1st - 3rd November 2024

Saturday, 2nd November: A grey and quite gloomy day, with a cooler breeze than of late, although still mild overall. Just about remaining dry, bar a few spots of light drizzle here and there, with a moderate E/SE wind f 3-4.

Elmer Rocks:  A grey, early winter day but a few birds around to maintain the interest. Highlight for me was the first Great Northern Diver of the season, which flew in from the west, landed on the sea a short while, then flew back west and headed further out. Other birds offshore were; Gannet - 4E and 1W, Great Crested Grebe - 2, Brent Goose - 25W, Red-breasted Merganser - 5E and Razorbill - 1 .

Along the shoreline were 21 Sanderling, 50 Ringed Plovers and 15 Turnstone, all feeding for a short while on a receding beach as the tide rose. Meanwhile, a Chiffchaff, a Stonechat and a few Long-tailed Tits were in the hedges behind the beach, two Grey Wagtails and the same of Pied Wagtail flew over, and 30 Goldfinch and a few Siskins went east.

It was then that I realised that one of the hearing aids I was wearing was now missing. To cut a long story short, the next two hours was spent searching a shingle footpath and area of beach for the said item, without success. Another one to add to my increasing list of mishaps!

(top two) Ringed Plovers and Sanderlings on Elmer beach, and (bottom) Stonechat on telegraph wires behind the beach.

Friday, 1st November: Another fairly mild, dry and cloudy grey day, but pleasantly calm most of the morning with a just light NW breeze force 2, increasing 3-4 later.

Elmer Rocks: The first day of winter really although still meteorologically autumn and bang on cue the first Red-breasted Mergansers - a flock of five - appeared offshore, together with 12 Great Crested Grebes and a flock of eight Wigeon flying west. Along the shore and rock islands, a total of 75 Ringed Plovers were present, plus 15 Turnstones, 28 Oystercatchers and a single Redshank. There wasn't too much vis-mig going on, but there were at least three Redpolls flying over and a few Goldfinches, three Pied Wagtails and about the same of Meadow Pipits. Two Chiffchaffs were also present along the hedgerows.

Sunbeams and a flat calm sea at Elmer Rocks this morning

At this stage I decided to walk on to Climping/Atherington and the first surprise was just past Poole Place in the agricultural field (Cudlow's field). There have been a number of Little Egrets feeding there in recent days, but this morning an unprecedented 32 such birds were present, with numerous gulls feeding all around them. 

Some of the Little Egrets in the field close to Poole Place

Then an update message concerning a Short-eared Owl at Climping (thanks to Dan Booker) had me hurrying, but there was no sign on my arrival. However, persistence paid off and it was re-located in an adjacent field and then subsequently flying around, often mobbed by crows. My highlight of the morning by some distance! Other bits and pieces included four Chiffchaffs, some Long-tailed Tits, ten Pied Wagtails, 20+ Skylarks, three Reed Buntings and a few Meadow Pipits. Pheasants rarely ever get a mention, but they have become very much scarcer here since shooting was stopped several years ago, so worthy of note was a tight group of 12 which flushed from a field margin....probably a family party. Also of note were two Moorhens along the beach....probably wondering where their pool has gone under tons of shingle!

The changing face of Climping. This is actually the car park area! Work to this large shingle bank is still ongoing in an ever more demanding battle against coastal erosion.

Short-eared Owl at Climping