12/03/2024

A Thoroughly miserable day on the peninsular.

06.45-09.00 with TW, RW, from the sea watch hide.  Wind SSW 3 Temp 9°  Rain    poor visibility

Brent Goose: 164E (5 parties)

Wigeon: 2E 

Pintail: 4E

Eider: 2E immature drakes

Common Scoter: 33E     4W

Great-crested Grebe:  46 Minimum present

Kittiwake: 8E

Common Gull: 6E

Great Black-backed Gull: 12E

Herring Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 2E

Guillemot: 48E     13W     8 on

Razorbill: 1E    

Auk sp: 8E     2W

Red-throated Diver: 42E    24W 

Fulmar: 3E         1W

Gannet: 85E    23W

Cormorant:  present n/c

Grey Seal: 1

I had a wander around the hay fields from mid afternoon when the rain finally let up, but even then the drizzle and mist persisted. I found my first Black-necked Grebe of the year on Dengemarsh ( no images as I didn't fancy carrying the camera in the poor weather) also Great White Egret there. On hayfield 2 there was a stunning Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit with 14 Dunlin. A Brown Hare was behind Christmas Dell and 4 Bearded Tits were at the old pump site, unfortunately little else was seen in the way of new arrivals.

11/03/2024

 

One of the Brent Geese flocks from early this morning in the fog

06.20-09.20 & 13.00-15.00 with TW, RW, DW, OL from the sea watch hide. Wind NW 3 Temp 7°  Fog

Brent Goose: 2,229E     6W

Shelduck: 2W

Wigeon: 8E 

Teal: 2E    3W

Common Scoter: 4E  2W   4 on

Great-crested Grebe:  4E   9 present

Dunlin: 2E 

Black-headed Gull: 3E

Common Gull: 2E

Great Black-backed Gull:  present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 3E presume same  3W    

Guillemot: 9E     11W     6 on

Razorbill: 2E    

Red-throated Diver: 29E    71W 

Fulmar: 1E

Gannet: 14E    25W

Cormorant:  present n/c

Harbour Porpoise: 3+

Red-throated Diver from the sea with hide this afternoon

10/03/2024

   

 3 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, possibly 5 in this image from yesterday 

Another excellent days sea watching, which included the first Arctic Skua and the first push of Little Gulls of the spring. Also excellent numbers of Brent Geese and Red-throated Divers, also a Goldeneye which is not a common bird on a sea watch

06.20-11.20 & 13.45-15.30 with TW, DW from the sea watch hide, Wind ESE 3 Temp 7°

Brent Goose: 2,457E 

Shoveler: 4E 

Wigeon: 17E 

Pintail: 34

Teal: 9E 

Velvet Scoter: 1W  

Common Scoter: 398E     2W

Great-crested Grebe:  3E    4W    4 present

Goldeneye: 1E

Red-breasted Merganser: 2E

Oystercatcher:2E

Curlew: 3E 

Sanderling: 1W

Dunlin: 8E 

Kittiwake: 91E

Black-headed Gull: 31E     2W

Little Gull: 30E

Mediterranean Gull: 6E 

Common Gull: 27E

Great Black-backed Gull:  present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 1W

Arctic Skua: 1E

Guillemot: 43E

Razorbill: 2E 

Auk sp: 36E     10W

Red-throated Diver: 722E    44W 

Fulmar: 3E

Gannet: 410E   17W

Cormorant:  present n/c

Sparrowhawk: 1 female SE out to sea

Harbour Porpoise: 5+

Grey Seal: 1

The Glossy Ibis is still around its usual haunts, Both Great Northern and Black-throated Divers were to be found on the lakes, 4 Cattle Egrets by the airport road, but no noticeable sign of passerine passage.

Pale-bellied Brent Goose with Dark-bellied Brent Geese

  An excellent morning sea watching producing the first 3 Sandwich terns of the spring., fingers crossed for many more in the coming weeks.

