Another Flycatcher!

07.25-09.55 from the fishing boats with MH,DW, AJG (Southerly 4-5) 

Brent Goose: 5E   19W

Pintail: 1W

Common Scoter: 2W

Eider: 1 around

Manx Shearwater: 1W

Gannet: 161W       22E

Oystercatcher: 9E    2W

Purple Sandpiper: 1W

Turnstone: 3 around

Great Skua: 3W

Arctic Skua: 2 around

Mediterranean Gull: 2W

Kittiwake: 5W

Sandwich Tern: 86W     13E

Common Tern: 3W

Guillemot: 3W

Auk sp: 10W

Swallow: 7 out

Harbour Porpoise: 2+ around

After the sea watch I parked at the Power Station car park, was just about to go to The Patch when my phone beeped a tweet from SB regarding a Pied flycatcher at West Beach, as I was only 100yds away I was quickly there and watching the Flycatcher. A walk around some of the other bushes found a Firecrest and several Goldcrests and Chiffchaffs but little else.  

 Pied Flycatcher at West Beach

 On the reserve from Dennis's hide 8 Great White Egrets could be seen along with 7 Little Egrets, also a flotilla of 138 Cormorants were feeding together on the lake testifying to the huge amount of fish that must be there.

 Great White Egret from Dennis's

 Arctic Skua 

14.15-16.00 from the fishing boats joined by MH (southerly 4-5 drizzle)

Common Scoter: 2W
Eider: 1 around
Red-throated Diver: 1E
Turnstone: 3 around
Arctic Skua: 6+ around
Gannet: 5W
Sandwich Tern: 76W
Grey Seal: 1 around
Harbour Porpoise: 2+ around
1 of the Arctic Skuas a 2nd year I think gave a fairly close fly by.

DNA confirms Acadian Flycatcher ID!

Below is a copy of an e-mail I received from Professor Jon Martin Collinson, Professor in Genetics at the University of Aberdeen, explaining the process he used to confirm the Acadian Flycatchers identity. 

When the fecal sample arrived at University of Aberdeen we digested it using enzymes to make a soup of the bird’s DNA and then used a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) reaction to make enough of the mitochondrial DNA for sequencing. The problem with poo samples is that the DNA is rapidly degraded into tiny fragments, so the normal PCRs we use to isolate big pieces of DNA from feathers often do not work, and true to form they did not work for the Dungeness bird.  We therefore designed a PCR protocol that would allow us to sequence small fragments of the DNA mitochondrial cytb gene from any Empidonax species.  The sequence we got was fed into the online database of every bird that has ever been sequenced and was identical to 3 of the 4 individuals of Acadian Flycatcher from USA and Mexico that were in there, and 1 base pair different from the fourth bird,. In contrast all other species of Empidonax, including Alder and Willow, were at least 8-9% different.  On this basis, we can say with 100% confidence that the Dungeness bird was genetically an Acadian Flycatcher.

Many thanks Professor Collinson for processing the sample so quickly.

Most of my weekend has been tied with domestic stuff. On Saturday I did manage to see c10 Continental Coal Tits, 8 Firecrests, many Goldcrests and Chiffchaffs, 5 Wheatears and 2 Black Redstarts of note around The Point. Elsewhere around the peninsular 6+ Great White Egrets and a Cattle Egret on the reserve. Scotney had c100 Golden Plover, 2 Dunlin, a Ruff among the feral Geese. Yellow Wagtails and Hobby at Dengemarsh per DB and Jack Snipe at the ARC per CE.

Late this afternoon a Jay came in over the old lighthouse. Off the fishing  a drake Eider was drifting off shore also a Guillemot, 36 Brent Geese flew west as did 6 Teal, a few Gannets and Sandwich Terns were tooing and froing. 

 Eider Scarce at Dungeness.

 Guillemot

I only put this on as it is the first of the autumn for me.

More Sprites!!

I spent the morning around The Point, where in the beautiful sunshine and much lighter winds, it was lovely to see loads of Goldcrests wherever I went especially after last autumns dearth. It was difficult to ascertain the numbers involved on the Point and the Peninsular but in the 100s I suspect. Also seen 13+ Continental Coal Tits, 8+ Firecrests, 11 Wheatears, a Whinchat, 2 Black Redstarts, only 2 Blackcaps seen but many heard, Siskins and Redpolls mainly heard, c150 Swallows, 2 Sparrowhawks and a surprise in the form of 2 Pink-footed Geese flying SE over The Desert.

