Bewick Swans!

First thing this morning I stupidly went to The Point (I wasn't the only one) spending half an hour peering out of the car seeing just a few Gannets, Guillemots, Kittiwakes and Cormorants, which considering a NE gale was rocking the car and driving a mixture of heavy rain, sleet and snow across the beach virtually obscuring the sea and activating the fog horn.

 Bewick Swans

Another drive around Walland Marsh looking for Wild Swans and Geese drew a blank, even Mute Swans were mostly absent.

On the reserve 5 Brent Geese were by the entrance track at Boulderwall, 2 Bewick Swans dropped onto Burrowes and 5 more Bewicks flew over per PB. 2 Caspian Gulls (adult and a 3w) were on the islands from Makepiece and a Brent Goose joined them. A kingfisher, Chiffchaff and Goldcrest were seen from Makepiece and the VC.

Adult Caspian Gull

Cold & Stormy!

Saturday morning I drove around Walland hoping the cold weather had pushed some wild Swans and Geese south, but only found a couple of small parties of Fieldfare. Most the rest of the day was spent looking at Gulls on the reserve, where at least 6 Caspian Gulls, 3 Yellow-legged Gulls and several colour ringed birds were the highlights. All the usual wildfowl were seen but still no Smew. Nearby on Lade Pit the Long-tailed Duck and Slavonian Grebe still in residence.

DW did a very disappointing Egret roost count at the ARC where only 5 Great White Egrets and 3 Little Egrets came into roost.

 3w Caspian Gull (HCL23) ringed in Latvia in May 2015 & seen at Dungeness in October 2015 and again yesterday.

 Today I didn't venture out until late though the rain was still falling and the wind rising.
10.30-11.00 from The Point:
Red-throated Diver: 8 up    3 down
Fulmar: 2 down    1 up
Gannet: 96 down    43 up
Cormorant: present n/c
Great Skua: 1 up
Kittiwake: 32 up      6 down
Guillemot: 27 up    8 down
Auk sp:   34 up       18 down
The howling gale dictated that Gull watching from Makepiece was the only viable birding to be done,  we were rewarded with at least 7 Caspian Gulls (an Adult, 3 x 3w, a 2w 2 x 1w) also 3 Yellow-legged Gulls. The highlight being a Polish red ringed 3w Caspian Gull which came in just after sunset.

Goldeneye sheltering from the storm below Makepiece

26P5 Polish ringed 3w Caspian Gull came in very late 4000 iso needed

 Adult Caspian Gull from Makepiece  taken at iso 3200 

3w Caspian Gull from Makepiece

Winter Birding!

08.00-09.30 from The Point:

Brent Goose: 2 up

Common Scoter: 1 down

Red-throated Diver: 243 down  7 up

Great-crested Grebe: 21 up

Gannet: 276 down

Cormorant: many present n/c

Merlin: 2 around

Great Skua: 3 down

Kittiwake: 29 down

Guillemot: 34 up     7 down

Auk sp: 42 up    17 down

Long-eared Owl

I spent most the rest of the day around the reserve where the Long-eared Owl was sun bathing and showing quite nicely. From Firth  hide an adult Little Gull was a surprise as was the Peregrine that put an end to the Gull watching there. Several colour ringed Herring Gulls were noted and a Raven flew over.

Peregrine on ridge in front of Firth

From Makepiece Hide 3 Caspian Gulls were located including a colour ringed 2w bird, also 2 Yellow-legged Gulls.

 Raven over Firth

Good numbers of Pintail, Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Pochard, Tufted Duck and Shoveler can be seen around the reserve, only a few Goldeneye are present while Goosanders are irregular at the moment and no Smew have arrived yet. Cetti's Warblers are quite vocal at the moment as are Water Rail both of which can be heard at several places around the reserve. 3+ Kingfishers are on the reserve, Marsh Harriers, Great White and Little Egrets can easily be seen, the Cattle Egret seems very elusive though it was reported today, Bitterns are also very elusive so hopefully the colder weather may tempt them to show themselves. It looks as though this year will be the first in many years that I haven't seen Ruddy Duck.

