May 2011

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Early & Late Dates

Record Counts 

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Tuesday 31st:

 

Wader numbers dropped overnight with 64 Dunlin, 57 Ringed Plover, two Sanderling and a Whimbrel present over high tide. Elsewhere a summer plumaged Great Northern Diver was offshore with a second flying high upriver early morning.

 

 

Monday 30th:

 

The first summer Bonaparte's Gull was again offshore along with two Roseate Tern, a dark phase Arctic Skua, 27 Common Tern, 90+ Kittiwake, 162 Black-headed and a first summer Mediterranean Gull. Wader numbers had increased with the rain dropping in several flocks counts included 117 Sanderling, 102 Dunlin, 71 Ringed Plover, three Whimbrel, a Bar-tailed Godwit and a Turnstone. Elsewhere a Spotted Flycatcher was the first of the year.

 

 

Sunday 29th:

 

The first summer Bonaparte's Gull was offshore in the evening along with a Little Tern and a Great Northern Diver.

 

 

Saturday 28th:

 

The first Storm Petrel of the year was offshore this evening with the first summer Bonaparte's Gull, three Arctic and two Common Tern, and a first summer Black-throated Diver. Earlier in the day a Great Northern Diver flew south and a summer plumaged Red-throated Diver was on the sea. Wader counts over high tide included 64 Sanderling, 35 Dunlin, 31 Ringed Plover, three Whimbrel and three Turnstone.

 

Arctic Tern 28/05/11 both © Lee Collins

 

 

Friday 27th:

 

The evening high tide wader counts were 27 Dunlin, 18 Sanderling and four Ringed Plover with a second summer Mediterranean Gull offshore. Elsewhere a Cuckoo was feeding on Brown-tail caterpillars by the Dune Pond.

 

Cuckoo 27/05/11 © Ivan Lakin

 

 

Thursday 26th:

 

No news was received.

 

 

Wednesday 25th:

 

Still a midsummer feel to the species present, high tide wader counts were limited to 36 Sanderling, 28 Ringed Plover and two Dunlin.

 

 

Tuesday 24th:

 

No news was received.

 

 

Monday 23rd:

 

An Arctic Skua flew south distantly offshore with a flock of 150+ Manx Shearwater lingering at the same distance. Elsewhere wader counts included 51 Dunlin, 39 Sanderling and 25 Ringed Plover.

 

 

Sunday 22nd:

 

The Bonaparte's Gull was again in the estuary. The WeBS count gave totals of 278 Oystercatcher, 34 Curlew, 18 Dunlin, 14 Sanderling, 14 Ringed Plover, three Whimbrel, a Turnstone and a Bar-tailed Godwit. Elsewhere a Red-throated Diver, 114 Shag, 10+ Manx Shearwater and three Guillemot, including a displaying pair were offshore and fledged young included Stonechat, Linnet, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Long-tailed and Blue Tit.

 

Ringed Plover 22/05/11 © Simon Thurgood                                                                    Dunlin 22/05/11 © Simon Thurgood

               

 

Saturday 21st:

 

Offshore 70+ Common Scoter, 60+ auk sp,15+ Manx Shearwater, five Fulmar and two Great Northern Diver flew south, with 170+ Shag, nine Eider, 32 Sandwich and an Arctic Tern also present.

 

Gannet 22/05/11 © Simon Thurgood

 

 

Friday 20th:

 

Wader counts over the high tide included c200 Dunlin, 80 Sanderling, 26 Ringed Plover, three Whimbrel and two Bar-tailed Godwit, also in the estuary a Brent Goose and the summer plumaged Slavonian Grebe. Elsewhere a Great Northern Diver flew south and at least one Cuckoo, a Wheatear and a Stock Dove were on site.

 

 

Tuesday - Thursday 17-19th:

 

No news was received.

 

 

Monday 16th:

 

A virtual repeat of the last couple of days with the first summer Bonaparte's Gull offshore and close enough for a couple of record shots ,with the first summer Mediterranean Gull still present and high tide counts over 300+ Dunlin, 146 Sanderling and 20+ Ringed and six Grey Plover.

 

Bonaparte's Gull 16/05/11

 

 

Sunday 15th:

 

The first summer Bonaparte's Gull was again offshore in the evening with a first summer Mediterranean Gull and two Manx Shearwater. Over high tide counts included 360+ Dunlin, 40+ Sanderling and 32 Ringed Plover,16 Whimbrel, six Grey Plover, four Bar-tailed Godwit and a Brent Goose.

 

 

Saturday 14th:

 

The first summer Bonaparte's Gull was offshore with a first summer Mediterranean Gull and a Common Tern. An influx of waders saw 270+ Dunlin, 45 Sanderling and 22 Ringed Plover in the Bight.

