Red-backed Shrikes

My first stop of the morning was to try and get more views of the American Golden Plover at Jury's Gap however, on checking the field used by the plover and the flock of Golden Plovers there wasn't a plover to be seen and not in the adjacent fields either. The bushes along the Sand Pit track held 6 Chiffchaffs and a couple of Blackbirds otherwise fairly light on other birds. I then headed to Boulderwall to wander the access track before the reserve gate opened and managed to see the 5 Glossy Ibis that were still mostly elusive feeding in ditches unless they flew about. On reaching the viewing mound I came across a couple from the BBC. They were recording introductions to classical music. I didn't realise or know that it was Dr Sian Williams who presents Classical Unwind on Radio 3, apparently a well known broadcaster. I stood quietly with them for a short while as they asked me for any information on the bird calls that they could hear to add extra information to the introductions. Whilst I remembered to put my phone on silent, my radio was still on full volume and a call came in from Martin which caused me to apologise for the noise and beat a hasty retreat.

Glossy Ibis

A Red-backed Shrike had been found by James near the Craters to the north of the Long Pits, so that was my next stop. My arrival was timed badly as a couple walked their dog through the gorse patch which the bird was favouring. Despite continuing to push the shrike further away from the observers as they continued their walk, totally oblivious to the birdwatchers. The bird eventually returned to the same location but remained wary.

Juvenile Red-backed Shrike at the Craters

After a short visit to the Bird Observatory, a message came through that another Red-backed Shrike had been found along the RSPB Access track. Whilst watching the shrike, Charlotte radioed that a flock of White Storks were over the Trapping Area and these eventually headed north east out to sea. 

The Red-backed Shrike on the reserve was more confiding and remained within a triangle of gorse and elderberry between the track and the Discovery Area. Unfortunately its right eye was missing and it had a deformed bill but had lovely well defined barring.

Juvenile Red-backed Shrike RSPB Reserve

The flock of White Storks comprised 61 birds, distant in the heat haze and riding the thermals.

Part of the White Stork flock

The flock of 61

Terns and Waders

The islands at the Firth viewpoint at Dungeness RSPB reserve have been attracting flocks of Common and Sandwich Terns including several juvenile and 2CY birds.

Juvenile Sandwich Tern

These days i'm on the lookout for ringed birds and came across two ringed Common Terns both of which originated from different ringing schemes in Holland.

Yellow ringed, Adult Common Tern from Holland

White tagged, Adult Common Tern from Holland

Finally the last 3 juvenile Common Terns that were on the small island in front of Dennis's hide have fledged. The smallest of them is very cute and barely has any primaries compared to the other two. I expect the short flight from the nesting island to the Firth lookout was a major leap of faith for it.

Despite the increase in the numbers of islands appearing across the reserve due to the lack of rain, the number and diversity of waders has been relatively low, which is odd given the numbers of shorebirds being recorded at Lade Bay. However, perseverance and multiple visits to the reserve during the days and weeks eventually pays off.

Juvenile Spotted Redshank

Juvenile Spotted Redshanks

Four Knot and a Dunlin

Golden Plovers

Ringed Plovers

Male and female juvenile Ruff

Black-tailed Godwits

Black-tailed Godwits

Adult and juvenile Little Stints

Juvenile Sanderling

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

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.