Saturday 28/08/2020

AJG once again did the early morning sea watch from the fishing boats and kindly sent me the numbers:

Common Scoter: 5W

Fulmar: 4W

Gannet: 53W

Cormorant: 9 o/s

Grey Plover: 3W

Ringed Plover: 11W

Dunlin: 75W

Turnstone: 1W

Arctic Skua 3 down

Sandwich Tern: 86W

Common Tern: 16W

At the ARC the Glossy Ibis is still present, as was the Little Stint, some Common Sandpipers, LRPs and Ringed Plovers also present. Viewed from the causeway many waders can be seen on the islands in front of Hanson Hide, but to distant to properly identify most of them, I'm sure lots of birds are going undetected because the hides are all still locked up.

Elsewhere on the peninsular several Great White Egrets and at least 1 Cattle Egret, a smattering of Wheatears could be seen and a single Whinchat at Galloways.

Osprey flying straight at me at Denge Marsh Gully this morning

It veers off at the last moment

As it flew along the shore towards Rye I could track its progress by the Gulls exploding off the beach 

I joined AJG for a sea watch at the fishing boats this afternoon, it can only be described as abysmal.

14.00-15.30 with AJG:

Great crested Grebe 6 on

Cormorant: 5 o/s

Dunlin: 1W

Arctic Skua: 1W

Sandwich Tern: 11W

Common Tern: 14W

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 2

At Galloways this morning I was quite surprised to find 2 Short-eared Owls as they don't usually appear until the end of September. This evening there were 3 Owls present and showing rather well. Please note Galloways is closed to the public for next 3 days at least between 08.00 and 16.30.

Short-eared Owl with its supper

Sparrowhawk at Galloways this morning

An abysmal record image of the Wryneck found by Dave Scott at Galloways this morning

This evenings image is not much better of this skulking Wryneck

 

Tuesday 25/08/2020

Sooty Shearwater

05.45-17.30 from the fishing boats with various observers throughout the dayAJG, CP, SP, JK, DW, OL, CT, JY, MH, MB, DS et al

hoveler: 1W (duck)

Teal: 13W

Common Scoter: 109W       17E

Great-crested Grebe: 3 o/s

Fulmar: 29W       2E

Manx Shearwater: 3W

Balearic Shearwater: 4W

Sooty Shearwater: 5W

Gannet: 608W   38E

Cormorant: 89W o/s

Grey Plover: 253W

Whimbrel: 185W

Bar-tailed Godwit: 4,284W

Knot: 1,413W

Dunlin:496W

Sanderling: 227

Turnstone: 14W 

Redshank: 77W

Great Skua: 5W

Arctic Skua: 46W  

Kittiwake: 13W

Sandwich Tern: 296W

Little Tern: 16W

Common Tern: 2,081W

Black Tern: 48W

Swift: 32S

Sand Martin: 4 out

Swallow: 1S

Grey Seal: 1 

Harbour Porpoise: 4+

I've got 100s more images to go through, so hopefully find some better ones tomorrow.

Bar-tailed Godwits, Redshanks, Knot & Grey Plover

Bar-tailed Godwits

Black Terns

Little and Common Terns

Common and Black Terns

Knot

Knot

Mainly Redshank

Sanderling

Common Scoter

Fulmar

Another Sooty Shearwater

Grey Plover

Bar-tailed Godwits and Grey Plover

Some Teal

 

Monday 24/08/2020

3 very poor watches from the fishing boats today, most of the hard work was done by AJG:

05:45-07:45, 08:15-08:45, 13:45-15:10

Common Scoter: 1E

Fulmar: 1W

Gannet: 126W 1E

Oystercatcher: 3E

Ringed Plover: 1E

Turnstone: 3W

Dunlin: 1W

Arctic Skua: 1W

Kittiwake: 6W

Yellow-legged Gull: 1 Juvenile present

Sandwich Tern: 207W

Common Tern: 90W

Sand Martin: 2S

Swallow: 2S

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 2

1 of many Wheatears in Dengemarsh Gully

Dengemarsh Gully held good numbers of Wheatears this morning along with a handful of Willow Warblers but little else. As the farmer was combining the fields in front of my house today, I took a stroll

out to them. Over the fields Swallows, Sand and House martins were having a feeding frenzy on the insects being disturbed by the combine, on the cut stubble 20+ Yellow Wagtails were also feeding well. A Hobby made 2 unsuccessful runs on the Hirundines, but a Common Buzzard swooped down on and flew off with what I think was a Rat. 

A poor image of the Black-necked Grebe with 1 of the 100s of Sand Martins that were carpeting the ARC

This evening on the ARC 7 Black-tailed Godwits, 4+ Common Snipe, a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper(thanks to James for pointing it out)5 Dunlin, 6 Common Sandpipers, 8 Ringed Plovers, 2 LRPs, a Ruff, a Little Gull and the Glossy Ibis.

