Birding Saturday morning from 05:40 in still calm conditions produced 3 Shelduck, 5 Common Scoter, 1 Grey Partridge, 1 Oystercatcher, 4 Whimbrel, 3 Curlew, 1 Common Sandpiper (109) flew east along the foreshore, 5 Black headed Gull, 6 Mediterranean Gull, 2 Common Gull, 1 Great Black backed Gull, 1 Lesser Black backed Gull, 6 Sandwich Tern, 4 Great crested Grebe, 16 Gannet east, 1 Little Egret and 1 Ring necked Parakeet. I was standing on the clifftop watching some high gulls above me when I noticed a smaller bird flying high towards me. I was pleased to see it was a Cuckoo (110), a scarce bird to get on the patch list. I watched as it continued inland and was lost to view. Also seen were 1 Jay, 31 Carrion Crow, 1 Skylark, c70 Sand Martin, 3 Swallow, 6 Chiffchaff, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Long tailed Tit, 4 Blackcap, 5 Lesser Whitethroat, 10 Whitethroat, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 25 Linnet and 1 Corn Bunting. With the sun warming up, I ended up watching the skies from the east boundary and picked up on a Red Kite (111) flying inland and slowly west.
This morning dawned very foggy and most of the session was spend seeing not much due to the lack of visibility. Just after 7am, I was walking along the seawall when I could hear the gulls going mad offshore in the murk. I was fairly sure something had disturbed then and scanning into the murk I was stunned as an Osprey (112) appeared and briefly tried to dive but was put off with the harassing gulls and disappeared back into the murk. I could hear the gulls flying slowly west still hassling the Osprey no doubt and c20 minutes later, It was seen again off Swalecliffe. A real bonus bird for the year and patch tick. Also noted were 2 Shelduck, 3 Oystercatcher, 1 Ringed Plover, 3 Whimbrel, 6 Mediterranean Gull, 4 Sandwich Tern, 3 Great crested Grebe, 1 Green Woodpecker, c30 Sand Martin, 20 Swallow, 5 Chiffchaff, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 4 Blackcap, 4 Lesser Whitethroat, 7 Whitethroat, 3 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Meadow Pipit and 14 Linnet.
Pleased you got the Cuckoo on your list, and a good shot in flight to boot Marc....I take it the fog lifted, or did it?
ReplyDeleteRegards....Pete.
Probably my worst ever Cuckoo photo, but it was a few hundred feet up when I picked it up and they are scarce to say the least in the area. Take care.
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