Incredible day at Dungeness

I arrived at the sea watch hide at 06.55, to be regaled by TG of clouds of Waders and Terns passing  and Raptors and Passerines coming in off the sea. But things had now slowed. After going back to the car to get my binoculars that i'd forgotten (AGAIN) I settled in the hide and almost immediately a Common Whitethroat landed exhausted on the beach in front the hide and took advantage of the many midges on the ridge. Then the call came to say 2 White Storks were at Scotney.    

Newly arrived Common Whitethroat on beach in front hide 

 The hide was quickly vacated and shortly after I was pulling into the layby at Scotney followed by MB next to the Storks. Before we could get out of our cars they were off and appeared to land out on Walland Marsh. I went to look for them with no luck. Fortunately MB located them behind Bretts Agregates and reasonable views were had.

 AS it was obvious lots of migrants were dropping into Dungeness I went back. As I dropped DR off at the top of Long Pits a Turtle Dove flew over. Stopping at a private garden Common Whitethroats, Blackcaps, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs  were coming into the garden from the Broom scrub in huge numbers. Swallows and Sand Martins were coming over in waves and 2 Pied flycatchers and a Redstart were in the garden. Next the lighthouse garden which was jumping with warblers and another Redstart. The Station Gorse held another Pied Flycatcher, Redstart, Whinchat, Whitethroats, Blackcaps, Garden Warbler, Willow warblers and Chiffchaff.

Garden Warbler in Heligoland trap

Pollen covered Garden warbler

 The Moat was stuffed full of Warblers. Common Whitethroat probably in 3 figures(40 crossed the causeway in a couple of minutes). Large numbers of Blackcaps, Garden Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers (some Acredula) and 3+ Lesser Whitethroats, 4+ Whinchats, 3 Nightingales, 2 Wood Warblers, 3 Common Redstarts, a Spotted flycatcher, 3 Tree Pipits, 8+ Northern Wheatears,  2+Redpolls, 2+ Yellow Wagtails over and 2 Grey Partridges.

Blackcap bush

Chiffchaff

Willow Warbler (I don't like this shiny new ring)

Common Redstart

 My own rough totals for The Point were:
Pied Flycatcher: 5
Common Redstart: 8
Spotted Flycatcher: 7
Whinchat: 8
Northern Wheatear: 40+
Common Whitethroat: 150+
Blackcap: 40+
Garden Warbler: 14
Lesser Whitethroat: 3+
Willow Warbler: 100+
Chiffchaff: 40+
Wood Warbler: 2
Yellow Wagtail: 5
Tree Pipit: 3 (and i am deaf)
Swallow: several hundred
Cuckoo: 2
Merlin: 1
I am sure these totals are only a small percentage of the actual totals.

Wood Warbler

At the south end of the ARC this afternoon were 8 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Little Ringed Plovers and Hundreds of Swifts and hirundines over the pit
At Scotney loads of waders(Whimbrel, Bar-tailed Godwits, Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Golden Plover, 1 Ruff, 3 Knot, 2 Turnstone, Dunlin and a Curlew Sandpiper