At The Patch the Grey Phalarope was showing well, also there a 2w Mediterranean Gull and 3 Common Terns among many Herring and Black-headed Gulls.

 Goldcrests

 Pink-footed Geese over The Desert 

 Continental Coal Tit

newly ringed Firecrest

I visited Ketchley Copse(Lydd Wood) The pines and the north end of the Long Pits this afternoon, Goldcrests were very apparent as were Chiffchaffs but little else.

A sea watch 16.10 -17.10 was pitiful: 

Brent Goose: 6E

Great-crested Grebe: 1 around

Gannet: 17E

Sandwich Tern: 15E

Swallow: 19 out

Harbour Porpoise 2+

Watching the Egret roost at the ARC from 18.00-19.10 saw:

Cattle Egret: 1

Great White Egret: 7

Little Egret: 15

Marsh Harrier: 7

Peregrine: 1

Sparrowhawk: 2

Windswept Dungeness!

First thing this morning at the lighthouse the Yellow-browed Warbler was showing well, along with several Firecrests and many Goldcrests as well as a couple of Continental Coal Tits.

 Grey Phalarope at The Patch

I joined BH in a windswept walk to The Patch where we quickly located the Grey Phalarope which was showing by the boil, 3 Common Terns were there, 17 Brent Geese flew west and a Wheatear was on the beach.

 We then had a look around the bushes seeing and hearing many Firecrests and Goldcrests, 4 more Wheatears, a couple of Redpoll over.We saw little in the trapping area but lots of Crests, Chiffchaffs,  Blackcaps were heard and single Common Whitethroat was seen, also c50 Swallows.
Opposite Jarmans another 6 Wheatears, 2 Stonechats and more Goldcrests in the Broom.

 Firecrest with Crane Fly

 Sleepy Firecrest

Scotney held, c200 Golden Plover, 17 Curlew, 100+ Wigeon along with all the feral Geese. Dengemarsh was very quiet in the strong winds, the usual Marsh Harriers and more Swallows over.

 Continental Coal Tit

Early afternoon in Ketchley Copse(Lydd Wood) was disappointing with a just a few Chiffchaffs being seen and heard. At the ARC more Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests in the Willow trail and at the Pines but viewing was very difficult in the strong easterly wind.

Although todays birds were much the same as yesterdays, it was thoroughly enjoyable day with quality birds and many posers

 Yellow-browed Warbler

Sprites!

A very good day at The Point today, although not awash with migrants on the land by the end of the day I had seen at least 8 Firecrests, 8 Continental Coal Tits,s 5 Goldcrest a Yellow-browed Warbler, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, 40+ Swallows, Black Redstart all of which were around the lighthouse area. Also most of them showed very well.

 Yellow-browed Warbler

On my second visit to The Patch today, I caught up with the Grey Phalarope (206 for the patch), unfortunately it was always well out of photographic range, also there of note 4 Common Terns.

 Firecrest

 Most of my day was spent at the Old Lighthouse photographing the very obliging Sprites.

 Continental Coal Tit

 Common Scoter

Common Tern

14.05-15.35 from the fishing boats:
Brent Goose: 9E     3W
Common Scoter: 14E
Red-throated Diver: 1E
Great-crested Grebe: 1 around
Gannet: 37W
Dunlin: 25E
Bar-tailed Godwit: 1E
Arctic Skua: 2 around
Mediterranean Gull 1stw: 1 around
Kittiwake: 1W
Sandwich Tern: 38E
Common Tern: 8E
Swallow: 17 out

Continental Coal Tits

I wasn't expecting much on the sea this morning with the strong easterly blowing, which was just as well.

