A Day of Birds!

 As I left home a text from AJG at the fishing boats informing of a Montagu's Harrier coasting gave a hint of what might be today.
I decided to do the ARC and Tower Pits and surrounds. The track from the car park to the pines were alive with warblers, Reed, Sedge, Willow Warblers, Common and Lesser Whitethroats, as I approached the screen hide a ring tail Hen Harrier flew low across the railway disappearing behind the bushes. Perched around the rim of the Water Tower 200+ House Martins, over the lake c1,000 Sand Martins and 3+ Swifts. At the pines a large Tit flock containing 30+ Long-tailed Tits, with smaller numbers of Great and Blue Tits, and Warblers. Beside the railway 2 Common Redstarts, a Spotted Flycatcher many more Warblers, 2 Marsh Harriers, 2 Sparrowhawks and a Hobby. The shingle at the back of airport pits were covered in Yellow Wagtails, Wheatears and a few Whinchats.

Long-tailed Tit at The Pines

Yellow Wagtail airport pits

At Scotney many more Yellow Wagtails and Wheatears but little else of note.

The bushes and fields by the track to Dengemarsh Gully were full of birds, more Warblers, Wheatears, Whinchats also another Spotted flycatcher and Redstart.

In The Gully 3 Pied Flycatchers, 2+ Garden Warblers, 3+ Blackcaps, many Common Whitethroats including a leucistic individual. 2+ Sparrowhawks made brief forays into the gully, a Common Buzzard over, a Raven over Penn Bars and many more Wheatears and yellow Wagtails there. A Wryneck was also seen there per FC.

I walked The Galloways bridal path seeing 2 more Common Redstarts, many more warblers, several Wheatears, 2 Whinchats, 2 more Common Buzzards and 2 Hobbys. 

 At Galloways 2 Wrynecks showing distantly, several more Whinchats and Wheatears, Common and Lesser Whitethroats, Willow Warblers, a Hobby and another Common Buzzard and Raven.

One of the two Wrynecks at Galloways always distant.

A call from DB to say the Glossy Ibis was on Dengemarsh, minutes later I joined him and there, shortly after the Ibis had a fly around. Another Hobby put in an appearance there.

Hopefully better pics of the Glossy Ibis in the next few days.

Late afternoon at the north end of the Long Pits another Pied Flycather, a Spotted Flycatcher a Common Redstart, more Willow Warblers and at least 2 Chiffchaffs and a Kingfisher.

Hirundines behind the screen hide

 Early evening at the ARC still many Hirundines, 4+ Garganey, a Ruff, a Little Stint, Water Rail, smaller numbers of warblers and a Spotted Flycatcher.

Archers Dart the best of last nights catch