A cold Northerly wind was present for the session this morning making it quite hard to find the smaller birds which were no doubt sheltering from the wind. I started at Bishopstone and walked up the seawall to the pier before returning along the Downs and checking bushes as I passed. Birds noted included 4 Shelduck, 1 Pheasant, 1 Collared Dove, 1 Oystercatcher, 15 Redshank, 112 Black headed Gull, 101 Mediterranean Gull east with most flying over quite high. There were 3 Common Gull, 65 Herring Gull, 1 Great Black backed Gull, 1 Lesser Black backed Gull, 2 Great crested Grebe, 5 Cormorant, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Jackdaw, 3 Blue Tit, 2 Great Tit, 1 Skylark, c45 Sand Martin, 7 Swallow, 6 Chiffchaff, 2 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Long tailed Tit, 5 Blackcap, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 8 Whitethroat, 1 Firecrest, 5 Blackbird, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Meadow Pipit, 2 Chaffinch and 10 Linnet. Nocmig recording Saturday night only produced 1 Moorhen and still remains very quiet. Surely something good has to fly over soon calling! Back to work this week now so back to weekend birding and 'Nocmig' recording at night weather permitting. 

Mediterranean Gulls

The day started off at 06:00 in cloudy drizzly conditions and ended a few hours later with blue skies and quite mild. I spent an hour first thing having a seawatch before walking along the Downs to Bishopstone and back along the seawall. Birds noted included 4 Shelduck, 1 Pheasant, 16 Woodpigeon, 2 Collared Dove, 1 Oystercatcher, 1 Whimbrel, 9 Turnstone, 18 Black headed Gull, 58 Mediterranean Gull mostly flying east, c150 Herring Gull, 4 Great Black backed Gull, 3 Lesser Black backed Gull, 10 Sandwich Tern west, 7 Great crested Grebe, 6 Gannet, 14 Cormorant, 2 Little Egret, 2 Sparrowhawk, 1 Great spotted Woodpecker and 1 Green Woodpecker. There were 4 Blue Tit, 4 Great Tit, 2 Skylark, 40 Sand Martin, 34 Swallow, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 2 House Martin, 2 Willow Warbler, 5 Chiffchaff, 2 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Long tailed Tit, 5 Blackcap, 1 Lesser Whitethroat (111), 12 Whitethroat, 1 Firecrest, 4 Wren, 18 Starling, 1 Song Thrush, 7 Blackbird, 3 Robin, 7 Dunnock, 13 House Sparrow, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Pied Wagtail, 2 Meadow Pipit, 17 Chaffinch, 17 Linnet, 3 Goldfinch and 1 Corn Bunting (112) singing. 

Great crested Grebe

With only a few hours out this morning until 09:30, I was out at 05:45 where I walked up the sea wall before returning and had a walk around the Bishopstone area. In calm quite sunny conditions, I noted 6 Shelduck, 2 Pheasant, 2 Stock Dove, 22 Woodpigeon, 4 Collared Dove, 1 Greenshank (108) was heard calling offshore, 1 Black headed Gull, 4 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Great Black backed Gull, 6 Great crested Grebe, 3 Cormorant, 2 Blue Tit, 3 Great Tit, 1 Skylark, 1 Swallow, 4 Chiffchaff, 3 Cetti's Warbler and 3 Long tailed Tit. There were 7 Blackcap, 8 Whitethroat, 1 Firecrest, 19 Starling, 1 Song Thrush, 6 Blackbird, 3 Robin, 1 male Wheatear (109) was along the seawall, 8 Dunnock, 8 House Sparrow, 2 Meadow Pipit, 2 Chaffinch, 21 Linnet and 1 Redpoll (110) flew west calling. 

Wheatear 

I was out this morning at 05:45 where I had an hour seawatching and then a walk along the seawall and back to Bishopstone. Birds noted 8 Shelduck, 1 Pheasant, 13 Woodpigeon, 1 Collared Dove, 3 Oystercatcher, 2 Whimbrel (105) flew east and then back west, 2 Turnstone, 6 Black headed Gull, 10 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Common Gull, 260 Herring Gull, 6 Great Black backed Gull, 6 Sandwich Tern, 10 Great crested Grebe, 4 Cormorant, 2 Little Egret, 1 Green Woodpecker and 1 Peregrine. There were 10 Rook, 25 Carrion Crow, 2 Raven flew west over Bishopstone, 3 Blue Tit, 3 Great Tit, 2 Skylark, c120 Sand Martin, 5 Swallow, 2 House Martin (106) west, 1 Willow Warbler, 5 Chiffchaff, 5 Cetti's Warbler, 5 Blackcap, 8 Whitethroat, 1 Firecrest, 15 Starling, 1 Song Thrush, 8 Blackbird, 5 Robin, 5 Dunnock, 20 House Sparrow, 1 Yellow Wagtail (107) west, 3 Meadow Pipit, 5 Chaffinch, 26 Linnet and 10 Goldfinch.

