I was out early this morning unsuccessfully searching again for any Owls at Bishopstone. I did manage to hear 1 Grey Partridge and 3 Golden Plover as the light picked up. I then drove over to park at the pier and watched from the end of the pier for a few hours in freezing conditions. As I was scanning the sea, I heard a Kingfisher (147) calling underneath the pier a few times. I never saw it unfortunately but nice to know there is one around in the area. Hopefully I can get a view soon. The highlight of the morning was when I found a Little Auk (148) slowly drifting west a few hundred yards offshore. I had lovely views through the telescope noting the small bill, drooped wings and white streaks on the back. It occasionally flapped which really did show off its small size and on 2 occasions, flew west looking like a compact ball before  landing again. I eventually lost it to view around the end of the rocks of Hampton Pier. Also seen were 18 Brent Geese, 15 Shelduck, 4 Common Scoter, 42 Stock Dove west, 29 Oystercatcher, 2 Ringed Plover, 1 Curlew, 11 Redshank, 6 Turnstone, 6 Sanderling, 70 Black headed Gull, 1 Common Gull, 4 Great Black backed Gull, 5 Great crested Grebe, 2 Gannet, 52 Cormorant, 1 Little Egret, 1 Grey Heron and 2 Peregrine. There were 2 Jay, 1 Great spotted Woodpecker, 12 Jackdaw, 90 Rook, 1 Great Tit, 1 Skylark, 10 Starling, 4 Blackbird, 2 Robin, 1 late Northern Wheatear on the beach east of the pier, 2 Dunnock, 2 House Sparrow, 2 Pied Wagtail, 1 Meadow Pipit, 4 Chaffinch and 4 Goldfinch. 

Northern Wheatear

You work all week with the weather being seemingly fine and then the weekend arrives...and it was thick fog for all of the session this morning, and it looks the same tomorrow morning too. I was out at Bishopstone this morning at 06:00 in windless but foggy conditions where I glimpsed an Owl flying out of the fog and back in. I would imagine it was either a Barn or Long eared but views were brief and inconclusive. With the light picking up slowly and the fog still thick, I opted for a walk along the seawall in the hope of finding a Snow Bunting or rare wheatear but despite a good search, I did not find any. Birds were quite thin on the ground as you would expect when you can only see 50 yards in front of you, but I did note 15 Woodpigeon, 1 Collared Dove, 1 Oystercatcher, 2 Ringed Plover, 1 Curlew, 3 Redshank, 12 Turnstone, 2 Dunlin, 44 Black headed Gull, 1 Common Gull, c25 Herring Gull, 1 Great Black backed Gull, 1 Great crested Grebe, 2 Cormorant, 1 Great spotted Woodpecker, 1 Jay, 2 Magpie, 2 Jackdaw, 20 Carrion Crow, 6 Blue Tit, 2 Great Tit, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Wren, 9 Starling, 1 Song Thrush, 6 Blackbird, 1 Fieldfare, 5 Robin, 1 Black Redstart around the Kings Hall, 1 Stonechat, 3 Dunnock, 12 House Sparrow, 2 Pied Wagtail, 3 Meadow Pipit, 1 Rock Pipit and 2 Chaffinch. Nocmig recording Friday night produced a few fireworks, a flock of Brent Geese, 1 Curlew and a few Song Thrush calls.

Black Redstart
 

With a still morning forecast but some fog around, I started at 05:30 at Bishopstone where I listened into the darkness for anything calling. I managed to hear 1 Tawny Owl, 2 Golden Plover, 1 Redshank, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Skylark and 1 Grey Partridge. As the light picked up, I then walked down towards the sea and along the seawall to just past the Kings Hall before walking back along the Downs and checking Bishopstone Glen. Birds noted this morning included 10 Brent Geese, 71 Woodpigeon, 5 Oystercatcher, 31 Lapwing, 1 Turnstone, 450 Black headed Gull, 2 Mediterranean Gull, 3 Common Gull, 25 Herring Gull, 2 Great Black backed Gull, 5 Sandwich Tern, 3 Great crested Grebe, 1 Gannet, 31 Cormorant, 1 Little Egret, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Green Woodpecker and 1 Peregrine. The highlight this morning was finding 1 Dartford Warbler (146) which was sticking quite close to a pair of Stonechat. I've been checking the Stonechats regularly during the past few weeks so nice at last to be rewarded with a good bird for the patch. There were 5 Jackdaw, 62 Rook, 1 Raven, 6 Blue Tit, 6 Great Tit, 2 Skylark, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Firecrest, 90 Starling, 3 Song Thrush, 2 Redwing, 10 Blackbird, 1 Fieldfare, 8 Robin, 4 Stonechat, 3 Dunnock, 29 House Sparrow, 2 Pied Wagtail, 12 Meadow Pipit, 5 Chaffinch, 21 Linnet and 3 Goldfinch. 

