I struck the jackpot on Thursday night when I sound recorded a Night Heron (116) flying along the coast at 02:18. After all the quiet nights, it certainly is a nice feeling to get something good. I was out at 5am this morning where I spent a couple of hours on the clifftop watching the sea and hoping a few birds would also pass by over the land, before I then took a quick walk around the Bishopstone end. In lovely sunny weather with little wind I recorded 4 Mute Swan west, 11 Shelduck, 2 Stock Dove, 12 Woodpigeon, 2 Collared Dove, 3 Swift west, 7 Black headed Gull, 9 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Common Gull, 70 Herring Gull, 11 Great Black backed Gull, 2 Great crested Grebe, 4 Cormorant, 2 Little Egret, 1 Green Woodpecker and 2 Hobby (117) were chasing each other offshore. There were 4 Magpie, 2 Rook, 26 Carrion Crow, 3 Blue Tit, 4 Great Tit, 1 Skylark, 80 Sand Martin, 21 Swallow, 4 Chiffchaff, 2 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Blackcap, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Whitethroat, 4 Wren, 4 Starling, 2 Song Thrush, 5 Blackbird, 3 Robin, 4 Dunnock, 4 House Sparrow, 5 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Meadow Pipit, 1 Tree Pipit (118) flying west calling, 2 Chaffinch, 4 Linnet, 1 Redpoll and 6 Goldfinch. 

Night Heron

Yellow Wagtail

Birding the area early Saturday morning in pleasant calm conditions produced 1 Mute Swan west and then on the sea, 2 Shelduck, 2 Common Scoter, 1 Pheasant, 31 Woodpigeon, 2 Collared Dove, 4 Oystercatcher, 2 Whimbrel, 1 Arctic Skua (113) was chasing Terns offshore, 37 Black headed Gull, 5 Mediterranean Gull, 2 Common Gull, 50 Herring Gull, 4 Great Black backed Gull, 1 Lesser Black backed Gull, 97 Sandwich Tern mostly east, 7 Great crested Grebe, 1 Gannet, 7 Cormorant, 1 Peregrine, c80 Sand Martin, 2 Swallow, 4 Chiffchaff, 2 Cetti's Warbler, 5 Blackcap, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 11 Whitethroat, 1 Firecrest, 26 Starling, 3 Song Thrush, 10 Blackbird and 1 Fieldfare (114) flew west calling. There were 4 Robin, 6 Dunnock, 6 House Sparrow, 5 Chaffinch, 8 Linnet and 1 Goldfinch. Nocmig recording Saturday night produced 2 Moorhen, 1 Coot and 1 Greenshank. 

*Monday Night edit* A 45 minute look at the sea tonight produced 3 Woodpigeon, 1 Collared Dove, 6 Swift (115) were flying over Herne Bay, 6 Black headed Gull, 7 Mediterranean Gull east, 37 Herring Gull, 2 Great Black backed Gull, 4 Sandwich Tern, 4 Great crested Grebe, 1 Gannet, 18 Cormorant, 1 Little Egret, 1 Peregrine, 16 Sand Martin, 1 Swallow, 22 Starling, 1 Wheatear, 12 House Sparrow and 1 Linnet. 

Whitethroat

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