PLODDINGBIRDER

Friday 20 March 2020

Friday 20/03/2020

A not unexpected poor sea watch due to the blasting NE wind and drizzle.
07.50-08.50 from in front the hide:
Shoveler: 2E
Common Scoter: 5W 1E
Red-throated Diver: 3E 1W
Great-crested Grebe: 5 on
Gannet: 73E
Cormorant: present n/c
Oystercatcher: 1E
Dunlin: 8E
Curlew: 1E
Mediterranean Gull: 1E (2w) 1W (ad)
Sandwich Tern: 3E
Guillemot: 1E
Auk sp: 4W
Harbour Porpoise: 1+
The Short-toed Treecreeper was reportedly still present in the lighthouse garden early morning, but I only gave the garden a cursory look due to the cold wind.
I parked at Springfield Bridge and did a complete circuit of the reserve, not surprisingly I saw very little of note. Cetti's Warblers were singing from all parts of the reserve, the hay fields held Lapwings, Oystercatchers, Shelducks and few feral Geese, but no sign of any Water Pipits. The lakes in general seemed to hold very low numbers of the usual wildfowl, 2 Firecrest were in the Sea Buckthorn between Firth and Makepiece hides, also a Chiffchaff there. A Great white Egret and a Little Egret flew over the entrance track and the usual Marsh Harriers were quartering the fields.

A gloomy Dengemarsh Gully

From Springfield Bridge I walked down to the sea and back, 2 Ravens flew over, 2 Firecrests were with 2 Chiffchaffs in the gully with 3 Mute Swans.

Certainly no sign of one of these beauties today. This one was present in the Gully 2 years ago 03/18

Thursday 19 March 2020

Thursday 19/03/2020

I ended up spending most of the day around the lighthouse area after Stephen Message found/refound the Short-toed Treecreeper in the lighthouse garden.

Hopefully with comparison of DWs image of Tuesdays bird in DBs garden we may be able to say whether this is the same or new bird.

07:50-08:20 from by the hide:
Red-throated Diver: 4E 1W
Great-crested Grebe: 2W 12 on
Gannet: 18E
Cormorant: present n/c
Sandwich Tern: 2E
Meadow Pipit c40 in
Wheatear: 3 around hide
Black Redstart: 2 behind Hide
Chiffchaff: 3 behind hide
Harbour Porpoise: 2+

Short-toed Treecreeper

For a long time I thought I was going to have to make do with this image, until it popped up again

Redwing in the lighthouse garden this morning, along with at least 4 Firecrests and several Goldcrests

Several Black Redstarts were around

Several Wheatears were new in this morning

Small parties of Meadow Pipits came in this morning

Resident Stonechat pair female bearing a ring

Late afternoon at Dengemarsh there was no sign of yesterdays Red-necked Grebe though it could easily have been in the reeds, at least 2 Water Pipits still present and a a Ruff. @ Great White Egrets and 3 Little Egrets were on Tanners Pool

Wednesday 18 March 2020

Wednesday 18/03/2020

Us old boys wouldn't want to pop our clogs in the hide 😱😂

A very meagre sea watch this morning standing outside the hide: Seriously considering investing in an Anglers tent or a good wind break, because I can see this present crisis continuing for some time.
06.15-08.35 with AJG, RW & OL
Common Scoter: 7E
Red-throated Diver: 23E 5W
Great-crested Grebe: 1W 1 o/s
Fulmar: 1E 2W
Gannet: 22E
Peregrine: 1 around
Sandwich Tern: 1E
Meadow Pipit: 8 in
Carrion Crow: 4 in

Skylark behind the fishing boats

A wander around around The Point found little of note, however it was good to hear and see singing Skylarks and lots of Meadow Pipits, also 2 Peregrines and a White Wagtail.
At the ARC apart from large numbers of Shoveler and a Great White Egret little was seen in the strengthening wind, though 4+ Sand martins must have flow through while I was there per DW.

My first on the peninsular this year down Galloways

Ringed Plover and Dunlin on the flood at Scotney

Scotney was quiet with 6 Redshank, 3 Ringed Plover, a Dunlin and 2 Curlews on the Sward, the Barnacle Geese are still present but most of the Wigeon seem to have gone.

2nd calendar year Glaucous Gull

No real improvement in the sea watch this afternoon.
15.00-15.30 with AJG from the boats:
Red-throated Diver: 1E
Great-crested Grebe: 34 o/s
Gannet: 1W
Turnstone: 4 on beach
Glaucous Gull: 1 on sea usual bird
Sandwich Tern: 1E
Guillemot: 1W
Harbour Porpoise: 4+
Common Seal: 1

Summer plumaged Red-necked Grebe

The highlight of late afternoon at stroll Dengemarsh was a super Summer Plumaged Red-necked Grebe, also seen 9+ Water Pipits on the hay fields, a Ruff, several each of Lapwing and Oystercatcher. 2 Marsh Harriers and several p[airs of Shelducks displaying.

