Squacco in the rain

In an hour at Dunge RSPB in the rain this evening the Squacco Heron was showing at on Hookers Pit and the Great White Egret was on Denge Marsh. On the way back to the car a very bedraggled Hobby was huddled up on a fence post and hundreds of Swifts were over the pits. 

Squacco Heron

I should have been in Wales today but due to unforseen cicumstances i found my self in Worthing.  So i was unable to get to Dungeness untill late afternoon. Fortunately the Squacco Heron behaved it self and showed well on Denge Marsh all be it fairly distant for photographic purposes. Also showing there was the Great White Egret, 2 Hobbys and the Bittern was booming regularily.

White-throated Robin

A superb trip to Hartlepool Headland Friday 10th June started at Reigate, where i met Richard F at 08.45 at 12.55 we were on site, with news being the WTR had not been seen for a couple of hours, at 15.00 it was looking as though a repeat of Thursday was on the cards, (showing in the morning then disappearing for the rest of the day). RF and I were looking in shrubbery opposite the doctors garden, when a lad ran by saying it was on the bowling green, a few seconds later we were there watching it showing brilliantly for an hour in which time i took 850 shots most still to be looked at. Thankfully RF had a mate who lives near by who would put us up for the night. He kindly showed us the delights of South Gare birding all be it not at its best before a much needed nights sleep.

Saturday morning we went back to the Headland to be met by a lot of disappointed birders the curse of the Friday night flit had struck again. From the Headland we had 2 reasonably close Manx Shearwaters and a couple of Puffins along with Guillemots, Eider, Little Terns, Gannets and Fulmars. We then headed to the Moors via Saltholme Pools where 3 Spoonbills were asleep as usual. On the Moors we saw 3 families of Red Grouse, 3 Cuckoo's and Curlews. We then taken to a site where Pied Plycatchers nest in boxes provided but they had already fledged and left the site, Where do they go before turning up on the coast in August? at the same site we saw a Woodcock, Redstarts, several Spotted Flycatchers and Willow Warblers. Before heading home we went to Scaling where a pair of Little Ringed Plovers had 4 very recently hatched featherballs on legs.  

Spoonbill

Unfortunately not in focus

Returning bird?

An hour sat in the screen hide with Mark this morning was rewared with my first Green Sandpiper, 1+ Hobby, 1+ Yellow Wagtail, 4 Little Egrets, large numbers of Swifts and Martins over the pit and Mark suddenly calling Spoonbill which appeared low from the East and disappeared over Boulderwall Farm, shame i never quite got true focus on it. 

Swifts

A bedraggled Hobby sat at back of the screen hide this morning also a Cuckoo. 100+ Swifts hawking low over the ARC Pit with similar numbers or Swallows and House Martins, 90+ Lapwing arrived while i was there and duck numbers have increased eg 200+ Pochard. Waders were about the same 2 Dunlin, 4 LRP, 4 Ringed Plover, 4 Redshank.

At Scotney 6 Yellow Wagtails and hundreds more Swifts, Swallows and Martins.   

Damp and Dreary

Common Spotted Orchid?

A very damp day with most birds keeeping there heads down. On the ARC Pit 1 Greenshank, 4 Little Ringed Plovers, 4 Little Egrets, 60+ Lapwing, 4 Redshank, 2 Common Terns and the usual wildfowl. In the Willow Trail  Reed Warblers and Cetti's Warblers singing and a small patch of what i think is Common Spotted Orchids. On the reserve the Great White Egret still present, 2 Peregrines sheltering under the Ravens old nest, 2 Hobbys hunting low over Burrowes Pit with 100+ Swifts and House Martins and a lone Mediterranean Gull huddled down with 40+ Black Headed Gulls.  

Rye Harbour and Dungeness

A pleasant morning spent at Rye Harbour. Turtle Dove, 2 Cuckoo's and 2 Lesser Whitethroats singing by the Long Pit. Many Common and Sandwich Terns and Meditteranean Gulls but i could only find 12 Little Terns. The ARC Pit was very quiet so i spent a couple of hours on Springfield Bridge watching the 5+ Hobbys and 4 Marsh Harriers.

Denge Wood

Spent the day in Denge Wood looking for late Duke of Burgundy butterflies but  could find none. However the wood was full of singing warblers,Tits, Thrushes and Crests including several  Firecrests also Common Buzzards mewing overhead.  

Stubby Tail Still Here

A look at The Patch this morning was much the same as yesterday and the Black Redstart was still singing on the power station. A walk out to the fishing boats Northern Wheatears, Skylarks and Meadow Pipits were all collecting food for their young. I was surprised to find the Glaucous Gull on the beach as i have not seen it for a while. 

In the layby opposite Hamstreet Garden Centre 30+ House Martins were busy collecting mud.

A good days birding

An Early morning walk around some of Walland Marsh was very rewarding with good numbers of Tree Sparrows seemingly in every bush and flying over into the fields, plenty of Yellow Wagtails, 4+ Corn Buntings, 3 Lesser Whitethroats, 4 Marsh Harriers, 2 Turtle Doves, 2 Hobbys and a singing Quail. From there i went to The Patch but just the usual culprits there. A Black Redstart was on the power station wall. At the carpark i heard the news of the Great White Egret and the Marsh Warbler. As i walked from the car park at the centre to the viewing ramp 3 Ravens flew over calling (2ads 1juv). As i approached the viewing Ramp i could hear the Marsh Warbler, but in 3 hours all i had was 3 fleeting views even though most of the time it was singing less than 20 feet away, its mimicry was brilliant with Great Tit, Chaffinch, Bee-eater, Nightingale, Sedge Warbler, Cetti's Warbler, House Martin all copied.
While waiting for it to show 2 Common Cranes flew over, A Bittern was booming, Beardies were pinging, 6+ Hobbys were hawking over head and the Great White Egret was showing well on Denge Marsh.
From the screen and Hanson hide on the ARC Pit 2 Avocets, 8 Black tailed Godwits, 11 Dunlin, 2 Little Ringed Plovers and more Hobbys. At the Eastern end of the pit 2 pairs of Little Ringed Plovers chasing each other presumably a territorial dispute.