Monday 24 June 2024

Heard but not Seen?

Have to admit I'm fully involved in the Football and Cricket at the moment! Despite England's performances!!!

However, after flagging up the "Full Cover" state of affairs at the moment, that doesn't exclude hearing Birds! Richard heard a Quail down Snakey on Friday. My 197th Species for the Village. I managed to hear a couple of blasts over the weekend which enables me to add it to my Holmpton List. He's also had a Jay frequenting his garden feeder which I'm yet to catch up with. I also had my first Cormorant of the Year over the Peninsular as I was walking Bud. Embarrassing I know!

Tuesday 18 June 2024

Eeking

Tough going at this time of the Year. Full leaf and high crops. However there's always something to enjoy.

An early stroll down Seaside produced a surprising record (the best type). The remaining puddle...

...attracted a Grey Wagtail (P.102, H.88) albeit very briefly, partly due to an unintentional interruption by Bud!

Snakey produced with a soaring Lesser Black-backed Gull...


...Red-legged Partridge and male Sparrowhawk.

Late afternoon, another surprise with a flock of 20 Common Scoter off Seaside...


...plus a single Sandwich Tern.

Keeps me happy...

Saturday 15 June 2024

Songsters

Hello!

Still here but nothing much happening here at the moment, mainly due to...you guessed it...the Weather, which remains, shall we say...unseasonal!!!

An example... I heard my first singing Skylark...yesterday! The Sea is completely dead. On a positive note the Sand Martin colony is battling on at Old Hive with plenty of activity...in all conditions. House Martins are also hanging in there at Intack. Marsh HarriersYellow Wagtails, and Yellowhammers are still present (in the breeding season) on Snakey...amongst others.

Just to prove there's always hope while we continue to wait for Summer...Richard had a Jay at his Feeder early this morning! You never know...

Monday 10 June 2024

The British Weather!

I may have mentioned this topic before!!!

Notorious for its unpredictability...that's being polite (as I like to think I am). However, this Year so far (and the back end of last to be honest ) has been truly HORRENDOUS! As I write it's 10C with a Northerly wind giving a "feels like" of 8.  I'm aware (and very grateful) that I have followers from different parts of the World but this Year the Weather here has excelled itself. It's now June 10th, we're 10 days from the Summer Solstice..the nights will start "drawing in" lol! 

This situation does test ones resolve, as we've been waiting for  a prolonged spell of decent Weather for over FIVE MONTHS!!! I've aired my thoughts previously on where I'd rather be...if my circumstance were different...but they're not!

So, I'm waiting to enjoy my Summer...if it ever arrives!?


On the Birding front, as you can imagine, it ain't been pleasant. It must be tough for the chicks. At least I had my Big Day locally, which was highly enjoyable. I added a few Year Ticks and locating some "common" Species for the List was challenging and rewarding. I've updated my Lists accordingly.

Hopefully things will improve...?

Thursday 6 June 2024

Big Day Reflections

Phew! I enjoyed it immensely...which surprised me somewhat?

Visiting ALL areas of my Village Patch (some many times) was enjoyable. No rushing around, just spending time at various locations and habitats. I realize I was maybe a bit late for my attempt and the Weather while improved was less than optimal with a 20mph cool/cold Westerly for most of the day...I couldn't wait forever. At least it didn't rain!

There will be some inevitable repetition from yesterday's "diary posting" but hopefully it will be kept to a minimum? I hope to give a flavour of the "ups and downs" of a Bird Race, highlighting how much luck (both good and bad) is involved amongst the limited planning and hopefully plentiful local knowledge?

So, here we go. A pic of my only Fulmar on the first walk to the Sea...


I could hear a Collared Dove and eventually I found one...


The same applied to this Greenfinch deep in a Tree...


Some Species you hope to see rather than expect too...

Marsh Harrier

Grey Partridge

Really chuffed to pick the latter out at the edge of an emerging crop. Ironically it was still there in the evening! This didn't lessen the moment though...it just gave me the opportunity for a better photo...


Always nice to see a Yellowhammer well...and in song...


The highlight of the early afternoon was finding a lone Black-headed Gull on the remaining pool on Snakey. The only one I saw all day...a real context moment...up there as "find of the day"!!!


I spent some time distance scanning and this paid of in style when I locked on to a Red Kite!! It was drifting South over Beacon Hill with a sprinkling of Swifts (not guaranteed) for company. Probably my luckiest sighting was the Gannet from the lay-by whilst having a late lunch.

Another walk down Seaside Road around 4 produced my only Kestrel sighting...


The Sea was VERY disappointing throughout. However, I did score with a couple of distant Sandwich Terns...

One here

They came North but U-turned as they reached me.

After making the good lady's  meal I returned to Old Hive around 8 hoping for a couple of late results, which I duly collected...

Meadow Pipit

Reed Bunting

This duo put me on 49. As already mentioned I was now thinking...Owl as it was gone 9. I tried Model Farm and the Bunker but no joy. I felt my best bet now was Barn, so I headed for  Snakey once more. I did a couple of runs but couldn't find anything. I'd seen Little Owl some months ago between East Field and East End Farms, so I headed back down there...and waited. I still had a chance of Barn as  was prepared to wait beyond dusk. I scanned the wires and poles around both Farm entrances. Then at 9.30 a familiar shape to the rear of East End Farm...

