Dungeness and Walland

Arrived at the car park by the power station to be greeted by  this Whitethroat in full song. Walking out to the beach the local male Wheatear was singing on the power station wall. Started sea watching at 06.50- 0.900 As soon as i was settled the first of 8 Pomarine Skuas (1,3,2,1,1) powered its way past also seen  were 21 Little Gulls, 25 Little Terns, 78 Commic Terns, 27, Barwits, 29 Common Scoter, 1 Red-throated Diver, 4 Black Terns and the usual Gannets, Auks and Sandwich Terns off shore.  

A Visit to fishing boats found stubby tail still on the beach stuffing its self with putrid fish.   

On the Reserve both Purple Herons showed occasionally from the viewing ramp and the back of Hookers Pit, also seen 1 Bittern, 2 Bearded Tits, there were good numbers of Swifts, Sand Martins, House Martins and Swallows around, 2 Wheatears, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 1 Cuckoo and 3+ Hobbies.  

Next a visit to Scotney GP where there were still at least 400 Barwits,(several with colour rings) 100+ Whimbrel, 10 Grey Plover, 58 Knot, 2 Common Sandpipers, 1 Ruff and a Yellow Wagtail most the birds in there summer finery. A Peregrine put on a terrific show put everything up revealing all the waders that were hidden under the banks.  

A look around Walland Marsh found 6 Tree Sparrows by the feeders, A Little Owl showing well with a Corn bunting and 2 Red-leegged Partridges at Marsh Farm. A very good days birding

Magnificent Poms

 Another superb seawatch 07.25-11.05 included 38 Pomarine Skuas(5-10-4-1-5-5-5-2-1)1 Arctic Skua, 1 Velvet Scoter, 2 Black Terns, 3 Little Gulls, 8 Shovellor, 3 Teal, 45 Common Scoter, 1 Black Throated Diver, 116 Barwits, 88 Whimbrel, 12 Grey Plover, 3 Sanderling and a steadt passge of Auks, Gannets, Common Terns and Hiundines in off. 

Majestic Poms

 At the ARC Pit 4 Greenshank, 4 Knot, 3 Whimbrel, 5 Barwits, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Ringed Plover. Waders were dropping in and leaving each time i stopped there today.   

At the Midrips this afternoon 3 Curlew Sandpipers, 400+ Barwits dropping in and leaving as were 150+ Whimbrel. Nearby at Scotney GP many more Barwits and Whimbrel also dropping in and leaving. 

1 of 3 Curlew Sands at the Midrips today

North East wind still blowing

Whimbrel ARC Pit

Another four hours on the beach at Dunge was again productive. My only Pom of the day was flying by as i arrived. Also seen 4 Arctic Skuas, 4 Black-throated Divers, 5 Red-throated Divers, 1 Red-breasted Merganser, 4 Velvet Scoter,  85 Common Scoter, 412 Barwits, 1 Greenshank, 18 Grey Plover, 84 Knot, 39 Sanderling, 78 Whimbrel, 3 Curlew, 12 Turnstone, 6 Kittiwake, 4 Fulmars, 8 Little Terns, 2 Little Gulls, 2 Black Terns and flow of Common Terns, Sandwich Terns and Swallows. At  the ARC Pit from the road 4 Barwits, 1 Greenshank, 2 Grey Plover, 2 Whimbrel 2 Little Ringed Plovers and 4 Arctic Terns. A call from Bernard enabled me to see the Red-rumped Swallow this evening but i was unable to get any worth while pics. 

Another Pom day in the making

As i was under orders i could only spend 3 hours sea watching this morning. In that time i still saw 6 superb Poms, 6+ Velvet Scoter, 3+ Black Terns, hundreds of waders mainly Bar-tailed Godwits but also Whimbrel, Knot, Turnstone, Dunlin, Sanderling and Grey Plover, Oystercatchers, 100+ Common Scoter, 3 Red-breasted Mergansers,  1 Black-throated Diver, 2 Red-throated Divers another just off shore, a flock of 13 Shovelor, 12 Shelduck, 3 Teal, 20+ Little Terns, Common Terns , Sandwich Terns and Gannets moving through and feeding off shore, at least 1 Arctic Tern and few Guillemots off shore along with the near resident Harbour Porpoises,

Simply the best

Rubbish pics of magnificent Poms

Image of a memorable day

Had a lay in this morning thinking it wont happen today so did not arrive untill about 09.00 A big mistake. I stayed till 18.00, but missed the early rush of birds at least 16 poms, 5 Bonxies and a drake Long Tailed Duck. But i ended uphaving probably my best ever sea watch. Pride of place going to 61 Pomarine Skuas most with magnificent spoons including a flock of 19 that came past close in shore loping along majestically as only Poms do, i reached down for my camera only to realise that i had left it in the car. Any one who knows me, knows i never go any where with out it. B******s! All the other flocks were further out nearer the second Bouy. Bar-tailed Godwits were another superb feature of the day with in excess of 2500 majority in the afternoon (570 Between 1700-1730) Also seen 6 Arctic Skuas, 1 Bonxie, 200+ Common Scoter, 5 Velvet Scoter,2 Shovellor, 2 Garganey, 16 Shelduck, 3 Black-throated Divers, 3 Red-throated Divers, 150+ Little Terns, 1200+ Commic Terns only 4 of which i identified as Arctic (must try harder) mainly in the afternoon, 6 Black Terns, 100+ Whimbrel, 100+ Knot, 40+ Grey Plover, 12 Turnstone, 4 Dunlin, 2 Sanderling, 8 Fulmars, 4 Meditteranean Gulls, several small flotillas of Guillemots and 10+ Great Crested Grebes off shore, many Auk sp. and numerous Gannets and Kittiwakes past, a constant trickle of Swallows in off. The list does not do justice to a superb day.

