Long Pits and Burrowes

 Weather

Daytime low of 14C, high of 20C. North then north-west wind 10 to 22mph by the evening. Dry and cloudy.

As it was a cloudy start to the day I started at the top of the Long Pits and did a walk that looped around the Bus Ride. A couple of Long-tailed Tit flocks in that area also held good numbers of Chiffchaffs with 55+ recorded, along with two Lesser Whitethroats and four Willow Warblers. A great Spotted Woodpecker was also in the willows.

Chiffchaff

Willow Warbler

In the afternoon, news on Birdguides was picked up indicating that the adult American Golden Plover was back on Burrowes seen from Dennis's Hide. The bird had been seen at 14:30 and I was in Dennis's by 15:30. The hide was empty and only two Golden Plovers were with the Lapwings on the nearer islands. I spoke to the folks in the Visitor Centre but there was no other information on the bird, so who knows! Maybe it'll return to Burrowes again.

There was an adult Argentatus race of Herring Gull in amongst the Greater Black-backed Gulls roosting on Burrowes, two Dunlin and a Merlin flew through. Two Black Terns also remain on Burrowes.

Herring Gull race Argentatus

Gadwall female and male

 Weather

Daytime low of 12C, high of 20C, WSW 6mph to 17mph by late afternoon, dry, cloudy.

I started the day at ARC and wandered along the track to the Pines where a flock of Long-tailed Tits had been joined by 45 Chiffchaffs, two  Spotted Flycatchers, three Goldcrests, singles of Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat and Dartford Warbler. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was also recorded.

Track leading to the Pines and Affinity Water Works

Spotted Flycatcher

I then wandered over to the Affinity Water Works and had three Wheatears and two Whinchats. Earlier in the morning a message came through that hirundines where migrating in numbers at the Point and it was evident that they were moving in large numbers across the peninsula as I was seeing flocks of Swallows, Sand Martins and House Martins heading past the Water Tower in a south-west direction. I cannot resist watching visible migration and taking counts of the migrating birds. I ended up at the picnic table outside of Hanson Hide and counted 833 Swallows, 233 Sand Martins and 127 House Martins and a Swift in one hour heading west.

Over to the Visitor Centre and two Black Terns were still on Burrowes Pit and the hirundine passage was even more impressive here, so another count of 2,530 hirundines moving south west. Goodness knows how many had passed over the peninsula during the day, a very large number!

 Weather

Light NW winds throughout the day 3 to 13 mph. Clear skies, plenty of sun daytime low of 11C, high of 18C, dry.

Burrowes Pit

Scoping the American Golden Plover

Their seemed to have been an overnight clearout of the Red-necked Phalarope, Pectoral Sandpiper, White-Winged Black Tern and the Black Terns as no news was forthcoming from the Locals or any visiting birders. The Pectoral Sandpiper was re-located at the east end of ARC along with a Ruff and Redshank. I went to Hanson hide first from which a Great White Egret and the Glossy Ibis were showing but no sign of any Garganey, four Dunlin were present.

I then went to the RSPB visitor centre to see if any of the Black Terns or White-winged Black were present but I couldn't find any looking from the visitor centre so I decided to wander along to the Firth Lookout and hadn't gone very far before Neil Burt came running along the track. Neil had found a small Golden Plover which looked very interesting and was nearer the islands in front of Dennis's Hide, so we went there to check. Neil had found an adult American Golden Plover, a smart looking bird amongst a small flock of Golden Plover and it showed well in the hazy sunshine on the nearest island to Dennis's Hide for most of the day, finally flying off around 15:00.

This bird drew in many birders as well as those looking for the other scarce species that had been in the area resulting in the Red-necked Phalarope being located in the same place as yesterday and the Pectoral Sandpiper moving back to the islands in front of Hanson Hide.

Martin picked up a 4th Cal year Caspian Gull on Burrowes whilst we were all looking at the AGP. 

Two Black Terns were still foraging on Burrowes and in the evening a juvenile Ruff appeared there along with 224 roosting Greater Black-backed Gulls of which two were ringed, J16EY and JK525.

Caspian Gull on Burrowes likely in its 4th Calendar Year

Juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper on ARC from Hanson Hide

Adult American Golden Plover on Burrowes

Male Common Darter

Male Migrant Hawker

Female Migrant Hawker

 Weather

Cold at 07:00 6° C, high of 17° C, dry, sunny, clear skies, NW 15 to 17mph, then decreasing to 6mph from midday.

A visit to Scotney Sand Pit early morning found me not having enough warm layers as it felt very cold in the gusty NW wind. The water levels in the Pit are starting to gradually rise but there is still plenty of foraging available for shorebirds. On the track leading to the Pit I had 17 Chiffchaffs indicating that once again a these vocal warblers were moving through the Peninsula and this was backed up with a message of at least 30+ on the east side of the Long Pits. I was hoping for a hirundine passage along this south west part of the area but I only saw a handful of swallows moving over the Pit during the time I was there.

