Mon 7th Oct 19
Much quieter offshore today with a few Brent & 2 Dunlin heading south during my very short seawatch, I spent an hour around the approach road area for just 5 Goldcrest, 3 Chiffchaff & 3 Song Thrush of note. The marsh to the north of the approach road was flooded and held a good number of Herring & B. H. Gulls + 1 Common Gull.
From the hide :- c150 Greylag, 40 Teal, 1 Shoveler, 5 Cormorants, 1 Lt. Egret, 45 Lapwing, 1 Avocet, 1 Snipe, 1 Water Rail (heard only), 2 Stonechat, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel.
Grass cutting had taken place around the scrape & the pond prior to my arrival.
Sun 6th Oct 19
Not on site myself today but it looks like it was a good morning offshore, with Pete Loud, Matt Lonsdale & others reporting some good birds incl. Curlew Sandpiper, Manx Shearwater, Great, Pom & Arctic Skua, Little Gull & Arctic Tern, see list below.
Matt Lonsdale
Haven seawatch 0700 -11:30 ish . Highlights inc :- Curlew Sand south with Dunlin close In (another c100 Dunlin south throughout), Manx Shearwater N, Pom, 2 Bonxie and Arctic Skuas N. 3 Little Gull and Arctic Tern on slick from outfall buoy. 20+ of both Sandwich and Common Terns. 2 Grey Plover S, 5 Curlew S, Red-breasted Merganser S, 200+ Wigeon, 250+ Brent S, Shoveler S, few Teal S. few passerines in/off inc. Reed Bunting, Swallow and Redwing.
5 Ruff, Dunlin, Snipe and Lt Egret from hide + calling Water Rail from hide.
Bushes quiet although prob a lot of potential. 3 Goldcrest, 2 Blackcap, few Redwing and Song Thrush.
Sat 5th Oct 19
Pete Davis
09:13 2 Ring Ouzels just flown from Sluice bushes toward golf course. White Wagtail on greensward.
Matt Lonsdale
09:49 Ring Ouzel flew along car park hedge landed before wood at end.
11:10 130+ Brent through in 5 groups in last minute, the wind has picked up.
18:54 Highlights today- Arctic Skua S, Bonxie N, 1 Blk Throated & 2 Red Throated Divers S, 2012 Brent south (between 11:10-14:45), 15+ Goldcrest, few Com Scoter, Teal and Wigeon.
Scrape 3 Shoveler, 3 Dunlin.
Farm this evening :- Little Owl, Song and Mistle Thrush, Redwing, Coal Tit, 3 Red L Partridge.
Peter Newton
1 Merlin, 2 Stonechat & a Cetti's Warbler (heard only) were noted during today's ringing session along the back hedge.
Fri 4th Oct 19
Quite quiet around the site this morning with a few extra Goldcrest reported and a good number of Chiffchaff, a Coal Tit was on the feeders and a Grey Wagtail on the sluice rocks as was a single Turnstone.
From the hide :- c180 Greylag, 7 Canada Geese, 122 Teal, 2 Wigeon, 5 Cormorant, 100 Lapwing, 5 Dunlin, 2 Snipe, 1 Avocet, 46 B H Gull, 23 Herring Gull, 1 Kingfisher, 2 Stonechat, 6 Reed Bunting, 1 Cetti's Warbler (heard only), c30 Swallows, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Buzzard, 2 Kestrel. DW/ML/M&BC/MR.
Thu 3rd Oct 19
A good number of Stonechat about again this morning with a pair on the mounds (2+ in the reedbed area and another 2+ from the hide), 3 Turnstone and c30 Herring Gulls were on the sluice rocks. Two of the gulls were colour ringed, one was ringed by NTGG & the other by Mike Jackson, info to follow shortly.
From the hide :- c200 Greylag, 6 Canada Geese, c100 Teal, 2 Wigeon, 5 Cormorant, 70 Lapwing, 2 Dunlin, 2 Avocet, 1 Snipe, 2 Stonechat, 2 Reed Bunting, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Buzzard, 3 Kestrel & c30 Swallow.
Wed 2nd Oct 19
Another late start for me today, but a much better morning and quite a lot of birds around. Chiffchaff's were all over the site and with Pete Davis, Pete Loud & Matt Lonsdale also around most of the site was covered. Most of the birds seen by PRD/PL and myself are in Matt's report below.
Matt Lonsdale
Today’s birding- 7:05-15:00
1 Pied Flycatcher, 55+ Chiffchaff, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Whitethroat (PL), 3 Blackcap, 3+ Goldcrest, 7 Redwings, and 12 Song Thrush in bushes.
Water Rail (heard only, over the road).
Numerous Stonechat, 4 Wheatear, Marsh Harrier on/around golf course.
Snipe (in/off), 30+ Brent S, 1 Gannet N, lot of Sandwich Tern (offshore), 3 Med Gulls.
5 Tree Sparrow S, 70+ Goldfinch, 40+ Linnnet, 25+ Chaffinch, 100+ Mipits, 20+ Skylark S, 2 Siskin, 3 Yellow Wags, 2 Grey Wags.
Scrape- 4 Dunlin, 1 Kingfisher, 2 Avocet, 1 Blackwit.
16:10-18:00 seawatch. Auk sp S, Red T diver N, 15 Brent S, 16 Sandwich Tern (6N, 10S), 1 Curlew S, Gannet N, 4 Med Gull in/off N, 3 Common Gull S, 2 Cormorant N. 3 Skylark in/off.
Tue 1st Oct 19
A couple of notable birds this morning with Matt Lonsdale having a Purple Sandpiper on the rocks near the 3rd pillbox and Dave Welham a Coal Tit on the feeders.
From the hide :- c180 Greylag, 2 Canada Geese, 90 Teal, 3 Cormorant, 2 Grey heron, 1 Lt. Egret, 80+ Lapwing, 3 Dunlin, 2 Snipe, 1 Redshank, 2 Kingfisher, 1 Buzzard, 1 Sparrowhawk, 3 Kestrel, 3+ Stonechat, 2 Chiffchaff.
Matt Lonsdale
Haven this morning :-
Vismig 07:05-10:05- quieter than yesterday but still, 250 Mipit, 193 House Martin, 91 Linnet S, 35 N, 4 Grey Wag, 10 Yellow Wag, 19+ Reed Bunting, 7 Goldfinch, 17 Golden Plover, 16 Greenfinch, 5+ Skylark, 76 Swallow.
Scrape- 2 Kingfisher, 3 Dunlin, 1 Redshank, 1 Lt Egret.
2 Song Thrush, a lot of Chiffs and Stonechat, Bearded Tit, Purple Sandpiper and Turnstone other highlights.
