PECTORAL SANDPIPER - Brading NR

Wow. Talk about saving the 'best' for last: a last afternoon walk with the bro before he leaves the IOW and we find a PEC sand - slightly unexpected but definitely welcome. First of the year nationally too. Interestingly one was in the same area last autumn.

Phone scope rec shots. Probably due to the eagerness of getting a shot, both camera and scope settings were a bit off. But if it sticks around may get better quality pics. 

With the brother Day 3

St caths 06:30 - 10:30

Garden warbler(s), Willow warblers, lesser whitethroats, had arrived or were arriving. Cold northerlies again made it feel more like winter than spring, so not ideal really - so we were grateful to get some movement. Out of the wind it was bright and pleasant; and overall a nice walk with Graham.

Duff shots of one of the garden warblers. And a sound clip of said bird, and though it's got competition from a wren and wood pigeon, for the most part it's distinguishable and reasonably audible.

Out with the visiting bro

Monday 24th

With my brother down from Scotland for a few days, we decided to try St Caths on the first morning as the forecast predicted winds in a direction that would at least give us some chance of something at sea, rather than on any of the other days anyway; though just after my bro leaves, and I return to work, it's meant to swing to the SE; thems the breaks huh.
But despite it being hard graft at times we managed to scrape a few things:

06:30 - 08:30:

Bonxie (Great Skua) 1 east
RT diver, 1 east
Common scoter, 96
Eider imm, 1
Med gull, 19 (14E/5W)
Sandwich tern, 5
Gannet, 34
Willow warbler 8 (including pale 'acredula' types)
Swallow, 13

Afternoon visit to Brading NR:

Hobby, 1 north (my first of the year)
Yellow wag, 3
White wag, 2
Swift, 1 (my first)
Sand martin 35
Wheater 8 (showing Greenland characteristics)

Tuesday 25th

We tried West High down this morning. Felt really (really) cold at times, what with a dogged northerly head wind cutting through us. Again it was hard graft really, but a male whinchat, wheatears, and a redstart, at least kept our spirits up. 

Brading NR afternoon:

By myself,

common sandpiper 3

green sandpiper 1

grey wagtail 1

white wagtail 1

LRP 1

Lesser whitethroat singing

  

West wight

WHD - fall (NW headwind and overcast)

Certainly the downs were more alive this morning. Not long after starting out along the footpath a smart male redstart perched up, and several willow warblers were singing 'surround sound'. It was a good sign anyway. A bit further along a gropper was reeling. More phylloscs en-route. A tree pipit northbound went over calling; another one later. A ring ouzel called vigorously. Along the south fence line WWs and a redstart fresh in alighted it before leaving north. Wheatear at the battery/ headland. More WWs in the chine and redstart near the golf course. Not too shabby.

EASTERN subalpine warbler - St Lawrence IOW

One found along the coastal path. Question is: western or eastern? Currently being discussed. Probably Eastern (favoured by most), given certain features. Nice which ever (updated: confirmed and accepted by BBRC as 'Eastern'). [Found by Steve Jones].

Vid caps

WHD

Again not much to write home about. Despite it being cloudy with a headwind there was little evidence of a fall or such.

1 yellow wagtail did make it across the Channel. But did it make it any further? Before I heard and saw it fly in, I was watching a fem.sprawk perched on the cliff edge. She took flight just as it arrived and seemed to pursue the wagtail. Out of sight, the outcome was not seen though.

Talking of sprawks, another was on the needles headland. Male.

WHD

A green sandpiper was heard, but not seen at all. Presumably a fly over and an interesting site record.
Though not much else either grounded or moving over. At least 4 wheatears at the Needles battery.

White wag - Brading

Only phonescoped distantly..

WHD

Redstart 2 males
Black redstart 1
Willow warbler 15

St caths