13/03/2023

If you take away the Brent Geese numbers today was a very modest sea watch considering the wind was force 7-9 South Westerly.

07.10 - 10.00 from the hide with RW, OL. 

Brent Goose: 953E  in 15 parties

Shoveler: 3W

Teal: 3E  1W

Common Scoter: 14E

Great-crested Grebe: 4 on  

Oystercatcher: 1E

Curlew: 6E

Knot:18W

Dunlin: 1W

Kittiwake: 41E

Black-Headed Gull: 72E

Mediterranean Gull: 13E

Common Gull: 43E

Guillemot: 48E     4 on

Auk sp: 31E   

Red-throated Diver: 37E  1 on 

Fulmar: 2E    

Gannet: 273E   

Cormorant: present n/c

Skylark: 7 in

Harbour Porpoise: 2

As it was so windy today was the day to get domestic stuff done.

Yesterdays very brief 2nd calendar year Iceland Gull that flew west past the sea watch hide

The Cockles Bridge Cattle Egrets seem to have relocated to the airport road, the Ibises are still present but elusive. There are up to 3 Water Pipits present between Boulderwall and the hay fields but also elusive and easily flushed by people on the footpaths around the hay fields, the lakes are holding a few Goldeneye but little else of note, though it is very difficult to look properly with out Firth, Makepiece and Scott hides.

A couple of the long staying Ruff at Dengemarsh yesterday

08/03/2023

One of flocks of Pintail past the sea watch hide today in the rain

An excellent 6 hrs sheltering in the sea watch hide from the biting East wind and rain produced a decent movement of Pintail and Brent Geese, a surprise 75 Bar-tailed Godwits and highlights of 2 Long-tailed Duck that came past with 4 Common Scoter.

08.00 - 14.00 from the hide with RW, OL. Many thanks to Owen for the Coffee and Chocolate.

Brent Goose: 1,223E  in 18 parties

Shelduck: 3E

Shoveler: 7E

Wigeon: 28E 

Pintail: 128E in 9 parties

Teal: 10E  

Common Scoter: 14E

Long-tailed Duck: 2E  both 1w/female

Great-crested Grebe: 21 on  

Oystercatcher: 8E

Grey Plover: 3E

Ringed Plover: 4E 

Bar-tailed Godwit: 75E     

Sanderling: 2E

Dunlin: 121E in 13 parties

Common Snipe: 1E

Kittiwake: 3E

Mediterranean Gull: 3E

Sandwich Tern: 1E

Guillemot: 19E  6 on 

Auk sp: 66E   

Red-throated Diver: 81E  17W     4 on 

Fulmar: 2E   1W  

Gannet: 262E   

Cormorant: present n/c

Harbour Porpoise: 5

Grey Seal: 2

Some of the closer Brent Geese

Gannets making light of the weather conditions

Wigeon

Brent Geese and Pintail

Another party of Pintail

06/03/2023

The 7 Cattle Egrets still at Cockles Bridge today

A slight improvement with the first Eider and Avocet past this year. 

07.30-09.30 & 13.40-15.00 with RW & OL

Brent Goose: 321E   3W

Teal: 13E

Wigeon: 15E

Eider: 3E all adult drakes

Common Scoter: 52E     1W

Great-crested Grebe: 37on  

Avocet: 1E

Ringed Plover: 3 present

Kittiwake: 38E  

Guillemot: 58E     7WE   8 on

Auk sp: 75E  30W 

Red-throated Diver: 67E  19W     2 on   

Gannet: 88E   

Cormorant: present n/c

Perergrine: 1 in off

Reed Bunting: 1 behind hide

Harbour Porpoise: 3

Grey Seal: 1

A look around the marsh today found no wild Swans, so I assume they have now all gone, hopefully returning in November. Apart from a flock of c200 Fieldfare with a few Redwing there was little else to be seen on the marsh. The Sward and main lake at Scotney were both very quiet, just a handful of Wigeon and some injured feral geese.

05/03/2023

Brent Geese passing this morning

A cold grey day with lighter North winds did not produce much variety on the sea, just a steady trickle of Gannets.

07.50-10.00 & 14.00 - 15.00 with RW:
Brent Goose: 505E
Common Scoter: 20E     5W

Red-breasted Merganser: 4W
Kittiwake: 101E  
Mediterranean Gull:1E   
Guillemot: 67E   8W     12 on
Auk sp: 677E   
Red-throated Diver: 69E.     7W   
Gannet: 652E   
Cormorant: present n/c

Merlin: 1 in off the sea

Harbour Porpoise: 4

Grey Seal: 3

Grey Sea hauled out at the fishing boats again today

14 Bewick Swans on Burrowes this morning

Leaving Burrowes

The Bewick Swans flew high north to the East of Lydd where they circled several times gaining more height before heading off NE and lost to view, presumably on their first stage back to Russia. Also on Burrowes were 12 Goldeneye, 2 Pintail which were the first I have seen here for several weeks and 2 Black-tailed Godwits flew over high East. The 3 Whooper Swans were not seen today but the 2 Ibises were again in the area of the horse paddocks and the 7 Cattle Egrets were still at Cockles Bridge today, Dartford Warblers were again seen around the Long Pits.

04/03/2023

As the recent sea watches have been so poor I certainly wasn't expecting this morning to be any different, for the first 45 minutes there was a trickle of Divers, Gannets and Auks, quite suddenly large flocks of Red-throated Divers and Gannets started appear, then after about 90 minutes the movement stopped completely, barely any birds came through in the next half hour. It was amazing to see so many Divers, far and away the biggest count I have witnessed.

