31/12/2024

With a force 6 SW blowing I went to the sea watch hide this morning, there was lots of birds but very little variety, but still easily the most productive sea with for a couple of weeks. By 10.30 frequent showers of drizzle were making the hide uncomfortable. 

08.15-10.30  with Chris Gillard, Rob Lee.

Brent Goose: 24E        1W

Shelduck: 3W

Wigeon: 7W

Red-breasted Merganser: 1W (female)

Great-crested Grebe: 1E      2 present

Oystercatcher: 5W

Kittiwake: 192W     5E

Black-headed Gull:  Present n/c

Common Gull:  Present n/c

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Yellow-legged Gull: 2W (both near adults)

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Guillemot: 227W     

Razorbill: 3W

Auk: present n/c

Red-throated Diver: 193W   89E  

Great Northern Diver: 2W

Fulmar: 2W

Gannet: 591W    82E      

Cormorant: 1,000+ around

Grey Seal: 1

After the sea watch I went to the reserve and spent a short while in Dennis's as the weather worsened, the Great Northern Diver was still present also at least 3 Caspian Gulls. I think the weather curtailed any other news from the area.

An excellent party of Goldeneye on Burrowes this morning

2w Caspian Gulls

29/12/2024

In the continuing still and foggy conditions sea watching is not something I want to do, so my time is being spent around the reserve, where the Long-tailed Duck and Great Northern Diver on the New Diggings are continuing to attract admirers, though the views are usually distant and not great for photography. We located a second Great Northern Diver on Burrowes today along with a minimum of 10 Caspian Gulls, 2 drake Pintail were a bonus. 

Early afternoon 5 Bewick Swans appeared out of the fog over the ARC, then circled the reserve before coming back to the ARC to rest for a short time before moving off towards Lydd.

At Cockles Bridge there were 2 Cattle Egrets that were photogenic, apparently another 6 were in the horse paddocks per DB.

Out on Walland another 26 Bewick Swans and 2 Whooper Swans but no reports of any wild Geese.

Great Northern Diver on New Diggings, another has arrived on Burrowes Pit

There 8 Goldeneye on the New Diggings, this one saying hi to the GND

Long-tailed Duck still present on the New Diggings, always distant.

The first Pintail I've seen for a couple of weeks on Burrowes

 

2w Caspian Gull

1w Caspian Gull

1w Caspian Gull

1w Caspian Gull

1w Caspian Gull

Cattle Egrets at Cockles Bridge on my way home for lunch

Bewick Swan coming out of the fog directly over my head 

Bewick swans circling the ARC in the fog

Bewick Swans

The Bewick Swans getting fidgety, constantly calling and neck bobbing

The Bewick Swans leaving the ARC after a short rest

27/12/2024

Fog bound Burrowes taken from Dennis's Hide

I am quite pleased with this image of a near adult Caspian Gull considering the distance and the fog
 The peninsula was unsurprisingly very quiet today avian wise, I walked out into the trapping area first thing and saw 2 Chiffchaffs, a Great spotted Woodpecker and 4 Ravens of note. 

The Great Northern Diver was on Burrowes today with an assortment of Gulls, and 5+ Goldeneye.

The long-tailed Duck was still on the New Diggings per JY.

I walked the length of the Scotney lakes seeing very little, a female Goldeneye on the East lake was the highlight.

26/12/2024

 I made the short trip up the M20 to New Hythe with Owen today to see the gorgeous Yellow Warbler found by dedicated patch watcher Glenn Honey, an absolutely first class find that patch birders dream of.

Yellow Warbler certainly lives up to its name

Yellow Warbler

Yellow Warbler

A quick look around the reserve late afternoon, saw the Long-tailed Duck and Great Northern Diver in the failing light and fog. There are apparently now 7 Bewick Swans (1 juvenile) on Walland Marsh, also 2 Whooper swans per BH. As the reserve is effectively shut until at least 30/12/2024, although the toilets remain open the entrance gates remain firmly locked, so the only way to the toilets and Burrowes is by foot, because of this  I doubt much birding news will be heard for a few days, though I and and I'm sure another local will do our best to cover the reserve.

The Long-tailed Duck and Great Northern Diver both taken with ridiculously high iso

24/12/2024

 With very a light WNW wind and overcast this morning I gave the sea watch a miss and drove straight to the ARC car park. I decided on a wander right around the reserve without being burdened by a heavy camera and lense thinking that due to the gloomy weather I wouldn't use it, so I  headed off towards Dengemarsh. The usual feral Geese were on Boulderwall fields, along with a couple of Great White Egrets, some Lapwing and Wigeon, a Swan that had recently died was being torn open by crows. Marsh Harriers drifted over as did a Common Buzzard. By the time I reached Dengemarsh there was bright sunshine, Bearded Tits were seen and heard from the ramp, along with Cetti's Warblers and a Chiffchaff.

I sat in Dengemarsh Hide for a while studying the Gulls but found nothing unusual, so moved onto Christmas Dell Hide which was more birdless than usual, I have no idea why birds shun Christmas Dell as it does look to have great habitat. I carried on wandering around to Makepiece where I flushed c500 Cormorants the moment I stepped onto the concrete pad to view the lake, as they flushed they took just about everything else that was on the lake with them, I still can't fathom where the RSPB got the idea that viewpoints are better than hides. I moved onto Dennis's Hide where 4 Goldeneye were the highlight. I checked the car park feeders but needless to say they were all empty, I guess they will remain that way until the new year when the VC opens again, if it ever does, I have my doubts as the gates were supposed to be unlocked at 09.00 today but remained firmly shut all day, much to the chagrin of several elderly birders I met on my way out who were unable to walk the mile to the Burrowes, I doubt the RSPB really care about those people because they are already members. Leaving the car park I walked along the Outland track to the New Diggings, a little way along the track I regretted my decision not to bring the camera, when a Brown Hare casually sauntered along it towards me coming to an abrupt hale about 10mts away when it realised I was blocking the track, it sat motionless for about 15 seconds before sauntering off 

to the side of the track and hiding in some brambles.

