A couple of hours at Dungeness RSPB and the ARC Pit this afternoon found 3 Greenshanks, 2 Little Ringed Plovers,  2 Common Sandpipers, 7 Little Egrets, 2 Cuckoo's, 2 Hobbys, 3 Marsh Harriers, numerous Reed, Cetti's and Sedge Warblers,  Common Whitethroats and good numbers of Hirundines over the pits.Also seen 1 Raven and 2 Lesser Whitethroats at Christmas Dell and Hookers.

A meeting in West Sussex gave me the chance to visit Lords Piece.  Woodlarks were very prominent not taking much notice of the dog walkers, 4 Common Buzzards and Red Kite was over the north facing hangers on the downs, 2 Hobbys were hawking over the common and a family of Mistle Thrushes were  by the pond. But little else could be found in the strong wind.

Swifts and Dragonflys

Nothing new noted at The Patch this morning and the Black Redstart was still singing on the power station. The Stubby Tail the Glaucous Gull was still on the beach by the fishing boats with 3 Ruddy Turnstones though the walk to and from the beach was done with my mouth firmly shut to avoid swallowing myriads of flies. These being gorged by the local Gulls, Starlings, House Sparrows, Pied Wagtails and a couple of Wheatears.

At the ARC Pit hundreds of Swifts and House Martins and at least 5 Hobbys, 1 Black Tailed Godwit, 1 Whimbrel, 3 Little Egrets, 1 Egyptian Goose and 4+ Marsh Harriers. The bushes round the pits held hundreds of Blue Tailed and Azure Damselflys, a few Hairy Dragonflys,Four Spotted Chasers, Broad Bodied Chasers and i think there were some Variable Damselflys though not sure.  

 Walking out to the Patch this morning the Black Redstart was singing on the power staion. At the Patch along with 200+ Common Terns and the usual gulls were 2 first year Med Gulls, nothing moving at sea. As the bushes were also quiet i went to The Midrips. At Jurys Gap a Sedge Warbler was posing 

and by the cottages 1ofseveral pairs of Meadow Pipits were busy feeding young.

Off shore from the Midrips still 3 Great Crested Grebes and a few Sandwich and Common Terns were fishing. On the pools only 6 Avocets with no sign of breeding, 3 Whimbrel, 1 Bar Tailed Godwit, 1 Knot, 10 Redshank, 2 Dunlin, 12 Oystercatchers, 2 Curlews,6 Lapwing and 37 Shelduck. On the bank 3 pairs of Common Whitethroat, 2 Pairs of Northern Wheatear by the pools. A drive across Walland on the home Turtle Dove on overhead wires, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Corn Buntings, 3 Marsh Harriers and 4 Tree Sparrows.

An early meeting gave me the oppotunity to spend an hour on Ashdown Forest. Redpolls seemed to be everywhere and every Birch appeared to have a singing Willow Warbler  2 Tawny Owls were calling along with at least 2 Cuckoo's. The Stonechats were very obliging,  a few Tree Pipits were singing as was 1 Dartford Warbler unfortunately i ran out of time before i could locate Woodlark and Redstart.

As i drove into Dungeness RSPB this afternoon i received a text telling me about a Red-Rumped Swallow at Boulderwall Farm (thanks Bernard) 2 minutes later i was watching it and later 2 together. 1 had broken streamer and tatty wing the other was pristine and they disappeared for periods especially when the Hobbies came through,  they did not lend themselves to photography hence the rubbish pics. 

Rye Harbour and the ARC Pit

At Rye Harbour early morning a Cuckoo flew over the car park and a Mistle Thrush was singing from the  tower. On the Scrape an Avocet, 2 Ringed Plover and a Rock Pipit. By the track to the harbour entrance a pair of Wheatears several Oystercatchers and Common and Sandwich Terns  screeching overhead along with Mediterean Gulls mewing as flew back and forth to the Ternery Pool. On the beach road another pair of Wheatears and another Cuckoo. The highlight of the beach road was 20+ Little Terns screamimg as flew back and forth to the sea. In the rough field adjacent to The Quarry 2 Grey Partridges and several pairs of Sky larks. 