 07.45 - 10.15 from the hide with RW

Brent Goose: 114E. 7 flocks

Shelduck: 3E

Shoveler: 15E

Pintail: 3E

Red-breasted Merganser: 4E

Great-crested Grebe: 9E   17 on  

Oystercatcher: 5E

Kittiwake: 75E  

Mediterranean Gull: 3E   

Guillemot: 41E   

Razorbill: 1E

Auk sp: 65E   

Red-throated Diver: 2,352E   

Gannet: 633E   

Cormorant: present n/c

Sparrowhawk: 1 in off the sea

Harbour Porpoise: 4+

Grey Seal: 2

Common Seal: 1

The Cattle Egrets were again at Cockles Bridge and the 2 Ibises were in the Horse Paddock, I have heard of no other news apart from 4 Avocets and an adult Yellow-legged Gull on Burrowes today.

03/03/2023

Some of the 102 Great-crested Grebes in front the hide with a photo bombing Harbour Porpoise

Another freezing session in the sea watch hide, very average numbers of birds lacking in quality.

 07.30 - 10.00 from the hide: 

Common Scoter: 7E

Red-breasted Merganser: 2W together both drakes

Great-crested Grebe: 102 on  

Oystercatcher: 6E

Curlew: 2E

Kittiwake: 8E  

Mediterranean Gull: 1E   Adult

Guillemot: 83E    7 on

Razorbill: 8W

Auk sp: 124E   

Red-throated Diver: 308E  14W     3 on   

Gannet: 269E   

Cormorant: present n/c

Harbour Porpoise: 4

Grey Seal: 2

As it was so cold and miserable today I spent the afternoon at the cinema watching All Quiet On The Western Front, a brilliant but harrowing film to watch, thoroughly recommended.

02/03/2023

A very chilly couple of hours sea watching this morning for scant reward.

07.30 - 10.00 from the sea watch hide: 

Brent Goose: 31E

Shelduck: 1E

Pintail: 3E

Great-crested Grebe: 7E    16 on  

Curlew: 1E

Kittiwake: 10E  

Mediterranean Gull: 1E   Adult

Guillemot: 72E    6 on

Auk sp: 31E   

Red-throated Diver: 144E   2 on 

Fulmar: 7E    

Gannet: 178E   

Cormorant: present n/c

Harbour Porpoise: 3

The Cattle Egrets are still to be found at Cockles Bridge with some Little Egrets. The Bittern/Bitterns are now regularly heard and around Dengemarsh, also the Ibises can often be found here along with 4 Ruff, another White Wagtail was present at Springfield Bridge today.

48 Bewick Swans at Horses Bones Farm today

3 Whooper Swans and at the Black Swan still at Midley today

There were still c300 Fieldfares with a few Redwings at Midley, nearby c200 Golden Plover in the fields.

The 1w drake Scaup now rapidly acquiring adult plumage at Camber

27/02/2023

In a bitingly cold NE wind there was till no change in the sea watching, plenty of birds but no variety.

07.45 - 10.15 from the hide: 

Common Scoter: 2E    

Great-crested Grebe: 227E round The Point,   148 on the sea 

Oystercatcher: 4E

Curlew: 2E 

Kittiwake: 67E

Common Gull: 56E    

Guillemot: 216E  

Auk sp:110E  

Fulmar: 1E   

Red-throated Diver: 36E   3 on the sea   

Gannet: 369E   

Cormorant: present n/c

Harbour Porpoise: 5+

Grey Seal: 2 

The Bewick and Whooper Swans were still at Midley and Horses Bones Farm, also c200 Fieldfare there.

The Glossy Ibises at Cooks Pool this afternoon, along with Curlews, Wigeon, Golden Plover, 4 Ruff and at least 2 Great White Egrets, a Bittern was also reported there.

Curlew at Cooks Pool this afternoon

1 of 4 Little Egret at Cockles Bridge with the 7 Cattle Egrets, the Common Buzzard was also there with Red-legged Partridges.

24/02/2023

As you can see below the sea watching hasn't improved this week.

08.00 - 09.30 from the hide joined by OL

Shelduck: 2W

Common Scoter: 4E

Great-crested Grebe:     c200 on

Dunlin: 12E

Kittiwake: 6E     

Guillemot: 16E       

Auk sp: 19E 

Red-throated Diver: 102E   3W    1 on

Gannet: 101E  

Cormorant: present n/c

Harbour Porpoise: 7

There are still a few Dartford Warblers scattered around the peninsula

The Cattle Egrets are still frequenting the Cockles Bridge area and the Ibises can be seen around the Horse Paddock most days. There were still 44 Bewick swans and 3 Whooper Swans on Walland Marsh today, but little else.

Polish ringed Black-headed Gull TJVV can usually be found around the fishing boats

The 1w drake Scaup was still at Camber yesterday

Yesterday I thought it might be a good idea to catch the bus to North Point GP then walk back to Lydd taking in the dunes and all the small pools and reed beds on the way. Well apart from the Scaup and a nice ice cream it was a waste of time as most the sites seemed to be avian free, it also rained quite hard when I was at the most exposed stretch of the trek home, it probably be a while before I do that walk again, maybe when the Orchids are out.

20/02/2023

 07.30 - 10.00 from the hide joined by OL.

Brent Goose: 43E 

Common Scoter: 11E   2W

Great-crested Grebe: 2E      2 on   

Redshank: 1W

Kittiwake: 67W      12E

Guillemot: 17W   2E

Razorbill: 16W     

Auk sp: 273W       41E

Red-throated Diver: 341E   14W     

Gannet: 861E     32W  

Cormorant: present n/c

Harbour Porpoise: 1

Grey Seal: 1

All the long staying birds were still present today, despite severals hours wandering around the reserve and ARC I found absolutely nothing new.

Both Glossy Ibis were in the horse paddock this morning

5 of the 7 Cattle Egrets at Cockles Bridge this morning