In the Pit were nine Ringed Plovers, two Little-ringed Plovers, four Greenshank, a Ruff, a Sanderling  a Black-tailed Godwit and 10 Dunlin. I met Matthew the landowner of the surrounding arable land but didn't have time to chat as he had to head off to sort out a technical issue with a drilling machine.
I'd be back at the Pit later in the afternoon as Paul Trodd found his second juvenile Red-necked Phalarope there in a week, the other being at Lade South Pit.

Other birds seen at the Pit were Hobby, four Green Sands, 3 Common Sands, Kingfisher a Wood Sandpiper and a late afternoon movement of 1,500 hirundines south west (mostly Swallows and Sand Martins) between 17:00 and 17:30.

On leaving the Sand Pit I headed to Dengemarsh on the RSPB Reserve just in case hirundines were moving through this area and also if the earlier Honey Buzzard that had been seen on the Point decided to move south west. There were many Sand Martins, Swallows and a few House Martins over the area but no sign of any real passage. I did have three Avocets land momentarily before heading off.

Next stop was the Desert and I decided to approach from the north. Whilst wandering and not seeing much Tom Wright found a Red-veined Darter near the Bird Observatory, a new dragonfly species for me. So I headed there and whilst initially it had disappeared another was picked up in the same area.

Looking for Red-veined Darters

On walking back through the Desert to my car I had two Whinchats and a single Wheatear. In the afternoon I was back at Scotney Sand Pit watching the Red-necked Phalarope and the Wood Sand.
Another great day in the area.

Chiffchaff

Wheatear

Red-veined Darter

Whitethroat

Juvenile Red-necked Phalarope

Juvenile Wood Sandpiper

Juvenile Red-necked Phalarope

Weather

Cold early morning, 15°C daytime high. Dry for most of the day with showers, some heavy in the afternoon. NW 14-16mph.

View looking at the south east side of the Trapping Area.

The Desert east of the Trapping Area.

I started the day in the Desert at the Point, taking a wide route near to the railway station and then on to the Sanctuary. Three Red Foxes were evident warming up in the morning sunshine. 

Two flocks of 11 and six Stonechats were foraging amongst the gorse along with a two Whinchats and a Redstart. Occasionally Meadow Pipits would fly over heading west indicating that a movement albeit in low numbers was happening. I recorded 17w.

Meadow Pipit

Whinchat

Whilst at the northern end of the Desert I was fortunate to be in the right place to pick up a juvenile Honey Buzzard which ended up circling over the Point and Long Pits before heading off north-west over ARC and Lade. It or another was later seen perched in willow from the Polish War Memorial. Kestrels are not keen on the intrusion in to their air space and monitored the movements of the Honey Buzzard. At least 19 Kestrels were recorded in the Desert area.

Honey Buzzard juvenile being mobbed by a Kestrel.

I then visited the RSPB Reserve and checked out Burrowes Pit. The White-winged Black Tern and at least 11 Black Terns were still present. An unexpected heavy rain shower caused the White-winged Black Tern to make a most bizarre head movement. After the rain shower, a couple of Black Terns decided it was time for a wash.

White-winged Black Tern (right) and Black Tern (left) 

Washing Black Terns

Bizarre head movement by the White-winged Black Tern

White-winged Black Tern

Butterflies were noticeable in the Desert with Small Copper, Small Heath, Red Admiral and a couple of Peacocks.

Peacock Butterfly

Whilst watching the terns feeding, a begging juvenile Goldfinch with an adult appeared on the Teasels in front of Dennis's Hide.

Weather

Daytime, dry, sunny, 21-25mph NW, 15°C. Thunderstorm and heavy rain showers in the evening.

Burrowes Pit viewed from Firth Lookout

Thunderstorm viewed across ARC from Hanson hide

A fall of Chiffchaffs mainly recorded on the Point with reports of loads of Chiffchaffs in private gardens however, Chiffchaffs also in the willows across the RSPB reserve. The Pectoral Sandpiper and the second juvenile White-Winged Black Tern of the autumn along with 12 Black Terns remain on ARC and Burrowes Pit respectively. Two Willow Emerald damselflies were found along the Hanson Track by Dave Brown. A new damselfly species for me in the area and whilst recorded annually at the Point or Long-Pits in low numbers, a species that is scarce on the RSPB Reserve. Four Garganey and the adult Glossy Ibis on ARC and eight Cattle Egrets at Boulderwall. Duck numbers are decreasing after the high counts in July and August.
In the late afternoon a Whinchat and 12 Stonechats at the Affinity Water Works.

The sunny spells brought out some butterflies with Small Copper, Red Admiral and Small White being recorded.

This adult Glossy Ibis appeared on August 21st the previous 2024 record on the peninsula being a single on June 29th.

Juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper on ARC

Willow Emerald Damselfly

Small Copper

Our second juvenile White-winged Black Tern on Burrowes Pit.

One of the 12 Black Terns on Burrowes Pit.