06.45-11.45 with SO, DW from the sea watch hide. Wind SSE4-5 Temp 7°

Brent Goose: 1,569E (34 parties)

Pale-bellied Brent Goose: 3E

Shelduck: 12E (2 parties)

Shoveler: 15E (3 parties)

Wigeon: 12E  (3 parties)

Pintail: 46(8 parties)

Teal: 29E ( 6 parties)

Tufted Duck: 3E

Velvet Scoter: 7E  (1 party)

Common Scoter: 68E ( 17 parties)

Great-crested Grebe:  9E    2W

Oystercatcher: 6E

Curlew: 6E (3 parties)

Dunlin: 12E  (4 parties)

Kittiwake: 56E

Black-headed Gull: 46E

Mediterranean Gull: 4E  ( 1 party)

Common Gull: 49E

Great Black-backed Gull: 37E

Herring Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 1E

Sandwich Tern: 3E

Guillemot: 108E

Razorbill: 11E 

Auk sp: 117E     

Red-throated Diver: 427E    6W 

Fulmar:5E

Gannet: 1,605E

Cormorant:  present n/c

Skylark: 1E off shore

Harbour Porpoise: 2

Grey Seal: 1

Common Seal: 1

 

Velvets Scoters passing distantly this morning

2 Great Northern Divers were still on Burrowes late this afternoon

Curlew on Hay Field 2 late afternoon

08/03/2024

Flock of Gannets passing the hide this morning

07.15-10.15 with RW, DW,OL,TH from the sea watch hide,  Wind E5-6 Temp 7°  

Brent Goose: 4E 

Shelduck: 4E

Shoveler: 57E (10 parties)

Wigeon: 33E  (5 parties)

Pintail: 71E 11 parties)

Teal: 122E ( 11 parties)

Common Scoter: 27E ( 8 parties)

Great-crested Grebe:  13E 

Oystercatcher: 2E

Avocet: 2E   

Black-tailed Godwit: 1E

Sanderling: 6E

Dunlin: 4E

Kittiwake: 2E

Black-headed Gull: 16E

Mediterranean Gull: 3E

Common Gull: 62E

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 3E

Guillemot: 121E

Razorbill: 37E 

Auk sp: 139E     

Red-throated Diver: 80E    2W 

Fulmar: 4E

Gannet: 729E

Cormorant:  present n/c

Carrion Crow: 1E off shore

Harbour Porpoise: 1

Todays flyby Avocets

07/03/2024

  

One of the parties of Avocets passing The Point this morning

With a change in wind direction over night immediately improved the sea watching making the six hours I spent there fly by, the downside of the easterly wind was the air pollution cutting visibility noticeably. 

An early flock of Brent Geese picking up the red hue from the rising sun

06.50-12.50 joined by DW & OL from the sea watch hide. Wind E4-5 Temp 7° 

Brent Goose: 410E (26 parties)  

Shelduck: 28E ( 5 parties)

Shoveler: 27E (5 parties)

Wigeon: 3E

Pintail: 124E (9parties)

Teal: 61E ( 9 parties)

Common Scoter: 96E ( 15 parties)

Great-crested Grebe:  12E   9 on sea

Oystercatcher: 15E

Avocet: 23E   (8 + 15)

Curlew: 8E

Bar-tailed Godwit: 2E

Dunlin: 13E

Kittiwake: 36E

Black-headed Gull: 56E

Mediterranean Gull: 2E

Common Gull: 68E

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Guillemot: 376E

Razorbill: 73E 

Auk sp: 258E      17W

Red-throated Diver: 31E    98W 

Fulmar: 1W

Gannet: 138E

Cormorant: Minimum 179 present 

Black Redstart: M + F  behind hide

Harbour Porpoise: 1

Grey Seal: 1

A flock of mainly Pintail with some Shoveler passing this morning

Cormorant with a Dogfish

One of todays Black Redstarts

A Small Tortoiseshell my first butterfly of the year yesterday at the lighthouse

06/03/2024

Brent Geese passing The Point a log way off shore

I spent most of the day sea watching, to be honest not a brilliant days watching, staring at dots miles out to sea is not to many peoples taste but I enjoy it.

07.00-10.00 &13.30-15.30 with RW, OL & DW from the sea watch hide

Brent Goose: 240E 

Teal: 4E

Wigeon: 10E

Pintail: 36E 

Eider: 1E adult drake

Common Scoter: 17E     2W

Great-crested Grebe: 6E  47+ on sea

Oystercatcher: 9E    1W

Kittiwake: 9E

Black-headed Gull: 14E    5W

Mediterranean Gull: 2E    2W

Common Gull: 7E       2W

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Guillemot: 37W    13E

Auk sp: 12E    74W

Red-throated Diver: 34E    161W 

Fulmar: 3E   2W

Gannet: 140E   27W       

Cormorant: 212W into Rye Bay

Carrion Crow: 5 present

Harbour Porpoise: 3

The Great Northern and Black-Throated diver were at the southern end of the ARC today, the Glossy Ibis was still in the horse paddock and the Scaup was still on the caravan park pit per DW, at least 3 Firecrests were around per OL.

