Marsh Harrier

                                                                           Muntjac

         An afternoon visit after the morning rain, but very windy again.   Moving north were 23 Swallows and 11 Common Swifts.   Raptors today were 3 Common Buzzards, 2 Kestrels and a Marsh Harrier.    Other birds of note were 22 Shelducks, 7 Little Egrets, 3 Grey Herons, a good count of 40 Stock Doves, 2 Turtle Doves, Grasshopper Warbler, Yellow Wagtail  and Sandwich Tern.

         31 Swallows, 3 House Martins and 8 Common Swifts north over the dunes and 2 Sandwich Terns north at sea.   3 Common Buzzards thermalling over the fields and a fourth bird over the southern marshes where 2 Marsh Harriers were hunting all morning.    Young Mallard and Coots were probably being exploited here.   Also present were 2 Grey Herons, 5 Little Egrets, 2 Tufted Ducks, 10 adult Mallard and 23 Shelducks.   Elsewhere on the dunes were 3 Reed Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs, a Song Thrush, 3 Corn Buntings and 2 Kestrels.

         As expected, a short visit to the Stonebridge and near realignment sections in the heavy rain and cold conditions produced very little.   Sightings included 10 Avocets, 7 Little Egrets, 2 Grey Herons, 6 Tufted Ducks, 2 Little Grebes and a Pied Wagtail.   98 Common Swifts and 12 House Martins flew NW.

         Moving north were 31 Swallows, 2 House Martins and 15 Common Swifts.   Not much seen in the stiff cold wind, a Turtle Dove and 2 Common Buzzards being the best I could find.

 

                              Aberrant quadriocellata, the four-spotted form of Wall Brown.

         Moving north along the dunes were 34 Swallows, 2 House Martins, one Sand Martin and 12 Common Swifts.   A Sandwich Tern headed north at sea and 2 Gannets passed south.   A Jay was the only new bird of significance.

         Highlights on the realignment area were 30 Avocets, Little Ringed Plover, 32 Shelducks, 4 Canada Geese, Common Buzzard and 12 Little Egrets.   On the shore were 117 Oystercatchers, 10 Grey Plovers, 40 Sanderlings and 60 Dunlin while 4 Gannets flew north at sea.    Also noted were 25 Common Swifts, 20 Swallows, a Cuckoo, 3 Blackcaps and 4 Sedge Warblers.
         A Kingfisher was at my garden pond yesterday evening.

         Moving north were 53 Swallows, 12 Common Swifts, 20 Linnets and 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.   A Gannet flew north at sea.   Little change on the dunes, most noteworthy being 3 Turtle Doves, a Cuckoo, Song Thrush, 2 Pied Wagtails, 4 Grey Partridges, 4 Kestrels and a Common Buzzard.