22nd December 2021

 A rare (possibly a first) visit to Bockhill in December, to see Sam's Tundra Bean Geese (5), which were still present in the maize field west of the Gun Emplacement.

Having seen the geese I wandered through the Farm Wood and where I heard a call from inside the wood that I suspected was a Hume's Warbler. Having walked around the wood to ensure that there were no Pied Wagtails impersonating a Hume's, I eventually tracked down the warbler and managed a few record shots and a sound recording of its call.

Nigel, Heather, Jack, Tony, Sam and James King arrived soon after and were able to see the bird which remained elusive and always high in the canopy.

This is the second record for the area following one found by Phil and Richard in Oldstairs  in Oct 2015

Brendan

18th December 2021

 A pre-Christmas social (ly-distanced) gathering for coffee and mince pies on the clifftop in a chilly NE wind with mist obscuring the views for much of the time. Despite the weather (and the chatter) we managed a single Golden Plover, 3 White-fronted Geese over the monument and out to sea, followed 5 minutes later by a 1st year Caspian Gull along the clifftop plucked out from the steady stream of large gulls moving up channel all morning.

Nige, Jack, Brendan, Gerald, John, Tony, Richard

12th December 2021

On a seawatch from 08:00 - 12:00 we had 265 Red-throated Divers, 414 Auks , 16 Great Crested Grebes and three Red-breasted Mergansers moving down channel. 

Apart from that there were c.750 Cormorants sitting on the sea and several Kittiwakes and Fulmars flying offshore.

Simon, Jack.

11th December 2021

A seawatch from 08:00-10:00 produced 159 Red-throated Divers, two Red-breasted Mergansers and eight Wigeon all moving down channel. There were also c.3000 Cormorants down channel from 08:35 - 08:40 and then presumably the same Cormorants returned up channel from 09:15 - 09:25.

Feeding close offshore were 25 Auks and 12 Great Crested Grebes, also a Great Skua moved up channel.

Jack.     

5th December 2021

A seawatch from 08.00 - 12.00 produced birds moving up and down channel, we had 34 Red-throated Divers, 122 Cormorants, 15 Great Crested Grebes, 115 Gannets, 243 Auks that were mostly Guillemots and five Great Skuas all of which flew  NE. In front of the shelter were five Rock Pipits.

Feeding offshore were three Common Seals.

Simon, Jack.