04/06/2021

Glossy Ibis still present this morning in the Gull colony on the ARC

A bit of a wash out today with rain from mid morning continuing all day and into this evening. However not to bad day for birds, the star being the Rose-coloured Starling found by Stephen Message at Dengemarsh. The Iceland Gull is now into its 7th month around the power station area, though there was little else on the sea today. A damp walk around the hay fields saw the usual Yellow Wagtails, Corn Buntings, numerous Reed Buntings, Bearded Tits, Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers, also a Great White Egret, Marsh Harriers, 2 Hobby's and the booming Bittern along with the usual wildfowl.

Juvenile Black Redstart on the perimeter wall

The long staying 2nd cal year Iceland Gull near The Patch

Greenfinch in the garden

A distant Rose Coloured-starling thanks to finder Stephen Message

Beautiful Marbled

Some of the moths from yesterday mornings catch including the superb Beautiful Marbled which was the first occurrence of this species in my trap.

Puss Moth

Chocolate Tip

Plutella xylostella

 

The first days of June!

Sea watching as expected in the last few days has not been very productive, with just a just a few each of Gannet, Fulmar. Common Scoter, Common and Sandwich Terns, also the usual Harbour Porpoises.

I missed the Rose-coloured Starling found by BB at The VC yesterday, today I missed another Bee-eater by minutes  found by DS and again by DB.

Yellow Wagtail trying to blend in with the Rape yesterday evening

One of 14 Corn Buntings at Dengemarsh last evening

8 Tundra Ringed Plovers that flew straight threw the reserve last evening

Close up with a Hare in the Desert this morning

Being watched in the Desert

Black-headed Gulls giving a Herring Gull a hard time as it approached the small colony

The Glossy Ibis on a new nest today

Checking out the old nest

Reed Buntings seem to be abundant on the reserve

Common Tern fishing over the Corale pond

Oystercatchers at Christmas Dell

Great White Egret at Boulderwall

 

31/05/2021

While I was at the observatory a Serin flew over DW and myself appearing to be heading ftoward the station area, I spent some time checking the Linnets but no sign of the Serin again. 

06.50-08.20 joined by AJG & JTM

Common Scoter: 1E

Fulmar: 2E

Great-crested Grebe: 3W    4 on

Gannet: 3W    4E

Oystercatcher: 1E

Dunlin: 8E

Kittiwake: 9E

Black-headed Gull: c70 at Patch

Mediteranean Gull: 10E   2 at Patch

Great Black-Backed gull: 17 on beach

Herring Gull: c150 around

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 2 on beach

Sandwich Tern: 2W   1E

Common Tern: 36E

Arctic Skua: 1E

Swallow: 1E

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 4

A wander around The Desert after the sea watch saw very little of note, the highlights being a Hobby that looked as if it had just come in off the sea, also the one eared Brown Hare appeared briefly before disappearing in the Broome.

The regular Common Buzzard at the gantry end of the ARC

A very distinctive Hobby was hawking over my house late morning, but no sign of the Bee-eater that JY heard just a few hundred yards from my house. Several House Martins were hawking high over the fields.
 

A lovely White Wagtail the highlight of my walk around the reserve this evening

My walk this evening  around the reserve in a stiff NE breeze was more a labour of love and hope, than anything else. A White Wagtail in the hay fields was a surprise, unlike the Yellow Wagtails, Corn Buntings, Marsh harriers, booming Bittern, Cuckoo, Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers, also present several each of Redshank and Ringed Plover. Burrowes held no surprises or waders, 20 Common Terns were noted there.

White Wagtail with a Yellow Wagtail

29/05/2021

Fulmar display team past the sea watch hide this morning

With a still quite chilly North Easterly blowing this morning and the time of year it was no surprise that the sea watch was quite slow. 

06.00-08.30  with AJG & RW

Shelduck: 2E

Common Scoter: 20E

Fulmar: 1E    3W

Great-crested Grebe: 3E      3on

Gannet: 8E      14W

Cormorant: 16 around

Oystercatcher: 2E

Curlew: 1E

Dunlin: 1E

Kittiwake: 3E      2W

Mediterranean Gull: 5E

Sandwich Tern: 2E     1W

Common Tern: 1E

Auk sp: 1W

Swallow: 1 in

Pied Wagtail: 1 on hide

Black Redstart: 4 female feeding 3 juveniles on compound wall

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 2

Mum and 2 of the 3 juveniles on the perimeter wall this morning

Around the peninsular it was very quiet avian wise, so much so that I even cleaned out the inside of my car, which was so disgusting inside it was an embarrassment.

Black-tailed Godwit still in the hay fields this evening

A walk right round the reserve this evening was pleasant enough but again uninspiring avian wise.

My first Poplar Hawkmoth of the year this morning

Toadflax Brocade a scarce moth in my trap

 

28/05/2021

 

Wheatear

Incoming

06.00-08.00 &10.30-11.00 with AJG & PS

Shelduck: 7E

Common Scoter: 211E     41W

Great- crested Grebe: 1E   2 on

Fulmar: 5W  1E

Gannet: 2W    22E

Cormorant: 7 on

Oystercatcher: 2W

Kittiwake: 21W

Common Tern: 22E

Sandwich Tern: 12E

Common Tern: 22E

Guillemot: 3E

Puffin: 1E (with 3 Guillemots))

Auk sp: 13E

Swallow: 7 in

Black Redstarts: 4 behind hide  ( 3 juvs being fed)

Wheatear: 1on sea watch hide.  new in?

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 6+

The Puffin was obviously the best bird of the watch, I did get a little distracted when 5 RIBs full of refugees appeared off shore.

An hours walk around the trapping area found no obviously new migrants apart from the odd Swallow heading in land.

Female Yellow Wagtail

A wander around the reserve the last night saw several pairs of Yellow Wagtails, 9 Corn Buntings, 10 Common Terns, a Whimbrel, a Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Ringed Plover, 10 Redshank,  a Kingfisher, several Bearded Tits and a booming Bittern. 

Whimbrel

Black-tailed Godwit

A little trip just off the peninsular yesterday found a couple of purring Turtle Doves 

25/05/2021

The Iceland Gull that wintered at The Patch reappeared there this morning after 3 week absence.

Iceland Gull at The Patch this morning

Avocets with Shelducks at Scotney this morning

Cold, Windy and showery walk at Scotney saw all the usual suspects, but breeding success so far seems to have been very poor.

Avocets with a Little Ringed Plover scuttling behind them at Scotney this morning

Yellow Wagtail at Scotney this morning

Red Fox peeping out of its den at Scotney this morning

2 of 3 Avocet Chicks at Scotney this morning were all I could find from at least 30 nests, a local farm hand told me the colony was attacked by Badgers.

Lesser Whitethroat at Scotney today in a brief sunny period

The Hobby's around the reserve this afternoon seemed to be catching some some insects, in the brief interludes when the sun came out. There were several Hobby's around the ARC in a quick look, also many Swifts and the Glossy Ibis. 

This Guy seemed to be warming itself on the pump hose which was quite warm to the touch after a few minutes of sunshine. On Burrowes all I could find of any note was a couple each of Dunlin and Sanderling. The only Terns I saw were a couple of Common Terns on Dengemarsh, where a Bittern was booming very half heartedly.

In hay field 3 this little guy was only chick I could find, if I can find it that easily the Crows will have no trouble spotting it, so I fear for it will go the same way as the others, as has been the case virtually every year.