May 7th

 

 

Foreland

Early A.M: 2 Egyptian geese at Brading 'New bridge'. Only seen one before: a flyby at St. Cath's. So a bit of a novelty bird. But precious else. Zero waders? The water levels have dropped a bit, so that area should be more attractive now.

Lunchtime: had a walk along the coastal f/p near Foreland Fields horse paddocks; another area with huge potential but most of the time is overlooked. I heard whimbrel and two were on the deck. One wheatear. Couple of swallows.

 

 

Foreland

 

 







 



Luccombe hoopoe and the Belem

One reported near Haddon's pit. As it's been a few years since I last saw one - I went to have a look. It was feeding quite happily on a tennis court. Nice area.

 

 

More for my brother/family than anyone; but whilst sea watching off St. Cath's a ship was moving east past the point. It looked familiar? But it was horribly into the sunlight. I took some photos but soon went back to sea watching. But as the sea watching was quiet, I gave it a second look: it was facing west this time and I could see the flag and it was French? The only ship of such design with three masts that I know of (and I don't know many ships I'll be honest) is the Belem. So I checked on a tracker site and sure enough it was the Belem, aka FantomeII, a ship that many moons ago was captained by our great grandfather. Now a training ship. It was heading for Dieppe.

 

 

 

1933

 



     

 

 



St Cath's

A.M: blue skies, warm, headwind

2 whinchat
10 wheatears
3 lesserthroats
1 red kite

Nansen Hill lunchtime:

1 swift N
1 gropper heard

 

 

 

 

whinchat

 

 

wheatears

 

 

 

Red Kite - probably 2cy

Rocken End

Not much to report lately. Missed Tuesday's 'bonxie' day down the Point: the lads reported 55 east; I managed to get down there for an hour that afternoon and added another; but I could sense it had dried up.

This morning I got down to Rocken End for a change, hoping to find some spring rare in the vicinity. But very quiet, so ended up paying the sea more attention (Slight easterly breeze): more arctic skuas moving east, along with commics/sarnies and a handful of little gulls etc..

 

 

 

More like it - blue skies and warmth

 

Little gull living up to its name

Brading

 



St Cath's

Initially we tried a sea watch but it was very quiet - in quite murky conditions. Save a few gannets and sarnies moving east, it just wasn't happening.
Quite a vocal and eventually showy firecrest was in the nearby grounds and tamarisk.
A few swallows made land too.
And several wheatear dropped in; numbers of which generally have seemed quite low thus far; but 6 was a better number.
One white wagtail went over too. 

 

white wag bombing through

 





 

At least four of the wheatears - honest

 

Garganey - Brading NR

 

Three drakes

More ringos etc

Luccumbe down AM quick visit:
2 flyover ring ouzel NW
1 black red (fem)

Afternoon seawtch:
1 bonxie east
3 arctics
first swallows (6) in/off

Ring ouzel

Quick look up Culver this morning.

1st ring ouzel: came in from the east, landed briefly, then headed off due north.
Near where the ringo had landed, a firecrest was singing, but it was dug in and I never saw it once.
Also a black red around the cottages.

I think that constitutes a 'record' shot

 



 

Black red

 

stock dove

Bonxie

St Cath's: More skuas today and manx. 11:40-14:35. (S veering to SW)

1 great skua (all east)
7 arctic skua
1 little gull
22 manx shearwater

 

Bonxie

 

 





 

Short vid of some of the skua action

 

 

Manxies