24/10/2022

Hen Harrier heading out to sea at the fishing boats this morning

08.00-11.00 & 13.30-15.30  from the fishing boats with JS, JY, DW & DS:

Common Scoter: 17W     8E

Red-breasted Merganser: 1W

Red-throated Diver: 3W     1 present

Great-crested Grebe: 8W     6 present

Balearic Shearwater: 1W

Sooty Shearwater: 1W

Gannet: 873W

Cormorant: present n/c

Hen Harrier: 1 Ring tail out to sea

Oystercatcher: 4E

Ringed Plover: 1W

Little Stint: 1W

Kittiwake: 1 Feeding in bay

Little Gull: 204W

Black-headed Gull: present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 1 feeding in bay

Common Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull sub sp Argentatus: 1 present

Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 75W

Common Tern: 1W

Arctic Tern: 1W

Arctic Skua: 1 feeding in bay

Guillemot: 7W

Razorbill: 517W

Auk sp: 165W

Short-eared Owl: 3 in 

Swallow: 11W

Grey Seal: 1

1 of 3 Short-eared Owls seen from the boats today

Arctic Tern

Arctic Skua harrying a Sandwich Tern

Argentatus Herring Gull, a big bruiser of a bird

Long-tailed Duck at the ARC today, also a Little Stint there

23/10/2022

Polish Ringed Caspian Gull at the fishing boats 1 of 3 birds today

An unringed individual

                                     

An excellent day spent at the fishing boats staring out to sea, my favourite pass time.

My thanks to all present today for their helping collating the numbers.

                                                      Little Gulls at the fishing boats 

Many Gannets past the fishing boats today

Red-throated Diver

Arctic Tern

Arctic Tern with a Mediterranean Gull

Common Tern

This poor Gull was still around today and seems to be able to feed itself

21/10/2022

 07.45-09.15 from the fishing Boats
Brent Goose: 7W    
Wigeon: 1W
Common Scoter: 22W   45E
Velvet Scoter: 3W
Red-breasted Merganser: 1W
Red-throated Diver:  1 on
Gannet: 39W    7E
Kittiwake: 26W
Mediterranean Gull: 8W

Little Gull: 1 juvenile feeding off shore
Sandwich Tern: 2W
Arctic Tern: 1W
Razorbill: 1,040W
Auk sp: 230W
Swallow: 7 out
Starling: 20 in 
Goldfinch: 500 over 

Grey Seal: 1
Harbour Porpoise: 2

Short-eared Owl over The Desert this morning

A wander around the Desert saw my first Short-eared Owl of the autumn, 1,200 Goldfinches, 46 Skylarks, 9 Swallows, 14 Siskin and 2 Redpoll.

At The ARC 3 Spoonbills were roosting with the Gulls,  one of which was ringed in Holland. Among the Gulls were a number of colour ringed Gulls, including Spanish, Norwegian, Dutch and French. Also present were 2 Glossy Ibis, 5 Great White Egrets, the Kingfisher made another visit and late Hobby was hawking over the Willow Trail. 

3 Juvenile Spoonbills that had been roosting on the ARC

A late Hobby over the ARC

Common Buzzard in the Willow Trail

Spot the odd one out

20/10/2022

As my car was in for service this morning I missed all the Little Gulls passing, but did catch up with Dartford Warbler and 4 Firecrests in The Moat and another in the lighthouse garden.

Sandwich Tern

13.30-15.00 from the fishing boats

Brent Goose: 21W    

Teal: 9W

Wigeon: 5W

Common Scoter: 307W    9E

Red-breasted Merganser: 1W

Red-throated Diver:  2 on

Gannet: 14W

Curlew 1W

Turnstone: 1 present

Kittiwake: 5W

Mediterranean Gull: 4 around

Sandwich Tern: 5 around

Razorbill: 1W

Auk sp: 7W

Skylark: 3 in

Starling: 20 in

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 1

Common Scoter passing the fishing boats

Spoonbill from Hanson this afternoon

 The Kingfisher was very obliging this afternoon

19/10/2022

In a strong easterly wind the sea watch hide was the sensible place to watch from. Brent Geese were moving south in reasonable numbers though most of them were several miles offshore and heading for the French coast.

O7.30-10.00 from the hide with OL & RW,

Brent Goose: 2,001W    26E

Teal: 27W

Wigeon: 146W

Goldeneye: 3E

Common Scoter: 16W     6E

Red-throated Diver: 3W     1 on

Gannet: 27W

Oystercatcher: 1E

Kittiwake: 3W

Mediterranean Gull: 11E

Sandwich Tern: 2 around

Arctic Skua: 1W

Auk sp: 43W

Skylark: 3 in

Starling: 20 in

Grey Seal: 1

One of three Firecrests in Dengemarsh Gully today

A walk from Springfield Bridge to Dengemarsh Gully found 4 Corn Buntings, a fly over Fieldfare, 4 Song Thrushes flushed and at least 3 Firecrests in the Gully, but little else in the blustery conditions. The Spoonbill was back at Dengemarsh where 6 Cattle Egrets were with the cattle also a single Ruff there. Another 6 Cattle Egrets were at Boulderwall, 2 Glossy Ibis and the Long-tailed Duck were on the ARC.

Fox keeping a wary eye on me

Spoonbill with a Little Egret on Dengemarsh

One of six Cattle Egrets on hay field 2

A superb Deaths Head Hawkmoth found by Dave Bunney yesterday

17/10/2022

An hour in the sea watch hide sheltering from the rain this morning:

08.00-09.00 

Common Scoter: 7W

Red-throated Diver: 1W

Great-crested Grebe: 1 present

Gannet: 73W

Kittiwake: 4W

Mediterranean Gull: 4W

Razorbill: 234W

Auk sp: 189W

Harbour Porpoise: 2

Dartford Warbler on the return trail on the reserve

A long walk around the reserve checking all the lakes for the elusive Ruddy Duck, so elusive that none of the locals have seen it nor know anybody who has. The highlight on Burrowes was 16 Great White Egrets but little else of note. In todays breeze and rain the viewpoints offered no protection from the weather, little wonder there were minimal visitors.

Kingfisher from Hanson Hide this afternoon

Little Stints from Hanson

Spotted Redshank at Dengemarsh

Ornate Sheildbug, thanks to David Walker for showing me