25/10/2025

A very cold sea watch from the hide this morning was a huge improvement on the last few days, with plenty of Auks providing the numbers, the only quality was the daily Merlin and 19 Little Gulls, by 09.00 the birds had slowed to a trickle, another watch this afternoon from the boats saw good numbers of Kittiwakes and couple of Arctic Skuas, full details can be seen HERE

A wander around the trapping and Desert was quietish, there were Siskins and Redpolls overhead along with at least 1 Brambling and few Skylarks, in the TA the usual Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests and a surprise in as 3 Bearded Tits dropped in for a short visit, I couldn't find a Yellow-browed Warbler but David B found one early afternoon.

 3 Bearded Tits dropped into the trapping area this morning

Bearded Tits

24/10/2025

Another quiet day avian wise around the peninsula, the highlight being a Jack Snipe feeding in front of Hanson Hide at the ARC this afternoon, a video of the Jack Snipe can be seen on YouTube with the following link HERE.

Jack Snipe in front of Hanson Hide this afternoon

A single Wheatear was behind the fishing boats early morning. Apart from Gannets and slick of Cormorants there was very little on the sea, though the bright sun light made viewing challenging.

Pintails, Wigeons, Shelduck and Tufted Duck sheltering in the bay at the double bends Scotney

The local Little Owl hunkered down out the cold NW wind

22/10/2025

Due to flat calm conditions this morning I didn't bother with a sea watch , instead I wandered out to the trapping area with Richard. As we made our way out to the TA there were Siskins and Redpolls overhead along with a few Skylarks, in the area Goldcrests, Firecrests, Chiffchaffs, Blackbirds, Song Thrushes various Tits and a Yellow-browed Warbler. While there we got a message from David Walker that a Siberian Chiffchaff had been trapped in The Moat. We arrived at the observatory just as the bird was being released, on release it flew to a Blackthorn and settled for a few seconds, just long enough for a snap.

Siberian Chiffchaff in The Moat

One of many Goldcrests around the peninsula

LIttle Owl

After breakfast I cycled out to the back of Scotney stopping off to admire my local Little Owl sunning itself. On Scotney Sward there were c150 Wigeon among Lapwing and the hordes of Greylag, Canada and Egyptian Geese, at the back of Scotney 4 Ruff, 10 Curlew with 1,000+ Golden Plover, 1,000s of Starlings, 100s of Corvids and Linnets, Goldfinches, Reed Buntings and Skylarks, also several Common Buzzards, Sparrowhawks and Kestrels.

2 Juvenile Spoonbills dropped into Firth late afternoon

21/10/2025

A very poor sea watch this morning was brightened up by the arrival of a Short-eared Owl

A quiet morning around The Point, though I did see albeit briefly a Yellow-browed Warbler, a Dartford Warbler, at least 4 Firecrests, numerous Goldcrests and several Blackcaps, Redwing, Song Thrushes and Blackbirds. Overhead Siskins, Redpolls, Chaffinches and a single Brambling.

There is still much disturbance on the reserve due to ongoing works, the ARC held 10+ Great Egrets, 4 Cattle Egrets and the usual wildfowl but in low numbers.

The female Blackcap is still enjoying her apples

 Firecrests The Point this morning

Polish ringed Black-headed Gull was back at the fishing boats this afternoon for its 6th winter

20/10/2025

Despite most of this morning being almost rain free, the sea watching was abysmal, it didn't improve this afternoon in the rain. Full details can be seen on Trektellen SEA WATCH NUMBERS

Juvenile Arctic Tern still off shore from the fishing boats this afternoon

A Portland ringed Great Black Backed Gull

One of 6 Great White Egrets from Hanson today, very little else of note there.

60+ Goldfinches are now visiting my garden feeders

19/10/2025

One of the Yellow-browed Warblers in the trapping area

After this mornings sea watch (Full list of a very busy sea watch can be seen of Trektellen HERE ) I joined Richard and John in a wander around the trapping area, where we located at least one of the Yellow-browed Warblers, there were also many Goldcrests and Chiffchaffs in the area.

