The last few days

I have been a little laxed in doing the blog mainly because I have been out in the field from early morning  doing the moth trap, till dusk trying to get images of the Pratincoles. On two evening I literally fell asleep at the computer. 

Red Kite high over the Pilot PH Saturday morning

Mid morning Saturday OL called me to say a resident had a Rose-coloured Starling visiting their feeders, fortunately I was very nearby and had superb views of this bird which showed well all day, unlike Fridays Rosy Starling that was very distant on the ranges.

Rosy Starling singing on its favourite perch

Rosy Starling guarding its feeder

The Rosy Starlings favourite perch during its one day stay

Rosy Starling singing

 Punk Rosy Starling

Bee-eater on wires opposite the entrance to Belgar Farm on Saturday afternoon, a poor image of such a beautiful bird, which didn't hang around for me to get better images.
Late Sunday morning the Burt family were at Boulderwall when mum Janet spotted at Collared Pratincole hawking over Cookes Pool, this was quickly joined by another. Neil Burt quickly got the news out, so I and other locals were on site watching the Pratincoles in a matter of minutes. They performed fantastically well all afternoon and evening  for all the visitors. Monday morning while looking for them again we found 2 roosting in the Pea Field at the back of Hookers, all we could see were their heads popping now and again , when we suddenly realised that there were 3 Pratincoles present. As far I know this small flock represents the biggest flock ever to have been seen in the UK. It wasn't long before they all up hawking showing very well all day. Tuesday morning there was only 1 bird present, sadly today there are none. I spent far to much time trying to get all 3 birds in a single image but failed. During this few days the Hobby's were very active, 2 Cattle Egrets arrived, up to 5 Great White Egrets were present along with the seemingly ever present Glossy Ibis and the Bitterns occasionally booming.

The resident Barn Owl has been out along the entrance track most afternoons

Bearded Tits seem to be every where at the moment

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