Another Parrot

 In a sea watch this morning and another in the middle of the day 1500+ Bar-tailed Godwits with much smaller nubers of Whimbrel, Knot and Grey Plover, also 3 Arctic Skuas,4 Teal, 1 Garganey,a few Common Scoter , 2 Little Gulls, 6 Kittiwakes, 2 Red-Throated Divers, 5 Fulmars numerous Common Terns, Sandwich Terns and Gannets milling about off shore, 20+ Guillemots, a trickle of Swallows in off also a tatty Sarrowhawk and a Dungeness tick for me a Ring Necked Parakeet in th Lighthouse Garden (thanks Neil) last seen being chased round the power station by a Peregrine. At Denge Marsh the Purple Heron showed briefly twice in about 2 hours (Rubbish Pic) but whilst waiting  40+ Barwits and 2 Blackwits were on the marsh with more going over, also 2+ Hobbies, 2 Ravens, a Peregrine, 3+ Marsh Harriers, a Bittern flew by and was booming. At The |Midrips late afternoon a Curlew Sandpiper with 270 Barwits and another 250 feeding on the shore , 22 Avocets, 4 Greenshank and a Knot. At Scotney another 200+ Barwits with more arriving as i left.





 A couple of hours sea watch this morning was relatively productive with 3 Bonxies, 1 Arctic Skua, 1 Pomarine Skua, 6 Common Scoter, 2 Fulmars and smaller numbers than of late of Commic, Sandwich Terns and Gannets. Denge Marsh Road held 4 Wheatears, 4 Red-Legged Partridges, 3 Yellow Wagtails and good numbers of Sedge Warblers and Whitethroats.
An evening stroll in Orlestone Forest still had 4 Nightingales singing along with 3 Garden Warblers, 2 Willow Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs, 4 Blackcaps and  3 Bullfinches despite the best efforts of morons roaring around on Quad Bikes. 

Vagrant Photo Failure

A lazy day today with a visit to The Midrips where the only notable birds were 18 Avocet. So went back to Springfield Bridge to try and photograph a Vagrant Emporer Dragonfly. After a couple hours of dismal failure despite the Dragonfly showing well from time to time i gave up went for lunch. As 1 walked back to the car a Grass Snake, 1 of 3 seen today, slithered across the path.  

 Arrived at the beach for sea watch late this morning to be told by Bernard and Bert  that nothing was passing. They were going to look for yesterdays Ring Ouzel at the ARC Pit and then go to Galloways for a reeling Gropper so i joined them. At the ARC Bernard quickly found the Ouzel which showed well for a few minutes before flying into the Sallows.  Also of note we saw a Grey Partridge there. Galloways was alive with Whitethroats and Sedge Warblers, but no Gropper. Also there of note 2 Stonechats, 4 Wheatears and 2 Med Gulls. On my way back to the beach the Ouzel was showing very well again so more pictures were taken. On the beach by the fishing boats the juv Glaucous Gull was very obliging for the camera. Wondering what to do next i headed for Denge Marsh Gully. As drove down the road i could see several birders on Springfield Bridge staring into the dyke so i stopped to take a look and was told that a Vagrant Emporer Dragonfly was present but had just flown to the far end of the dyke on private property. Fortunately it flew back down and gave good flight views so no pics for me but Dave Walker got some good ones earlier when it was perched. 

Superb Ouzel

 An early start at the point was not wasted with a Pom going through at 06.20 though the rest of the morning watch was a little slow. With 2 Arctic Skuas , 1 Little Gull, a few Whimbrel,Sanderling, Red Throated Divers, Oystercatchers,Common Scoter and Red-Breasted Mergansers and the usual Common and Sandwich Terns and Gannets. After a few  hours i decided to look at the bushes which apart from the now resident Wheatears and Whitethroats held nothing new, so i went to the ARC Pit to try and relocate yesterdays Ring Ouzel fortunately as i pulled up it hopped out from the Sallows and showed well. The RSPB is still alive with Sedge, Cetti's and Reed Warblers. At Hookers pit the Bittern is still booming , 4 Bearded Tits gave tantalising views and 4 Marsh Harriers Tussled overhead. I went back to the beach at 13.30- 15.00 and in that time the passage picked up with 360 Whimbrel, 226 Common Scoter, 11 Velvet Scoters, 2 Bonxies, 2 Arctic Skuas, 3 Red Breasted Mergansers,4 Bar-Tailed Godwits, 2 Red Throated Divers, 6 Med Gulls and a Merlin along the beach. On the way home i looked for yesterdays Turtle Dove to no avail but had compensation in the form of a Cuckoo and 2 Common Sandpipers on th Military Canal.

Whimbrel and 1 Barwit this afternoon