Black-winged Stilt

05.30-08.40 from the sea watch hide, thanks to AJG for collating the totals.

Red throated Diver 2E 1 W

Black throated Diver: 1E

Fulmar 12E

Gannet 35

Scoter 151E

Shelduck 2E

Sparrow Hawk 1 coasting up

Whimbrel 11E

B t Godwit 8E

Dunlin 4E

Razorbill 5 on sea

Auk sp 4W

Bonxie 16E

Arctic Skua 11E

Kittiwake 7E

Little Gull 2E

Sandwich Tern 235E

Commic Tern 1391E

Little Tern 8E

Carrion Crow 14 coasting down

Swallow 17 in

Wheatear 3 in

As things seemed very quiet around the peninsular I thought I would take the opportunity to paint the garden fence. I had just started painting when a call from DB about Black-Winged Stilts on the flood behind Christmas Dell. 10 minutes later I was on sight but no sign of the Stilts, I was then told that had been 10 of them, well done to Doug and Wendy for finding them. Unfortunately they were all flushed by a Marsh Harrier, but one was re-found on New Excavations where it spent the afternoon distantly on the reedy causeway.

 A evening stroll around the reserve could find no sign of the Stilt at 19.00hrs, but there was an obliging Wheatear that obviously likes the anti predator fence, a Greenshank, several Whimbrel, 4 Bearded Tits, 3 Marsh Harriers, a booming Bittern and several each of Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers singing.

Skuas, Geese and a pair of Partridges.

Another good sea watch this morning with 16 Arctic and 10 Great Skuas, plus a sprinkling of Terns waders and Scoter  also 1 Pomarine Skua which went through before I arrived. Once again the Pomarine Skuas that went past Splash Point and Beachy head failed to cross the border into Kent.

Bean Geese at Scotney showing the injured wing.

Late morning wandering around the trapping area 3 Lesser Whitethroats, 3 Willow Warblers, a Chiffchaff and 2 Blackcaps were seen. A message from PT that 2 Bean Geese were at Scotney gave me the excuse to leave the trapping area. On arrival it was obvious that one of the Bean Geese had an injured wing, the reason that they have not gone.

 On the way to The Midrips a Yellow wagtail posed at Jurys Gap, At The Midrips a Little Ringed Plover, 3 Redshank, 2 Avocet, 2 Whimbrel, 10 Dunlin, a Greenshank, 36 Shelduck, 2 Wheatears and 2 Grey Partridges a real rarity on the marsh these days.

Little Ringed Plover at The Midrips

The highlights of another sea watch this evening 16.55-18.30 saw 7 Arctic Skuas, 2 Great Skuas, 5 Red Throated Divers, 76 Common Scoter and 464 Common Terns.

Purple Heron and Skuas

Most of the day was spent sea watching except for the Purple Heron twitch.

Totals for watches: 05.30-10.00, 14.35-15-45, 16.50-19.00 Thanks to AJG for collating the totals. 

Red throated Diver 10E 

Fulmar 9E 

Gannet 107E 

Brent Goose 125E

Scoter 1,082E     40W

Velvet Scoter: 2E

Eider 7 females E

Garganey 1E

Knot 15E

Oystercatcher 137E

Whimbrel 13E

Bar-tailed Godwit: 14E

Razorbill 1W

Guillemot 2 on

Auk sp 22 E

Arctic skua 25E 

Bonxie 16E 

Med Gull 2

Kittiwake 3E    6W

Little Gull 21E

Common Tern 1,247E

Arctic Tern 2 E

Little Tern 17 E

Black Tern 10E

Sandwich Tern 235E

Swallow 13 in

Harbour Porpoise: 8+ 

Grey Seal: 1

Purple heron

 A call from the joker at c10.40 alerted me to a Purple Heron he had seen drop into the Hookers reed bed viewed from the ramp. The Heron was not showing when I arrived but a Sedge Warbler giving regular song flights helped to pass the time, along with 2 Marsh Harriers, a Greenshank and a couple of Swallows. The Heron eventually gave good flight views before landing partially obscured in the reeds where it caught a huge fish.  A Cuckoo showed quite well on the way back to the car as did a Dunlin and a Greenshank in the Dengemarsh Flood. My first Lesser Whitethroat of the year was singing in a traditional spot near the Dengemarsh hide.

Purple Heron

Sedge Warbler in song flight

The calm before the storm! Hopefully.

Very little sea passage this morning. In the hour I was there just a few Scoter, Gannets, Common Terns, Sandwich Terns and 4 Little Terns.

A wander around the bushes was also very poor, the highlight being 2 Red-legged Partridges.

At the ARC still 2 Little Gulls hawking of note.

Another visit to the point this afternoon was aborted before I arrived due to the volume of tourists.

So I spent another short while with the Badger snuffling around at 15.30!

This evening I walked from Springfield Bridge to Hookers viewing ramp via the hay fields. In hayfield 3 a Greenshank, 8 Shelduck, 6 Shoveler, 12 Gadwall, 2 Lapwing and worryingly 39 Carrion Crows mainly perched on the posts of the anti predator electrified fence. Even the appearance of 2 Peregrines did not seem to bother them to much so I don't expect to see any Lapwing chicks this year.
At the viewing ramp a Bittern was booming, Reed, Sedge and Cetti,s Warblers were all singing, 2 Marsh Harriers were quartering the reed bed, a Whimbrel flew over and my first Cuckoo of the year was calling from the Sallows. 

