Nightingales

I arrived at Orlestone Forest at 04.15 in the dark this morning to do the first offical visit for the Nightingale survey. As I opened the car door Nightingales could be heard along with a couple of Tawny Owls. I made my way to the furthest end of my tetrads slipping and tripping in the mud and streams that were the clean dry footpaths a week ago. As dawn broke the forest came alive with bird song Mistle and Song Thrushes, Blackbirds, Robins, Wrens, Blackcaps, Nuthatches, Green Woodpeckers, a Cuckoo called from the top of conifer in the growing light and most importantly Nightingales. I arrived back at the car at 07.15 after covering the first tetrad having located 18 singing Nightingales. The second tetrads habitat is not nearly as good for Nightingales but I was still very disappointed not to find any Nightingales. I will have to go back for another go round it at dawn another day.
At Dungeness a seawatch from the hide 09.30-12.00 was not very productive:
Red-throated Diver: 1E
Black-throated Diver: 1E
Manx Shearwatewr: 1W
Fulmar: 1W
Gannet: 22E  7W
Brent Geese: 5E
Common Scoter: 182E
Guillemot: 1 off shore
Mediterranean Gull 1st W: 1W
Bonxie: 1E
Arctic Skua: 3E
Common Tern: 200-300 off shore
The only other birds of note were 8 Whimbrel by the reserve entrance track.