I was out at 05:30 yesterday morning where I spent some time walking from Bishopstone up to the pier and back, checking the bushes as best I could along the Downs as I passed by both ways. Birds noted included 4 Shelduck, 2 Mallard, 2 Pheasant, 30 Woodpigeon, 1 Collared Dove, 38 Redshank, 7 Turnstone, 13 Black headed Gull, 17 Mediterranean Gull west, 1 Great Black backed Gull, 2 Lesser Black backed Gull, 2 Sandwich Tern (103) were flying between buoys offshore, 8 Great crested Grebe, 16 Cormorant, 2 Little Egret and 1 Green Woodpecker. There were 4 Jackdaw, 5 Blue Tit, 5 Great Tit, 1 Skylark, 110 Sand Martin, 10 Swallow, 5 Chiffchaff, 5 Cetti's Warbler, 6 Blackcap, 8 Whitethroat, 1 Firecrest, 10 Starling, 1 Song Thrush, 2 Meadow Pipit, 3 Chaffinch, 1 Greenfinch (104), a scarce bird seemingly in the area despite them breeding 800m away, 16 Linnet and 11 Goldfinch. Nocmig recording Monday night only produced 1 Oystercatcher. 

Blue Tit

I started off just after 05:30 this morning with a look at the sea which was pretty quiet and then took a walk along the seawall up to Bishopstone and back in mostly cloudy conditions. Birds noted included 4 Shelduck, 2 Mallard, 1 Grey Partridge, 2 Pheasant, 24 Woodpigeon, 4 Collared Dove, 1 Curlew, 2 Turnstone, 13 Black headed Gull, 2 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Common Gull, 188 Herring Gull, 8 Great Black backed Gull, 2 Lesser Black backed Gull, 4 Great crested Grebe, 2 Gannet east, 16 Cormorant and 1 Sparrowhawk. At Bishopstone, I found 1 Cuckoo (101) in cliff top bushes which is a scarce bird here so to see one perched was a real bonus. The Sand Martins were not happy with it and occasionally it flew along the cliffs to perch again. There were 2 Blue Tit, 8 Great Tit, 1 Great spotted Woodpecker, 1 Peregrine, 4 Skylark, c80 Sand Martin, 38 Swallow (102) flying west in small flocks, 6 Chiffchaff, 4 Cetti's Warbler, 5 Long tailed Tit, 8 Blackcap, 3 Whitethroat, 1 Firecrest, 7 Wren, 22 Starling, 1 Song Thrush, 7 Blackbird, 3 Robin, 4 Dunnock, 11 House Sparrow, 2 Meadow Pipit, 53 Chaffinch west, 12 Linnet and 81 Goldfinch west. Nocmig recording continues to be very quiet, the only notable bird recorded Friday night being a Coot calling. 

Cuckoo

I was out at 05:30 where I spent some time looking out to sea and then a walk at Bishopstone and along the seawall in warm sunny conditions. Birds noted included 1 Greylag Goose, 3 Shelduck, 2 Gadwall east, 3 Pheasant, 1 Stock Dove, 14 Woodpigeon, 2 Collared Dove, 32 Oystercatcher, 1 Curlew, 8 Black headed Gull, 2 Mediterranean Gull, 3 Common Gull, 6 Great Black backed Gull, 2 Lesser Black backed Gull, 6 Great crested Grebe, 9 Cormorant, 1 Little Egret, 3 Grey Heron, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Green Woodpecker and 2 Peregrine. There were 2 Skylark, 1 Jay, 1 singing Sedge Warbler, c70 Sand Martin, 1 Willow Warbler (98), 7 Chiffchaff, 3 Cetti's Warbler, 6 Blackcap, 1 Common Whitethroat (99), 2 Firecrest, 4 Song Thrush, 5 Dunnock, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Pied Wagtail, 2 Meadow Pipit, 3 Chaffinch, 1 Brambling (100), 14 Linnet and 11 Goldfinch. Still not a Wheatear or Swallow yet!

Cetti's Warbler

Willow Warbler