The Other Side!

 Great Northern Diver, Digue Du Braek, Dunkerque

Myself, Mark and Chris had a day out on the otherside of the channel. We arrived at Digue Du Braek, Dunkerque around 08.00 in a bitingly cold NE gale only to find the entrance blocked by security guards, Mark is quite fluent in French and was able to discover that it was closed for the day for filming. We were only able to view a small section and managed to see 2 Great Northern Divers and a Slavonian Grebe being tossed around by the gale driven waves in the harbour also a Shag of note resting on a bouy, unfortunately we had no chance of catching up with any of the Snow Buntings or Crested Lark that would be further down the Braek.

 Desert Wheatear, De Panne, Belgium.

As we had more time than expected we decided to make the half hour drive over the border De Panne in Belgium where a Desert Wheatear has been in residence for the last 3 months in a beachside camper site, finding the site was relatively easy, though we did manage to walk the long way round following a Belgian birder whom we thought new where he was going. Once on site we found the bird within few minutes and had superb views of this confiding bird. As is often the case on the continent the only other birder present while we were there was the Belgian one we followed in. 

After the superb showing of the Desert Wheatear we made our back to Grand Fort Philippe where on previous visits we have seen Shorelark, Twite and Snow Buntings, we had a short walk around in the biting wind but saw only Reed Bunting and Meadow Pipits. Next stop was Oye Plage just a single Spoonbill was seen along with the common wildfowl in the pools. Parking at Casino Beach we walked out onto the beach splitting up to cover a greater area of salt marsh but our luck was out, we could not find the c30 Shorelark nor the c20 Snow Buntings that have been seen there most days this year, we did see a number of Skylarks, Linnets, Meadow Pipits, Reed Buntings and a Merlin despite the NE gale it was an excellent day out in excellent company, also saving me from another day of Gull bothering at Dungeness.  

 The regular Glaucous Gull behind The Patch hide this morning

Bitterly cold and snowy as got in the car this morning though a mile down the road at Boulderwall not a flake nor on any on The Point. I was grateful for the shelter of the hide at The Patch keeping me out of the NE wind for a couple of hours. A trickle of Red-throated Divers, Auks, Great-crested Grebes, Gannets and Kittiwakes moved up channel, while on the beach the Glaucous Gull was in the roost and around the power station along with a few more colour ringed Herring Gulls. 

A few minutes in Hanson hide was enough as the NE wind blew straight in my face there.

At Scotney from the double bends 9 Russian White-fronted Geese and 2 Tundra bean Geese with feral Greylags and Barnacles.

This afternoon on the reserve from the comfort of the VC 3 Goldeneye and the Glaucous Gull again.

5 Years ago today!

Bonaparte's Gull, Princes Park, Eastbourne 4th February 2013

 Kingfisher from Hanson early morning

3 visits to the ARC today saw Kingfisher, a Bittern, Great White Egrets, Marsh Harriers,  a Peregrine, Black-throated Diver which relocated to Burrowes this afternoon, Goldeneye, Ruff, 15+ Black-tailed Godwits, 10+ Dunlin, 4 Redshank among several 100 Lapwing & the usual wildfowl. Over the road a Slavonian Grebe was on the New Diggings. 

 Kingfisher from Hanson early morning

 Kingfisher from Hanson early morning

 Black-throated Diver over the ARC early morning

 Great White Egret from Hanson Early morning

  Great White Egret from Hanson Early morning

  Great White Egret from Hanson Early morning

  Great White Egret from Hanson Early morning

 Norwegian Ringed JH783 & JK586 on the power station

2 visits to The Patch saw little of note apart from the 1w Glaucous Gull, 2 Peregrines and some more colour ringed Gulls. At the fishing boats the 1w Caspian Gull was in the beach roost.

 Meadow Pipit on perimeter wall

A wander around the trapping area was very quiet, 2 Bullfinch and a Kestrel being the highlights.

Part of the 2,658 Cormorants on the islands on Burrowes

This afternoon as it was so quiet and the weather was deteriorating I decided to count the Cormorants on the islands on Burrowes. I counted 2,658 but more were coming in after I finished counting and gone back to the beach.  

New Month No Change!

 1w Glaucous Gull at The Patch

An hour at The Patch this morning, where I had the Glaucous Gull all to myself as it flew around the power station and hide and roosting on the beach, it was still present when I left. Not many other Gulls there and only 2 Norwegian colour rings. Off shore the usual small numbers of Gannets, Red-throated Divers, Kittiwakes and Auks. A Peregrine was again sitting on a rail above last years eyrie.

 1w Glaucous Gull at The Patch

1w Glaucous Gull at The Patch

Norwegian ringed JZJ93 thats been around since late autumn

 2 of 5 Stonechats

Around The Point 5 Stonechats but no sign of any Dartford Warblers or much else, though a Fox was very tame .

Fox by the Brittannia

The 1w Caspian Gull looking stunning in the bright late morning sunshine

At the fishing boats the 1w Caspian Gull was again showing well to all comers though little else was to be seen there.

By the time I reached Dennis's Hide the Glaucous Gull had relocated to Burrowes roosting among the Great Black-backed Gulls, also there the Black-throated Diver.

A visit to the ARC found the Black-throated Diver had relocated there, 2 Great White Egrets could be seen also a Bittern and the usual wildfowl.

