First thing around The Point fair numbers of Willow Warblers and Common Whitethroats, much smaller numbers of Reed & Sedge Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat and Blackcap and very little else.

2 Spotted Redshanks were new into the ARC this morning

3 visits to the ARC saw much the same as the last week or so with the addition of 2 Spotted Redshanks. At least 2 Wood Sandpipers, 2 Greenshank, 2 Black-tailed Godwits and several Garganey still present, also the 2 Little Gulls are still appearing erratically.

13.20-15.30 from the fishing boats with JTM,LH,PH & AJG who kindly collated the numbers:
Common Scoter: 5W
Gannet: 7W
Cormorant: present n/c
Scoter 5 down
Arctic Skua: 1W
Kittiwake: 2W
Sandwich Tern: 141W
Common Tern: 25 down
Sand Martin 122 down
Swallow 51 down

1 of 2 Pied Flycatchers at Galloways this afternoon

Late afternoon at Galloways was reasonably productive with 2 Pied flycatchers, a Whinchat, several Stonechats, 2 Ravens, many Common Whitethroats, Willow Warblers and Linnets, along with the odd Sedge and Reed Warbler.

This evening on Burrowes a moulting adult Black Tern, 3 Great White Egrets, 2 Dunlin and 2 Common Sandpipers of note, also many Swallows hawking high over the reserve. 

1 of 3 Peregrines around the pylons this morning

Still very quiet around The Point avian wise, this morning there were 7 Wheatears around The Moat with a few Meadow Pipits, in the trapping area a few each of Willow Warbler, Common and Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap, Reed Warbler and Stonechats. From the garden 6+ Common Buzzards and a couple of Marsh Harriers, all of which behaved like local birds, some Sand Martins were moving as well as a couple of Swifts.

Turnstones at the fishing boats

12.45-15.45 from the fishing boats with JTM and AJG who collated the numbers:

Common Scoter: 9W

Gannet: 34W
Cormorant: 7 around
Turnstone: 3 around
Arctic Skua: 1W   2 around
Mediterranean Gull:16W all 1st cal yr
Kittiwake: 3W
Sandwich Tern: 340W
Common Tern: 24W
Sand Martin: 57 out
Grey Seal: 2
Harbour Porpoise: 2

7 of the 10 Garganey from Hanson this evening

At the ARC this evening 10 Garganey, 2 Wood Sandpipers, 2 Greenshank, 2 Ruff, 3 Dunlin and a Black-tailed Godwit of note among the usual Lapwings and wildfowl.

On Burrowes this evening 2 Black Terns among the Common Terns and 4 Common Sandpipers on the islands.

Juvenile Caspian Gull!

07.45-09.30 from the sea watch hide joined by OL:

Fulmar: 1E
Gannet: 477W   21E
Cormorant: 17 around
Avocet: 3E
Arctic Skua: 1 around  DP
Kittiwake: 6W
Sandwich Tern: 164W
Common Tern: 63W
Sand Martin: 82 out
Harbour Porpoise: 2+
At the ARC from Hanson late morning 3 Wood sandpipers, 2 Common Sandpipers, 3 Little Ringed Plovers, Redshank, Dunlin, several Garganey and the usual wildfowl.

The 3 Avocets going back west past the fishing boats this afternoon

Huge number of Gulls at the fishing boats this afternoon gorging on washed up shellfish

Juvenile Caspian Gull

13.00-15.30 from the fishing boats:
Common Scoter: 3E   5W
Great-crested Grebe: 1 around
Gannet: 144W
Cormorant: 7 around
Turnstone: 3 around
Avocet: 3W
Arctic Skua: 2W    1 around
Kittiwake: 1W    1 around
Yellow-legged Gull: 8+ around juveniles
Caspian Gull: 1 juvenile
Sandwich Tern: 268W
Common Tern: 199W
Black Tern: 6W
Common Swift: 31 out
Sand Martin: 2 out

Herring Gull with shellfish

A very worn Small Mottled Willow the highlight of this mornings catch 

Yellow-legged Gulls!

 Swifts over the New Diggings early this morning

07.30-08.30 from the sea watch hide:
Gannet: 30W   11E
Cormorant: 19 around
Arctic Skua: 1 W  DP
Kittiwake: 1 around
Sandwich tern: 64W.    C20 feeding offshore
Common tern: 14W     c15 feeding off shore
Harbour Porpoise: 2+
Hummingbird Hawkmoth: 2 resting on perimeter wall

1 of 2 Hummingbird Hawkmoths warming up on the power station perimeter wall

A minimum of 4 juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls at the fishing boats this afternoon

I spent a couple of hours at the fishing boats this afternoon with JTM, where a single Arctic Skua was harassing the very few Terns that were present, fortunately there were a few Gulls present which kept us occupied. This evening at the ARC from Hanson 3 Wood Sandpipers, 4 Ruff, Common Sandpipers, Little ringed Plovers etc. Very little change in the last couple of weeks.

 Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull

  Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull

  Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull

  Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull

  Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull

 Fulmar past the fishing boats

 Juvenile/1w Mediterranean Gull at the fishing boats

 Herring Gull feeding on the huge amounts of shellfish and small fry washed up in the gales

 Great Black-backed Gull JK889 at the fishing boats this afternoon I first recorded it a week ago.