Dartford Warbler

In a strengthening West wind Saturday morning, I spent an hour seawatching before I had a walk along the seawall checking the likely areas for a Desert Wheatear (none found). Birds noted included 1 Oystercatcher, 20 Redshank, 27 Turnstone, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Great crested Grebe, 8 Cormorant, 2 Little Egret, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel, 1 Peregrine, 2 Skylark, 1 Swallow, 2 Chiffchaff, 11 Robin, 3 Stonechat, 2 Pied Wagtail, 1 Meadow Pipit, 3 Rock Pipit, 13 Chaffinch and 30 Linnet. This morning I had a few hours again seawatching in a strong West wind. Birds noted were 3 Brent Geese, 3 Grey Plover, 51 Golden Plover west, 2 Turnstone, 1 Skua species distantly west, 1 Little Gull west and probably the same bird east a little later, 102 Black headed Gull, 2 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Common Gull, 40 Herring Gull, 2 Great Black backed Gull, 1 Arctic Tern west, 6 Sandwich Tern east, 3 Great crested Grebe, 1 Red throated Diver, 4 Gannet, 25 Cormorant, 1 Peregrine, 9 Skylark west at sea, 15 House Sparrow, 1 Meadow Pipit, 1 Rock Pipit and 1 Chaffinch.  

Turnstone

With quite a strong NE wind blowing this morning with occasional heavy showers, I spent about four hours tucked out of the wind seawatching. It was quite a productive session with plenty of birds to see which included 2 Great White Egret (144) flying WNW low over the water (thanks Matt for the heads up), 666 Brent Geese west, 3 Shelduck, 64 Wigeon, 17 Teal, 8 Common Scoter, 1 Red breasted Merganser west, 45 Oystercatcher, 110 Lapwing low west over the sea, 5 Curlew, 15 Turnstone, 3 Arctic Skua west, 1 Razorbill, 60 Little Gull west, 111 Kittiwake west, 400+ Black headed Gull west, 112 Common Gull, 50 Herring Gull and 4 Great Black backed Gull. There were 2 Great crested Grebe, 3 Red throated Diver, 17 Gannet, 24 Cormorant, 1 Little Egret, 1 Merlin (145) low west over the sea, a patch tick, 16 Skylark, 2 Pied Wagtail, 1 Rock Pipit and 47 Chaffinch west. There were a number of unidentified waders and ducks which were just too far out but nice to have a session with birds moving through the area. 

With a brisk NNW wind this morning, I had a couple of hours before I had to leave. It was again pretty quiet with not that much seen and a number of birds passed by too distant to be identified. Birds noted included 84 Brent Geese, 23 Wigeon, 4 Teal, 35 Oystercatcher, 3 Curlew, 4 Turnstone, 1 Arctic Skua west, 1 Kittiwake, c250 Black headed Gull, 2 Mediterranean Gull, c50 Common Gull, 30 Herring Gull, 1 Great Black backed Gull, 4 Sandwich Tern, 2 Great crested Grebe, 1 Red throated Diver, 2 Gannet, 8 Cormorant, 2 Kestrel, 10 Skylark west at sea, 1 Meadow Pipit and 1 Rock Pipit.  

A bit of a catch up where last Saturday (10th), I had a brief seawatch before taking a walk along the Downs. Birds noted included 26 Brent Geese, 4 Oystercatcher, c50 Black headed Gull, 1 Common Gull, c90 Herring Gull, 2 Great Black backed Gull, 1 Arctic Tern (143) flew west, 2 Sandwich Tern, 2 Great crested Grebe, 1 Red throated Diver, 11 Cormorant, 1 Little Egret and 2 Grey Heron. There were 10 Woodpigeon, 2 Collared Dove, 1 Common Buzzard, 2 Great spotted Woodpecker, 1 Jay, 3 Raven flew west along the cliff top, 5 Blue Tit, 7 Great Tit, 25 Skylark, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Cetti's Warbler, 4 Long tailed Tit, 4 Robin, 1 Stonechat, 3 Dunnock, 33 House Sparrow, 1 Grey Wagtail, 3 Pied Wagtail, 24 Meadow Pipit, 3 Rock Pipit, 279 Chaffinch west, 6 Linnet, 2 Goldfinch, 4 Siskin and 2 Corn Bunting. 

Raven