Trouble with Blogger

For a few days i have been unable to sign in to Ploddingbirder. Looking on the web i am not alone as it appears thousands of Bloggers are suffering a similar experience. Hopefully Google have fixed the problem.

 



Heath Fitillary



A visit to East Blean Woods on Wednesday late morning i found at least six stunning fresh Heath Fritillaries on the bank in the centre of the car park. From the car park Garden Warblers, Blackcaps and Nightingales were all singing.
The last few days around Dungeness have been relatively quiet with a pair of Garganey taking up residence on the ARC Pit. Also 4 + Little Ringed Plovers there and Burrowes pit, up to 10 Hobbys and hundreds of Swifts yesterday. The water levels are dropping on the ARC and Burrowes and the islands now appearing are starting to attract waders so hopefully some good things will be found. Today they held 1 Knot, 5 Sanderling, 4 Dunlin, 1 Common Sandpiper, 4+LRP, 6 Ringed Plover, 6+ Oystercatchers and 1 Bar tailed Godwit a good start. An hour watching the sea at The Patch 11.00 - 12.00.  122 Gannets W + 26 E, 16 Common Scoter E, 8 Kittiwake W, 12 Auks sp E, 1 Red Throated Diver W, 2 Fulmar W, 1 Balearic Shearwater W at 11.25 and hundred or so Common Terns with a few Sandwich Terns milling around the outfall. 

Record of 2 Summer Plumage Black-necked Grebes

A relatively quiet day at Dunge yesterday with 5 Med Gulls at The Patch and 300+ Common Terns. The Black Redstart was still singing on the Power Station as was a male Wheatear.  The trapping area held 2 singinging Lesser Whitethroats, 2 more Wheatears and several Common Whitethroats. At the ARC Pit from the causeway 2 Little Gulls, 1 Brent Goose and a Little Ringed Plover. From the Screen hide 2 Garganey 3 Marsh Harriers 2 more LRPs and 4 Hobbys. A visit to Orlestone Forest last night for Nightjars was a failure but 5 + singing Nightingales and 2 roding Woodcock were compensation.
Today at Dunge the strong wind made things difficult. On the reserve 6 Sanderling and 2 Ravens were the highlight. On the ARC pit only 1 Little Gull, 2 Garganey, 2 LRPs, 2 Black-necked Grebes and many swifts and Martins hawking over the pit.  

Garganey Pose but Golden O no show

I arrived the ARC to late to see the Golden O but up to 12 Hobbys over the Tower Pools was compensation. This evening at a deserted RSPB a pair of Garganey infront of Firth hide posed just for me, the lower water levels are exposing more islands and looking good for waders, 2 Whimbrel, 8 Dunlin, 2 Little Ringed Plovers and 4 Ringed Plovers. The strong wind made finding any passerines difficult but 2 Yellow Wagtails at Makepiece were good and 3 Ravens over.  

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.