2w Caspian Gull Yellow ringed X136

A stop off at the New Diggings on the way to the beach saw a Great White Egret, c400 Great Black Backed Gulls bathing and small numbers of the common wildfowl, but still none of the scarcer Grebes or a Diver.08.20-10.00 from the sea watch hide:

Common Scoter: 3 down
Red-throated Diver: 88 down.    9 up
Great-crested Grebe: 87 around
Gannet: 168 around
Cormorant: 361 around
Great Skua: 3 up
Kittiwake: 28 down. 16 on sea
Guillemot: 76 on.   27 up.  8 down
Auk sp: 38 up.   9 down
Grey Wagtail 2 around
Meadow Pipit: 5 around 
Harbour Porpoise: 2

Goldeneye from Makepiece Hide this afternoon

A short late morning visit to Burrowes found 3 Caspian Gulls(2 ads + 3w) and an adult Yellow-legged Gull, also a red head Goosander flew through. Again I was unable to locate the Long-eared Owl at The Dipping Pool.

 1 of 4 adult Caspian Gulls seen this afternoon from Makepiece Hide 

I spent a couple of hours this afternoon in Makepiece Hide in the company of David Walker, where we sheltered from the increasing winds, while scanning through the 3,000+ Gulls that came into the islands to roost. We found a minimum of 10 Caspian Gulls(4 x ad, 4 x 3w, 2w and a 1w), also 5 Yellow-legged Gulls also 2 Goosander flew in including a nice pink drake, 2 Goldeneye, a Common Snipe, several 100s of Lapwing and Cormorants plus the commoner wildfowl.

 1w & 2w Caspian Gulls from Makepiece this afternoon

More Gulls!

The Long-eared Owl was back in it's usual  spot behind the dipping pool yesterday, but alas no sign today, hopefully it will return.

While Gull watching on Burrowes from Firth hide yesterday 8 Goosanders made a brief appearance, despite a reasonable number of Gulls being present only a single 3rd calender year Caspian Gull was located.

This morning a quick look around Walland Marsh found no wild Swans or Geese, however later in the morning 6 Bewick Swans including 3 juveniles flew over the reserve. A minimum of 5 Caspian Gulls were located on Burrowes this morning, also an adult Yellow-legged Gull there. Other birds included c100 Dunlin, 34 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Goldeneye and the usual wildfowl. At least 2 Chiffchaffs around as well as 2+ Kingfishers per PB. Several Great White Egrets could be seen around the reserve.

 Adult Caspian Gull

Adult Caspian Gull

3rd cal yr Caspian Gull ?

I've spent quite a bit of time trying to master the vagaries of Macintosh after investing in an Imac at the weekend having had enough of the nightmare of windows 10. I have at last managed to get images on to blogger, though it was through a somewhat tortuous route of creative cloud. If there any mac users out there who know easier ways of posting images on blogger I'd love to hear from you.

Saturday

08.15-10.00 from the fishing boats:
Brent Goose:18 up 16 down
Shelduck: 1 down
Teal: 6 up 87 down 12 in
Mallard: 2 up
Wigeon: 51 up 21 downCommon Scoter: 2 up 44 down
Red-breasted Merganser: 1 up
Red-throated Diver: 137 up 15 down
Great-crested Grebe: 23 around
Gannet: c200 up & down
Cormorant: c350 around
Merlin: 1 around
Turnstone: 2 on beach
Great Skua: 1 around
Mediterranean Gull: 1 around
Kittiwake: 27 around
Guillemot: 9 on  8 down. 2 up
Auk sp: 17 up 5 downL
Starling: 197 in

1w G.B.B.Gull JC753 on the beach.

A mid morning visit to the ARC found 4 Bewick Swans including a juvenile, 30 Black-tailed Godwits, 6 Dunlin, 2 Marsh Harriers, 2 Great White Egrets, a Kingfisher & the usual wildfowl.
Early afternoon back at the fishing boats was very quiet with nothing moving.
Mid afternoon on Burrowes 8 Goosander from Dennis's hide which I missed per SO, from Firth a near adult green ringed Caspian Gull XDFP and an adult Yellow-legged Gull.

Another chilly morning on The Point with a NE wind producing a little cold weather movement:
09.15-10.40
Brent Goose: 9 up 12 down
Shelduck: 3 up
Teal: 80 down
Shoveller: 11 down
Wigeon: 8 up
Red-throated Diver: 16 up 9 down
Great-crested Grebe: 3 around
Gannet: 374 down
Cormorant: present n/c
Merlin: 1 around
Oystercatcher: 1 up
Turnstone: 3 around
Great Skua: 2 around
Mediterranean Gull: 1 around
Kittiwake: 7 down 3 around
Guillemot: 6 on 3 down
Razorbills: 1 up 1 down
Auk sp: 16 up 21 down
Redwing: 13 in
Linnet: 4 in
Reed Bunting: 1 in
On the reserve the Cattle Egret still around Cooks Pool late morning. On Burrowes an adult Caspian
Gull at midday from the visitor centre also a Peregrine resting on an island.
I had just arrived home for lunch, when I received prompt news via Owen of a Rough-legged Buzzard seen by Dave Bunney over the top end of the Long Pits heading for Lade. As I scanned the area I could see clouds of Gulls going ballistic, unfortunately I couldn't pick out the Rough-legged Buzzard.

