08/04/2022

The first of 13 Arctic Skuas past this morning

07.00-10.30 from the sea watch hide:

Common Scoter: 81E    
Red-throated Diver: 12E 
Great-crested Grebe: 1W  9 on
Fulmar:  4W
Gannet: 383E  
Cormorant: present n/c
Oystercatcher: 1E
Kittiwake: 2E
Little Gull: 2E
Black-headed Gull: present n/c
Mediterranean Gull: 2E     2W
Common Gull: present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c
Herring Gull: present n/c
Sandwich Tern: 24E
Common Tern: 8E  (My first the year)
Arctic Skua: 13E  (My first the year)
Auk sp: 2E
Harbour Porpoise: 6+

Arctic Skuas

1 of at least 4 Little Gulls at Scotney today

Brent Goose on the sward at Scotney

At least 5 Garganey at Dengemarsh this afternoon

Along with the Garganey at Dengemarsh, 2 Great White Egret, 2 female Goldeneye, c50 Shoveler and the usual wild fowl, a Bittern booming half heartedly, several Bearded Tits and Cetti's Warblers, 2 Sedge Warblers but no Wagtails or Hirundines. The hay fields look good for waders but only held 4 Redshank, 4 Ringed Plover and 6 Lapwing. A flock of 20+ Corn buntings was feeding in the sheep fields opposite Springfield Bridge. The 5 Glossy Ibis and 3 Cattle Egrets were still present around Boulderwall this morning.

07/04/2022

A force 8 westerly with clear skies this morning did not bode well for a good sea watch: 

07.30-11.00 with JS, CP, CT, OL

Greylag Goose: 1E

Eider: 1E

Common Scoter: 1043E       27W

Red-throated Diver: 18E 

Great-crested Grebe: 1E  5 on

Fulmar: 3E     7W

Manx Shearwater: 2E      5W

Gannet: 443E     77W 

Cormorant: present n/c

Oystercatcher: 1W

Kittiwake: 17W

Black-headed Gull: present n/c

Common Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 2W

Sandwich Tern: c10 feeding 

Guillemot: 2W    1E     

Auk sp: 6W     4E

Linnet: 6 in off

Harbour Porpoise: 2

I finally managed to capture all 5 Glossy Ibis together on Boulderwall fields this afternoon, while watching them a male Marsh Harrier caught a Coot at the top end of Cooks Pool where the 3 Cattle Egrets were feeding. A very windswept Burrowes was disappointing. Scotney was also disappointing as there were still no Yellow Wagtails to be found, the first birds are usually around the farm on the 1st.

05/04/2022

An exhausted Redwing early this morning, a wall tick for me 

A very poor sea watch this morning in the drizzle:

06.30-0830 from the hide

Brent Goose: 2E

Shoveler: 2E

Pintail: 3E

Common Scoter: 27E     7W

Red-throated Diver: 35E 

Great-crested Grebe: 7 on

Fulmar:  1E

Gannet: 64E 

Cormorant: 22 around

Kittiwake: 1E   1W

Black-headed Gull: present n/c

Common Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 18E

Guillemot: 3W    

Auk sp: 1E     1W      

Peregrine: 2 around

Redwing: 1 on wall

Common Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 2+

Little Gull at Scotney mid morning from the double bends

04/04/2022

7C force 7 WSW with rain and poor visibility:
06.30-11.30 with JS:
Brent Goose : 522E (17 parties)
Wigeon: 5E
Velvet Scoter: 4E     2W
Common Scoter: 529E       7W
Red-throated Diver: 12E 
Great-crested Grebe: 3E  3on
Fulmar: 4E     3W
Gannet: 459W  
Cormorant: 184 around
Kittiwake: 7W
Black-headed Gull: present n/c
Mediterranean Gull: 2E
Common Gull: present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c
Herring Gull: present n/c
Lesser Black-backed Gull: 4W
Sandwich Tern: c20 feeding 
Guillemot: 15W    4E       3 on
Auk sp: 14W      1E
House Martin: 1 in off
Swallow: 1 in off
Meadow Pipit: 690 in off
Linnet: 65 in off
Harbour Porpoise: 2+

Midday from the causeway 3 Swallows hawking the Sallows on the ARC. The 3 Cattle Egrets were in the sheep fields west of Boulderwall.

Early afternoon 3 Glossy Ibis were at Cooks Pool

Glossy Ibis at Cooks this afternoon

A short slo-mo video the Ibis can be seen HERE

Garganey from Hanson this afternoon

Little Egret from Hanson this afternoon

03/04/2022

Mediterranean Gull heading for The Patch this morning

 

This mornings sea watch was again rather poor, though not surprising as the temperature was -4 when I arrived, causing horrible haze out to sea.