Teal coming past this afternoon

Not all the Brent Geese were along way off shore

Very distant Pintail passing this afternoon

03/03/2024

2 Great Northern and the Black-throated diver yesterday on the ARC, which I believe are still present on the reserve today.

07.35-09.35 with RW from the sea watch hide, Wind NW 2 Temp 4°  partly cloudy

Brent Goose: 54E (6 parties most appeared to come straight across the channel)  

Eider: 4E     All drakes, my first of the year

Great-crested Grebe:  70+ on sea

Oystercatcher: 5E

Kittiwake: 5E

Black-headed Gull: 103W

Mediterranean Gull: 23W    3E

Common Gull: 27W

Great Black-backed Gull: 7 present (1 adult)

Herring Gull: present n/c

Guillemot: 24W      60+ on sea   

Auk sp: 6E    103W

Red-throated Diver: 2E    165W 

Gannet: 39W

Cormorant: Present n/c 

Skylark: 1 in off

Carrion Crow: 2 in off

Harbour Porpoise: 6+

Grey Seal: 1

A drake Scaup on the mobile home pit by the entrance to Brett's, found by the Burt family this afternoon

The depth marker at the old Scott Hide is now submerged, I have never seen Burrowes this high.

29/02/2024

 

Polish ringed Black-headed Gull TJVV still at the fishing boats yesterday afternoon

The sea watching continues to not impress, but if your not there you won't see it.

07.30-09.30 with RW from the hide. Wind SSW 5-6, Temp 10°  Clear

Brent Goose: 193E (5 flocks)  1W

Velvet Scoter: 1E

Great-crested Grebe:  c100 on sea

Oystercatcher: 1E

Kittiwake: 22W

Black-headed Gull: 30 SE out to sea

Mediterranean Gull: 10E  

Common Gull: 46 SE out to sea

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 1 present

Guillemot: 28E    c100 on sea   

Auk sp: 83E    11W

Red-throated Diver: 26E    11W

Fulmar: 1E      1W     

Gannet:103E   11W 

Cormorant: Present n/c 

Harbour Porpoise: 1

I just managed to get to the ARC for half an hour then predictably the rain came to spoil the day.

The Glossy Ibis still frequenting the Horse Paddocks this morning

2 Great Northern Divers on the ARC this morning

Great White Egret at The ARC this morning 

27/02/2024

The highlight of a rather dull sea watch was these 5 Red-breasted Mergansers, my first of the year.

07.45-09.45 Wind N 3, Temp 6°  Clear

Common Scoter: 4E
Red-breasted Merganser: 5E
Great-crested Grebe:  529E   63 on
Oystercatcher: 1E
Kittiwake: 1E 
Black-headed Gull:  Present n/c
Mediterranean Gull: 1E  
Common Gull: Present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c
Herring Gull: present n/c
Guillemot: 25E    
Razorbill: 3E    
Auk sp: 80E    
Red-throated Diver: 29E    15W
Fulmar: 1E      
Gannet:16E    
Cormorant: Present: 646E   121W
Carrrion Crow: 2 NW in off 
Harbour Porpoise: 3

One of the Little Owls came out in the sunshine

The Black-throated and Great Norther Divers were on the ARC at the southern end. In a very flooded Willow Trail a couple of Chiffchaffs and several squealing Water Rails and a Great White Egret, if we don't get a very dry March, April and May then I can't see that there will be any nesting islands, apart from rafts that will be commandeered by the Herring Gulls. Even the new islands at Makepiece are only just clear of the water level, but they are already all but washed away with just thin strips showing that nothing would nest on. I hope I'm wrong but I am fearful.

The second Great Northern Diver was on Burrowes, also a couple of Goldeneye, 3 Ravens were noted but little else.

At Scotney 500+ Wigeon, 12 Pintail from the double bends, the geese seem to have deserted the sward, likewise the Golden plovers and Lapwing.

One of 3 Ravens over the reserve this afternoon