The 1w Caspian Gull spent the whole hour I was at the fishing boats cruising in front on the boats

10.00-11.00 from the fishing boats after the rain had stopped:
Brent Goose: 56 up
Red-throated Diver: 5 up    3 down
Fulmar: 6 down
Gannet: 69 down
Cormorant: minimum 1,000 down
Turnstone: 1 on beach
Caspian Gull: regular 1w bird
Kittiwake: 185 down
Guillemot: 532 down
Razorbill: 274 down
A wander around the trapping area saw very little but a Peregrine and 2 Marsh Harriers were notable.
At The Patch nothing of note over the boil or on the beach, just 3 colour ringed birds. A Peregrine was sitting on the rails above last years eyrie.
Another visit to the fishing boats saw much the same as earlier.

 Albino Egyptian Goose

 Albino Egyptian Goose

At the southern end of the ARC an albino Egyptian Goose was the highlight. At Boulderwall the usual Tree Sparrows and a Bittern showed well in the ditch by the track.

On Burrowes the 1w Glaucous Gull was roosting among the Great Black Backed Gulls, 3 Goldeneye were on the lake, the Black-throated Diver was reported on Burrowes. 2 Smew and another Bittern were at Christmas Dell and a Great White Egret flew through.

The 2 Tundra Bean Geese were seen again today on Scotney by RO. 

More of The Same!

1 of many Gannets around today

08.00-10.00 from the fishing boats with RW:

Brent Goose: 4 down
Common Scoter: 15 down.  15 up
Red-throated Diver: 23 down.   9 up
Great-crested Grebe: 6 on sea
Fulmar: 1 down.     1 up
Gannet: 121 down
Cormorant: 1,000+ around
Turnstone: 9 around
Great Skua: 1 down
Caspian Gull: regular 1w bird around
Kittiwake: 171 down
Guillemot: 1,320 down
Razorbill: 880 down
Auk sp: 430 down
2 visits to The Patch produced more of the above and a few colour rings. 14 Meadow Pipits, 5 Pied Wagtails and 2 Linnets were around the sewage plant.
At Scotney the 2 Tundra bean geese were sleeping among the Greylags.

My daily dose of Caspian Gull

This afternoon at the fishing boats was much the same as this morning

Red-throated Diver: 9 down.  6 on
Great-crested Grebes: c250 off shore
Gannets: c150 feeding offshore
The regular 1w Caspian Gull
Kittiwakes: c50 feeding offshore
Guillemotsc200 feeding off shore
The reserve was fairly quiet though the 1w Glaucous Gull put in an appearance on Burrowes.
Late afternoon at the ARC I joined young Jack Headley in Hanson hide, where a Great White Egret and a few Little Egrets flew through to roost, 200+ Wigeon were on the lake, also a couple of Goldeneye, by the hide a Chiffchaff and a couple of Goldcrests. The Black-throated Diver was seen earlier but not while I was there and the Bewick Swans let me down by not coming into roost despite waiting till dark.
Elsewhere a Slavonian Grebe was on the New Diggings and 3 Smew including the drake were at Christmas Dell. 

Mainly Gulling Again!

A lovely morning at The Patch where the Glaucous Gull performed beautifully in the beach roost and around the power station. In the roost a couple of new colour rings and several repeats, all Rainham/Pitsea Herring Gulls & Norwegian Great Black Backed Gulls.

Offshore there small numbers of Guillemots, Razorbills, Gannets and 11 Brent Geese that flew up channel.

 1w Glaucous Gull at the Patch this morning

1w Glaucous Gull at the Patch this morning

 1w Glaucous Gull at the Patch this morning

 1w Glaucous Gull at the Patch this morning

At the fishing boats the 1w Caspian Gull was performing well in return for a few slices of bread, offshore an adult Little Gull was feeding along the colour change along with a few Kittiwakes, Auks, Grebes and a couple of Red-throated Divers.

1w Caspian Gull at the fishing boats  

1w Caspian Gull at the fishing boats 

At Scotney with the weather deteriorating the 2 Tundra Bean Geese spent most their time asleep among the Greylags and Barnacles, but very little else of note there.
From Dengemarsh Lane 2 Great White Egrets, c300 Golden Plover, c500 Lapwing, 8 Curlew and the usual feral Geese.
3 Smew and 2 Goosander were reported from the reserve along with Slavonian Grebe, a Firecrest, Bitterns and Marsh Harriers.

Gulls in The Mist!

1w Glaucous Gull around the power station this morning

A bright sunny start to the day but by the time I had walked down to The Patch the fog rolled in from the sea and persisted most of the day. There wasn't many Gulls at The Patch but the 1w Glaucous Gull flew in and then relocated to the power station giving good views. Offshore small numbers of Razorbills, Guillemots, Gannets, Red-throated Divers and Great-crested Grebes and no shortage of the black plague of Cormorants through the murk. A short wander around the bushes on The Point saw very little as the fog thickened, so an early lunch beckoned.

1w Glaucous Gull around the power station this morning

 The 1w Caspian Gull at the fishing boats early afternoon

Early afternoon at the fishing boats the 1w Caspian Gull flew in for it's feed of bread as I pulled up. On the sea there no change from this mornings sightings from The Patch. 

  The 1w Caspian Gull at the fishing boats early afternoon