A few Gulls & Herons from Monterey!

This was definitely not a birding trip as I had the company of my other half who has absolutely no interest in birds. My time birding was mainly limited to early mornings when it was usually foggy. 

Ring-billed Gull

Ring-billed Gull

Western Gull

Heermann's Gull

Heermann's Gull

California Gull

 Black-crowned Night Heron

 Snowy Egret

 Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

Excellent day on the Peninsular!

08.10-09.10 from the fishing boats:

Common Scoter: 1E

Red-throated Diver: 1W

Gannet: 54W

Arctic Skua: 5W   2+ around

Sandwich Tern: 114W

Common Tern: 2W

Sand Martin: c30 out

House Martin: c20 out

Swallow: c2,000 out

Pied Wagtail: 9 in

Meadow Pipit : 14 in

Linnet: 32 on beach

Grey Seal: 1

At the Observatory 50 Swallows were caught and ringed along with some Chiffchaffs and a couple of House Martins, also present a few Reed Buntings and a Black Redstart.

 7 of 11 Spoonbills that flew over Burrowes

On the reserve a quick look for the Glossy Ibis and Cattle Egret at Boulderwall was a failure but I did spot a Garganey there. While I was in Makepiece Hide Liz hunt spotted 11 Spoonbills flying over the lake, a few minutes later she spotted a funny Cormorant flying over the lake which on inspection turned out to be a Glossy Ibis which then landed on an island in front of us. It seems this was a second Ibis as DB was watching the other one at Boulderwall at the same time. Also on Burrowes 4+ Little Stints, 4 Ringed Plovers, a Black and a Bar-tailed Godwit, 3 Common Sandpipers, a Ruff and 3 Great White Egrets of note. 

 Reed Warbler from Makepiece

 Glossy Ibis from Makepiece

 Manx Shearwater over the ARC

While I was in the Visitor Centre a lady came in saying she had seen a Manx Shearwater at the south end of the ARC diving to evade the attentions of a Marsh Harrier. Normally a very unlikely report like this I would take with a pinch of salt, but the lady was insistent and very sure that it was a Manx Shearwater, I quickly drove there and sure enough on the far side of the lake there was a Manx Shearwater, my first ever in land record and I believe a first Dungeness RSPB record unless someone knows different. My sincerest apologies to the the lady for my scepticism.  A very poor long range video of the bird can be seen HERE .

 The afternoon sea watch enlivened by an idiot trying to photograph the waves at the fishing boats

15.00-16.30
Brent Goose: 1W
Great-crested Grebe: 6 around
Gannet: 48W
Sanderling: 2W
Arctic Skua: 3W   3+ around
Mediterranean Gull: 1 1w W
Sandwich Tern: 270W
Common Tern: 10W
Swallow: 32 out
Harbour Porpoise: 5+
Grey Seal: 1

 Sand Martin over the VC this evening

Late afternoon early evening the Cattle Egret and Glossy Ibis were showing distantly at Boulderwall. Along the track a Hobby and Peregrine, 4 Winchats and a Great Spotted Woodpecker of note.

Long-tailed Duck Surprise.

A short sea watch from Th Point this morning in the deteriorating weather conditions, saw plenty of Sandwich Terns and a few Gannets battling the wind, also a single Arctic Skua and 100s of Swallows with lesser numbers of House and Sand Martins.

When the poor weather cleared through early afternoon I visited the ARC from Hanson. High over the lake 100s of Hirundines, while around the islands 4 Great White Egrets and the usual wildfowl but no waders.

 Arctic Skua and Sandwich Tern at the fishing boats this P.M.

14.25-16.30 joined by MH.

Long-tailed Duck: 1 summer plumaged drake north into Lade Bay
Red-throated Diver: 1 on sea
Great-crested Grebe: 11 on sea
Gannet: 77W
Oystercatcher: 2W
Grey Plover: 6W
Turnstone: 1 around
Curlew: 1W
Arctic Skua: 6W   2 around
Pomarine Skua: 1W Juvenile 
Mediterranean Gull: 3 around  2 x ads + 1stw
Little Gull: 1W juvenile
Sandwich Tern: 348W
Common Tern: 23W
Razorbill: 1W
Swallow: 105S
Meadow Pipit: 2S
Harbour Porpoise: 6+

Grey Plover past the fishing boats this P.M.

