A catch up over the past few days. Highlights on the 11th were 14 Mediterranean Gull, 191 Sandwich Tern east, 1 Great crested Grebe, 1 Little Egret, 8 Whitethroat, 1 Wheatear, 90 House Sparrow and 4 Linnet. A look at the sea this morning in hot calm conditions and then a walk at Bishopstone produced 7 Common Scoter, 7 Grey Partridge, 10 Oystercatcher, 3 Whimbrel west, 1 Curlew, 4 Redshank, 3 Turnstone, 15 Mediterranean Gull, 73 Sandwich Tern, 5 Cormorant, 3 Little Egret, 1 Marsh Harrier in off the sea, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Great spotted Woodpecker, 1 Kestrel, 1 Peregrine, 17 Sand Martin, 2 Swallow, 2 House Martin, 1 Blackcap, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 9 Whitethroat, 82 Starling, 1 Wheatear, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 4 Meadow Pipit, 2 Chaffinch, 3 Linnet, 3 Goldfinch and 3 Corn Bunting west over the Downs. Whilst watching the solar Eclipse at Bishopstone Wednesday night. 2 Golden Plover flew in off the sea. 

I was out and about at 05:15 this morning where after collecting the recorder from last night, I spent a few hours looking at the sea before walking along the Downs to Bishopstone and back. Last night, as there was a chance of the Northern Lights (which I didn't see), I spent an hour or so on the clifftop. I had only been there 10 minutes when I heard a Barn Owl and turned to see it flying over, lit up by some security lights. This is the first time I have actually seen one on the patch. Back to this morning where in hot conditions I noted 10 Common Scoter east, 2 Stock Dove, 9 Swift, 28 Oystercatcher, 6 Whimbrel, c30 Bar tailed Godwit (131) flew high west with a Whimbrel at the front giving a good size comparison and presumably the same birds were seen 30 minutes later at Seasalter. There were 3 Common Sandpiper, 3 Turnstone, 12 Black headed Gull, 21 Mediterranean Gull, 2 Great Black backed Gull, 2 Lesser Black backed Gull, 201 Common Tern flew east, 72 'Commic' Tern east, 103 Sandwich Tern east, 1 Gannet, 6 Cormorant, 3 Little Egret flew in from the north and continued inland and 4 small Egrets flew west distantly. There was 1 Grey Heron, 1 Great spotted Woodpecker, 1 Kestrel, 1 Peregrine, 3 Sand Martin, 2 Swallow, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 7 Whitethroat, 66 Starling, 6 Robin, 1 Stonechat, 49 House Sparrow, 1 Meadow Pipit, 3 Chaffinch, 5 Linnet and 2 Goldfinch. Also seen were c8 Migrant Hawker, 1 Common Darter and 4 Clouded Yellow butterfly. 

Being car-less the past few days has seen me having to carry the tripod and scope in a large bag and cycle down to the Downs to do my birding. Not the easiest of challenges but I seem to be managing. Birding highlights from a seawatch yesterday morning and a stroll around produced 20 Common Scoter, 7 Swift, 30 Oystercatcher, 1 Redshank, 4 Turnstone, 41 Mediterranean Gull, 242 Common Tern west, 152 Sandwich Tern east, 1 Gannet, 1 Little Egret, 1 Peregrine, 16 Sand Martin, 4 Swallow, 2 Blackcap, 2 Whitethroat, 1 Meadow Pipit, 2 Goldfinch and 6 Corn Bunting. 

I returned this morning at 05:15 and on a calm sea, had a good session with a few birds on the move. Birds noted included 1 Common Scoter, 5 Swift, 29 Oystercatcher, 12 Black tailed Godwit (129) flew high east, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Turnstone, 1 juvenile Kittiwake, 60 Black headed Gull, 55 Mediterranean Gull east, 121 Herring Gull, 4 Great Black backed Gull, 1 Lesser Black backed Gull, 22 Black Tern (130) flew east in a tight flock and flew back west again a while later. There were 20 Common Tern, 67 'Commic' Tern, 32 Sandwich Tern east, 18 Cormorant, 1 Little Egret, 1 Grey Heron east at sea, 1 Hobby, 1 Peregrine, 1 Whitethroat, 24 Starling, 11 House Sparrow and 1 Pied Wagtail. 

