Highlights birding the Downs Saturday included 6 Shoveler west, 6 Oystercatcher, 1 Ringed Plover, 4 Turnstone, 3 Arctic Skua east, 6 Common Tern, 2 Sandwich Tern, 1 Red throated Diver in partial summer plumage drifted west close inshore, 24 Cormorant, 3 Little Egret, 2 Peregrine, 1 Jay, 5 Sand Martin, 325 Swallow west, 1 House Martin, 2 Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap, 1 Whitethroat, 2 Grey Wagtail and 2 Meadow Pipit. With light winds this morning, I was out early where I stood on the eastern boundary listening out for any Owls calling. At 05:50 as I stood still, an Owl was seen in silhouette and landed in a tree c6 metres away. Although it was still a little dark, I could make out the ear tufts of a Long eared Owl (141). It sat in the top of the tree for a good minute wiping its bill on a branch before flying off west into the growing light. Also seen today were 2 Mallard, 1 Grey Partridge, 4 Pheasant, 1 Turnstone, 1 Great Black backed Gull, 7 Sandwich Tern, 18 Cormorant, 2 Shag initially perched on a structure before flying west together, 1 Little Egret, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Kestrel, 1 Jay, 20 Swallow, 17 Chiffchaff, 7 Blackcap, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Stonechat, 1 Grey Wagtail, 2 Pied Wagtail, 25 Meadow Pipit west, 1 Chaffinch and 2 Linnet. Nocmig recording Saturday night produced a few Ringed Plover.
Close up on the diver in partial summer dress, and a nice 1st winter male Stonechat. I wouldn't have needed to see anything else that day if it had been me Marc.
ReplyDeleteRegards from the North....Pete.
Thought you might like the Stonechat. That's the good thing about the coast, one minute you're watching a Diver and 180 degrees later, a Stonechat. Take care.
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