Yellow-browed Warbler

Juvenile Arctic Tern off the fishing boats this afternoon in the rain

One of several adult Little Gulls off the fishing boats this afternoon

Adult Little Gulls

Adult Little Gulls

Adult Little Gulls

One of several Red-throated Divers off the fishing boats this afternoon

Sandwich Tern

1w Caspian Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon

3w Caspian gull at the fishing boats this afternoon

17/10/2025

A very young Arctic Tern in front the sea watch hide this morning

I joined Richard and Owen in the sea watch hide early this morning, the visibility was awful due to the constant heavy drizzle. We managed to see a few Gannets and Brent Geese but nothing was moving, along the shore line many Cormorants were hoovering up large amounts of Whitebait, many Gulls and a few Sandwich Terns were also feasting on the Whitebait, they joined by a very gingery young Tern which I thought was a Common Tern, but on reviewing the images I now believe it to be an Arctic Tern (I blame the rain on my glasses for this error)😅 As we left the hide there was a Black Redstart on the wall behind the hide.

Juvenile Arctic Tern

A walk out to the TA in the continuing drizzle saw but mostly heard, Redwings, Song Thrushes, Blackbirds, (we missed the Ousels) Siskins, Redpolls, Chaffinches, Goldfinches and Chiffchaffs. The lighthouse garden held a Firecrest and at least 8 Goldcrests and more Chiffchaffs.

Pallas's Warbler Dengemarsh Gully this afternoon

As I was about to have lunch at home a message from Stephen Message came through that he'd found a Pallas's Warbler in Dengemarsh Gully, the lunch could wait, so a few minutes later I was on site with Stephen watching this gorgeous sprite flitting continuously through the vegetation and disappearing inside, making it very difficult to photograph, the Willow warbler that was present wasn't any easier.

Pallas's Warbler Dengemarsh Gully this afternoon

A late Willow Warbler in the Gully this afternoon

As I was in the Gully I payed my respects to the concrete man

16/10/2025

Myself and Richard abandoned this mornings sea watch after only half an hour, it was obvious that there absolutely no seabird or wildfowl migration, however there was many gulls feeding the huge quantities of Whitebait close inshore.

Female Blackcap feeding on Apples

Chiffchaff feeding on the fruit flies around the Apples

I came across at least 2 Dartford Warblers, a single Ring Ousel, a few Redwing and Song Thrushes, Siskins and Redpolls over, with a few Chaffinches Swallows, Starlings, Skylarks and Meadow Pipits overhead, but managed to miss 2 Short-eared Owls.

One of todays Green Sandpipers at the back of Scotney

A late morning cycle ride around Scotney  saw a huge increase in Golden Plover with at least 1,000 in the fields at the back, along with 20+ Curlew, 100s of Lapwings, but I couldn't find the Buff-breasted Sandpiper or the American Golden Plover, there was also a large increase in the numbers of Wigeon present. A minimum of 9 Common Buzzards, a Merlin and 3 Sparrowhawks all no doubt preying on the large number of Linnets, Goldfinches, Skylarks and Starlings present. One field held 114 Egyptian Geese, coupled with the large numbers of Greylags and Canada Geese its not surprising the local farmers aren't to happy to see them. I did find find several small flocks of Tree Sparrows and got a soaking for my efforts cycling back against a NE wind.

Some of the 100s and probably 1,000s of Linnets at the back of Scotney

On 15/10/2014 the first Merveille du jour visited my trap, 11 years to the day the second was on the wall by the trap and the third inside the trap.

A Barred Sallow

15/10/2025

North Thames ringed Herring Gull (Red 2DAT) with several 100s of other Gulls gorging themselves on White Bait driven ashore by marauding Mackerel, at times the sea was boiling with the Mackerel.

As a stiff NNE wind was blowing this morning I wasn't expecting a busy sea watch, so 298 Mediterranean Gulls moving west was a bit of a surprise, a Red-breasted Merganser moving west was my first of the Autumn, a full list can be seen HERE on the excellent Trektellen Web Site.

The TS Royalist is the Sea Cadets training vessel and was anchored off the power station this morning

A pair of Migrant Hawkers 

 Away from the sea many Chaffinches were moving NW along with smaller numbers of Swallows, Siskin, Redpolls, Redwings and the odd Fieldfare and Mistle Thrush. A Yellow-browed Warbler was calling unseen in the Willow trail, another was in the trapping area and another made a brief appearance in a Greatstone Garden. A Little Stint was on the ARC and a Curlew Sandpiper was in front of Firth, a couple of Glossy Ibis and the Pink-footed Goose was at Dengemarsh, little else was reported today.