Little Owl Lydd Camp Yesterday

Green Sandpiper at Dengemarsh Yesterday

On Burrowes this evening c40 Lapwing,  4 Redshank, 6 Ringed Plover 2 of which were this years young from nearby probably, a Little Ringed Plover and a Green Sandpiper were noted. The Common Terns seem to have weathered last nights storm, the lone drake Wigeon was still present among the many Gadwall and Pochard loafing on the islands.

 Family of Oystercatchers in front of Firth this evening

 Another morsel for junior

 Bath time for junior!

Cock House Sparrow at Makepiece collecting Damselflies for it young in the roof of the hide

A Flame Wainscot was the highlight of a soggy trap after last nights epic thunderstorms

Seems a good year for the lovely Vipers Bugloss on the peninsular this year

 1 of 2 4th calendar year Yellow-legged Gulls at The Patch yesterday morning

Juvenile Wheatear trapped by Jacques near The Moat yesterday morning

1 of 4 Black Redstarts on the way to The Patch this morning

With barely a ripple on the sea or at The Patch this morning there were very few Gulls around. just 3 Mediterranean Gulls, 9 Sandwich Terns, 5 Common Terns, 3 Great-crested Grebes, a single Harbour Porpoise and a few loafing Gulls, also 10 Common scoter moved east. The walk to The Patch produced  4 Black Redstarts, 2 Wheatears and 2 Swallows came in.

 1st summer Little Gull from Firth hide this afternoon

Fairly quiet on Burrowes this afternoon, the highlights being a 1st summer Little Gull, a single Black-tailed Godwit and 3 Ringed Plovers among the eclipse wildfowl The Hobby's are still putting on a show around the reserve, along with hunting Marsh Harriers, Reed, Seddge and Cetti's Warblers are all still singing, as are many Reed Buntings and Common Whitethroats. There were still a few Swifts over the ARC but the highlight was 2 Cuckoo's chasing one another.

 Hobby beside the entrance track 

1 of 2 Cuckoo's at the ARC early evening

 Some of the Hobby's resting by the visitor centre entrance track yesterday evening

Diamond-back Moth (Plutella xylostella)

As I opened the moth trap this morning clouds of Diamond-back Moths came out, several 100s of them the largest numbers I have seen, unfortunately there were no other migrant moths in the trap.

After sorting the trap out I walked from home down Galloways and around Dengemarsh. Though a pleasant walk 2 Little Owls at the camp, 4 Yellow Wagtails at the chicken sheds, a couple of resting Hobby's waiting for the sun to warm up, a Common Buzzard and a Marsh Harrier were the highlights, many Common Whitethroats and smaller numbers of Sedge and Reed Warbler, also a couple of Cetti's Warblers, just as I got back home a Cuckoo flew into the hedge opposite my house and started calling, the first from home this year.

15.00-16.00 from the fishing boats with AJG:
Common Scoter: 5E
Great-crested Grebe: 2 present
Fulmar: 2W
Gannet: 2E   21W
Cormorant: 4 present
Oystercatcher: 1E   2W
Kittiwake: 5W
Sandwich Tern: 5E
Common Tern: 6E
Swift: 8 out
Harbour Porpoise: 1+ around

 Swifts at the ARC yesterday

Yesterday evening c1,000 Common Swifts were hawking over the reserve along with good numbers of House Martins and attendant Hobby's. The Cuckoo's were still quite vocal and a Bittern was booming from near the tower.

Hummingbird Hawkmoth

The Xylostella's landed in my moth trap with there being a minimum of 120, also in the trap a Hummingbird Hawkmoth which is the first that I have found actually in the trap, generally it was again a poor night for macro's
08.15-09.15 from the sea watch hide:
Great-crested Grebe: 3 around
Fulmar: 1E.   2W
Manx Shearwater: 2W
Gannet: 34E   44W
Cormorant: 9 around
Oystercatcher: 1E
Kittiwake: 1E. 2W
Sandwich Tern: 32E
Common Tern: 3 around
Guillemot: 1E
Auk sp: 2E.  1W
Black Redstart: 4 around
Harbour Porpoise: 1+
At Lydd Camp the Little Owl was still in the Elders but little else was seen in the strong winds.

