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A Wood Sandpiper has been spending nearly a week within the Pony Field on the stream apparently, so, needing this bird for a year tick, I made my way in the morning rain to Thorney Island.
Luck wasn’t on my side as there was no sign of the bird despite a good search from the main road at different locations. Plenty of wildfowl present, Teal, Mallard and several Wigeon and a lone Black-tailed Godwit, which popped out of the long grass, but the Wood Sandpiper was nowhere to be seen. Grumble!! The weather didn’t help either as squally showers came in and so I headed back to the car and so I tried the fields from the main road by the farm.
From here, the usual pair of Great Black-backed Gulls and Cormorants rested by the water and several small flocks of Wigeon swam on the water along with a couple of Little Grebes. Over the fields, good numbers of Swallows headed south and with them, three Sand Martens flew south too. A female Sparrowhawk flew hard low across the fields and reedbeds, putting up many a passerine but I still couldn’t find a Skylark to add to my month list! At least 6 Yellow Wagtails were seen near the cattle within the fields also.
I was working on the Isle of Wight this afternoon, grabbing one of Wightlink’s discounted tickets at £20.00 to cross 5 miles of water! My trip was at 12 noon and so after finishing off at Thorney Island, I got on the ferry and scanned the Solent during the 40-minute journey.
There were plenty of Common and Sandwich Terns seen over the water and an Auk species tantalising flew away from the ferry then disappeared once landing on the water. Bugger! Despite a strong south westerly blowing and a fairly choppy sea, it was relatively quiet so I was hoping St. Catherine’s Point would be much more productive.
I arrived at the Point at 1.30pm and during my hour and 45 minutes seawatch, I have to say, it was rather quiet. It kicked off well with a fine close Manx Shearwater flying west low over the sea. A full 30 minutes later before I saw anything else when I picked up several distant Gannets flying west. Gannets were easily the most numerous species but I saw a lot more last month from this site.
A pair of adult Kittiwakes were seen flying west very low over the water and a single Arctic Tern was also seen but much more closer also heading west. While just perusing through the scope hoping something distant of interest might fly by, a Bonxie flew past at some speed with the wind behind it, but this time this bird was flying east (incidentally, like the Bonxie I saw here last month!). I watched it with eagerness as this majestic bird powered its way across the English Channel. With exciting species being seen in good numbers from various headlands today, I suppose if I had the time, I probably would have seen much more but work had to come first and so I had to leave at 3.15pm to get to my first appointment at 4pm.
Barry Collins text me that he also had three L-album Wainscot moths in his moth trap this morning and also he had the Wood Sandpiper later this afternoon near the Little Deeps!
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