08.05-09.05 from the sea watch hide:

Brent Goose: 4E       16W

Teal: 14W

Wigeon: 32W

Common Scoter: 8E   1W

Gannet: c20 around

Great Skua: 1 around

Arctic Skua: 3 around

Sandwich Tern: c15 around

Linnet: 70E

1 of 2 Continental Coal Tits at West Beach

3 hours covering every patch of cover in the Desert saw:
Redstart: 1
Whinchat: 2
Wheatear: 3
Robin: 9
G S Woodpecker: 1
Skylark: 1E
Meadow Pipit: c200 Grounded
Swallow: 57 into wind
Stock Dove: 8
Siskin: 4+
Chiffchaff: 9
Yellow Wagtail: 1
Continental Coal Tit: 2  My 204th species on the peninsular this year.
Black Redstart: 3
Clouded Yellow: 1
Hare: 1

 Dengemarsh and the Gully held a single Wheatear, 2 Stonechats, 3 Chiffchaff, c60 Meadow Pipits, 5 Yellow Wagtails a Sparrowhawk, Marsh Harrier and a Raven over. Elsewhere the Great White Egrets have increased to 6 on Burrowes per MH.

A very poor effort!

Quiet Weekend

 Cetti's Warbler at the observatory

A fairly quiet weekend, the short sea watches I have done have been unproductive. The walks around the peninsular have produced reasonable numbers of Siskins, Meadow Pipits, Reed buntings, Chiffchaffs and Hirundines, with small numbers of  Goldcrests, Blackcaps, Common Whitethroats Wheatears, Whinchats and a few Grey Wagtails over. A highlight was a very brief juvenile Red-footed Falcon opposite the Go Cart track on Saturday afternoon, also seen there up to 5 Common Buzzards, Marsh Harriers, a Peregrine, 2 Sparrowhawks and a Hobby.

Scotney held a party of c20 Yellow Wagtails, 20+ Curlew, c100 Golden Plover, 3 Bar-tailed Godwits, a Black-tailed Godwit, 12 Egyptian Geese among all the other feral Geese.

A check of the Egret Roost at the ARC saw the Cattle Egret, 4 Great White Egrets and 9 Little Egrets, there were 5 Great White Egrets on Burrowes this afternoon per SB.

While checking The Moat this morning I was fortunate enough to witness the harshness of nature, as a Stoat attacked and killed a Rabbit. 

 Stalking

 Attacking

 Finishing the job

Job done

Wheatear, Galloways

The remains of the fort at the bottom of Galloways

Sunshine Day!

 Hirundines at The Moat

As I drove along the approach road to the observatory the sky was full of House Martins and Swallows. A walk around The Desert with AJG found the Wryneck still present, but only 2 each of Common Whitethroat and Blackcap, 8+ Chiffchaffs, a few Siskins, Meadow Pipits and Goldfinches over,

 Wryneck 

A stroll around the ARC was very pleasant, a couple of Marsh Harriers were over the Tower Pits and 2 Common Buzzards over the airport, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 4 Chiffchaffs, a Blackcap and Common Whitethroat were seen at The Pines, over the lake a party of c70 Golden Plover were looking for somewhere to settle, alas there are no longer any islands for them.  Another wander around The Point this afternoon in the gloriously warm sunshine was fruitless, though the Hirundines were still moving through.
The Cattle Egret was reported as still being present late afternoon, also 2 Spoonbills flew over per PT.

Mainly Skua Watching!

Sea watch totals for  06.45-12.00 & 13.15-15.15 from The Point/Fishing boats with DW,BM and AJG who collated most of the totals:
Brent Goose: 4W
Teal: 1W
Common Scoter: 44E      49W
Great-crested Grebe: 7 around
Balearic Shearwater: 1W
Gannet:   17E      384W
Great Skua: 5W
Arctic Skua: 15E   95W     5 around
Kittiwake: 3W
Little Tern: 5W
Black Tern: 3W
Sandwich Tern: 23E      951W
Common Tern: 134W
Arctic Tern: 2W
Razorbill: 1W
Auk sp: 1E   3W
Sand Martin: 10 out
House Martin: 1 out
Swallow: 1162  out
Meadow Pipit:  103 in
Linnet: 15 around
Harbour Porpoise: 4+

From the entrance track to the visitor centre by Boulderwall Farm 3 species of Egret could be seen, 4 Little Egrets, 2 Great White Egrets and the Cattle Egret which always seems to be distant.
Late afternoon at the ARC still plenty of Sand Martins over the lake, no waders as there are no longer any islands, the usual wildfowl still present along with a couple of hunting Marsh Harriers.
Up at the pines there was not a passerine to be seen, though it was blowing a gale. Hopefully the forecasted easterlies will bring us some passerines in the next few days and maybe something good with them.