After lunch I made my way to the Water Tower to scan again for the Buzzard but no luck.
Late afternoon from Firth only a few Gulls came in a 3w Yellow-legged Gull being the best, while their the Black-necked Grebe seen this morning by Pete put in an appearance. No sign this afternoon of the Spotted Redshank.
As my barely 2 year old Acer Nitro has now decided that it has no bootable device in it probably due to yet another Windows 10 update, so much for i7 processors, I think I will switch over to Mac. Not sure whether to get an MacBook Pro or an iMac. If anyone has any thoughts they would like to share I would be grateful. In the mean time I'll try and make do with my old iPad, but unable to post pictures.

A bitterly cold hour at the fishing boats this morning 08.20-09.20:
Red-throated Diver: 1 up   1 down
Great-crested Grebe: 14 around
Gannet: c50 feeding off shore
Cormorant: no count
Merlin: 1 around
Turnstone: 1 on beach
Great Skua: 1 around
Mediterranean Gull: 1 around
Kittiwake: 7 around
Guillemot: 4 on sea.   6 down
Razorbill: 1 on beach
Auk sp: 4 up.  15 down
A stroll along the beach once again failed to locate any Larks or Buntings.
On the reserve a drake Goosander was new, the Cattle Egret was still in the Cooks Pool area and the usual Great White Egrets could be seen.
On Walland I was unable to find the Bewick Swans though I did only look from the car, to cold to go wandering around the marsh.
Back on the reserve this afternoon in the company of DW despite good numbers of Gulls coming in to roost we were unable to find any Caspian Gulls or even Yellow-legged Gulls.

 1w Caspian Gull (yellow X193)

With the rain and a dental appointment I didn't get out this morning, early afternoon I went to the reserve to hopefully see a green ringed Caspian Gull XTDN but despite arriving a few minutes after the bird being found it had already gone. As I drove past Cooks Pool the Cattle Egret was showing and the Red-crested Pochard was showing well on the Dipping Pool as I mad my way to Firth. 

I was joined in Makepiece by Mark, Pete, Pam and Richard where we saw a 3w Caspian Gull and an adult Yellow-legged Gull, DW arrived as the others left and we saw another 5 Caspian Gulls along with 2 more Yellow-legged Gulls. 

 3w Caspian Gull

 Adult Caspian Gull

 Adult Caspian Gull

Red-crested Pochard on the Dipping Pool

A drake Red-crested Pochard has turned up on the Dipping Pool about this time for the last 3 years same bird? 

Weekend!

 1 of 2 Yellow-legged Gulls in a small roost behind the fishing boats

Saturday morning walk along the beach from the fishing boats to the Lifeboat station and back in the hope of turning up a scarce Bunting or Lark drew a blank on those species, though I did see a Dartford Warbler and 2 Stonechats behind the Fish Shack, the regular Merlin heading off out to sea to hunt, 4 Stock Doves and 6 Pied Wagtails, while looking out to sea occasionally a Shag flew into Lade Bay with a Cormorant(appalling image below), 5 Brent Geese flew west and a few Gannets and Kittiwakes were feeding offshore. The Cattle Egret spent the day in the ditches on the Boulderwall Fields and the usual Great white Egrets could be seen around the reserve. On Burrowes late afternoon another 2 Yellow-legged Gulls and 4th calender year Caspian Gull came into roost.

Shag & Cormorant flying into Lade Bay

 Bewick Swans over Walland

A long wander around Walland this morning saw c150 Fieldfare, 6 Redwing, 4 Song Thrush, c30 Blackbirds all feeding on a plentiful supply of Hawthorn berries. Just 4 Tree Sparrows were located but they do move around, finch numbers in the hedgerows were very low and the only Buntings seen were Reed Buntings. Several Common Buzzards and 2 Marsh Harriers were seen and my first Bewick Swans of the winter flew over. 

1 of several Common Buzzards seen on Walland this morning

  2w Caspian Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon

A 2w Caspian Gull came into the offerings at the fishing boats this afternoon, also Yellow-legged Gull there, A Mediterranean Gull made a brief appearance and a Gannet came in for a look, offshore a few each of Auks, Kittiwakes and Gannets were feeding.

 2w Caspian Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon

 2w Caspian Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon

 Gannet at the fishing boats this afternoon

Mediterranean Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon