I was out at 05:30 this morning where as I stepped out of the car, a Hobby zoomed over from the Sand Martin colony direction. There was a light wind this morning and quite cloudy and a few birds to be seen on my walk. There were 1 Pheasant, 1 Stock Dove, 1 Swift, 3 Oystercatcher, 5 Whimbrel, 130 Black headed Gull, 4 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Common Gull, 1 Great Black backed Gull, 1 Common Tern which I initially thought was an Arctic Tern from the back of the camera shots, but having looked on the computer, I'm happy it is a Common. Also noted were 2 Sandwich Tern, 21 Cormorant, 1 Grey Heron west just offshore, 1 Great spotted Woodpecker, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Kestrel, 7 Sand Martin, 2 Swallow, 4 Willow Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Cetti's Warbler, 4 Long tailed Tit, 3 Blackcap, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Firecrest, 4 Yellow Wagtail west, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Meadow Pipit, 5 Chaffinch, 8 Linnet and 4 Goldfinch. As I returned to Bishopstone, I sat overlooking the bushes on the edge of the cliff to see whether anything could be seen. My luck was in as a few minutes later, I caught sight of a Common Redstart (134) flitting around. I had good views as it actively moved around between bushes. This is also a new patch bird. I only managed a few record shots but as It's the first I've seen here, I'm happy to share them.  

Common Redstart

An early morning look at the sea and then a look at Bishopstone on the 5th for a few hours at first light produced 2 Collared Dove, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 10 Cormorant, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Kestrel, 1 Hobby, 3 Peregrine, 5 Sand Martin, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 3 Whitethroat, 1 Meadow Pipit, 1 Chaffinch and 3 Linnet. I had a few hours this morning walking around the patch in lovely calm sunny conditions. Birds noted included 1 Swift, 3 Oystercatcher, 6 Redshank, 5 Turnstone, 90 Black headed Gull, 50 Mediterranean Gull, most feeding in fields south of the area, 5 Common Gull, 3 Great Black backed Gull, 1 Lesser Black backed Gull, 2 Sandwich Tern, 1 Fulmar, 7 Cormorant, 1 Little Egret, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Green Woodpecker, 4 Rook, 1 Sedge Warbler, 4 Sand Martin, 3 Chiffchaff, 4 Long tailed Tit, 1 Blackcap, 1 Garden Warbler (133), 13 Whitethroat, 31 Starling, 52 House Sparrow, 2 Pied Wagtail, 2 Meadow Pipit, 4 Chaffinch, 8 Linnet and 3 Goldfinch. Nocmig recording on Tuesday night produced 1 Greenshank and 1 Dunlin. 

Turnstone

With a moderate NW wind blowing on Saturday morning, I had a couple of hours seawatching. Birds mostly flying west included 9 Shelduck, 28 Common Scoter, 30 Oystercatcher, 3 Whimbrel, 2 Redshank, 1 Turnstone, 5 Dunlin, 1 Arctic Skua (131) flew west, 70 Black headed Gull, 8 Mediterranean Gull, 15 Common Gull, 42 Herring Gull, 8 Great Black backed Gull, 3 Lesser Black backed Gull, 22 Common Tern, 1 Sandwich Tern, 4 Gannet, 1 Peregrine and 1 Swallow.

A walk around the patch this morning in an increasing wind from 05:30 produced 1 Pheasant, 7 Swift, 1 Oystercatcher, 1 Whimbrel, 25 Black headed Gull, 3 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Common Gull, 2 Great Black backed Gull, 1 Lesser Black backed Gull, 1 Sandwich Tern, 8 Cormorant, 1 Marsh Harrier flying high west at sea at 07:34, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Kestrel, 1 Hobby, 1 Jay, 20 Sand Martin, 49 Swallow, 1 Willow Warbler, 4 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 12 Whitethroat, 2 Firecrest, 1 Wheatear on the rocks, 4 Chaffinch, 23 Linnet and 2 Goldfinch. Also seen were 4 Migrant Hawkers, 2 Wall Butterflies and 3 Hummingbird Hawkmoths. Having counted my year list on my excel spreadsheet, I have not added Hobby (132) which was seen on the 17th May.

