Nocmig recording during the past couple of nights has been generally quiet, just Ringed Plovers, 1 Grey Heron and 1 Barn Owl on the 19th. A weekend of seawatching started on Saturday in calm conditions which soon turned quite thundery and rainy. Birds of note from first light until 10:30am included 3 Shelduck, 4 Common Scoter, 3 Oystercatcher, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Lapwing, 1 Curlew, 2 Snipe, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Turnstone, 1 Arctic Skua, 1 Mediterranean Gull, c150 Herring Gull, 3 Great Black backed Gull, 22 Little Tern were feeding offshore before moving off west, 37 Common Tern, 60 Sandwich Tern, 1 Great crested Grebe, 1 Red throated Diver, 6 Gannet, 1 Shag, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Hobby in off, 2 Peregrine, 111 Swallow west, 1 Grey Wagtail and 3 Meadow Pipit. 

This morning there was a brisk NW wind so I spent a few more hours seawatching until 10:45am. Birds seen mostly flying west included 1 Shoveler, 2 Wigeon, 2 Common Scoter, 3 Oystercatcher, 1 Curlew, 1 Dunlin, an excellent passage west of 59 Arctic Skua, 1 large Auk sp, 10 Little Gull (142), 53 Black headed Gull, 2 Little Tern, c200 Common Tern, 1 Arctic Tern (143), c300 'Commic' Tern offshore, 17 Sandwich Tern, 1 Red throated Diver, 5 Manx Shearwater (144), 18 Gannet, 27 Cormorant and 1 Kestrel. 

Barn Owl

Manx Shearwater (lower bird) and Arctic Skua

4 Arctic Skua

Highlights birding the Downs Saturday included 6 Shoveler west, 6 Oystercatcher, 1 Ringed Plover, 4 Turnstone, 3 Arctic Skua east, 6 Common Tern, 2 Sandwich Tern, 1 Red throated Diver in partial summer plumage drifted west close inshore, 24 Cormorant, 3 Little Egret, 2 Peregrine, 1 Jay, 5 Sand Martin, 325 Swallow west, 1 House Martin, 2 Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap, 1 Whitethroat, 2 Grey Wagtail and 2 Meadow Pipit. With light winds this morning, I was out early where I stood on the eastern boundary listening out for any Owls calling. At 05:50 as I stood still, an Owl was seen in silhouette and landed in a tree c6 metres away. Although it was still a little dark, I could make out the short ear tufts of a Short eared Owl (141). It sat in the top of the tree for a good minute wiping its bill on a branch before flying off west into the growing light. Also seen today were 2 Mallard, 1 Grey Partridge, 4 Pheasant, 1 Turnstone, 1 Great Black backed Gull, 7 Sandwich Tern, 18 Cormorant, 2 Shag initially perched on a structure before flying west together, 1 Little Egret, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Kestrel, 1 Jay, 20 Swallow, 17 Chiffchaff, 7 Blackcap, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Stonechat, 1 Grey Wagtail, 2 Pied Wagtail, 25 Meadow Pipit west, 1 Chaffinch and 2 Linnet. Nocmig recording Saturday night produced a few Ringed Plover. 

Red throated Diver

Stonechat

Nocmig recording during Monday night produced a surprise Little Owl (140) calling on the coast at Bishopstone at 01:30. Also heard were a Moorhen, Grey Heron and a few Ringed Plover.

Little Owl

With a light SW wind this morning, I thought I would have a look at the sea to see whether there was any movement. I had not long started after 6am when I could hear quite a few gulls getting agitated at something. I already had thoughts of a bird of prey and even an Osprey. The gulls got louder and louder and a scan east just offshore proved good as there was an Osprey hovering over the water. The sun had only just risen and I had excellent views through the scope with the morning sky as the Osprey tried to hunt, but with the gulls going mad, it only made a few half-hearted dives which it aborted. It continued slowly west where near the pier, it made a dive and caught a fish. I then lost it from view but it was seen a few minutes later of Swalecliffe. An excellent start to the morning. I stayed on seawatching as there were a few bits on the move, mainly flying west, which included 17 Shoveler, 2 Wigeon, 18 Teal, 2 Eider east, 43 Common Scoter, c20 Oystercatcher, 1 Whimbrel, 1 Curlew, 1 Common Sandpiper, 4 Turnstone, 5 Arctic Skua west, 1 Kittiwake, c25 Black headed Gull, 2 Common Gull and c155 Herring Gull. There were 4 Great Black backed Gull, 2 Black Tern, c50 Common Tern, 13 Sandwich Tern, 1 Fulmar, 9 Gannet, 32 Cormorant, 1 Little Egret, 11 Grey Heron flew in from miles out at sea and slowly flew west over the pier, 2 Peregrine including one making a kill of a Feral Pigeon over the sea which was immediately stolen by a Great Black backed Gull, 12 Swallow and 1 Wheatear. 

