West Wight Birds

First thing yesterday morning I opened the back door and a stunning male Black Redstart hopped up onto the fence from where it had been feeding below. I had been wondering what my 100th West Wight bird species of the year would turn out to be and it turned out to be a real beauty. Here is the list:

1)      Black-headed Gull (1^st January – Yarmouth Station Pools and area).

2)      Blackbird (1^st January – Yarmouth Station Pools and area).

3)      Shoveler (1^st January – Yarmouth Station Pools and area).

4)      Mallard (1^st January – Yarmouth Station Pools and area).

5)      Pintail (1^st January – Yarmouth Station Pools and area).

6)      Carrion Crow (1^st January – Yarmouth Station Pools and area).

7)      Blue Tit (1^st January – Yarmouth Station Pools and area).

8)      House Sparrow (1^st January – Yarmouth Station Pools and area).

9)      Wigeon (1^st January – Yarmouth Mill Pool).

10)  Gadwall (1^st January – Yarmouth Mill Pool).

11)  Oystercatcher (1^st January – Yarmouth Mill Pool).

12)  Mediterranean Gull (1^st January – Yarmouth Mill Pool).

13)  Black-tailed Godwit (1^st January – Yarmouth Mill Pool).

14)  Teal (1^st January – Yarmouth Mill Pool).

15)  Redshank (1^st January – Yarmouth Mill Pool).

16)  Rook (1^st January – Western Yar Estuary).

17)  Great Black-backed Gull (1^st January – Western Yar Estuary).

18)  Cormorant (1^st January – Western Yar Estuary).

19)  Brent Goose (1^st January – Western Yar Estuary).

20)  Shelduck (1^st January – Western Yar Estuary).

21)  Little Grebe (1^st January – Western Yar Estuary).

22)  Lapwing (1^st January – Western Yar Estuary).

23)  Golden Plover (1^st January – Western Yar Estuary).

24)  Dunlin (1^st January – Western Yar Estuary).

25)  Little Egret (1^st January – Western Yar Estuary).

26)  Coot (1^st January – Mill Copse Pool).

27)  Greenshank (1^st January – Mill Copse Pool).

28)  Grey Heron (1^st January – Mill Copse Pool).

29)  Kingfisher (1^st January – Mill Copse Pool).

30)  Wren (1^st January – Mill Copse Pool).

31)  Curlew (1^st January – Mill Copse Pool).

32)  Pheasant (1^st January – Mill Copse Pool).

33)  Magpie (1^st January – Mill Copse Pool).

34)  Moorhen (1^st January – Mill Copse Pool).

35)  Grey Plover (1^st January – Western Yar Estuary)

36)  Wood Pigeon (1^st January – Mill Copse)

37)  Robin (1^st January – Mill Copse parallel hedgerow)

38)  Stock Dove (1^st January – Mill Copse).

39)  Mute Swan (1^st January – Yarmouth Mill Pool).

40)  Kestrel (1^st January – Yarmouth Mill Meadow).

41)  Jackdaw (1^st January – Yarmouth Green).

42)  Herring Gull (1^st January – Yarmouth Green).

43)  Pied Wagtail (1^st January – Fort Vic).

44)  Goldfinch (1^st January – Fort Vic).

45)  Feral Pigeon (1^st January – Fort Vic).

46)  Great Tit (1^st January – Bungalow feeder/Fort Vic).

47)  Starling (1^st January – Golden Ridge, Freshwater).

48)  Barn Owl (1^st January – Heathfield Road box).

49)  Ringed Plover (1^st January – Norton Spit).

50)  Turnstone (1^st January – Norton Spit).

51)  Rock Pipit (1^st January – Norton Spit).

52)  Common Gull (1^st January – Yarmouth Mill Pool).

53)  Buzzard (1^st January – Mill Copse).

54)  Red-breasted Merganser (1^st January – Bouldner Forest).

55)  Canada Goose (1^st January - ?? Field).

56)  Knot (1^st January – Freshwater Causeway).

57)  Jay (1^st January – All Saints Churchyard).

58)  Sparrowhawk (1^st January – All Saints Churchyard).

59)  Goldcrest (1^st January – All Saints Churchyard).

60)  Firecrest (1^st January – All Saints Churchyard).

61)  Dunnock (1^st January – All Saints Churchyard).

62)  Redwing (1^st January – All Saints Churchyard).

63)  Stonechat (2^nd January – Freshwater Bay cliffs).

64)  Meadow Pipit (2^nd January – Freshwater Bay cliffs).

65)  Fulmar (2^nd January – Freshwater Bay).

66)  Chiffchaff (2^nd January – Causeway field hedgerow).

67)  Green Woodpecker (2^nd January – calling by Afton Marsh).

68)  Chaffinch (2^nd January – Yarmouth Mill Stream garden).

69)  Song Thrush (2^nd January – Yarmouth Mill Stream garden).

70)  Greenfinch (2^nd January – Mill Copse).

71)  Common Snipe (3^rd January – Rofford Marsh).

72)  Linnet (4^th January – Tennyson Down).

73)  Gannet (5^th January – Freshwater Bay).

74)  Guillemot (5^th January – Fort Vic)

75)  Great Crested Grebe (5^th January – Fort Vic).

76)  Greylag Goose (8^th January – Mill Copse Pool)

77)  Reed Bunting (8^th January – Western Yar Estuary).

78)  Goldeneye (8^th January – Western Yar Estuary).

79)  Peregrine Falcon (8^th January – Western Yar Estuary).

80)  Long-tailed Tit (10^th January – Freshwater Causeway).

81)  Grey Partridge (10^th January – Western Yar East fields).

82)  Shag (6^th January – Freshwater Bay).

83)  Tufted Duck (11^th January – Yarmouth Station Pools).

84)  Water Rail (13^th January – Freshwater Causeway).

85)  Great-spotted Woodpecker (16^th January – Western Yar).

86)  Collared Dove (16^th January – Western Yar).

87)  Bullfinch (16^th January – Western Yar).

88)  Skylark (17^th January – King’s Manor Farm)

89)  Green Sandpiper (29^th January – Freshwater Causeway).

90)  Red-legged Partridge (3^rd February – Causeway Field).

91)  Yellowhammer (3^rd February – Lee Farm, Thorley).

92)  Long-eared Owl (6^th February – Western Yar).

93)  Raven (7^th February – Golden Hill CP).

94)  Eider (8^th February – Fort Vic).

95)  Lesser Black-backed Gull (25^th February – Yarmouth Mill Pool).

96)  Cetti’s Warbler (4^th March – Rofford Marsh).

97)  Woodcock (5^th March – Afton Marsh).

98)  Mistle Thrush (7^th March – Fields off Wilmingham Lane).

99)  Coal Tit (12^th March – Afton Marsh).

100)                      Black Redstart (14^th March – 7 Golden Ridge).

I've done very little sea-watching this year, so the list is lacking any of the Divers, plus Razorbill and Common Scoter, which I would have expected to come across without too much trouble. It's also meant that I've not seen any Kittiwakes yet after seeing so many last winter. Other big surprises are the lack of Treecreeper, Fieldfare and Little Owl. The big disappointment is missing the 4 Spoonbills that spent a bit of time circling over Yarmouth a few days ago - it's still a bird that I'm yet to encounter in the UK. Although much of my time over the coming months will be taken up pursuing 6-legged fare, I'll still be on the lookout for new bird species, particularly as the migrants begin to arrive!