Sandwich Tern - adult

Sandwich Tern - juvenile

Black tailed Godwit

A quick catch up from a few days ago when I had the first Arctic Skua of the 'autumn' flying west off the Downs on the 19th along with 12 Mediterranean Gull noted. A ninety minute seawatch this morning on a pretty calm sea from 09:25 produced 2 Swift, 11 Oystercatcher, 1 Curlew, 14 Black headed Gull, 285 Mediterranean Gull east including a good number of juvenile birds. There were 58 Herring Gull, 1 Common Gull, 1 Lesser Black backed Gull, 3 Great Black backed Gull, 1 Sandwich Tern, 8 Cormorant, 1 Grey Heron flying out to sea, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 23 Starling, 5 House Sparrow, 1 Pied Wagtail and 2 Linnet. 

Mediterranean Gull - adult

Mediterranean Gull - juvenile

A Barn Owl was sound recorded at Bishopstone on the 10th July which is a good bird to get here. With a NE wind Sunday morning, I had a few hours seawatching from first light which produced 5 Gadwall east, 1 Mallard on the sea, 4 Teal west, 10 Common Scoter east, 1 Collared Dove, 4 Swift, 4 Oystercatcher, 2 Curlew, 62 Black headed Gull, 80 Mediterranean Gull east, 1 Common Gull, 120 Herring Gull, 7 Great Black backed Gull, 2 Lesser Black backed Gull, 17 Sandwich Tern, 6 Gannet, 4 Cormorant, 1 Little Egret and 1 Hobby flying out to sea. There were 2 Peregrine, 5 Carrion Crow, 2 Woodpigeon, c25 Starling, 1 Blackbird and 7 House Sparrow. 

With a number of Quail being reported this year and a couple of wheat fields immediately south of my patch, I thought I would try and get the recorder out there in the hope one would be in the area. As luck would have it, on the night of the 27th, a Quail (128) was sound recorded at 22:20. This is a new species for my patch but whilst on the 'Herne Bay Downs' list, it is not on mine yet as I didn't hear the bird live. I returned the next morning and then the next few mornings where unfortunately, nothing has been heard. I will, hopefully at some point get this species on the list but in the mean time, it's rather satisfying know that during the night, birds are flying through the area. A visit Sunday morning for a few hours produced 5 Gadwall west, 164 Swift west, 2 Whimbrel, 1 Curlew, 58 Black headed Gull, 2 Mediterranean Gull, 160 Herring Gull, 2 Common Tern, 12 Sandwich Tern, 1 Little Egret, 1 Great spotted Woodpecker, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Hobby and 2 Peregrine. There were 2 Skylark, 1 Jay, c50 Sand Martin, 1 Swallow, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 13 Long tailed Tit, 2 Blackcap, 1 Whitethroat, 39 Starling, 3 Pied Wagtail, 1 Meadow Pipit, 1 Chaffinch, 10 Linnet and 2 Goldfinch. 

Quail

I had an hour looking at the sea yesterday morning for an hour before driving over to Bishopstone where I had a walk around the area. Birds noted included 1 Common Scoter, 1 Pheasant, 14 Feral Pigeon, 1 Stock Dove, 14 Woodpigeon, 4 Collared Dove, 27 Swift west, 1 Oystercatcher, 9 Black headed Gull, 2 Mediterranean Gull, 49 Herring Gull, 16 Great Black backed Gull, 3 Lesser Black backed Gull, 3 Sandwich Tern, 8 Great crested Grebe, 2 Fulmar west, 5 Cormorant, 1 Common Buzzard, 2 Great spotted Woodpecker and 1 Green Woodpecker. There were 2 Peregrine, 4 Magpie, 2 Jackdaw, 7 Carrion Crow, 6 Blue Tit, 3 Great Tit, 1 Skylark, 45 Sand Martin, 2 Swallow, 9 House Martin west, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Cetti's Warbler, 4 Blackcap, 6 Whitethroat, 1 Firecrest, 2 Wren, 17 Starling, 2 Song Thrush, 11 Blackbird, 5 Robin, 4 Dunnock, 5 House Sparrow, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Meadow Pipit, 3 Chaffinch, 4 Linnet and 3 Goldfinch. 

Cormorant

Swift