Common Tern at Dengemarsh

This afternoon around Dengemarsh the Hobby's were once again the main attraction, giving superb views, as they jinked around right overhead in the strong wind.

Redshank at Dengemarsh

Great White Egret at Dengemarsh

Last couple of days!

Fledgling Wheatear from the power station

 Female Black Redstart from the power station

The pair of Peregrines are still loafing around on the pylons but no sign of them breeding. Sea watching has predictably been poor.

 Yellow Wagtail Dengemarsh

 Yellow Wagtail Dengemarsh

Dengemarsh has been quite productive the last couple of days with up to 12 Hobby's, several Marsh Harriers, Common Buzzards and Bearded Tits, Reed Buntings seem numerous as do Reed and Sedge Warblers and Common Whitethroats with smaller numbers of Cetti's Warblers, there are still a couple of Lesser Whitethroats singing. Bitterns are booming regularly and it looks like the Great White Egrets area returning with 3 present this morning. When I was at Hayfield 3 this morning DW tweeted a Honey Buzzard over the trapping area, I picked up presumably the same bird circling high over Dengemarsh Gully then drifting off west over the ranges. At Lydd Camp the Little Owl  was in its chosen Elder.

 Hobby's at Dengemarsh

 Great White Egret

 Swallow at the chicken sheds very low numbers around

 Sedge Warbler at Springfield Bridge

Little Owl at Lydd Camp in its usual Elder

 22 Curlews and 54 Oystercatchers roosting on Burrowes this evening

 Some of the 100s of Pochards that are now on the reserve

Emperor Dragonfly basking in the evening sun

 Flame Wainscot probable migrant 4th for the trap

Bordered White. A common moth but the first one in my trap

June Doldrums!

07.00-08.00 from the sea watch hide
Great-crested Grebe: 2 around
Fulmar: 11W
Gannet: 18E   34W
Cormorant: 6 around
Grey Heron: 2 in
Kittiwake: 1W
Sandwich tern: 2E.  8W
Guillemot: 1W
Swallow: 2 out
Harbour porpoise: 3
100s of racing pigeons came in from the continent and went unmolested by the local Peregrines which were loafing on the power station.

At the observatory a party of 7 Stonechats went into the Crow Trap for a drink, Jacques duly caught them all, processed and ringed them.

 Black-tailed Godwits 

A quick stop on the causeway saw 2 Black-tailed Godwits at the southern end of the ARC, also a Cuckoo there.

Little Owl Lydd Camp

A walk from home down Galloways and back up Dengemarsh lane, saw 2 Little Owls at Lydd Camp, also Green woodpecker and Hobby there, further down both Marsh Harrier and Common Buzzard flew over, in the reeds Sedge, Reed and Cetti's Warbler were seen and heard. Linnets seem to be around in good numbers but very few Swallows.

An hours watch from home saw up 9 Hobby's and c70 Swifts over the fields in front of home, also a Common Buzzard and a Little Egret which appeared to be heading for the local Heronry, also of note a Cetti's Warbler singing from the Lydd FC  hedge.

An early afternoon sea watch from the fishing boats was unrewarding with just 3 immature Mediterranean Gulls of any note.

 Sedge Warbler from Dennis's

 Sedge Warbler

 On the reserve this afternoon from Dennis's Hide a Sedge Warbler was singing non stop and was still singing this evening. On the islands 17 Curlew and 2 Dunlin among the Common terns were the highlight there.

 Little Egret

This evening from Firth Hide a Little Egret was busy catching tiddlers, a flock of 11 Redshank dropped in briefly, as did 2 Avocets but it was generally quiet there as is expected this time of year.

The Little stone Serin was still present today.

 Redshanks

Avocets