Bird Sightings

Best on a lovely calm, sunny morning were 5 Whinchats, 2 Spotted Flycatchers & the juv Knot. Also, 3 Whitethroats, 8 Stonechats, Bullfinch, Green Woodpecker, Sparrowhawk, Common Sandpiper & 5 Roe Deer.

On a birdwatching bike ride around the marshes today, as I was travelling along the toll road a tractor flushed out 2 cattle egrets which both landed in the consecutive field. I got some brilliant views of the birds and it really summed up the bike ride. Also the usual, mute swans, moorhens, little egret and 2 grey herons

Berry Head seawatch with Bill Macdonald and Mark Bailey 06.45-9am: 2 Egyptian Geese (being harassed by an Arctic Skua!), 1 Sabines Gull juv, 2 Little gulls, 1 Black Tern, 1 Sooty Shearwater, 102 Balearic & 107 Manx Shearwaters, 2 Arctic Terns, 521 Common Terns, 7 Sandwich Terns, 18 Arctic Skuas, 1 Whimbrel, 200+ Gannets, 6 Fulmar, 2000+ Kittiwakes & 8 Common Dolphins and 2 Atlantic Blue-finned Tuna. Also a Stoat in the quarry.

Sept 3rd Purple Heron on Beesands Ley. Moving around the edges of the water. Clearly seen,preening,flying,resting.

Afternoon from the Hide.

Despite the rain, an excellent spread of birds today with best sightings including: single Bar- and Black-tailed Godwits, juv Knot, juv Ringed Plover, Whimbrel, juv Goosander, 1st cy Mediterranean Gull, male Kingfisher & 2 Firecrests. Also, 12 Greenshanks, Common Sandpiper, Green Woodpecker, 3+ Stonechats, 1+ Grey Wagtail & 2 Roe Deer.

Yesterday, 2 1st cy Mediterranean Gulls, 3 Common Sandpipers, Sparrowhawk, c35 House Martins & a Willow Warbler.

My 1st visit since it reopened, unfortunately the bird hide was closed.

Despite the rain there was some activity including: Green Woodpecker, juvenile Buzzard calling, Blue Tits, Song Thrush, numerous House Martins hawking for insects, Chiffchaff, Robins, Blackbirds and couldn’t believe Redwings (3 of them).

An excellent view this morning of an Osprey flying up river. Also present was a Green and Common Sandpipers and a Whimbrel, all feeding on the mud on an incoming tide.

First time I recall seeing an Egret  here (have seen Heron). Water too deep for wading. Seemed to jump up and almost hover over the water.

out on the e-bike with the binoculars today had a  good day lots of the usual birds for the location visited Swallows House martins Chiffchaff Willow warbler Whitethroat good numbers of Cirl bunting Bullfinch and then cycling back to Staddon had Wheatear in the fields large flocks of young Goldfinch and Linnet and then rounding things of nicely I had 5 Winchat on the fence of the field before you turn left down to Bovisand beach

Quite lively with migrants this morning :

8 Whinchats around the airfield, 7 Spotted Flycatchers, 3 Sedge Warblers, 20+ Blackcaps, 30+ Whitethroats, Cettis Warbler, 15 phyloscs, 5 Wheatears, 4 Yellow Wagtails and several flocks of Meadow Pipits in the stubbles . Clouded Yellows everywhere !

6 white storks flew south west, observed from Macely cove at approx 1pm.

Best this morning were 18 Ringed Plovers, 14 Turnstones, 2 Sanderling, a Whimbrel, 9 Mediterranean Gulls, 2 Kittiwakes, a Sandwich Tern, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 15 House Martins, 2 Willow Warblers, 2 Whitethroats and a Wheatear. Large shoals of fish attracted hundreds of Herring Gulls to the waters off the Point and Heybrook Bay; more distantly 80 Gannets took part in a feeding frenzy that also involved 2 Common Dolphins. A Grey Seal swam close to the sewage pipe. A few butterflies were on the land, including 15 Clouded Yellows.

Clear highlight this morning, was a Wryneck, seen briefly 3 times. Also, juv Knot, 3 Ringed Plovers, 12 Greenshanks, 6 Turnstones, 3+ Common Sandpipers, 2 Whinchats, 6 Stonechats, 2 Willow Warblers, Whitethroat, Sparrowhawk & Great Spotted Woodpecker.