Jan - Scandi Herring

Sandown Canoe Lake 

23/01/22

1st winter/ juvenile  'argie'

A few angles highlight its 'retarded' moult; an almost crisp early autumn michahellis look about it - in late January! Indicates it's probably from some way north....

Jan - Sandown; Shalfleet sw

Pochard x 4, c90 tufted ducks..

Common Gull x 7  

Chillier conditions: low as 2c (winds light from the East), mostly bright. 

Parkhurst Forest on 12th: Firecrest, treecreeper, goldcrest (singing), coal tit(s), mistle thrush, bullfinch...

1w Common Gull - Ryde West Sands 12/01

Local Firecrest - 15/01

Shalfleet Sewage works 17/01/22 - a few chiffs, siskin, and a vocal Cetti's - interesting area and new to me. Tried the area around the church for hawfinch (found one there in Jan 2018) but none apparent. 

New Years Day and early January

Morning only NYD from 7:45:

(Very mild; up to 15c)

Noc mig: 8x Redwing just after midnight. 

Morning til lunch: visited Whale chine, SCP, and Yaverland. 

Black Redstart (1m) at SCP Lighthouse. Kittiwakes and auks moving. 

>Black headed gull, ringed, 2FN White, from Copenhagen, at Yaverland car park. 

About 33 species seen on the 1st. 

Other new year highlights:

Black-throated Diver off Springvale on Jan 3rd; plus GND, RedN grebe and slavs (2).

White-fronted Goose x 2 at Brading Marsh on January 5th. Marsh Harriers etc.

Barn Owl heard at Binstead on Jan 9th. 

Black red at SCP and 1st winter Common Gull at Sandown C.Lake

BT Diver:

2021

A look back:

Spring was (personally speaking) pretty unremarkable. Though perhaps, one got away: in the form of an in off pipit at SCP calling, sounded interesting....but fleeting..

Summer trip to Scotland, August 16th - August 24th, highlights being a Long-tailed Skua (Ferryhills/Forth), Roseate Tern(s) at Burntisland, a Sabine's Gull (adult) plus an in/off Wood Sandpiper (calling) at Fifeness; all enjoyed and experienced with my brother Graham - very memorable.  

IOW autumn migration highlights included the twitch-able Greenish warbler at Haddon's Pits on September 3rd. Two Honey Buzzards over Ventnor Downs on two separate dates Sept 6th and Sept 17th (the latter single a Male bird). A spell of Balearic Shearwaters in numbers by Ventnor/SCP plus a Sooty Shearwater (Sept 28th). Late Autumn vis-mig atop Ventnor Downs included a Snow Bunting (vocal, trying to settle, on Nov 5th) and a flyover Hawfinch (Nov 10th); both of which were sound recorded on my new (purchased last summer) recording set up, a Dodotronic parabola and mic combo.

Year's end

2021 closing out....

Seaview: mild, blustery westerlies...

Red-necked Grebe x1 and 2x Slavs (Dec 29th).

Up to 11 Glossy Ibis at Brading Marsh (reported).

Ringed GBB (1st Winter) but code obscured - green left tarsus and metal on right. Sandown canoe lake on 28th.

GND and RNG (Gulls, Adult and 2cy Yellow-Legged, Scandi)

Seaview has been productive: Slavs, Red-necked Grebe, GN Divers (x3) etc.

Sandown Canoe Lake: adult Yellow-legged gull and scandi/argie type herrings of note. 

Adult Yellow-legged at Sandown on December 15th.

2nd Winter Yellow-legged at the same site on 17th:

Argie/Scandinavian Herring Gull:

Darker mantle/heavy streaking/'fierce' expression.

Wing pattern:

Extensive white on P10, obvious greyish 'tongues' extending into the black.

GBB:

1st Winter GBB

Grebes

 Seaview 11/12/21: GND, Slav, Razorbill, Sarnies, C.Scoter (plus a duck sp)....