Thursday 22 March 2012

Dunge then Rye

From the sea watching hide 08.00-08.40:

Red-throated Diver: 2E
Gannet: 108E
Sandwich Tern 4E 3W
Merlin in off.
With very little of note in the way of migrants to be seen at Dungeness today, I made the short drive to Rye to see the improvements that have been made to the reserve.
The walk along the bank towards the Ternery Pool once a dry partially arable field is now a mass of channels and pools that will soon be alive with birds. Already today Avocet, Redshank, Lapwing and Ringed Plover were busy feeding and soon probably nesting.
The Ternery Pool with its newly built up islands and extra islands already hold c200 Sandwich Terns, several hundred Black-headed Gulls,  c50 Mediterranean Gulls(probably alot more), c200 Oystercatcher, 4+ Little Grebes, 6 + Tufted Duck, 2 Ringed Plover and the nesting season has not even started yet.
The Quarry has also had more islands put in and looks excellent for nesting Terns and Gulls. Now that the water levels can be regulated by the new sluice, I am sure the reserve will just get and better and is a credit to the wardens and all those who have contributed to the improvements to it.
I know I will be regular visitor in the future.

Sandwich Terns, 2nd year Mediterranean Gull and Oystercatchers

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