6 of the 7 Black-tailed Godwits on the ARC this evening

1 of 2 Little Stints on Burrowes yesterday

Juvenile Black Tern on Burrowes yesterday

Greenshank on Burrowes yesterday

Convolvulous Hawk Moth trapped over night

Hummingbird Hawkmoth trapped on Saturday

Sunday 23/08/2020

Bar-tailed Godwits and a Whimbrel passing the fishing boats this afternoon

05.40-07.40 & 14.00-15.45 with RW, CP, JH, PH, LH and AJG who kindly kept the log:

Common Scoter: 1W

Great-crested Grebe: 2 o/s

Fulmar: 1W

Gannet: 82W

Cormorant: 16 o/s

Whimbrel: 1W

Bar-tailed Godwit: 3W

Turnstone: 1E

Knot: 1W

Dunlin: 1E

Arctic Skua: 2W

Kittiwake: 6W

Little Tern: 8W

Sandwich Tern: 373W

Common Tern: 150W

Swift:2 out

Sand Martin: 8 out

Swallow: 2 out

Grey Seal: 1 

Harbour Porpoise: 2+

Whimbrel passing the fishing boats this afternoon

Knot passing the fishing boats this afternoon

On The ARC the Glossy Ibis still present along with a Wood Sandpiper, 6 Black-tailed Godwits, 6 Common Sandpipers, 4 Dunlin, 2 LRPs, a Ringed Plover, 19 Golden Plover, 2 Garganey, a Little Gull, 2 Great White Egrets, also the Black-necked Grebe reported today. This morning the lake was covered with 100s of Sand Martins. The only report I have heard from Burrowes is of 2 Black Terns still being present, but with no proper access the paucity of reports is understandable.

 Felixstowe ringed juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull DV.DR at the fishing boats yesterday

A day spent mainly sea watching!

Balearic Shearwaters

05.45-1830 with AJG, CP, DW, JH, MH. CB, DS, PH, LH, SO et al Many thanks to all present.

Common Scoter: 9E    1W

Great-crested Grebe: 2 o/s

Fulmar: 12W

Manx Shearwater: 1W

Balearic Shearwater: 46W

Sooty Shearwater: 1W

Gannet: 270W

Cormorant: 34 o/s

Turnstone: 1W

Arctic Skua: 2W   1E

Kittiwake: 62W

Yellow-legged Gull: 1 juvenile on beach

Little Tern: 15W

Sandwich Tern: 738W

Common Tern: 434W

Black Tern: 6W

Swift: 5S

Sand Martin: 14S

Swallow: 62S

Yellow Wagtail: 1S

Grey Seal: 2 

Harbour Porpoise: 4+

10 of a flock of 12 Balearic Shearwaters today past the fishing boats

 

Thursday 20/08/2020

Balearic Shearwaters passing the fishing boats this morning

06:00-08:45 from the fishing boats with CP. DW and AJG who kindly kept the log:

Common Scoter: 9E

Fulmar: 2E

Balearic Shearwater: 20W

Gannet: 222W

Cormorant: present n/c

Ringed Plover: 1E

Oystercatcher: 1W

Whimbrel: 2W

Great Skua: 2W 2 down

Arctic Skua: 3W

Kittiwake: 29W

G B B Gull: 18W

Sandwich Tern: 114W

Common Tern: 41W

Little Tern: 6W

Grey Seal: 5+

Harbour Porpoise: 4+

Balearic Shearwaters passing the fishing boats this morning

Lesser Whitethroat at Galloways

A beautiful walk around Galloways this morning but very little avian interest.

No problem social distancing on the beach at Galloways with Fairlight in the distance

The old APC on the Green Wall at Galloways looking west towards Rye

Pied Flycatcher and Redstart bushes at Galloways. Just 2 Robins in them today

 Great White Egret with a Jack Pike at Springfield Bridge

Arctic Skua past the fishing boats this afternoon

13.00-15.15 with DS, BC, AJG & DW,

Great-crested Grebe: 2 o/s

Balearic Shearwater: 7W

Gannet: 70W

Great Skua: 1W

Arctic Skua: 4W 1E

Kittiwake: 2W

Common Tern: 27W

Sandwich Tern: 42W

Swallow: 7S

An afternoon and evening visit to the ARC saw the Glossy Ibis, 7 Common Sandpipers, 2 LRPs, c50 Golden Plover and the usual Egrets and wildfowl. 

Wednesday 19/08/2020

05.45-08.45 from the wishing boats with CP, RW & AJG who kindly kept the log:

Teal: 6W

Common Scoter: 18E   2W

Great-crested Grebe: 1 o/s

Fulmar: 4W

Manx Shearwater: 1W

Balearic Shearwater: 4W

Gannet: 166W

Cormorant: 17W

Arctic Skua: 3W 

Kittiwake: 12W

Sandwich Tern: 169W

Common Tern: 26W

Sand Martin: 4S

Swallow: 27S 

Yellow Wagtail: 8S

Grey Wagtail:1 heard only

Grey Seal: 1

Common Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 6+

Glossy Ibis still on the ARC today

At the ARC today a Black-necked Grebe, 1 Curlew Sandpiper, 1 Wood Sandpiper, 1 Green Sandpiper, 10 Common Sandpipers,  2 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Ringed Plovers, 50+ Golden Plovers, 100+ Lapwings, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Ruff, 4 Common Snipe, 1 Whimbrel, 3 Redshanks, 2+ Great White Egrets, 100s of Sand Martins hawking over the lake, 18 Swifts through and the Glossy Ibis. 

Early afternoon CP braved the rain and had a rewarding watch from the fishing boats and kindly sent me his log:

12.30-15.30

Great-crested Grebe: 2 o/s

Fulmar: 1W

Balearic Shearwater: 6W @13.55

Gannet: 28W

Cormorant: present: n/c

Oystercatcher: 2W  3E

Arctic Skua: 1W

Kittiwake: 5W

Little Tern: 2W

Sandwich Tern: 158W

Common Tern: 131W

Black Tern: 1W

Swift 2 out

Sand Martin 4 out

I haven't heard any news from the reserve today, I doubt many people went today because of the weather and lack of shelter.

4+ Hummingbird Hawkmoths were feeding in my garden yesterday