Little Owl (50)


That will do me! I headed home content with the day. For the record below is a full List of Birds seen...

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
Grey Partridge (Perdix perdix)
Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis)
Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus)
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
Red Kite (Milvus milvus)
Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)
Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus)
Lesser Black-backed_ Gull (Larus fuscus)
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus argentatus)
Sandwich Tern (Sterna sandvicensis)
Rock Dove (Columba livia)
Stock Dove (Columba oenas)
Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus)
Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
Little Owl (Athene noctua)
Common Swift (Apus apus)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
Skylark (Alauda arvensis)
Sand Martin (Riparia riparia)
Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
House Martin (Delichon urbica)
Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis)
Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)Dunnock (Prunella modularis)
European Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
Blackbird (Turdus merula)
Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos)
Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)
Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca)
Common Whitethroat (Sylvia communis)
Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)
Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus)
Great Tit (Parus major major)
Black-billed Magpie (Pica pica)
Jackdaw (Corvus monedula)
Rook (Corvus frugilegus)
Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)
Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)
Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)
Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
Linnet (Carduelis cannabina)
Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella)
Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus)

Misses - (Species probable)

Greylag Goose (Anser anser)
Red-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa)
Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)
Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)
Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula)
Sanderling (Calidris alba)
Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)
Common Guillemot (Uria aalge)
Barn Owl (Tyto alba)
Tawny Owl (Strix aluco)
Yellow Wagtail (Montacilla flava)
Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba)

Misses - (Species possible)

Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus)
Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus)
Coal Tit (Parus ater)
Common Treecreeper (Certhia familiaris)
Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)
Corn Bunting (Miliaria calandra)

Some are debatable and obviously anything might pass by above or over the Sea. Remarkably no Waders were observed!? The thrill of finding a "common" Species in a "rare" context was fulfilling...and fun. All within 3 miles of home to boot. All in all I was pleased with my haul and the experiences I had throughout the 16 Hours! The most pleasing thing was that I lasted the course!!

Wednesday 5 June 2024

Holmpton Big Day

9am update 

I decided to narrow things down!

I started at 6. Sunny but a ridiculously cool 9c...feels like 6!!! I don't do "stupid'o'clock" these days...well, not often anyway.

Things going rather well. Early highlights on Bud walk down Seaside produced GSW, Blackcap, FulmarLesser Black-backed Gull and Song Thrush. There was a constant stream of Sand Martins North also.

Snakey was on form . My best sighting considering the crops was a lone Grey Partridge tucked in a field margin. Other notables were Heron, Marsh HarrierBuzzard Greenfinch and Yellowhammer.

Just added House Sparrow at Cliff Farm. Time for a Seawatch.

Total 37

Stay tuned...


1pm update 

Things have inevitably slowed down somewhat...and that's putting it mildly! I've added Great Tit, Starling and a lone Black-headed Gull on the remaining Snakey pool. The wind has picked up...yet again and the Sea is...dead.

Quite a few glaring omissions, so plenty still to "go at"

Stay tuned...

Total 40


5pm update 

The hoped for "Rarity" (contextually) appeared...and promptly disappeared South at 3pm in the form of a Red Kite! It was accompanied by c10 Swifts. I celebrated with a quick visit to Tesco. While having a bite in a layby I had a quick scan out to Sea and "jammed" a Gannet.

A return home for Bud coincided with the startling sight of a Heron on our back fence as I put the rubbish out. As I caught sight of it, it took off and flew low over my head!! A stroll down to the Sea notched Kestrel and a couple of Sandwich Terns.

Can I break 50? Bet you're on the edge of your seat!?.

Total 46

Stay tuned...


9.45 pm update 

A surprise Lesser Whitethroat started the evening session off well. I made my way down to Old Hive hoping for and succeeded in seeing...Meadow Pipit and Reed Bunting. So... one to go. Gone 9 now, so into Owl territory. I tried my go to Little site yet again but no joy. Onto Snakey for Barn Owl. Again no joy...but wait...another Site helped me out with Little for my half-century!

A really enjoyable day, despite the unfavorable Weather. I'll put some meat on the bones tomorrow...

Total 50

Tuning out...

Tuesday 4 June 2024

Big Walk/Drive

Just for a bit of fun!

Tomorrow I'm going to have a mooch around the Patch, seeing how many Species I can come across on my wanderings. The Forecast is favourable, so let's give it a go!

I aim to post it as a running diary. You may wish to follow...you may not!!


This morning we had a stroll down to Old Hive...


The Sand Martin Colony is in FULL swing, despite the Weather. One of the Highlights of the Year...


It was nice to see House Sparrows present in both houses on the approach road. A lone Swift drifted over Cliff Farm as I left.

Saturday 1 June 2024

Birdsong

As if to herald the start of Summer (Spring was a write off here), I heard Song Thrush, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Chiffchaff this afternoon, whilst tidying up the front garden (I still haven't been in the back!). Hopefully things are finally on the "up".

The continuous North Wind did have the benefit of stirring up some Seabird activity. I added Gannet (81)...

...and Kittiwake (82) to the Year List and enjoyed close views of Fulmar, Guillimot and Common Scoter...


Hopefully, there's still time for some late "Spring" Birding...in pleasant conditions!?