Friday 5 September 2014

A brilliant days birding at Dungeness!

Grasshopper Warbler. Thanks to DW for posing with the bird.
 A superb day started at the Lighthouse garden with a Spotted Flycatcher (first of 22), Pied Flycatcher(first of 28), Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff. A walk into the desert was curtailed when
 DW and OL caught in a Grasshopper Warbler and a Pied Flycatcher in the trapping area along some Phyloscs and Sylvia's. On the way back to the observatory I saw another Pied Flycatcher and DW heard more  OL bought in another Pied Flycatcher from the Heligoland trap(at least 9 were trapped today) and another was in the Moat Sallows.
With BM I walked back to the lighthouse garden seeing another Pied Fly near West beach along with more Phyloscs, by the red and white gates 5 Whinchats could be seen. I then went to The Patch seeing 3 more Pied Flys (8) on the razor wire, along with 3 more Phyloscs, 2 Wheatears and a Clouded Yellow. At The Patch just the usual Gulls and Terns.
Walking back to the observatory there was another Pied Fly in the experimental station and a Redstart, at West beach another Redstart and a Black Redstart and another Pied Fly in The Moat and 3 Whinchats on the fence.
The North end of the Long Pits held another 4 Pied Flycatchers(14), 16 Spotted Flycatchers and many Sylvia's and Phyloscs.
Dengemarsh Gully held another 5 Pied Flycatchers, with another on the watch tower at the bottom and 1 out on Penn Bar (21). Also around the Gully c20 Yellow Wagtails, 8 Wheatears, 6 Whinchats, 2 Redstarts and more Sylvia's and Phyloscs.
At Galloways another Pied Fly by the sea on the fort along with 4 Wheatears, another Pied fly in the Elder by the gate along with a Spotted flycatcher, another Pied Fly by the brick wall(24). 10 more Whinchats and 6 more Wheatears there. A walk along the Galloways bridal path opposite Brett's Marina produced another 4 Pied Flycatchers(28), 2 Spotted Flycatchers, a Redstart, 2 Whinchats and 2 Wheatears and yet more Sylvia's and Phyloscs. A huge gathering of Hirundines (c2,000 but probably more) over the Marina and Dengemarsh contained at least 2 Swifts.
The Pied flycatchers I saw were probably just a small part of the real total on the peninsular, as so much land is inaccessible and I ran out of time.  
One of 3 Pied flycatchers on the razor wire

Pied Flycatcher in Dengemarsh Gully

Pied flycatcher Galloways bridal path.

1 comment:

  1. Great shots Martin, I shared part of your great day with a visit from lunchtime to 5pm. I never even managed to get to the main reserve. Added Lesser whitethroat and Blackcap from the path leading up to the screen hide and five Spot flys there.I did manage the Pied fly from the razor wire but your pics are so much better than mine.

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