Atherfield/military road: coastal fields have several pools at the moment. Must be nigh on 400 common gulls milling about in the area, including the fields east of Whale chine; not that I could pick out anything else of much interest amongst them - meds, BH, Herring, GBB etc. Yesterday, four Dunlins were feeding at one of the pools; quite unusual on this side of the Island (do see them on sea watches and sometimes hear them at night, mind).
SCP sea watch on 28th: RT Divers x68 (mostly east), seven common scoters etc. (of note). [slightly more Milder conditions of late].
Peacock Butterfly, Ventnor, on 28th.
Juv/2cy buzzard outside my window
Distant local WT Eagle swooped in and caused quite a ruckus at dusk (brents, shelduck etc.). Mobbed by two adult GBB gulls. Great to see them mature.
I was going back through some old photos (2020 is old now?!) and came upon some I'd taken of a stonechat atop Ventnor Downs. I remember at the time thinking it looked 'interesting'. And looking at it again, along with looking at photographic examples of maura types, I haven't changed my mind. Unfortunately, I never saw its rump/upper tail; and it flew it off, never to be seen again... One that got away? Maybe.
The date was around October 31st, 2020, and coincided with a fall of stonechat on Luccombe Down (at least c10) I seem to recall.
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Stood out as being paler overall, both the throat and supercilium looked almost white at times. However, how prominent those features were varied when it moved, when viewed at different angles. A possible siberian? - Oct 2020
Some were reported on the island today, at East Cowes. But I'm yet to connect with any...
Old photo from Christmas 2018 when I got to see 70 odd in Edinburgh; and to date the last ones I saw.