Osprey

11 Grey Heron over Herne Bay Pier

I had a brief walk at Bishopstone yesterday afternoon in differing weather (sunshine, cloud and then rain). Birds noted included 14 Grey Partridge in fields to the south, 101 Woodpigeon, 3 Collared Dove, 81 Herring Gull, 5 Cormorant, 5 Jackdaw, 23 Rook, 1 Swallow, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap, 10 Starling and 12 House Sparrow. This morning in quite calm conditions, I had a brief seawatch and then a walk around the bushes at the Bishopstone end. Birds seen included 63 Oystercatcher, 6 Turnstone, 1 Arctic Skua east, 31 Black headed Gull, 1 Mediterranean Gull, c80 Herring Gull, 4 Great Black backed Gull, 2 Lesser Black backed Gull, 96 Common Tern mainly west, 66 Sandwich Tern east, 11 Cormorant, 3 Peregrine and 3 Little Egret. I make sure normally to check every Cormorant in the hope that I will get a Shag and this morning, I picked up two birds flying east that through the binoculars looked good. I rattled off a few shots a little later than I wanted but they did show the thin bill and neck, steep sloping forehead and pot bellied appearance. I was pretty sure they were 2 Shag and after putting them on social media, everyone replied agreeing with my initial thoughts that they were indeed 2 Shag (139). A good bird to get here I think. A quick walk around a few bushes in the area produced 3 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 8 Whitethroat, 21 House Sparrow, 1 Grey Wagtail west, 5 Swallow west and 3 Linnet. I returned back to Bishopstone a little later for an hour or so and noted c10 Grey Partridge, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 47 Herring Gull, 2 Sandwich Tern, 2 Little Egret, 2 Common Buzzard soaring to the south, 1 Great spotted Woodpecker, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Jay, 1 Sand Martin, 7 Swallow west, 1 Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Long tailed Tit, 1 Blackcap, 2 Whitethroat, 4 Chaffinch, 3 Linnet and 1 Goldfinch. Nocmig recording on Friday night was again very quiet, no hoped for Dotterel flying over yet, just a Teal of note. 

Willow Warbler

Grey Partridge and young

Shag

Shag - Back of camera crop

Highlights yesterday from a brief seawatch in a light southerly wind included 5 Shelduck, 1 Common Scoter, 72 Oystercatcher, 23 Whimbrel, 1 Common Sandpiper, 5 Turnstone, 18 Black headed Gull, 3 Mediterranean Gull, 110 Herring Gull, 127 Sandwich Tern east, 1 Great crested Grebe, 10 Cormorant, 1 Little Egret, 1 Kingfisher and 3 Peregrine. A look this morning again in a light southerly wind produced 1 Shelduck, 5 Teal, 2 Common Scoter, 69 Oystercatcher, 2 Whimbrel, 3 Turnstone, 1 Arctic Skua east, 71 Black headed Gull, 7 Mediterranean Gull, 110 Herring Gull, 3 Great Black backed Gull, 1 Lesser Black backed Gull, 58 Common Tern, 75 Sandwich Tern, 2 Peregrine, 16 Cormorant and 1 Little Egret. A quick look at Bishopstone produced 1 Great spotted woodpecker, 1 Green Woodpecker, 17 Jackdaw, 2 Sand Martin, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Whitethroat, 56 Starling, 54 House sparrow, 1 Chaffinch and 1 Goldfinch. Nocmig the past two nights continues to be rather quiet with only Ringed Plover the obvious birds moving. 

A brief seawatch Saturday morning in a light North wind and then a walk along the seawall produced 2 Common Scoter, 3 Pheasant, 1 Stock Dove, 4 Collared Dove, 8 Oystercatcher, 7 Whimbrel, 2 Common Sandpiper, 3 Turnstone, 1 Dunlin, 4 Arctic Skua west, 15 Black headed Gull, 4 Mediterranean Gull, 90 Herring Gull, 4 Great Black backed Gull, 1 Lesser Black backed Gull, 73 Sandwich Tern east, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 24 Cormorant, 4 Little Egret, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Kestrel, 1 Hobby, 1 Peregrine, 3 Sand Martin, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 5 Whitethroat, 56 House Sparrow and 4 Linnet.

With very little wind this morning, I started off having a look at the sea and then a walk around the bushes at Bishopstone. Birds noted included 5 Egyptian Geese high west, 1 Common Scoter, 1 Pheasant, 1 Stock Dove, 3 Raven (138) flew east over the houses behind the King's Hall calling at 06:33, a species I wasn't too sure whether I would connect with this year. There were  18 Oystercatcher, 8 Dunlin, 39 Black headed Gull, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 149 Herring Gull, 4 Great Black backed Gull, 1 Lesser Black backed Gull, 10 Sandwich Tern east, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 15 Cormorant, 1 Little Egret, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Great spotted Woodpecker, 2 Kestrel, 1 Peregrine, 4 Sand Martin, 15 Swallow, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Whitethroat, 3 Chaffinch and 2 Linnet. Nocmig recording Saturday night produced a number of Ringed Plover calls and an Oystercatcher.