Dotterel

On 30th August Owen found a Dotterel at Jury's Gap amongst a flock of Golden Plover. It was still there this afternoon with a single juvenile Golden Plover despite the rest of the Plover flock having flown off.  Luckily you could see it without having to venture over the rocks or go around the shoreline to gain access to the Green Bank. Never close and in a strong gusty SW wind and heat haze I managed these shots. 

Grasshopper Warbler, Garganey and Black Tern

On 28th August, the Obs ringed 4 Grasshopper Warblers within the trapping area. The most ringed at the Obs in one session for some time. I had managed to miss all the previously ringed Grasshopper Warblers but managed to see the fourth bird ringed that day. Many thanks to Jacob for letting me know.

Grasshopper Warbler

In the Observatory Desert area a couple of Whinchats were hanging out with a couple of Wheatears.

Whinchat

Typical view of a Brown Hare

On the 27th August there were 5 Garganey that suddenly appeared in front of the Firth Lookout at Burrowes Pit on the RSPB Reserve. Unfortunately some poor fieldcraft by yours truly flushed them however, the next evening they re-appeared.

Five Garganey, Common Terns and juvenile Black Tern

Five Garganey and two Teal

A juvenile Black Tern appeared on Burrowes on the 8th August. This one, has been hanging around on Burrowes since at least the 27th August. 

Black Tern

Black Tern

Redstart and Osprey

A lone seawatch for an hour between 7:00 and 8:00 at the Point resulted in not much, in fact I think the Sandwich and Common Terns were just flying around in a large circle. A radio message from Jacob resulted in me heading to the trapping area as the ringers had caught a Redstart which I had not managed to see so far this autumn.

1CY Male Redstart

I then decided to wander up to the top of the Long Pits and back staying on the east side. A juvenile Osprey which is possibly the same bird that was seen on the 20th and also earlier this morning at Galloways was soaring low over the Long Pits before heading over the trapping area and gaining height flew NE out to sea and over Lade Bay.

Juvenile Osprey

I then moved on to the RSPB Reserve where there was a good collection of waders if you spent time checking the various muddy edges on distant islands. 11 Ringed Plovers, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 3 Dunlin, 3 Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, 35 Golden Plovers, Wood Sandpiper, 4 Common Sandpipers, 6 Ruff and a Curlew.

There are still 3 Common Tern chicks in the colony out from Dennis's Hide, although 2 look like they are near fledging.

Golden Plovers

Ringed Plovers

Ringed Plovers

Juvenile male and female Ruff

This Great White Egret seems to have an odd resting posture!

Great White Egret

Icterine Warbler

A dash at speed to Dungeness Obs to see a strange looking Hippolais warbler that Ravi had found in the moat. By the time I arrived it had been identified as an Icterine Warbler but a grey looking individual with a yellow wash across the face and upper breast and a lovely wing panel. 

A Pied Flycatcher was in the moat for it's second day. This one is from the top of the Long Pits back on the 15th August, along with a juvenile Green Woodpecker.

Zitting Cisticola (Fan-tailed warbler)

Zitting Cisticola is such a dreadful common name, I much prefer Fan-tailed Warbler. Anyway, Barry Wright found a long overdue Zitting Cisticola at Galloways on the 17th. This first for the area is becoming faithful to a section of Galloways comprising expanses of long grass with scattered low bramble, gorse and broom scrub. On the 17th I was away and couldn't try for the warbler until late afternoon by which time it had become very windy. I tried again early this morning, 18th, also having no luck but a second attempt later in the morning even though it had started raining was very successful, with great perched and flight views.

Its been a bit quiet on the bird front

Recently sea watching has been mostly just that, watching the sea and hoping that a bird just might appear. On the 4th August, amongst the few Common and Sandwich Terns moving offshore this adult Little Tern appeared.  

There have been a few Mediterranean Gulls also moving off shore, this one is a smart juvenile.

Today, another very quiet day on the peninsular, a couple of juvenile Black Terns appeared on the RSPB reserve, one on Burrowes and a second on ARC.

It did land amongst a flock of roosting Common Terns and started to preen before lifting off again.

At the dipping pond an adult Little Grebe was feeding its 3 Littler Grebes,

Here the adult has caught a froglet, presumably a Marsh froglet. 

Next week, the temperatures are forecasted to be up in the high twenties and even thirty degrees but the wind is going to have some east in it. Fingers crossed for some migrant arrivals.