On Burrowes this morning 147 Sandwich Terns, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Knot, Ruff and Grey Plover per MH.

The Plodland MV held yet another Convolvulous Hawkmoth this morning but little else.

A quick stop off at Boulderwall farm and the Glossy Ibis immediately flew out from by where I parked and disappeared into its usual ditch to be joined by the Cattle Egret. No Sign of the Little Owl from the other day which was the first time I have seen one in that part of the reserve.

A distant image of Sundays Little Owl

A sea watch this morning was as expected disappointing with just a few Gannets and Sandwich Terns off shore, 4 Brent Geese battling westwards and a Merlin chasing Meadow pipits, also a Wheatear on the beach.

Juvenile Gannet

At the observatory it was far to windy for the nets to be unfurled, but Meadow Pipits were being caught in the Crow Trap

On the ARC from Hanson hide 2 Great White and 4 Little Egrets, still a few Sand Martins over the lake also a Ruff, Little Ringed Plover and a couple of Common Snipe all being flushed regularly by Marsh harriers . At least 10 Chiffchaffs around the Willow Trail with Several Cetti's Warblers and Water Rails..

Great White Egret from Hanson

Early afternoon another stop off at Boulderwall managed poor views of the Glossy Ibis and Cattle Egret, also Marsh Harriers and Common Buzzard 

Another sea watch this afternoon in the company of MH was just as disappointing as this morning.

14.30-15.30 from the fishing boats:

Great-crested Grebe: 5 around
Gannet: 15 Around
Merlin: 1 around
Turnstone: 1 around
Arctic Skua: 4 around (2 x DP +2 x PP)
Sandwich Tern: c40 around
Common Tern: 2 around
Sand Martin: 3S
House martin: 2S
Swallow: 158S
Grey Seal: 1 around
Harbour Porpoise: 2 around

Late Afternoon in the increasingly strong west wind around Burrowes, found 4 Great White Egrets, a Little Stint, a Ruff, a Common Sandpiper, a Little Ringed Plover and Oystercatcher.

Last nights moth catch was much better with less Wasps, a Palpita Vitrealis, a Gem, 2 Convolvulous Hawkmoths, many Noctuella, 15 Feathered Brindles and the first Autuman Rustics of the year for me.

Palpita vitrealis

One of 2 Convolvulous Hawkmoths

Gem

 

Foggy Monterey Pelagic

The sea was mirror calm and the light was so poor and flat that most of the images I took were deleted, the following are the best I could in the circumstances.

Pigeon Guillemot just outside the harbour

Black-vented Shearwater we saw 1,000s of these but this was the only usable image

Rhinoceros Auklet only 5 seen

 Pink-footed Shearwater. These followed the boat all day but I still only got a few usable images.

Red-necked Phalaropes 1,000+ seen

An Arctic Skua about to have an Ashy Petrel for lunch!

 Sooty Shearwater. Many 1,000s seen and 100s of images taken.

This juvenile Long-tailed Skua appeared out of the gloom right overhead, once again the light was challenging.

 Black-footed Albatross several seen.

 3 of these Yellow warblers came aboard along with an American Redstart

This bird was caught, put in a bag and released on return to the harbour.

Mammals from my Monterey Pelagic!

A few images of mainly Mammals from a Monterey Pelagic from. my recent family trip to California. The sea was mirror calm and the fog lingered all day making photography very challenging

 California Sea Lion with Brandt's Cormorants

 Small Ocean Sun Fish with inquisitive 3cal yr California Gull

 Pacific White-sided Dolphinn

 Pacific White-sided Dolphins

 Risso's Dolphins

 White-sided Dolphin

 Small Blue Whale

 Humpback Whale in the gloom

 A huge Blue whale a photograph cannot convey its size.

 A large Fin Whale

 Another Humpback Whale with a photo bombing Sooty Shearwater.

Californian Otter