Wheatear
 

A walk around the patch yesterday was pretty quiet but I did manage to see 1 Greenshank flying west calling, 2 Mediterranean Gull and 1 Firecrest. With a light NW wind forecast for this morning, I decided on a few hours having a seawatch before a walk around Bishopstone Glen. Birds noted included 8 Oystercatcher, 1 Whimbrel, 1 Curlew, 3 Bar tailed Godwit (130) flew west at 06:05 which included 1 summer plumaged bird. There were 67 Black headed Gull, 73 Mediterranean Gull west, 71 herring Gull, 16 Great Black backed Gull, 2 Sandwich Tern, 1 Fulmar made a few passes before flying west, 3 gannet, 18 Cormorant, 2 Little Egret, 1 Great spotted Woodpecker, 1 Kestrel, 1 Hobby, 2 Peregrine, 13 Sand Martin, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Chaffinch, 2 Linnet and 1 Goldfinch. Frustratingly, not long after I had left, a juvenile Purple Heron was seen flying west offshore at Reculver. It no doubt flew through the patch but by the time I had arrived back, I unfortunately could not relocate it. 

Fulmar

A couple of visits over the past few days in a light Northerly wind. Birds noted on the 25th included 3 Swift, 5 Oystercatcher, 4 Whimbrel, 1 juvenile Kittiwake, 76 Black headed Gull, 10 Mediterranean Gull, 2 Great Black Backed Gull, 1 Lesser Black Backed Gull, 7 Sandwich Tern, 4 Gannet, 2 Little Egret, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Marsh Harrier out to sea, 1 Kestrel, 1 Hobby, 3 Peregrine, 20 Sand Martin, 1 Swallow, 1 Willow Warbler, 4 Chiffchaff, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 5 Whitethroat, 21 House Sparrow, 1 Chaffinch, 13 Linnet and 2 Goldfinch. A seawatch this morning and then a sit on the cliffs in a light NNW wind produced 5 Shoveler (129) east, 2 Swift, 8 Oystercatcher, 1 Whimbrel, 30 Black headed Gull, 4 Mediterranean Gull, 60 Herring Gull, 5 Great Black Backed Gull, 1 Lesser Black Backed Gull, 19 Cormorant, 2 Little Egret, 1 Marsh Harrier west at sea, 1 Kestrel, 1 Hobby, 2 Peregrine, 6 Swallow, 1 Pied Wagtail and 2 Linnet. The past few nights recording have been pretty quiet but I recorded Whimbrel, Grey Heron, Redshank and Sandwich Tern. Hopefully 'Nocmig' will pick up soon with birds on the move at night migrating. 

Little Egret

Redshank

Sandwich Tern

With the wind going round to the south this morning, and occasional rain forecast, I decided on a walk around some of the bushes in the hope a few warblers could be found. Birds noted included 1 Pheasant, 1 Stock Dove, 12 Swift, 2 Curlew, 62 Black headed Gull, 5 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Great Black backed Gull, 1 Lesser Black backed Gull, 2 Sandwich Tern, 6 Cormorant, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Hobby unsuccessfully hunting sand Martins on the cliff top, 1 Peregrine, 6 Great Tit, 1 Skylark and 30 Sand Martin. A walk past some Alexanders along the Downs produced 3 Sedge Warbler (128), all juvenile birds. I was hoping to see this species on the patch this year as they feed up before their migration. There were 3 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, 3 Long tailed Tit, 1 Blackcap, 4 Lesser Whitethroat, 9 Whitethroat, 2 Firecrest, an adult feeding a young bird, 56 Starling, 1 Song Thrush, 15 House Sparrow, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Pied Wagtail, 4 Chaffinch, 8 Linnet and 3 Goldfinch. 

Sedge Warbler

With the prospect of heavy rain and not really wanting to get soaked, I decided on a seawatch in a light northerly wind from 06:00. Birds noted included 82 Common Scoter east, 10 Swift, 4 Oystercatcher, 2 Whimbrel, 1 Curlew, 5 Common Sandpiper east along the foreshore, 1 adult Pomarine Skua (126) with spoons east at 09:00, 242 Black headed Gull, 97 Mediterrenean Gull east, 1 Common Gull, 44 Herring Gull, 5 Great Black backed Gull, 12 Sandwich Tern, 1 Great crested Grebe, 6 Gannet, 27 Cormorant, 1 Grey Heron west, 1 Kingfisher (127) a patch tick, was seen well through the scope sitting on the wooden groynes east of the harbour, 4 Peregrine on the pier, 47 Starling, 5 House Sparrow and 1 Linnet. Recording has been fairly quiet during the week when I've had the recorder out but I did record a flock of Whimbrel over on Thursday night. 

Whimbrel