From 06-30 to 11-15 we stood at the clifftop and watched for any migration. The only birds of note were 216 Chaffinches, two Red Kites, 15 Common Buzzards, a Greylag Goose and, bird of the day, an Alpine Swift that gave very brief views as it flew in a SW direction.
Richard, Simon. Jack.
A couple hours seawatching in the Bay with birds moving N produced 52 Red-throated Divers, 134 Brent Geese, a Red-breasted Merganser, six Common Scoters and seven Auks. On the sea were 28 Great Crested Grebes and a Shag. Feeding offshore was a Common Seal and two Harbour Porpoises.
Simon, Jack.
Again very little about apart from a Chiffchaff and two Stonechats. Met Richard who had seen a Firecrest, two Grey Partridges and one of the Ravens. We continued on, through the Paddock, to the Monument where we had a Short-eared Owl.
After a call from Nigel we were off to the Undercliffe to see a Black Brant that he had found on the rocks. There was also a Black Redstart and a Scandanavian Rock Pipit there, with another Chiffchaff on the beach.
Richard, Nigel, Jack.
Very little today apart from four Stonechats and a Chiffchaff on the clifftop. Also a Chiffchaff in the Farm Wood.
Richard, Jack.
A seawatch from 07-30 until 11-00 produced 365 Gannets, 145 Red-throated Divers,88 Brent Geese and four Curlews all moving upchannel. Whilst offshore were 25 Great Crested Grebes and 15 Auks.
Also feeding offshore were two Common Seals and three Harbour Porpoises.
Simon. Jack
Today our seawatch was a little disappointing and after four hours we only had 89 Red-throated Divers, one Black-throated Diver, 130 Gannets and 40 Brent Geese all moving up channel. Moving down channel were 22 Auks {mainly Guillemots], a flock of 120 Cormorants and four Curlews. Just offshore were about 50 Great Crested Grebes and 40 Fulmars.
Simon. Jack.
The first seawatch of the year produced very few birds and in four hours we had 600 plus Cormorants moving S, which included 500 in one flock, 474 Red-throated Divers S and 39 N, apart from that there were only 4 Brent Geese, 4 Shelducks and 8 Auks. Also three Common Seals fed just off the rocks.
Simon, Jack.
Although the weather constantly changed with rain squalls dashing up channel, making viewing difficult at times, for four and a half hours we did a sea watch in the Bay. Birds were moving mostly in a SW direction with 59 Brent Geese, 26 Teal, 32 Common Scoter, 78 Shelduck, 17 Wigeon, a Gadwall and seven Red-breasted Merganser. Other than wildfowl we had 22 Red-throated Divers, one Black-throated Diver, 56 Kittiwakes, 28 Little Gulls, 142 Auks[mainly Guillemots], a Little Auk and over 2000 Gannets.
Simon, Jack.
On a seawatch at St Margaret's Bay from 07:15-14:50 we had, mostly moving down Channel, 149 Brent Geese, 71 Common Scoters, a Velvet Scoter, 29 Teal, two Mallards, 18 Wigeons, four Shelducks, an Eider and three Goldeneyes. As well as the wildfowl there were 123 Cormorants, a Shag, 27 Red-throated Divers, two Black-throated Divers, eight Great Crested Grebes, 443 Auks and an Arctic Skua.
The only waders were 49 Lapwings that flew in off the sea and four Curlews and a Whimbrel that flew on to the rocks under the cliff.
A total of 11 Falmars have returned to the Cliffs.
Feeding just off the beach were two Harbour Porpoises and a Common Seal.
Simon, Jack.
With a slight improvement in the weather, e.g. lighter NW winds I was tempted out, in the hope of a repetition of 4th Nov 1995 when we recorded four Pallas's Warblers! I recall seeing only one chiffchaff on that day so in that respect alone today was better with five Chiffchaffs. Two Blackcaps added to the warbler count and the crests contributed eight Gold and two Fire.
There was some decent overhead movement after the early morning rain cleared with at least 190 Siskins going north in the first hour. A Snow Bunting also flew North. The first Woodcock of the autumn was recorded, flushed from the cliff top near Hope Point. It flew into the Empty Wood.
A Woodlark was flushed from the "rare bunting" field ( a field that has failed to produced a single rare bunting but has hosted up to five wintering Woodlarks in the past) and may well have settle back down.
Still not too late for a Pallas's but some improvement in the winds needs to happen first
Brendan
https://ebird.org/checklist/S121824378
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| Firecrest- Gun Emplacement |
A delayed start due to heavy rain. very quiet with an end of season feel to it. A Woodlark over the monument as we had coffee was the highlight but there was very little else of note. Two Chiffchaffs, five Goldcrests and four Stonechats.
https://ebird.org/checklist/S121619399
Nigel and Brendan
A seawatch during the morning produced very little of note apart from six Brent Geese, 11 Common Scoters, three Lapwings (rare for us), five Red-throated Divers, nine Auk sp, one Arctic Skua and, coming in off the sea, 1155 Starlings.
Simon, Jack.
Later Nigel had a Dartford Warbler on the cliff-top.
Another day with a few birds moving overhead most notable being 46 Stock Doves and 12 Bramblings.
Around the area was a nice male Ring Ouzel, a Woodlark and a Crimson Speckled on the cliff-top.
Brendan. Nigel, Paul Holt, Jack.
