Swifts at the ARC yesterday

Yesterday evening c1,000 Common Swifts were hawking over the reserve along with good numbers of House Martins and attendant Hobby's. The Cuckoo's were still quite vocal and a Bittern was booming from near the tower.

Hummingbird Hawkmoth

The Xylostella's landed in my moth trap with there being a minimum of 120, also in the trap a Hummingbird Hawkmoth which is the first that I have found actually in the trap, generally it was again a poor night for macro's
08.15-09.15 from the sea watch hide:
Great-crested Grebe: 3 around
Fulmar: 1E.   2W
Manx Shearwater: 2W
Gannet: 34E   44W
Cormorant: 9 around
Oystercatcher: 1E
Kittiwake: 1E. 2W
Sandwich Tern: 32E
Common Tern: 3 around
Guillemot: 1E
Auk sp: 2E.  1W
Black Redstart: 4 around
Harbour Porpoise: 1+
At Lydd Camp the Little Owl was still in the Elders but little else was seen in the strong winds.

Common Tern at Dengemarsh

This afternoon around Dengemarsh the Hobby's were once again the main attraction, giving superb views, as they jinked around right overhead in the strong wind.

Redshank at Dengemarsh

Great White Egret at Dengemarsh

Last couple of days!

Fledgling Wheatear from the power station

 Female Black Redstart from the power station

The pair of Peregrines are still loafing around on the pylons but no sign of them breeding. Sea watching has predictably been poor.

 Yellow Wagtail Dengemarsh

 Yellow Wagtail Dengemarsh

Dengemarsh has been quite productive the last couple of days with up to 12 Hobby's, several Marsh Harriers, Common Buzzards and Bearded Tits, Reed Buntings seem numerous as do Reed and Sedge Warblers and Common Whitethroats with smaller numbers of Cetti's Warblers, there are still a couple of Lesser Whitethroats singing. Bitterns are booming regularly and it looks like the Great White Egrets area returning with 3 present this morning. When I was at Hayfield 3 this morning DW tweeted a Honey Buzzard over the trapping area, I picked up presumably the same bird circling high over Dengemarsh Gully then drifting off west over the ranges. At Lydd Camp the Little Owl  was in its chosen Elder.

 Hobby's at Dengemarsh

 Great White Egret

 Swallow at the chicken sheds very low numbers around

 Sedge Warbler at Springfield Bridge

Little Owl at Lydd Camp in its usual Elder

 22 Curlews and 54 Oystercatchers roosting on Burrowes this evening

 Some of the 100s of Pochards that are now on the reserve

Emperor Dragonfly basking in the evening sun

 Flame Wainscot probable migrant 4th for the trap

Bordered White. A common moth but the first one in my trap

June Doldrums!

07.00-08.00 from the sea watch hide
Great-crested Grebe: 2 around
Fulmar: 11W
Gannet: 18E   34W
Cormorant: 6 around
Grey Heron: 2 in
Kittiwake: 1W
Sandwich tern: 2E.  8W
Guillemot: 1W
Swallow: 2 out
Harbour porpoise: 3
100s of racing pigeons came in from the continent and went unmolested by the local Peregrines which were loafing on the power station.

At the observatory a party of 7 Stonechats went into the Crow Trap for a drink, Jacques duly caught them all, processed and ringed them.

 Black-tailed Godwits 

A quick stop on the causeway saw 2 Black-tailed Godwits at the southern end of the ARC, also a Cuckoo there.

Little Owl Lydd Camp

A walk from home down Galloways and back up Dengemarsh lane, saw 2 Little Owls at Lydd Camp, also Green woodpecker and Hobby there, further down both Marsh Harrier and Common Buzzard flew over, in the reeds Sedge, Reed and Cetti's Warbler were seen and heard. Linnets seem to be around in good numbers but very few Swallows.

An hours watch from home saw up 9 Hobby's and c70 Swifts over the fields in front of home, also a Common Buzzard and a Little Egret which appeared to be heading for the local Heronry, also of note a Cetti's Warbler singing from the Lydd FC  hedge.

An early afternoon sea watch from the fishing boats was unrewarding with just 3 immature Mediterranean Gulls of any note.

 Sedge Warbler from Dennis's

 Sedge Warbler

 On the reserve this afternoon from Dennis's Hide a Sedge Warbler was singing non stop and was still singing this evening. On the islands 17 Curlew and 2 Dunlin among the Common terns were the highlight there.

 Little Egret

This evening from Firth Hide a Little Egret was busy catching tiddlers, a flock of 11 Redshank dropped in briefly, as did 2 Avocets but it was generally quiet there as is expected this time of year.

The Little stone Serin was still present today.

 Redshanks

Avocets

With the Westerly Gale and frequent heavy showers this morning, I was hoping for a good sea watch but had to settle for a reasonable but fairly slow one.
07.30-09.30 from the comfort of sea watch hide joined by AJG & RW,
Common Scoter: 10W
Great-crested Grebe: 2 o/s
Fulmar: 10E   3W
Manx Shearwater: 10E
Gannet: 145E   4W
Cormorant: 6 o/s
Arctic Skua: 1E
Kittiwake: 1E
Sandwich tern: 1E   1W
Common Tern: 5W
Guillemot: 2E
Swift: 7 in
Harbour porpoise: 1

 Little Tern and 1st summer Common Tern

Swift over Burrowes

On the reserve the gales and rain brought in many Common Swifts to Burrowes Pit with smaller numbers of House Martins, at least 2 Hobby's were there. A Little Tern was roosting with a 1st Summer Common Tern, also 2 Sandwich Terns and a Sanderling there.

On ARC this afternoon a drake Garganey, dozens of House Martins and Swifts, also Cuckoo and another Hobby.

