I started off watching from Elmer, then mostly at Poole Place, on a lovely crisp, frosty morning - but there was very little of note.

There was a single Red-throated Diver on the sea there, and no more than 8 R/b Mergansers present today at low tide. Also a couple of Grey Plovers were along the beach and 30+ Ringed Plovers. A flock of at least 100 Brent Geese were on the sea off Climping, before flying inland to the fields, then back again! A single Firecrest was in the wood behind the beach neat the Elmer set-aside.

I had a quick look at the fields off Ferry Road...looked promising, but found nothing; too sunny and thermal wasn't much use.

Then a quick look around Bailiffscourt - where the highlight was a flock of 19 Golden Plover in the arable field behind....near the concrete road. (OM)

Golden Plover 

Quiet offshore this morning with a Great-northern Diver west being the only bird of note.

Wigeon - 20w

Red-breasted Merganser - 2e

Great-crested Grebe - 2 os

Auk sp - 1w

Grey Plover - 3e

Turnstone - 30w 20e

Sanderling - 6w

Oystercatcher - 6

Med Gull - c50

Brent Geese - c200

Yellowhammer - 6

Stonechat - 1

Skylark - 30

Pied Wagtail - 6

Kestrel - 1

 

Brent Geese in field opp Bailiffs entrance

Late morning visit to Climping Beach but was rewarded with a Goosander west close inshore at 09:43 and a Velvet Scoter west at 09:58. Little else of note apart from 150 Brent Geese in the field opposite the entrance to Bailiffscourt.

Red-throated Diver - 2e

Diver sp - 2w

Great-crested Grebe - 8w

Auk sp - 1e

Gannet - 2w

Med Gull - 1w

Sanderling - 30w

Turnstone - 17w

Grey Plover - 4e

Brent Geese - 1e 3w 

Cold bright cold sunny morning with the highlight being a Tawny Owl at the back of first wood, viewed from the footpath at the back of the golf course.

Red-throated Diver - 1 on sea

Great-crested Grebe - 2 

Red-breasted Merganser - 14 

Brent Geese - 56 field west of bread lane

Med Gull - 12

Little Egret - 1

Turnstone - 20

Sanderling - 1

Goldfinch - 75 mostly east
Linnet - 15

Meadow Pipit - 12

Skylark - 30

Yellowhammer - 3

Reed Bunting - 7

Stonechat - 8

Chiffchaff - 2

Goldcrest - 1

Grey Wagtail - 1

Pied Wagtail - 7

Very cold this morning early on. I spent a couple of hours (0815-1015) mostly watching the sea and mostly around the Poole Place end of the rocks. There was a steady trickle of  birds, although it was fairly slow going, but of interest were a Gt Northern Diver west, a Red-throated on the sea, a Shag east and two Sandwich Terns west. My log below.... (OM)

Gannet - 2W
Red-throated Diver - 1 o/s
Great Northern Diver - 1W
Great Crested Grebe - 1W, 2 o/s
Little Egret - 3
Shag - 1E
Brent Goose - 7W
Shelduck - 3W
R/b Merganser 10+ o/s
Oystercatcher - 10
Grey Plover - 1
Ringed Plover - 52
Turnstone - 20
Sanderling - 22
auk sp - c.40+ W...very distant along horizon
Med Gull - 10E
Sandwich Tern - 2 o/s drifted W
Pied Wagtail - 2W
Firecrest - 1 woods behind beach
Chiffchaff - 1 set-aside wood behind beach

Nothing exciting, but of note were a Kingfisher on the rock islands at high tide, three SandwichTerns that went east, and three Egyptian Geese that went in all directions....flew in calling, from the North and then out South to sea, them turned East and headed towards Climping, lost from view, then two minutes later seen offshore heading West!
cheers O My log was:-

Gannet - 3 o/s
Great Crested Grebe - 3 o/s
Brent Goose - 10W
Egyptian Goose - three flew around before finally heading off west offshore
Common Scoter - c.10W distant
R/b Merganser - 10 o/s
Oystercatcher - 10
Ringed Plover - 20 on rocks
Kingfisher - one fishing from rock island around high tide
auk sp - most very distant - 30E & 50W
In the field  and hedgerows behind the beach were:
Chiffchaff - 2
Goldcrest - 5
Firecrest - 2
Long-tailed Tit - 10
Siskin - 5
Green Woodpecker - 2
Jay - 2

The first autumn gathering of R/b Mergansers - 14 birds - was behind the rock islands and there were a few bits and pieces, as below (0835-11.35hrs) OM

Great Crested Grebe - 2E, 1o/s
Mute Swan - 3 adults offshore behind rocks for an hour, before eventually flying off east
Brent Geese - 209W
R/b Merganser - 14 o/s
Wigeon - 8W
Teal - 1W
Gannet - 5 o/s
Little Egret - 3
Red-throated Diver - 1W
Oystercatcher - 10
Turnstone - 45
Sanderling - 12
Ringed Plover - 58
Great Skua - 1 o/s
Med Gull - 12E
Chiffchaff - 1

Owen & myself still searching the wooded areas around the patch, although seemed very quiet with 2 Firecrest  at least 20 Goldcrest around, 2 Chiffchaff a female Blackcap in 1st wood, 10 Song Thrush and the Little Owl put in an appearance around Bailiffscourt.