When the sun shines

Sea watching today in the shelter of the hide 06.50-09.20 & 14.50-16.50 produced:

Red-throated Diver: 1E

Fulmar: 8E

Gannet: 71E     22W

Common Scoter: 10E     6W

Oystercatcher: 6E

Grey Plover: 8E

Whimbrel: 6E

Bar Tailed Godwit: 82E

Great Skua: 3E

Black Tern:  1 on The Patch

Little Tern: 4E

Common Tern: 182E

Arctic Tern: 1+E

Sandwich Tern: 28E

Little Gull: 4E

Kittiwake: 2E

Mediterranean Gull: 2E

Auks: 5E

Grey Seal: 1 o/s

Harbour Porpoise: 8+ o/s

When the sun came out late afternoon I couldn't resist another a look at the young Badger at the entrance to its set.

Badger makes the day!

Very little passage at sea again this morning as was expected and no grounded migrants around the point.

At the ARC 8+ Little Gulls hawking with the Black-headed Gulls, also 30 each of Swallow and Sand Martin that moved off as soon as the rain cleared.

 At Scotney 15+ Yellow Wagtails, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 6 Dunlin, 4+ Avocet, a Greenshank, a fly over Whimbrel, 2 Little Gulls but again I could not find the Long-tailed Duck.
Galloways was so enthralling I fell asleep! later while chatting to MS and RS an adult male Marsh Harrier gave us a superb view.

 This afternoon was the first time I have ever had the chance to photograph a Badger in broad daylight. Many thanks to D and G for the call.

Garganey and Baltic Gull!

07.50-08.20 from the sea watch hide was predictably slow considering the fresh north wind. Indeed after half an hour and a grand total of 8 Gannets west, c20 Comic Terns over The Patch and the highlight of 3 Little Egrets coming in at 08.05. 

At the ARC a drake Garganey showed well at the south end, From the causeway 7+ Little Gulls and 3 Black-necked Grebes could be seen.

I was unable to locate the Long-tailed Duck on a wind swept Scotney, but 2 Little Gulls could be seen.

 Garganey southern end of ARC

 A plod around the reserve found the Hookers Bittern still booming, several Bearded Tits and Sedge Warblers and 7 Black-tailed Godwits on Hayfield 3.

 A call early evening from DW about a very good candidate for Baltic Gull on Burrowes from Makepiece, saw me watching it a few minutes later. It was as usual for Burrowes fairly distant, but my poor images show just how small and black this bird is against a Great Black Backed Gull but lacks detail, I believe it to be a Baltic Gull.

Sea Watching

From the sea watch hide 05.40-10.00 and 13.45-16.00 with AJG, BB, DW, PT. Thanks to AJG for collating the totals.

Red-throated Diver: 39E 

Black-throated Diver: 1E

Fulmar: 10E

Gannet: 93E 

Brent Geese: 674E including a partly leucistic bird

Common Scoter: 1420E

Velvet Scoter: 3E

Red-breasted Merganser: 9E 

Shoveler: 2E

Garganey: 2E

Oystercatcher: 2E

Curlew: 1E

Whimbrel: 1E

Great Skua: 5E

Arctic Skua: 11E 

Sandwich Tern: 473E

Common Tern: 103E

Little Tern: 3E

Kittiwake: 12E 

Little Gull: 62E

Mediterranean Gull: 1E 2 on sea

Auk sp: 1E 2E

Swallow: 1 in

a Mid morning visit to Scotney found the Long-tailed Duck still on the pit immediately east of the main pit, 4+ Avocet, 2 Little Gulls, 5 Curlews and 2 Egyptian Geese. On Hayfield 3 8 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Bearded Tits, 10+ Sedge Warblers and a booming Bittern were the highlight of a wander around the reserve. 

The Hume's Leaf warbler is still present in the trapping area per OL.

A small sea passage!

An hour from the sea watch hide before a dental appointment this morning was relatively productive as I managed 2 new birds for the year with a flock of 7 Whimbrel and 9 Little Terns, but otherwise it was fairly quiet with a couple of Arctic Skuas, a few Scoter, Divers and Waders,  2 further watches late morning and late afternoon were just as quiet.

 At Scotney the Long-tailed Duck was still present on the east pit also a Little Ringed Plover on that pit. On the main pit 4+ Avocets and the 2 Egyptian Geese. Scotney Court Farm held 4 Yellow Wagtails, 4 Corn Buntings and a pair of Swallows.

A Slow Day

A very slow hour at the sea watch hide this morning with a Bonxie being the highlight, though I did just miss an Iceland/Glaucous Gull drift west just before I arrived.

A wander around the lighthouse area found 9 Willow Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap, also a couple more Willow Warblers in the moat.

A walk along the fishing boats failed to find the mystery gull, even though the fish man had been and thrown boxes of discarded fish on to the beach for gulls to feast on.

No sign of last nights Black Terns on the ARC this morning, just a Common Tern among the Black Headed Gulls, 2 Mediterranean Gulls over and 7 Little Egrets at the south end of note.

The turf at Scotney held only 5 Curlew, 2 Ringed Plover with 2 Avocets on the edge and 2 more at the Sussex end of note. The Long-tailed Duck was once again on the pit immediately east of the main pit.  

Another walk along the fishing boats this afternoon once again failed to locate the mystery gull, but a duck Eider flew by close inshore eastwards.
A look down Dengemarsh Gully was unrewarding, I would have done better to have spent the time in my sun chair in the garden watching Marsh Harriers.