Sunday 15th September SWW Dungeness

Sunday meeting at the point we headed for the patch, managed to see all the commoner Terns Sandwich, Common, Little, Arctic, and Black. Among the gulls a Little Gull then an Arctic Skua appeared.

 

Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua

The Patch


At the ARC and Burrows Pit we found Little Stint, Ruff, BT. Godwit, Dunlin, Curlew Sand(I think), Black-necked Grebe, Great White Egret, Egyption Geese,

A good day had by all 

Looking for a Pec. Monday 16th September

Monday 16th I took frank for his walk over to Rye Hbrfor the third time to find the Pec.Sand. Again no luck so made do with a couple of Wheatears.

Wheatear

Wheatear

Wheatear
 

I also found a couple of Winchats

Winchats

Despite trying to get closer this was the best I got

Winchat

A week in Norfolk

 

 

A weeks holiday planned months ago after having 3 months of good weather we woke to wind and rain and that's how it stayed for the week but occasional sunny spells were welcomed.

 

Egyption Geese

A trip to Cley on the Monday found 9 Egytion Geese by the roadside, a Common Sandpiper on Pat's Pool

Common Sandpiper

Along the East Bank hundreds of Black-tailed Godwits and a couple of Little Egrets

Little Egret

 

 

Tuesday morning a Sea watch from Sheringham amoungst a dozen or so birders put me onto 2 Long-tailed Skuas, a couple of Bonxies, and a Manx Shearwater. I couldn't however get onto the Sooty or Belearic.

 

Other than that it wasn't till the Friday when we went to Titchwell that we had 5 Winchats, 3 Little Stints, 4 Curlew Sands plus all the usuals but I didn't take the camera.

 

Sunday 1st September SWW Seaford Head Birding

The day started fairly quiet, with a Winchat and Wheatear from near the car park, but it wasn't till we got down to Hope gap where things livened up with a few Lesser Whitethroat and many more Common Whitethroat.

 

Lesser Whitethroat



A juvenile Peregrin put on a couple of good displays

Peregrin

A couple of Wheatears were down by the river mouth


Wheatear



Wheatear

Later on we found 4 Winchats

Winchat

Winchat

However the highlight of the morning were the 2 Curlew Sandpipers on the mud near the Golden Galleon

Curlew Sandpipers

Walking back to the car park several Yellow Wagtails, the Peregrin again, and 2 Common Redstarts

Common Redstart

Sunday 25th August SWW Pagham Harbour

After seeing 20 plus Yellow Wagtails in the cattle fields opposite the visitor centre, we moved to the ferry where the highlights were a Juvenile and Adult Med Gull. From here we went to Church Norton and picked up Curlew, Wimbrel, Ringed Plover, Dunlin and 2 Peregrins on their island. A walk round to the severals found a distant Spotted flycatcher and a Winchat in the horse field. Back at the Churchyard another Spotted Fly but distant.

 

 

Spotted Flycatcher

A walk via Halseys Farm to the North Wall found little other than a Nuthatch (very rare to Selsey Peninsular). Stopping for lunch on the Breech Pool 60 Black-tailed godwits and a Spotted Redshank.

Spotted Redshank

Black-tailed godwits with Spotted Redshank

Out in the harbour 3 Yellow-legged Gulls another Spotted Redshank, Redshank, Dunlin, and Ringed Plover. Getting a text of a Wryneck at Church Norton sent us scurrying back to have a look. The same bush where we saw the Winchat I got a brief glimpse of the Wryneck, 20 minutes later it showed well on the fence that's number 276 in the bag.

Wryneck

Wryneck

Wryneck

SWW at Dungeness Saturday 17th August

Starting at the point on Dungeness we started with a sea watch in front of the power station and the first bird of note was an Artic Skua, loads of gulls were on the patch with a few comic terns and several Gannets feeding a bit further out. No sign of the Black Redstarts so we headed for the fishing boats for another look at the sea. It wasn't long before Paul spotted 3 Black Terns

Black Tern

The Little Gull flew past so close posing for photos but I had knocked the manual focus button so missed out on a pic.

On the reserve a couple Wood Sandpipers and a couple of eclipse Garganey showing fairly close but in bad light.

Garganey (eclipse)

Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

Couldn't resist this Egret

Little Egret

Hundreds of Sand Martins were over all the pits

Sand Martin

Very few Marsh Harriers today but this one put on a good show

Marsh Harrier.

 

Also seen on the reserve 2 Egyption Geese, a Black-necked Grebe and a Ruff. Over on the ARC pit 2 Dunlin, several Common Sandpipers another Ruff, 3 Snipe, 2 Greenshanks, several Ringed Plovers, and a couple of Little Ringed Plovers. As always a good day birding at Dungeness.

 

And even more Butterflies

 

Saturday at Dungeness we came across this Common Blue

 

 

Common Blue


Sunday we went to Brede Woods where it was a lot quieter than a fortnight ago with regards to butterflies. However we were rewarded with this Silver Washed Fritillary

Silver Washed Fritillary

A brief view of a Small Skipper

Small Skipper

Also numerous Speckled Woods

Speckled Wood (worn)