Little Owl

 

 Morning spent covering the back of the golf course and longwood.

Firecrest - 2

Goldcrest - 19

Siskin - 6

Chiffchaff - 2

Cetti's Warbler - 3 or 4 hrd

Water Rail - 1 hrd

Reed Bunting - 1

Yellowhammer - 1

Linnet - 30

Skylark - c100

Meadow Pipit - 20

Pied Wagtail - 11

Stonechat - 2

Great-spotted Woodpecker - 2

Green Woodpecker - 1

Kestrel - 1

Buzzard - 1

Firecrest

Stonechat

Three of us covered the Bailiffscourt area/overflow car park area to no avail for at least three hours this morning. I was notably quieter than yesterday and even the Long-tailed Tit flocks had rather little with them.  Our joint total was 1 Firecrest, about a dozen Goldcrests and 20+ Long-tailed Tits.  I checked the field behind the overflow and found 2 Fieldfares, 4 Song Thrush and 8 Blackbird feeding on berries in the hedge. Also Kestrel, 2 Jay, 2 Gt Spot and 2 Green Woods. (OM)

Fieldfare

 Out late morning due to other commitments and still searching for the rare Siberians, persistence paid off with a Pallas's Warbler in the overflow car park at Bailiffscourt. Seen just a couple of times and heard to call once, not the obliging individual that was hoped for but nevertheless a good bird for the patch. Also a Firecrest in the same area, at least 3 Chiffchaff and a dozen or more Goldcrest. The pictures are not going to win any awards, but you get the idea.

I managed 45 mins of sea-watching which produced 
Brent Goose - 94 W
Wigeon - 11W
Med Gull - 20o/s E&W

Little Egret - 8

Grey Plover- 5

Ringed Plover - 2 

Turnstone - 22

Oystercatcher - 8
and 2 Rock Pipits on Poole Place rocks. I then spent a couple of hours just behind Poole Place and around the concrete road; at least 10 Goldcrest but really nothing else worth a mention.
Heavy showers and frequent sheltering under the trees - but no sign of anything more exciting. (OM)

Good coverage this morning with little reward, just happy to be reacquainted with a couple of scarce local birds. Combined totals below.

Little Owl - 1
Chiffchaff - 8
Goldcrest - 35+
Treecreeper - 1
Redpoll - 4
Siskin - 20+
Firecrest - 4 Bailiffs & Kents

Skylark - c30

Meadow Pipit - 10

Linnet - 12

Reed Bunting - 1

Stonechat - 4
Long-tailed Tit - 25
Song Thrush - 10

Mistle Thrush - 1
Great-spotted Wood - 2
Green Wood - 3
Jay - 2
Kestrel - 3
Buzzard - 2

Sparrowhawk -1

Gannet - 3e 6w

Kittiwake - 1w

Med Gull - c100+

Turnstone - 30

Sanderling - 4w

Firecrest Bailiffscourt (OM)

A strong southerly so I opted to sea-watch on the local patch, mostly from near Poole Place. There were a few bits and pieces, with the highlight being a late Arctic Tern which was close in and went west. 

Oystercatcher - 12 in fields
Turnstone - 15 along beach
Red-throated Diver - 1W
Gannet - 20W
auk sp - 25W distant, sure I missed plenty
Razorbill - at least 5W identified
Kittiwake - 10W
Med Gull - 15
Arctic Tern - 1W close
Meadow Pipit - 8 on vegetated shingle, drifted west. (OM)

Med Gull - c300 in the fields

Starling - c200

Stonechat - 12

Skylark - c50

Linnet - 30

Goldfinch - 25

Chiffchaff - 4

Goldcrest - 10

Treecreeper - 1 Bailiffscourt

Redpoll - 1

Buzzard - 1

Kestrel - 2

Jay - 3

Little Egret - 1

Auk sp - 20w

Gannet - 5w

Turnstone - 40w

Treecreeper

Stonechat

 Hard going this morning so just concentrated on the woods looking for warblers, but just one Chiff was all I found. Best were 3 Firecrests, 8 Goldcrests and a small flock of about ten L/t Tits, Also Three GS Woods and 2 Green Woods, a Kestrel, and two Jays. (OM)