Arctic Skuas

Warm, dry and sunny, W 2 - Over the weekend our Ted walks around New Romney have been notable for the return passage of Willow Warblers with birds seen, but mostly heard, filtering through the tree and bush cover, including our back garden where they`ve been busy using the bird-bath. Increasing numbers of House Martins and Swallows have also been gathering on overhead wires and skimming over the turf fields as they too prepare for the long haul south. Gull numbers have picked up, loafing on the turf, comprising mainly Black-headed, Mediterranean and Common Gulls. Juvenile Buzzards have also been on the wing and Sparrowhawk sightings have increased. Yesterday morning on the high tide we visited Pirate Springs where while the land was virtually birdless, the bay yielded 50 or so feeding Sandwich Terns along with three dark phase Arctic Skuas in attendance; this is the first time I`ve seen three here this early in the season. At home the garden moth trap produced a decent catch Friday night with the highlights being 60 Silver Y`s and an Oak Hook-tip, new for the site.

                                  Common Tern, Burrowes

                                 Common Tern chick, ARC

                                  Garganey, ARC

A visit to the bird reserve this morning with the Apprentice Birder delivered all the expected waders and ducks from Hanson hide, including two Garganeys and a Pintail, plus a very active Peregrine that kept flushing everything from the shingle ridges. Several each of Common Sandpiper and Ringed Plover were noted along with an Avocet (no sign of the juv), and a Common Tern with a chick. Burrowes was much quieter, while four Cattle Egrets were seen in Boulderwall fields. I`ve recently traded in my old bridge-camera for an up-graded version (Nikon Coolpix P950) and can highly recommend mpb based at Brighton. The trade was carried out online with the old camera picked up and the new one delivered free of charge within five days. A brilliant service by mpb.com