Cuckoo!

As I parked by the power station this morning, DW was standing by the red and white gates looking less than enthusiastic, as he had checked the bushes for migrants and drawn a blank. As we started to walk to the sea watch hide, the door opened and AJG came out which told us all we needed to know about today's off shore passage.

I decided to wander around The Desert where a few Common Whitethroats, 2 Sparrowhawks, a Kestrel, several Swallows and an over flying Greenshank were of any note.

On the beach opposite Jarmans at least 6 Wheatears, another 7 Swallows and 2 Skylarks were seen.

At the south end of the ARC I was sifting through the Hirundines, when a Cuckoo flew in and landed in some Sea Buckthorn, where it ate a minimum of 43 Brown-tail Moth caterpillars in about 15 minutes, before it flew off to the other side of the lake. 

Cuckoo swallowing another Brown-tail!

 Next stop Springfield Bridge where I walked around the Hayfields seeing a Greenshank, 2 Ringed Plovers on 3, 2 flyover Mediterranean Gulls and 2 Bearded Tits. On the approach to Dengemarsh Hide a Reed Bunting and a Cetti's Warbler posed briefly and Bittern Boomed. From inside the hide where MH was already ensconced, the 2 Tundra Bean Geese flew in (their credibility a cause for some debate), 2 more Cuckoo's, 3+ Marsh Harriers and several Swifts of note. On the return to the car a Great White Egret flew over reed bed and a Raven flew over.

 Reed Bunting

 Cetti's Warbler

 A sea watch at The Point this afternoon was very disappointing with nothing of note.
I then joined MH in Hanson to check the Hirundines again but they were all at the south end, so we abandoned that idea and went to Scotney where 2 Ruff were the highlights. A drive around Galloways failed to locate the Cattle Egrets but we did see 2 Stonechats.