When I reached the New Diggings the Long-tailed Duck was very close to roped off area and in excellent light giving me the best best views I have had of it, causing me another moment of regret at not bringing the camera, the Great Northern Diver was as usual distant. By the time I arrived back at the car park it was again overcast and the fog was rolling in off the sea.

Darford Warbler

As I didn't use the camera today, here are some images of Dartford Warbler taken in May when it was nesting on The Point, the first record of Dartford Warblers breeding on The Point.

Darford Warbler

Darford Warbler

21/12/2021

Due to over sleeping and the weather I didn't make the sea watch this morning, Richard made a great effort to do this mornings watch unfortunately for a very poor return.

A couple of hours sitting in Dennis's Hide sheltering from the wind and rain, saw at least 3 Caspian Gulls and a Yellow-legged Gull, along with 7 Goldeneye and a couple of flybys of the Long-tailed Duck.

Adult Caspian Gull

2w Caspian Gull

2w Caspian Gull

                            2w Caspian Gull being chased by a 2w Yellow-legged Gull

2w Caspian Gull chasing a 2w Yellow-legged Gull

Goldeneye

Goldeneye

Goldeneye

 

19/12/2024

A chilly WNW force 4-5 wind today that brought lots of birds but little variety.

08.00-09.30  with RW from The Hide

Brent Goose: 3W

Egyptian Goose: 2W

Great-crested Grebe: 4 present

Kittiwake: 166W

Black-headed Gull:  c50 W

Common Gull:  c100 W

Herring Gull: present

Great Black-backed Gull: present  

Guillemot: 242W     69E

Razorbill: 4W

Auk: 227W      41E      

Red-throated Diver: 576W   7E     

Gannet: 452W       

Cormorant: 2,000+ around

Grey Seal: 1

On the reserve the Long-tailed Duck was back on the New Diggings but we were unable to locate the Great Northern Diver, there were a handful of Goldeneye on Burrowes but little else of note. It is looking increasingly likely that another year will pass without me seeing a Smew at Dungeness, it would also seem I will be able to say the same about Goosanders!

A pirate Great White Egret turning in to attack at the ARC

Ready pounce

Piracy failed and leaving empty beaked

Little Grebe at the ARC

The Bewick and Whooper swans were still insitu on Walland Marsh per SM & BH. Also White-fronted geese numbers have increased to 21 but no sign of any Pinkfeet. per SM

18/12/2024

A day of high winds and drizzle, after sea watching most of my day was taken up with Domestic stuff.

07.45-0945 with RW,CP,OL from The Hide

Brent Goose: 15E

Great-crested Grebe: 2E    2 present

Kittiwake: 129W

Black-headed Gull:  100s W

Mediterranean Gull: 2W

Common Gull:  100s W

Herring Gull: present

Great Black-backed Gull: present  

Guillemot: 61W     5E

Razorbill: 1W

Auk: 15W       3E      

Red-throated Diver: 11W        

Gannet: 1,059W       

Cormorant: Minimum 2,000 W into Rye Bay

Grey Seal: 1

The Great Northern Diver was reported as still present and the Long-tailed Duck appeared to have moved to Burrowes per ROR. On Walland the Whooper and Bewick's were still insitu.

17/12/2024

 Sea watch this morning on another dull and dreary winters day at Dungeness, saw several 1,000s of Cormorants feeding off shore along with several 100s of Gannets, c100 Red-throated Divers were back and forth, but very few Auks, all that were identified to species were Guillemots, just a handful of Kittiwakes, only 2 Mediterranean Gulls among the usual Gull species.

This afternoon at the fishing boats was the same species but smaller numbers with the addition of a 1w Caspian Gull and a flock of c50 Brent Geese that flew East. 

1w Caspian Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon

Polish ringed Black-headed Gull TJVV now in its 5th winter at Dungeness fishing boats

On the reserve a couple more Caspian gulls were seen by others and the Great Northern diver was still present, but the Long-tailed Duck wasn't seen though is probably still present. 

A quick sit to Walland saw 19 Bewick swans at Midley and the single Whooper Swan with Mute Swans at Newlands Farm

                                                               1                                                 1 of 19 Bewick Swans at Midley today

A brief spell of sunshine yesterday enticed the local Little Owl out

15/12/2024

Pinkfeet. Whitefronts and Geylags on Walland Marsh today

A long and very muddy walk across Walland Marsh today found 10 Pink-footed Geese, 13 Greater White-fronted Geese and 4 Brent Geese, among some feral Greylag, Canada's and Egyptian Geese. The whole flock was very wary as there was a lot of shooting going on nearby. A Chiffchaff in an isolated Hawthorn in the middle of the marsh was notable. 23 Bewick Swans at Middle were nice but most were just sitting so I was unable to check for colour rings. A party of 6 Missile Thrushes was very notable as was party of 4 Yellowhammers, but I only saw small numbers of Redwing and Song Thrushes and just a single Fieldfare.

Late this afternoon at my allotted reed bed 2 Marsh Harriers came in to roost, while waiting a Kingfisher flashed past me and 2 Little Owls were calling.

The only other news I heard was the Great Northern Diver and Long-tailed Duck was still present on the New Diggings today. 

2 of the 23 Bewick Swans on Walland marsh today 

Chiffchaff in a single Hawthorn in the middle of the marsh