 

 

Friday 13th:

 

The first summer Bonaparte's Gull was again offshore this evening. Elsewhere a Curlew Sandpiper was on the beach, the summer plumaged Slavonian Grebe was again off Cockwood, also in the estuary 12 Dunlin, 11 Whimbrel, two Ringed Plover, a Turnstone and the Black Swan.

 

 

Thursday 12th:

 

No news was received.

 

 

Wednesday 11th:

 

 Four Eider were offshore and the Black Swan was still in the estuary. Otherwise, excepting the regular breeding species, it remains very quiet.

 

 

Tuesday 10th:

 

A Black Swan was in the estuary at low tide with seven Whimbrel and five Grey Plover; no other news was received.

 

Whitethroat 04/05/11 © Colin Scott                                                                               Linnet 04/05/11 © Colin Scott

 

 

Monday 9th:

 

The only news received was of 50 Kittiwake, three Eider and a Red-throated Diver offshore.

 

 

Sunday 8th:

 

Seawatching provided another record day with 10 Pomarine Skua south along with one Arctic Skua, 45 Manx Shearwater and single Black-throated and Great Northern Diver, also offshore at least two Roseate Tern, just one Common Tern and a first summer Mediterranean Gull. A Little Tern was in the estuary with three Brent Geese, whilst wader numbers remain very low with 16 Sanderling, eight Bar-tailed Godwit, seven Grey and three Ringed Plover, four Turnstone and two Dunlin. Elsewhere the first Cuckoo of the year was on Warren Point, with a Short-eared Owl also there, the latest ever spring record; other migrants included a Lesser Whitethroat in Dead Dolphin Wood and a Yellow Wagtail in front of the hide briefly.

 

 

Saturday 7th:

 

Two Roseate Tern were offshore with at least 10 Common Tern, nine Eider, five Manx Shearwater, two Red-throated Diver and two first summer Mediterranean Gull. Elsewhere 20+ Whimbrel, 11 Sanderling, seven Dunlin, five Grey and three Ringed Plover, a Turnstone, a Bar-tailed Godwit and a Redshank were in the estuary, 20+ Swallow, a House Martin and a Swift were overhead and a Willow Warbler on the Dune Ridge was the only grounded migrant.

 

 

Friday 6th:

 

The only news received was of five Grey Plover and a Turnstone with five Eider offshore.

 

 

Thursday 5th:

 

At least one Arctic Tern was offshore this evening with 14+ Common Tern, 16 Great-crested Grebe, nine Manx Shearwater and five Eider. Counts over the evening tide included 35+ Whimbrel, 13 Dunlin, a Bar-tailed Godwit and a summer plumaged Grey Plover. Elsewhere a Coot on the Main Pond was the most notable new arrival.

 

 

Wednesday 4th:

 

The only news for today was of resident species and the continuing passage of Whimbrel with 14 in Greenland Lake during the afternoon.

 

Green Woodpecker 04/05/11 © Colin Scott                                                                   Greenfinch 04/05/11 © Colin Scott

 

 

Tuesday 3rd:

 

There was very little movement today but two quality arrivals included a pair of Garganey and in the estuary a fine summer plumaged Curlew Sandpiper with just five Dunlin, five Sanderling and five Ringed Plover.

 

Curlew Sandpiper 03/05/11 © Lee Collins

 

 

Monday 2nd:

 

On a day of excellent offshore passage the highlight was a site record 10 Pomarine Skua east between 8.20 -12.30, two Little Gull (ad & fs) offshore were also firsts for the year. Other counts offshore included a Great Skua off the seawall before heading high north late pm, 25+ Common, three Arctic, at least two Black and a Roseate Tern, three Mediterranean Gull (two ss and a fs), 10 Great Northern Diver (seven south, three high north), nine Eider and a Red-throated Diver. Waders were also moving with counts from the estuary including 70+ Whimbrel, 50+ Bar-tailed Godwit, 20+ Dunlin, 10 Sanderling, 10 Grey Plover, two Knot, a Turnstone and a Greenshank. Elsewhere the first (and only?) Turtle Dove of the year flew through the Entrance Bushes, a Short-eared Owl flew across the Bight and hirundine passage was 120+ Swallow, 20+ Swift and 20+ House Martin.

 

 

Sunday 1st:

 

The first year Bonaparte's Gull was feeding offshore with 100+ Black-headed Gull, at least two Balearic Shearwater, a first summer Mediterranean Gull, 12 Common and a Little Tern. An Arctic Skua and six Great Northern Diver flew through, with three of the divers heading high north. Counts from the estuary included 60+ Whimbrel, 40+ Bar-tailed Godwit, 20+ Dunlin, 11 Sanderling and a summer plumaged Grey Plover. Elsewhere an early morning passage of hirundines consisted of 40+ Swallow, 39 Swift and 20+ House Martin, the only discernable grounded migrants were the first Grasshopper Warbler of the year with at least one bird reeling on site.

 

 

 

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