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| The 2006 Annual Report is now available and costs £7.50 (inc. p&p) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1st | What
was presumed to be yesterdays Hoopoe was
relocated in and around the trapping area/Desert
but proved extremely difficult to get good views
of. Most of the views were of a similar nature to
the image below.
Other migrants in the area included a Hobby, two Turtle Doves and a Tree Pipit. Also of great note, the Terek Sandpiper seen at Rye Harbour yesterday was found at the Wicks Pit, on Lydd Ranges in the late afternoon.
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| 2nd | The highlight of the day was a Golden Oriole which was singing for a very short time in the trapping area this morning. A first-summer Mediterranean Gull was feeding at the Patch. There was no sign of the Hoopoe. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3rd | A
miserable morning with heavy drizzle and thick fog
at times yielded another very elusive rarity in
the form of a singing male Common Rosefinch.
It was first seen in the Observatory back garden
at about 0800hrs but then moved into the trapping
area where it was last heard in the early
afternoon. Also of note was a male Golden
Oriole singing from the southern end of the
trapping for a short time during the morning.
Other migrants were few and far between but
included 210 Swifts.
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| 4th | The
Common Rosefinch was still present,
initially in the moat and later in the trapping
area. Once in the trapping area it spent much of
the morning singing but remained very difficult to
actually see. A Roseate Tern was also seen at
the Patch.
Also of note, a superb adult Rose-coloured Starling was found late in the day at around the terraced Coastguard Cottages at Jury's Gap (Grid Ref TQ 992181) and was then present until dark.
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| 5th | A
Hawfinch flew over the trapping area at
c0600hrs but the only other obvious migrants were
60 Wood Pigeons and 15 Chaffinches.
Two Mediterranean Gulls were seen offshore and a first-summer Yellow-legged Gull was feeding at the fishing boats. |
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| 6th | A
dull and overcast day suddenly came to life at
1745hrs when a superb Bee-eater was found
on the wires near the Observatory. It then gave
brilliant views until 1910hrs when it suddenly
took off and flew rapidly north and eventually out
of sight.
The only other obvious migrants were a few Swifts overhead and a female Redstart near the railway station. Five Mediterranean Gulls were seen offshore. |
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| 7th | A
male Golden Oriole was singing in the
trapping area in the early afternoon. Other
migrants on the land included singles of Turtle
Dove, Willow Warbler and Spotted
Flycatcher whilst overhead 285 Swifts
and seven House Martins passed through.
The Patch held an adult Roseate Tern along with five Mediterranean Gulls, three Little Gulls, an adult Yellow-legged Gull and an adult Arctic Tern. |
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| 8th | The
highlights were a Golden Oriole singing in
the trapping area in the early morning and an
adult female Montagu's Harrier flying over
the point at midday. Other migrants on the land
included a Turtle Dove and a Yellow
Wagtail.
A Little Gull and three Mediterranean Gulls were seen offshore. It was also a good day for raptors elsewhere with a female Red-footed Falcon at Dengemarsh and then at Galloways where two first-summer Montagu's Harriers were also seen. Thanks to Mike Buckland for the image shown below.
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| 9th | Most
of the days interest was offshore, firstly at the
Patch and later in the day at the fishing boats
were large shoals of fish were attracting large
numbers of Gannets, gulls and terns. Of
note were two Roseate Terns at the Patch,
12 Mediterranean Gulls, seven first-summer Little
Gulls, two adult Yellow-legged Gulls
and also an Arctic Skua. A Little Ringed
Plover also flew west and five Sanderling
flew east.
A Hobby, a Yellow Wagtail and a Siskin were the only notable birds on the land. |
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| 10th | The
highlight of the day was a Great White Egret
which flew in over the trapping area from the east
and was quickly relocated on the RSPB Reserve,
moving between the pools along the entrance track
and Dengemarsh.
The Patch held 17 Mediterranean Gulls and two Little Gulls in the morning and at least four Arctic Skuas were marauding another feeding flock of Gannets and gulls. |
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| 11th | A Serin flew over the trapping area where a Garden Warbler was also singing during the morning whilst the Patch held nine Mediterranean Gulls and two Little Gulls. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12th | Very little to be seen other than two first-summer Little Gulls at the Patch and 230 Swifts coming in from the east during spells of torrential rain. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13th | Not a great deal to be seen. There were four Mediterranean Gulls and two Little Gulls at the Patch. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14th | A party of nine Crossbills flew over the trapping area during the early morning whilst a Hobby flew over the Observatory in the early afternoon. An Arctic Skua and three Little Terns were seen offshore at the fishing boats. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15th | There were eight Little Gulls and a Mediterranean Gull at the Patch this evening but little else to be seen. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16th | There
were five Mediterranean Gulls, 14 Little
Gulls (all first-summer birds) and a Black
Tern at the Patch and also an Arctic Skua
lingering offshore.
A Little Egret flew over the area. |
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| 17th | A Ring Ouzel just south of the trapping area was a surprising record and a Redpoll was also seen. Offshore, a Manx Shearwater flew west and there were six first-summer Little Gulls at the Patch. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18th | A
windy day with not a great deal to be seen. A
total of 180 Swifts flew south and out to
sea whilst the Patch held three Mediterranean
Gulls and five first-summer Little Gulls.
One of the Little Gulls was of the rarer
"dark-winged" variant and is shown in
the images below.
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| 19th | A
Roseate Tern flew west and there were two
Little Gulls at the Patch.
110 Swifts flew south. |
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| 20th | Three
Manx Shearwaters flew west and there were
two Mediterranean Gulls, five Little
Gulls and an Arctic Tern at the Patch.
A Hobby was also seen. |
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| 21st | The Patch provided most of the days interest with six Mediterranean Gulls, eight Little Gulls, an adult Roseate Tern and single adult and first-summer Arctic Terns during the morning. A first-summer Common Tern was also present. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 22nd | A Black Tern was feeding at the Patch along with nine Mediterranean Gulls and three Little Gulls. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 23rd | Little change with eight Mediterranean Gulls, three Little Gulls, a Yellow-legged Gull and an Arctic Tern feeding at the Patch but very little else to be seen. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 24th | Five Mediterranean Gulls were at the Patch in the morning and 27 Sand Martins passed through. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 25th | The Patch again provided most of the days interest with nine Mediterranean Gulls, five Little Gulls and two adult Roseate Terns of note. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26th | A Crossbill flew north over the Long Pits in the morning. A few Swifts and 24 Sand Martins passed through and there was also a Great Spotted Woodpecker in the bushes. Young Cetti's Warblers were also seen for the first time at the Long Pits. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 27th | Single
Arctic and Great Skuas passed
through whilst there four Little Gulls and
seven Mediterranean Gulls at the Patch.
Of interest in the trapping area was the successful rearing of a brood of Nightingales. |
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| 29th | A Balearic Shearwater and two adult Roseate Terns flew west and nine Mediterranean Gulls were feeding at the Patch. Two Common Sandpipers were seen at the Long Pits and 24 Sand Martins passed through. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 30th | There were six Mediterranean Gulls and two Little Gulls at the Patch and 12 Sand Martins passed through. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