Herring Gull MX3T at the fishing boats this afternoon. I last recorded it on 09/02/2019

Red Underwing a common moth but rarely find them in the trap

Sabine's Gull!

Adult Sabine's Gull

14.15-16.55 from the fishing boats:
Common Scoter: 1E
Fulmar: 1w
Gannet: 19W    5E
Cormorant: 9 around
Arctic Skua: 2 around.  LP + DP
Kittiwake: 6W
Sabines Gull: 1W
Yellow-legged Gull: 1+ juvenile around
Black Tern: 2W adult + juvenile
Sandwich tern: 84W
Common Tern: 72W
Swift: 5 out
Harbour Porpoise: 2
Grey seal: 2

Adult Sabine's Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon

 Juvenile Kittiwake almost as nice Sabine's

Common Terns on the move off the fishing boats this afternoon

Long-tailed Blue!

08.00-10.30 from the hide:
Teal: 6W
Common Scoter: 1E
Fulmar: 5W
Balearic Shearwater: 1W
Gannet: 268W.    4E
Cormorant: 7 around
Dunlin: 4W
Great Skua: 1W
Arctic Skua: 2W   1E
Kittiwake: 56W    3E
Sandwich Tern: 219W
Common Tern: 220W
Grey Seal: 1
Harbour Porpoise: 2+

 While having a cup of tea in the observatory garden Jacques suddenly shouted Long-tailed Blue, the butterfly had flown in over our heads and fortunately landed on the garden plants, brilliant! a Dungeness first for me.

 Long-tailed Blue

A tailess Pied Wagtail taking a liking to Jacques car at the observatory

After lunch at the ARC there was very little to change from the last few days, plenty of Wood Sandpipers, the same 4 Ruff, 7 Garganey etc. Oh how easy it is to become blase!

 A Dunlin in front of Firth Hide during this afternoons deluge

As I was parking my car at the fishing boats this afternoon the heavens opened, so I made my way to Firth Hide instead, where a juvenile Black Tern was still present and there was an adult Yellow-legged Gull on one of the islands, waders were represented by 10+ Dunlin, 8+ Common Sandpipers, a Greenshank, a Green Sandpiper, a Whimbrel and a Ringed Plover all being battered by the deluge.

 Common Sandpiper being battered by the deluge

 A Greenshank bought in by the rain

 Just for Jacques

Swallows drying out on the roof of the VC

Saturday and Sunday!

Saturday!

With gale force South Westerly blowing I was expectant of a good sea watch, the first half hour was very busy but passage soon dried up.
05.15-08.30 from the sea watch hide with AJG, SO, CP, JTM & OL.
Great-crested Grebe: 1W
Common Scoter: 22W   2E
Fulmar: 17W
Gannet: 105W   67E
Great Skua: 2E    3W
Arctic Skua: 2E
Kittiwake: 9W
Little Tern: 2W
Sandwich tern: 74W
Common Tern: 422W
Swift: 9 out
Harbour Porpoise: 1+
2 visits to the ARC saw little change to recent days with 8+ Wood Sandpipers, 5+ Common Sandpipers, 4 Ruff, 3 Redshank, 7+ Garganey, 2 Little Gulls and Great White Egrets all among the the commoner waders, wildfowl and Gulls, not forgetting the Sand martins over the lake.

This afternoons sea watch carried on where this mornings left off!

14.15-16.00 from the fishing boats with AJG, RW, CP & JTM,

Common Scoter: 2W

Fulmar: 3W

Gannet: 5W

Cormorant: 3 around

Great Skua: 1E

Yellow-legged Gull: 3+ around all juveniles

Kittiwake: 1 around

Sandwich Tern: 173W

Common Tern: 202W

Common Swift: 3 out

Grey Seal: 1

 Juvenile Common Tern CT5 from Firth hide last evening

At Firth hide in the evening a single juvenile Black Tern and 4 Little Terns among the many Common Terns and 3 Sandwich Terns, 9 Knot, 5 Dunlin, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 6 Common Sandpipers and 4 Redshank. There was also a colour ringed juvenile Common Tern which I believe is a British bird, am waiting for confirmation of this.

 Juvenile Black Tern from Firth

 Little Terns with a Knot in the background 

Black-tailed Godwits

 Sunday

Overslept this morning so no sea watch, apparently the sea was very poor this morning so the lay in was worth it. From Firth staring into the sun, I could just make out 2 juvenile Black Terns but little else, so abandoned and went to the ARC. On the way 2 Cattle Egrets were in the sheep fields at Boulderwall. As I got home early I spent a few hours in the garden trying to clear some of the damage done by yesterdays gales.

                                         Juvenile Kittiwake at the fishing boats this afternoon

13.30-15.00 from the fishing boats with RW, JTM, LH & PH.
Gannet: 12W.    5E
Cormorant: 6 around
Dunlin: 1W
Kittiwake: 4W   1 around
Yellow-legged Gull: 2 juveniles around
Sandwich Tern: 26W.   1E
Common Tern: 3W

One of the juvenile Black Terns at Firth this evening

A much quieter evening at Firth hide where a juvenile Black Tern was still present as was the colour ringed juvenile Common Tern, 5 Dunlin and 4 Common Sandpipers were noted.