03/07/2023

Meadow Pipit on the Sea Kale behind the sea watch hide

Another unsurprisingly dour sea watch, if I don't look I will never have a good one.

 07.30-09.00 from the hide with OL

Common Scoter: 1E
Oystercatcher: 1E
Kittiwake:2W
Mediterranean Gull: c9 around
Sandwich Tern:  4W
Guillemot: 4W
Gannet: 2E     52W
Cormorant: 2W    3E
Swift: 5 in
Harbour Porpoise: 2
Grey Seal: 1

This Cattle Egret was new in at the ARC this morning, along with a Common Sandpiper and 4 Dunlin, in 3 visits today there was very little change.

The back packing drake Garganey was still present at the ARC

A Great White Egret heading over the ARC car park towards Boulderwall

An afternoon visit to very windswept Burrowes saw just 2 Common Terns of any note, At the Firth the wind was so strong I was unable to keep my binoculars steady despite standing in the shelter of the screen, a complete waste of money, the only people who use it are those that turn up in perfect weather conditions, at Makepiece there is now not even the pretence of any shelter as everything has been removed. I got as far as Scott before giving up when I came across a party of 4 dog walkers. 

A Small Mottled Willow not annual in my trap was the highlight from last nights trapping.

02/07/2023

Unsurprisingly this mornings sea watch not much to get excited about.

07.00-09.00 from the hide with RW & JC,

Mallard: 1W
Teal:1W
Common Scoter: 8E
Oystercatcher: 1W
Kittiwake: 7W
Mediterranean Gull: c8 around
Sandwich tern: 9E   5W
Common Tern: 2W
Guillemot: 1W
Auk sp: 2W    1E
Gannet: 1E      21W
Cormorant: 11W
Harbour Porpoise: 3+
Grey Seal: 2

Eclipse drake Garganey, its satellite tracker just about be seen here, shame the ring is unreadable.

Juvenile Little Ringed Plover with a Little Egret from Hanson Hide

No change avian wise on the peninsula in the persistent strong westerly wind.

Large Emerald, although fairly common nationally it is less than annual in my trap

Lozentaeniodes formosana, this one no doubt wandered from the Pines in the army camp

Metzneria lappella a regular in the trap

01/07/2023

Green Sandpiper with Lapwing and Ringed Plover from Hanson

As expected the reserve was fairly quiet today in the strong wind, plenty of eclipse wildfowl are present, a moulting adult Great White Egret and several Marsh Harriers, most the smaller birds were keeping themselves in deep shelter, a trickle of Sand Martins were passing through along with a few Swifts, 

Reed Warbler from Hanson

Eclipse drake Garganey from Hanson

1 legged Common tern from Hanson

My first Shore Wainscott of the year yesterday

29/06/2023

Caspian Tern

In general things are very quiet on the avian front, this weeks stand out highlight was the Caspian Tern found by Pete and Pam on Tuesday, as usual for this species it only stayed for the day. There have been a trickle of returning waders on the ARC Wood and Green Sandpiper, Dunlin, Little Ringed and Ringed Plovers. Sand Martins are trickling through and the odd Great White Egret are turning up. There have been at least 4 Garganey around including the one with the back pack.

Eclipse drake Garganey bearing a satellite tracker. Possibly a Spannish scheme

2 Lapwing chicks in the ox bow by the track to the visitor centre this afternoon

26/06/2023

As my car was in for service today I took the bus to Northpoint GP and walked up to the golf course to see some Orchids, unfortunately the Lizard Orchids were more or less finished, the Bee Orchids were completely burnt, but at least the Pyramidal Orchids added a splash of colour, as did the many Marbled Whites and Skippers. I stupidly decided to walk back home, between Jurys Gap and the sand pit 3-4 pairs of Yellow Wagtails were the highlight. At Scotney the Cape Shelduck was still present with the hordes of Egyptian Geese, at least 100 Sand Martins were hawking over the main lake.

Lizard Orchid, well past its prime

Pyramidal Orchid

Many Marbled Whites

Cape Shelduck with Egyptian Geese at Scotney

Dichrorampha alpinana from todays catch

 

25/06/2023

I have been hearing Yellow Wagtails while going through my moth traps in the mornings, today I walked out into the fields opposite and found several young Yellow Wagtails, also a couple of adults that were obviously feeding young in a nest out in the bean field. I have also seen a Hobby regularly hunting Dragonflies along the track.

Drake and duck Garganey in flight at the ARC today, also 3 Little ringed Plovers and 10 Ringed Plovers there.

Duck Garganey

My first Cynaeda dentalis of the year was in the trap this morning, one of my favourite micro moths, feeds on Vipers Bugloss.

23/06/2023

Yesterdays Large Tortoiseshell found by Owen was still present by the Long pits this morning. It gave excellent prolonged views.

Another nice find by Owen this morning the first ever Scarce Emerald Damselfly. Nearby several Lunar Hornet Clearwings came to a lure.

One of my library images of a Lunar Hornet Clearwing

This Little Stint on the ARC this afternoon was in the company of 2 summer plumaged Dunlin, presumably all failed breeders returning south, also 2 Garganey present there. A Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over while I was at the Long Pits this morning the first I've seen for several weeks.

A Small Yellow Wave, a common moth but the first I have trapped for 9 years

21/06/2023

The star bird of the last couple of days is this 1st summer male Red-footed Falcon

Sea watching has been as expected this time of year quite slow, 2 late Arctic Skuas past east yesterday and 2 flocks of Shelducks flew east totalling 33 birds (all adults) were presumably heading for Heligoland to moult.

Around the reserve there are still a few Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers making themselves heard, Bitterns and Bearded Tits are very difficult to see at the moment, the first Great White Egret I've seen in a while was on Dengemarsh this afternoon. Waders are represented by Little and Ringed Plovers, Lapwing, Redshanks, Oystercatchers and the odd Green Sandpiper. Tern numbers have so far been abysmal this year, today there was 1 Common Tern on Dengemarsh and 2 on the ARC. 2 Garganey and a Pintail are also present on the ARC, with another Pintail on Burrowes, there are the usual 100s of summering Pochard and Gadwall around the reserve with smaller numbers of Shoveler and Mallard and Teal.

Several Hobbys around the reserve, sometimes showing very well

The 3 Spoonbills stretching there wings after a long sleep

Autumn is coming, a trickle of returning Sand Martins through the reserve today

Raven over Dengemarsh

Pair of Shelducks on Burrowes with 10 Liquorice allsorts (ducklings)

One of several Norfolk Hawkers around the reserve today