07.00-09.00 joined by RW,

Brent Goose: 172E (13 parties)

Tufted Duck: 2 in off

Common Scoter: 14E     

Red-throated Diver: 12E   1W  

Great-crested Grebe: 1E   5on

Grebe sp: 1E    Slavonian/Black-necked

Gannet: 81E      

Cormorant: 136 on sea

Oystercatcher: 1E   

Kittiwake: 2E   

Black-headed Gull: present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 4E

Common Gull: 19E

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 2E

Sandwich Tern: 4E    9W

Guillemot: 1E

Carrion Crow: 5 in off

Linnet: 1W

Harbour Porpoise: 4+

Grey Seal: 1

Immature male Marsh Harrier at Dengemarsh

There were a handful each of Swallows and Sand Martins seen this weekend, surprisingly no Sedge Warblers as they are usually singing around Dengemarsh by the 1st,, I guess the northerly winds have held them up along with the Yellow Wagtails that are usually present at Dengemarsh and Scotney by now. On The Point Black Redstarts, Wheatears and chiffchaffs can be found in small numbers. Hopefully with westerly and southerly winds forecast the sea watching may improve bringing the first of the Arctic Skuas for me.

White-fronted Goose on Dengemarsh

2 drake and a duck Garganey Hayfields

Another drake Garganey with a duck almost completely hidden behind it

Little Gull on Burrowes Saturday

Displaying Goldeneye on Burrowes

Yellow colour ringed Caspian Gull from Firth viewpoint, unfortunately to much wind shake even in the viewpoint shelter to read the ring.

There are still 5 Glossy Ibis around, but they are getting more elusive 

Nice to have the Greenfinches coming to back garden feeders regularly again

30/03/2022

Gannets passing the bouy this morning

A cool gloomy drizzly morning with just a little easterly movement

07.50-09.50 From the sea watch hide:

Brent Goose : 382E (13 parties)

Shelduck: 2E

Pochard: 1E drake

Common Scoter: 20E     1W

Red-breasted Merganser: 4E

Red-throated Diver: 19E 

Great-crested Grebe: 1E    2 on

Fulmar: 1W

Gannet: 71E   

Cormorant: 13 around

Kittiwake: 1E   

Black-headed Gull: present n/c

Common Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 18E

Guillemot: 3E

Razorbill: 1E

Auk sp: 5E

Common Seal: 1

Grey Seal: 1

One of the 13 small flocks of Brent Geese that passed East this morning

Garganey on the Hay Fields today

A brisk walk from Springfield Bridge in the hope of some Yellow Wagtails and Sand Martins failed on both counts, likewise a look at Scotney.

The smart Ruff still present

Yesterdays Avocet on the hay fields

At the fishing boats this afternoon a few Red-throated divers flew East, also a Little Gull, but the star was a posing 2nd calendar year Caspian Gull ringed in Poland.

Polish ringed 2nd calendar year Caspian Gull P:WJ7 at the fishing boats this afternoon, attracted by David and Jasons stale bread.

Fighting over a pebble

Would have been my favourite pic of the Caspian Gull had I not chopped its wing tip

28/03/2022

4 of this mornings Mediterranean Gulls

This mornings sea watch was fairly quiet one, except for the mewing of passing Mediterranean Gulls.

08.30-10.00 from the hide

Shoveler: 12E

Teal: 2E   2W

Pintail: 5E

Common Scoter: 82E   

Red-throated Diver: 13E 

Great-crested Grebe: 1E   2 on

Gannet: 7E     

Cormorant: present n/c

Oystercatcher: 1E     

Black-headed Gull: present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 40E

Common Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 5E

Skylark: 1E

Carrion Crow: 7 in

Linnet: 2E

Linnet collecting nest material in the car park

Peregrine over the power station

Black Redstart at the observatory thanks to Jacob and David

House Sparrow at West Beach, a beautiful bird that I don't photograph often enough

Stock Dove at Jarmans, another beautiful bird I more often than not ignore much to my shame

White Wagtails around Dengemarsh

There have been up to 30 White Wagtails around Dengemarsh, but I've still not found a Yellow Wagtail but they have been reported. Garganey seem to be in view just about every time you lift your binoculars at Dengemarsh and Boulderwall, at least 12 today, also 5 Glossy Ibis that are being a little camera shy, the 4 Cattle Egrets seem to have moved to Boulderwall for last 2 days. Little Egret numbers seem to be building  but as is usual this time of year the Great White Egrets seem to be moving on. I guess with the onset of cold weather spring will be put on hold.

1 of 2 Garganey in the ditch that runs parallel to the conveyor at Scotney today

Garganey at Cooks Pool today

Garganey on Hayfield 1

Garganey on Hayfield 2

Little Ringed Plovers on Hayfield 1

Dunlin with Little Ringed Plovers