Red-necked and Great-crested Grebe

Tuesday 17 March 2020

Tuesday 17/03/2020

As I did not get home from the airport till 03.00 AM I had a lay in, luckily I did get to Dave & Sheila Bunney's just in time to get a brief view of the Short-toed Treecreeper that was in their garden this morning, before it headed out to The Desert not to be seen again today. Firecrest and Gils crest were also present, several Wheatears were seen opposite the garden which I missed.
At the ARC I again failed to see the Red-necked Grebe, I did mange to see of note see a Great White Egret, 4+ Cetti's Warblers, several Chiffchaffs and Marsh Harrier.

The 2nd calendar year Glaucous Gull

A fairly mundane sea watch this afternoon much improved by the appearance of "The Brute" the 2nd calendar year Glaucous Gull.
13.45-15.00 from the fishing boats:
Brent Goose: 15E
Red-throated Diver: 8W 3E
Great-crested Grebe: 231 o/s
Gannet: 3W
Cormorant: present n/c
Turnstone: 6 on beach
Kittiwake: 1W
Black-headed Gull: present n/c
Common Gull: present n/c
Herring Gull: present n/c
Glaucous Gull: 1 x 2nd cal year around
Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c
Sandwich Tern: 1W
Guillemot: 2E
Auk sp: 3E

The Punk Great Black-backed Gull was still present today at the fishing boats

Late afternoon at Dengemarsh there were still at least 7 Water Pipits in the hay field behind Christmas Dell, also 2 Curlew, 4 Redshank and a Ruff of note. At least 2 White Wagtails were among many Pied Wagtails at the Dung Heap.

Saturday 7 March 2020

Los Pinos!

Chris, Tony and myself arrived at Madrid airport late morning 0n 25/02/2020 and made or way to the Firefly hire car desk. We were pleasantly surprised to find that our car was brand new delivery mileage only Kia Stonic. Exiting the airport onto the excellent Spanish motorway system we headed south to our first stop the La Guardia, Lillo, El Romeral triangle, Where an hour half later we were watching the first 11 Great Bustards of the trip, albeit rather distant as most were, but great scope views.

Great Bustards

At another pull in we were scanning the fields and could hear a very quiet but odd call above the stiff breeze, I thought it was coming from some bushes further down the road, then Chris said look up there! waves of 1,000s very high Common Cranes were heading our way, then spiralling above us then drifting north. An amazing never to be forgotten sight and sound when they were overhead.

Common Cranes

At the same site we also saw the first of the many Calandra Larks, Crested Larks, Corn Buntings, Serins, Hoopoes, Iberian Grey Shrikes also a a single Redwing. Time was flying by and we still had another 150+ Kilometers to drive to Los Pinos our home for next 4 days.

Calandra Lark

Crested Lark

Corn Bunting

Our hire car outside our house at Los Pinos, we declined use of the swimming pool

The house and the food in the restaurant at Los Pinos was superb. The tall bear tree in the back ground over the windscreen was an early morning gathering point for Hawfinches and Spotless Starlings.

Hawfinches and Spotless Starlings before sunrise

Spotless Starlings in the first glow of sunrise

Hawfinch after sunrise, most left before sunrise

Early morning each day during our stay at Los Pinos we took a stroll around the nearby lanes, it was a delight to hear cacophony bird song and birds all around. We saw the first of 100s of Azure Winged Magpies, Sardinian Warblers, Serins, Short-toed Treecreepers, Crested Tits, Hoopoes, Iberian Green Woodpeckers(mainly heard) etc. After these delights we went back for breakfast.

The Nuthatches were very vocal

Serins were numerous

Iberian Green Woodpecker( I found it very difficult to get any kind of image of these)

Short-toed Treecreeper

We spent a couple hours after breakfast at the Mirador del Peregrino view point which looks out over a spectacular vista of valleys and hills towards Santuario Virgen de La Cabeza.

Looking from the view point to the Santuario Virgen de La Cabeza.

Chis and Tony scanning for raptors from the Mirador del Peregrino view point. Although the weather looks lovely the mornings were very chilly.

From this view point we saw several Spanish Imperial Eagles, 2 Golden Eagles, 2 Bonelli's Eagles, Common Buzzards, Kestrels, Sparrowhawks, Goshawks and many Griffon and Black Vultures, also Choughs, Ravens many Azure Winged Magpies, Serins, Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps etc.

We also spent some time around the track to La Lancha which has several view points specially built for Lynx watchers but are also good for viewing all the raptors mentioned above.

Chris and Tony in one of the specially built Lynx watch points, later that day we saw 2 Lynx stroll down into this hide and down the hillside. From the track Mistle Thrushes, Chaffinches, Spanish and House Sparrows were common as were the Vultures, Cirl Bunting, Wood Lark, Red-rumped Swallow were seen and Great Spotted Cuckoo's were mainly heard than seen.