Friday 28 October 2016

Sea Watch Surprise!

For a change first thing this morning I went to a cold windswept Dengemarsh Gully, where the virtually the only bird I saw was a Swallow heading towards the power station, the gully apart from a Robin and a Wren was an avian free zone.
At Dengemarsh the Linnet flock was still in the Sunflower field, 2 Marsh Harriers quartered the reed bed and a Great White Egret was in the shallows.
 Black Redstart 
I joined AJG in walk around The point which was also very disappointing, a single Black Redstart in the lighthouse garden, 2 Stonechats by the Britannia, a couple of Siskins and Redpolls over, a Redwing, a Green Woodpecker and a couple of Chiffchaffs. We arrived back at the observatory just as Great Spotted Woodpecker was about to be released, which was also the highlight of the meagre total of birds ringed there today. 
At Scotney nothing of note unless you include Egyptian Geese,
A surprising sea watch in the company of AJG this afternoon from the fishing boats. In benign weather we recorded a totally unexpected 668 Mediterranean Gulls, which is the highest count I have had at Dungeness.
13.40-16.10
Common Scoter: 3E
Great-crested Grebe: 6 around
Gannet: 49E   12W
Cormormant: present n/c
Oystercatcher:  5W   1E
Grey Plover: 3 on beach then E
Turnstone: 4 around
Dunlin: 33 on beach then E
Arctic Skua: 1 chasing off shore then W
Kittiwake: 506W
Mediterranean Gull: 668W
Black-headed Gull: present n/c
Common Gull: present n/c
Herring Gull: present n/c
Great Blck-backed Gull: present n/c
Sandwich Tern: 23W    2E
Guillemot: 8 around
Razorbill: 2 around
Auk: 15E    7W
Harbour Porpoise: 2+
Common Seal: 1

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