Saturday, 26 April 2025

Barwit evening (SCP)

April 25th: St Cath's sea watch (17:15 - 20:00): as the easterly winds had swung more south during the afternoon I gave the point a go: Barwits dominated with 759 east; combined with 470 recorded in the morning, 1229 was the day total. (NB Dungeness recorded 3000+). Always a great spring-time spectacle. Also: 44 Whimbrel, 2 Arctic Skuas, 5 Manx, 12 scoter, 11 Kittiwakes, 1 RTD, 6 Sarnies etc. The land remains very quiet tho.....


Garden Warbler - Haddon's Pits - April 27th


Tuesday, 15 April 2025

Pied fly (Ring ouzel & Gropper)

A bit of a slow start to my spring birding campaign; work stuff getting in the way; but hey/ho that's life. Plus, the recent successive (seemingly endless) run of bright easterlies maybe not so great for the patch. I managed to dip an Alpine Accentor at Gore Cliff back on April 5th: an exceptional rarity found by Graham A. and the Island's second record. The next morning (April 6th) it was not seen again; but we did see an in off male Pied Flycatcher fly past us after coming up and over the cliff. Plus, an equally smart male Black Red in the spot the accentor would have been. 

April 15th (conditions have changed): Luccombe area (including Village and Farm etc) yielded a flyover Yellow Wag, reeling Gropper, Sedge warbler, and Ring Ouzel (of note). Whitethroats are back on territory singing away...

April 23rd: Gropper (Nansen Hill) & Sedge Warbler (Haddon's Pits). 

Gore Cliff - where the Alpine Accentor was on April 5th

Grey Heron - just below the lighthouse (St Cath's)

Saturday, 5 April 2025

Island Tick

April 1st/Tennyson Down: came upon a Large Tortoiseshell along the footpath west of the 'quarry' NT car park. Initially very settled affording decent views in the bright sunshine - but seen to fly off, away from and then back past me as it headed up the slopes. A first for me but had been on my radar for some time and they're recorded annually on the Island (albeit small numbers). 

April 2nd/SCP/Sea watch (with George H): some variety and numbers (Easterlies/ENE) mainly ducks: another good push of Scoters (403), Gadwall 2 (irregular here), Eider 3 (2m/1f), pintail, teal, c40 S.Tern, Jackdaw 2 (seen way out at sea before arriving over land), steady mipits, white wagtail and swallows in off. 

Bee-fly on primrose - Luccombe Down

Haddon's Pits 

Crossbills (LEOs Nightjar & RV Darter)

Evidently going to be a Crossbill year with more this morning (June 4th), either perched or on the move. At least 16 at Luccombe Village i...