gull: 14W

Kittiwake: n/c c400+W

Mediterranean Gull: 4W

Caspian Gull: 1 3w in roost

1w Glaucous Gull: 1 around

Guillemot: 2,000+W no Razorbills seen.

As at last the sun shone all day, I spent a good portion of the day photographing the gulls feasting the large amounts of Shellfish, Starfish and anglers throw backs, so I am sure I missed a lot more birds passing off shore.

1w Glaucous Gull

1w Glaucous Gull

1w Glaucous Gull

Guillemot

Kittiwake

Kittiwake

Kittiwake

Little Gull

2w Mediterranean Gull

The Hume's Leaf Warbler was reported still in the trapping area, the 2 Black-throated Divers still on New Diggings, up to 3 red head Smew, 1 Goosander and up to 6 Great White Egrets all reported around the reserve.

Still Sea Watching!

                                     3 of a covey of 13 in the field opposite Plodland

Most of this weekend was spent around the fishing boats looking out to sea. The numbers of Auks and divers has dropped dramatically, today they were virtually non existent, where have they all gone? There are still a handful of Little Gulls around and the 1w Glaucous Gull. This afternoon a patch year tick in the form of Eider flying west but otherwise little of note. The Hume's Leaf Warbler is still in the south end of the trapping area.
Around the reserve 5+ Great White Egrets, 3+ red head Smew, at least 1 Goosander and 1+ Black Throated Diver. From the entrance track today 117 Curlew in the fields.

A brief moment of sunshine!

 At the fishing boats this A.M.

With the lakes full to bursting and the stormy weather continuing, the shelter of fishing boats offered the best birding locally. Once again I spent the most of the day there with DW and  the Joker.This morning the Auks were tooing and froing but this afternoon Guillemots in particular were pouring westwards out of the bay. The 1w Glaucous Gull paid us a visit this morning and a Great Northern Diver flew west, a flock of Knot and 4 Little Gulls were noted, Kittiwakes were much in evidence also a few Red-throated Divers and c100 Brent Geese moved east. Perhaps the most unusual bird was female Pochard heading west this afternoon. 

 Taken in the only moment of sunshine today!

Some of the 1,000s of Guillemots coming out of the bay past the fishing boats this P.M.

The Bully!

I have been without a mobile phone for 2 days now since it went for dip in the sea, I am ashamed to say that I feel almost bereft without it.   

 In better weather conditions today the sea was quite busy first thing with some Auks moving, but movement petered out to be replaced with the tooing and froing of Auks and Red-throated Divers. There was a small movement of ducks and waders with c100 each of Wigeon and Teal, a few each of Shoveler, Pintail and Tufted Duck. Waders were represented by small numbers of Dunlin, Sanderling, Knot, Grey Plover, Curlew and a single Bar-tailed Godwit. Also of note 6 Little Gulls flew west.

 From the seawatch hide the 1w Glaucous Gull was performing brilliantly for a couple of hours at least, cruising up and down the beach effortlessly using the updraught from the sea wall. Any Herring Gull or Great Black Backed Gulls that got in its way were given short shrift, when David G. through some Squid for the Glaucous Gull a Kittiwake that dared to try and take some was brutally beaten up.

                 It was happy to take fish guts, Whiting and Ling donated by an angler.

On The Patch, 6 Little Gulls and Mediterranean Gull. At Scotney early afternoon there were no wild geese present, but 100+ Golden Plover and the Long Tailed Duck. Late afternoon driving back along the causeway 2 Great White Egrets were at the south end of the ARC and a Bittern flew over the road from the ARC to Boulderwall.

1w Glaucous Gull!

 A thoroughly miserable day today rain, rain and more rain with a biting easterly wind, that numbed my fingers so much that I was struggling to press the camera shutter. Despite the weather I was still at the fishing boats at 07.45 where DW was already on site and where we spent most the day. In the south east to east wind, the fishing boats offered very little shelter and we both got soaked and cold. Sea bird numbers were well down on recent days but still enough to keep us out in the rain and cold.
Red-throated Divers: 100+W
Great Crested Grebes: 1,000+ on the sea
Fulmar: 3+W
Gannet: 100+W
Brent Goose: 3E
Common Scoter: 60+W
Shelduck: 1W
Wigeon: 4W
Little Gull: 7+W
Kittiwake: 150+W
Glaucous Gull: 1 1st w on the beach
Auks: 2,000+ W
The 1st w Glaucous Gull appeared at the back of RX446 in the melee of feeding Gulls and spent c1½ hrs showing down to a few feet before apparently moving to The Patch. Shame about the weather and light.

 This afternoon at The Patch the 1w Glaucous Gull was not difficult to find as it was the only Gull on the beach. Over The Patch were 5+ Little Gulls and a Mediterranean Gull. The 2 Black-throated Divers could be seen on the New Diggings from the causeway as well as 2 Great White Egrets and a red head Smew at the south end of the ARC.

Where do they go?

Another day of heavy showers some prolonged with a cold SW wind. Even so the thought of another Ross's Gull or similar slipping past the fishing boats, gave me a good enough reason to face the weather and stare out to sea.
07.40-10.00 and 14.45-15.45 with DW, this morning we joined by The Joker, Barney and his man servant PT.
Red-throated Diver: 57W
Great Northern Diver: 1W
Fulmar: 8W
Gannet: 179W
Brent Goose: 1W
Common Scoter: 15W
Pintail: 2W
Turnstone: 6+ on beach
Great Skua: 1W
Little Gull: 2W
Kittiwake: c1,000W
Mediterranean Gull: 2W
Auks: c7,000W
Grey Seal: 1
Where do all these Auks, Kittiwakes and Red-throated Divers go or come from? They don't seem to be reported from Samphire Hoe, Rye Bay, Beachy Head, Splash Point, Selsey Bill or even Portland, another birding mystery!
I left early at 10.00 to contact Virgin about my mobile phone which has died after it was drowned yesterday. A few minutes after I left a 1w Glaucous Gull and a 1w Caspian Gull settled on the beach in front of DW. Sods Law strikes again. Oh well no doubt I'll be back at the fishing boats tomorrow rain or shine.