Mating Hummingbird Hawkmoths

After emptying a poor haul of Moths from the trap I made my way to The Point. Walking down to The Patch I spotted a pair of Hummingbird Hawkmoths mating on the warm east facing perimeter wall of the power station, these turned out to be the undoubted highlight of the walk, as apart from a 1st summer Mediterranean Gull, handful of Common Terns and unseen singing Black Redstart I saw very little else there.  At Lydd Camp a Little Owl was sitting the Elders by the watch towers.

 Swifts at Denge Marsh

There were many Swifts around the Peninsular today over all the lakes, at least 5 Hobby's were around including one with a chunk out of each wing at Denge Marsh. In today's strong SW wind most birds seem to have there heads down and went unseen, in the lee of the bushes many Four-spotted Chasers were hawking, also a couple each of Hairy and Emperor Dragonfly and a Mother Shipton Moth was seen.

Hobby with wing moult at Denge Marsh

 Many Four-spotted Chasers around Denge Marsh today

A Mother Shipton at Denge Marsh

At Burrowes early evening 8 Sanderling, 2 Dunlin, 4 Ringed Plover still many Swifts and a pair of Egyptian Geese with 11 goslings.

The Serin continues to sing at Littlestone.

Eiders!

Part of the party of 11 Eider that flew East this morning

05:30-07:30 & 08:30-11:00 from the sea watch hide with AJG, RW and SO:
Eider:11E
Common Scoter: 278E   88W
Great-crested Grebe: 2 present
Fulmar: 6E   1W
Gannet: 333E   33W
Cormorant: 9 present
Oystercatcher: 2E
Curlew: 1E
Sanderling: 1E
Kittiwake: 22E   2W
Mediterranean Gull: 30E
Sandwich tern: 180E   11W
Common Tern: 32E    25 feeding o/s
Arctic Skua: 3E
Razorbill: 1E
Swift: 2 out
Swallow: 1 in
Grey seal: 1
Harbour Porpoise: 4+

Eider

An hour and half this afternoon from the fishing boats saw just 9 Gannets west and a handful of Sandwich Terns.

At the ARC 2 immature Little Gulls were the highlight, also a Cuckoo and a Hobby and the usual wildfowl.

The Serin was again singing from its chosen tree's in Littlestone today.

A Waved Umber being the highlight of this mornings meagre catch of moths.

Turtle Doves!

05:30-07:00 from the sea watch hide with RW and AJG who collated the numbers:

Garganey: 1E with Scoter flock

Common Scoter: 111E

Great-crested Grebe: 3 around

Fulmar: 1W

Gannet: 73W

Cormorant: present n/c

Oystercatcher: 6W

Ringed Plover: 1W

Great Skua: 1 up

Kittiwake: 1W

Mediterranean Gull: 3W all 1st summer birds

Sandwich Tern: 21W

Common Tern: 4W

Common/Arctic Tern: Distant flock of c25 birds moving purposefully East

Guillemot: 3E with Scoter flock

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise 5+

The Serin still showing well today

A 2hr late morning early afternoon sky watch from home saw just 2 Common Buzzards, a Marsh Harrier, a Kestrel and a few Swallow and House Martins, but no Swifts. SG called to say a Little Gull was hawking over Cooks Pool with Black-headed Gulls, although I could just about make out the Gulls from home I was unable to make out the Little Gull mainly due to the heat haze.

Another sea watch from the fishing boats 13:30-15:00 with AJG & RW:

Common Scoter: 39E

Great-crested Grebe: 3 around

Gannet: 37W

Cormorant: present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 1E

Sandwich Tern: 12W

Common Tern: 6W

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 6

At least it was very pleasant sitting in the warm sun.

A couple of hours later DW had a party of 3 Pomarine Skuas moving east.

 Turtle Dove Walland Marsh

On Walland this evening Turtle Doves were singing and displaying, a Barn Owl was out hunting, several Common Buzzards and a Marsh Harrier were seen, in the ditches a few Reed Warblers were singing, while in the hedgerow a few Tree Sparrows, a single Yellowhammer. Although it was good to see a few birds there it was still disappointing as there should be so much more. Large areas are now turf fields which were being sprayed with some horrible smelling poisons this evening, presumably to kill all insects and worms, cant have worm casts on the turf.

06.20-08.10 From the sea watch hide with AJG who collated the numbers:
Teal: 2E
Common Scoter: 9W
Great-crested Grebe: 4 present
Fulmar: 7W
Manx Shearwater: 7W
Gannet: 121W
Cormorant: present n/c
Shag: 1W
Oystercatcher: 15W
Bar-tailed Godwit: 1W
Kittiwake: 1W
Mediterranean Gull: 3W
Sandwich tern: 12W
Common Tern: 3W
Guillemot: 1W
Harbour Porpoise: 3 present

 As the point and trapping area was most uninviting due to the strong SW wind, I joined AJG in another visit to the Littlestone Serin. On arrival it was singing and showing well with just the 2 of us there to admire it. Nearby the House Martin colony was busy collecting mud from the newly created puddles left over from yesterdays rain.

 Serin

Late morning/early afternoon at Dengemarsh many Swifts were hawking over the reserve, joined by a few Swallows, House Martins and some Hobby's.

 Swifts

Hobby

On the lake of note were 2 male Garganey

A short visit to The Patch this afternoon saw very little of note among the Gulls, mainly due to them all facing into the SW wind and the bright sunshine glare, there was one colour ringed Herring Gull F8ZT which I last recorded on the 08/02/2019. Walking back to the car park a Peregrine was patrolling the power station.

Late afternoon at the ARC a 1st summer Little Gull of note, 3 Hobby's and a Cuckoo.