On the Ternery Pool numerous pairs of Blck Headed Gulls some with chicks. The med Gulls are difficult to count as most cant be seen but there appears to be good numbers. The Common and Sandwich Terns are trying to squeeze into spaces left by the Gulls.  Soon after i left the Ternery Pool a text from Bernard about a Red Backed Shrike at the ARC Pit. So plodded back to the car park straight to the ARC and the Shrike duly obliged. 

 



Stubby Tail now into his sixth month stay

 A very quiet sea watch this morning 07.50-09.15 with only 1 Bonxie, 1 Arctic Skua, 1 Black Throated Diver, 2 Sanderling, 4 Swifts, 1 Little Tern and a few each of Gannets, Common Terns, Sandwich Terns and Kittiwakes. The most unusual sighting was of 2 Mute Swans flying east off shore.
At the ARC Pit up to 5 Hobbies, 1 drake Garganey, 4 Little Egrets, Little Ringed Plover. Still plenty of Brown  Tail Moth caterpillars around Dunge.

Brown Tail Moth Caterpillar

Broad Bodied Chaser

A walk around a different part of Orlestone Forest this evening found 4 more singing Nightingales, 3 Garden Warblers, 2 Willow Warblers, 4 Chiffchaffs and another purring Turtle Dove. Around a dirty pool several Broad Bodied Chasers.





168 and the Poms are still running

Dungeness 06.45-10.00 (Under orders again)

18 More Poms today along with 2 Arctic Skuas, 1 Black Tern, 6 Little Terns, 78 Commics, 2 Shovellor, 2 Pintail,  44 Common Scoter, 3 Barwits,  a Raven Cronking behind the beach, 3+ Harbour Porpoises and 5 Whimbrel over as i walked to the car. A walk round the Moat saw only 1 Willow Warbler, at the ARC Pit beach 1 Black Tern and 1 Little Ringed Plover.
In a great walk around Orlestone Forest this evening, apart from not seeing another person in 2.5hrs,   produced 6+ Nightingales, 6+ Garden Warblers, 4 Blackcaps, 3 Willow Warblers, 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 pairs of Mistle Thrushes,  8 Bullfinches, 1 Nuthatch, Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers, Long-tailed, Coal, Great and Blue Tits and best of all a Turtle Dove Purring and doing its flight display

Purple end to the day

Seawatch at Dungeness 06.45-08.30 and 11.00-18.00

17 Pomarine Skuas, 3Arctic Skuas, 4 Black Terns, 430 Commic Terns, 5 Little Terns, 7 Black-throated Divers, 598 Common Scoter, 1 Eider, 4 Shelduck, 26 Knot, 41 Whimbrel, 25 Sanderling, 4 Med Gulls and few Gannets, Kittiwakes, Fulmars and Auks.

A look at the ARC Pit on the way home was productive, as I walked to the screen hide a Purple Heron flew in and landed on one the bushes infron the hide and remained there for about 20 minutes  then dropped into the reeds.

A rubbish pic of 11 of a flock of 13 Poms that were probably nearer the French coast

Poms still coming

Another good  seawatch (07.30-11.00) 18 Pomarine Skuas,(flock of 3 flying high above the horizon) 7Arctic Skuas, 24 Little Gulls, 3 Black Terns, 5 Black-throated Divers, 22 Brent Geese, 44 Little Terns, 485 Commic Terns, a superb close of 17 Velvet Scoters, 168 Common Scoter, 3 Shovellor, Wader numbers were much lower with only 4 Sanderling, 1 Barwit, 14 Whimbrel and 4 Curlew.  But normal numbers of the usual suspects Kittiwake,Fulmars, Gannets,  Sandwich Terns and Auks. A visit to the Pannel Valley early evening found 4 Garganey, 51 Avocets, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Common Sandpipers, 4 Barwits, 2 Common Snipe  but no Med Gulls breeding this year. The reed beds and sewer were full of Reed Warblers, Sedge Warblers, 6+ Cetti's Warblers, Bearded Tits calling  and a Water Rail Squealing.