10/06/2020

I was pleasantly surprised to see 2 Arctic Skuas moving East this morning

The middle of June and I had to wear 4 layers of clothing, cap and gloves to be comfortably warm for my first sea watch in a long time.

07.55-0840 from the sea watch hide:

Common Scoter: 9W

Great-crested Grebe: 1: around

Gannet: 9W     1E

Cormorant: present: n/c

Arctic Skua: 2E

Kittiwake: 3E

Mediterranean Gull: 2 around

Sandwich Tern: 24E (flock of 19)

Common Tern: 4E

Grey Seal: 1

1 of the Lydd Camp Little Owl this morning

This afternoon in the rain

I had another very long plod around Lydd and Dengemarsh area today, seeing very little change in the birds, just less song. A Bittern was still booming and the Common Terns are very vocal as they hunt over every stretch of water. There are still some Lapwing and Redshanks in the fields attacking Crows so presumably they still have young to protect. Of note 4 young Ravens were on the range field from Springfield bridge this afternoon.

7+ Hobbys around Dengemarsh today in the gloomy cold weather

These images came out well considering the appalling light and rain

I think this recognisable individual is the local breeder

Tuesday 09/06/2020

Rose Coloured Starling discovered by Mike Puxley on Lydd Ripe yesterday morning

I believe that there were 2 birds involved, above is the only flight image I managed albeit out of focus of yesterdays (08/06/2020) Rosy Starling on Lydd Ripe. Below is the bird discovered by David Walker on Saturday (06/06/2020) which is a much more intensely pink bird. Better images of Saturdays bird can be seen on the DBO web site HERE

A another around Dengemarsh area including the ARC today saw several broods of Common Whitethroats, as well as Swallows, Yellow Wagtails and Oystercatchers. The raft on the ARC seems to have good numbers of Common Terns nesting, in front of the Screen a few pairs of Black-headed Gulls are nesting again like last year, also there 98 Mute Swans.
From the viewpoint up to 13 Hobbys were hawking mega, also a male Red-footed Falcon up with them. They were so high that at times they disappeared into the cloud base, I watched them for about an hour hoping to get some images if they came lower, but as a testament the image below shows I failed miserably.

A very poor image, but lucky to get it, Mega high male Red-footed Falcon

Female Yellow Wagtail calling

Parent with a Damselfly

1 of 3 young being fed

Good numbers of young Common Whitethroats around today

Several Chiffchaffs still singing around Bretts Marina

Still several Cuckoos around and calling

Common Buzzard and Carrion Crow having a tussle

Barn Owl from last night

Little Owl at Lydd Camp

Sunday 07/06/2020

This morning at Dengemarsh 100s of Swifts were hawking over the marshes with a few House Martins. A wander across the fields with AJG saw Yellow Wagtails that were collecting food for young as was a Corn Bunting, but there was no sign of last evenings Rose-coloured Starling. We then went along the public footpath across the reserve and found Bearded Tits, Reed Buntings the usual Warblers, Cuckoos and Marsh Harriers, a booming Bittern with Swifts sweeping low overhead the whole time. Out across the causeway which was again carpeted in Common Blue Damselflys, plenty of Common Terns could be seen on Burrowes but little else of note was seen there. Along Galloways a Hobby was noted.

Some of the 100s possibly 1,000s of Swifts that were feeding across the peninsular this morning

After a late breakfast following a call from OL I went back to Dengemarsh where a superb Swallowtail Butterfly had been found (by Ray O'Reilly I think).

Swallowtail

This afternoon I joined Graham Parry for some filthy twitching into the East Sussex, where we saw the stunning summer plumaged Snow Bunting that has spent the last couple of days on the sea wall at Pett opposite the pools. A beautiful bird but was being flushed frequently by the many walkers on the sea wall, on a number of occasions it very nearly became a road casualty as it flew low across the the road in front of cars.

Gorgeous summer plumaged male Snow Bunting

On our way home we visited Castle Water where a Black-winged Stilt was feeding in the shallows.

Saturday 06/06/2010

Lydd Camp Little Owl

With a gale force westerly blowing this morning I decided on a very local walk around Brett's Marina. As I walked down Galloways Road Swifts were pouring through North East, while the local House Martins and Swallows were hawking along the sheltered lee of the camp. At the watch towers 2 Little Owls, both in favourite roosting places, also Pied Wagtails and a Green Woodpecker there. At Brett's lots of fishermen, surprisingly all socially distanced, unlike the huddle of Egyptian Geese 2 adults and 5 young. Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers along with Blackcap and Garden Warbler all still singing albeit rather half heartedly. During the lock down I could hear them all from home but now the water sports and go carts are back to normal volumes not a chance. 2 Cuckoo's were chasing around, the abundant Reed Buntings, Chaffinches and Goldfinches were all present, as were a few Greenfinches. Over the lake a couple of Common Terns with a few Black-headed Gull and Common Gulls. Nearby the pair of Hobby's appeared to change nest duties, not that there are many Dragonflys at the moment. A Marsh Harrier went out onto the ranges as did a Sparrowhawk and 2 Common Buzzards were soaring high overhead. 2 Yellow wagtails were at the dung heap. As I type this 2 Grey Herons flew out to the Heronry and many Jackdaws, Rooks, Crows and Herring Gulls are tumbling about making light of the strong winds. 

Lydd Camp Little Owl

I'd just started my dinner when I received a call from DW about a Rose-coloured Starling by Brickwall Farm, Dengemarsh, where I had been walking this morning! I quickly ate my meal and drove the few 100 yds down the road to see the bird, which was fortunately showing at the back of the field as I pulled up. Each time the flock flew up it was being harassed by a Jackdaw for some reason, which may be why the flock split up and we lost the bird, though we think it may have roosted in the bushes around the farm. I managed some poor distant images but hopefully DW managed better.

Spot the Pinky

Young Starlings have no manners!