Another glorious day at Dungeness

A superb day started and ended at the ARC Pit where there were 2 Little Gulls(Ad summer + 1st summer) 1 Summer Plumaged Little Stint, 1 partial summer plum Ruff, 14, Dunlin, 14 LRPs, 6 RPs, 5 Common Sandpipers, 7 Green Sandpipers, 1 Wood Sandpiper, 1 Goosander, 1 Peregrine, 2 Hobbys, 3+ Marsh Harriers, 12 Common Terns, 8 Little Egrets, the leucistic Grey Heron and 100s of Sand Martins were over the pit and moving through.

Next stop The Patch where the fisherman had taken over the beach but 1 Juvenile Yellow Legged Gull settled briefly before being disturbed.

Juv. Yellow-legged Gull

Juv Yellow-legged Gull

Juv. Black Redstart

 Behind the beach on the power station wall a family of Black Redstarts with at least 2 young.

Most of the afternoon was spent on the reserve where 2 huge explosions, that emanated from the ranges(Apparently the army were destroying unexploded ordnance) put everything up including the Great White Egret which flew to Cockles Bridge and returned an hour later. From the viewing mound  several Bearded Tits were pinging, a Water Rail was squealing, a Sparrowhawk dashed through, 2-4 Marsh Harriers were hunting the fields and reed beds, a Bittern gave a brief fly-band steady stream of Sand Martins moved through. In front of Firth Hide a pair of Oystercatchers were feeding their single off spring.   

Waders

4 of the 5+ at the ARC today

At the ARC today wader passage has started to pick up with 1 Wood Sandpiper still, 5+ Green Sandpipers, 1 Greenshank, 10+ LRPs, 17 Dunlin, 4+ Common Sandpipers, 1 Snipe, a superb summer plumaged Little Stint, 1 1st summer Little Gull, the Red Head Goosander, 1+ Hobby, 6+ Little Egrets, 2+ Marsh Harriers, 3 Yellow Wagtails, and all the usual wild fowl all from Hanson and the Screen Hide. At the south end a moulting Ruff had joined the Lapwing and its 2 chicks. In the car park a Puss Moth caterpillar.

At Castle Water Rye 6 Green Sandpipers, 4 Common Sandpipers, 4 LRPs, 3+ Marsh Harriers, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 6 Yellow Wagtails and 5 Juvenile Med Gulls. 

Sand Martins and Mega's

On the ARC this morning of note 100s of Sand Martins hawking low over the pit and rising every time a Hobby swept through them. Also there 1 Wood Sandpiper, 1 Ruff, 2 Green Sandpipers, 10+ LRPs, the Goosander, 1st Summer Little Gull, 3 Dunlin and a N'hantsYellowlegs. At Scotney 4 Common Sandpipers another Yellowlegs(They cant' be Mega's), 1 Golden Plover and 4 Stonechats. On Dengemarsh the Great White dot, 2 Yellow Wagtails and 2 Corn Buntings.

Dunge

A couple of hours spent on the beach this morning found "Stubby Tail" roosting behind the fishing boats and a family of Wheatears nearby. Behind the sea watching hide a Black Redstart was in the power station and Kestrel was eying up the numerous Linnets. The sea was very quiet with 4 Med Gulls roosting by the Patch with a few Sandwich and Common Terns. Probably the most interesting thing seen from the Patch was a huge Ocean going crane. A yacht to the left of the crane to gives some perspective to its size. 

 

White Admiral

White Admiral

Purple Hairstreak

Silver-washed Fritillary

Large Skipper

Juvenile Blackcap

A visit to West Sussex today to try and photograph a Purple Emporer did not work out as planned as I only saw one Emporer and that stayed high in the canopy. Purple Hairstreaks were numerous and one did venture down into lens range also several White Admirals and Silver-washed Fritillarys were flighty but eventually let me get some pics of them. Whilst walking the rides family parties of Tits, Woodpeckers, Chiffchaffs and a particularily showy Blackcap kept me entertained.
A visit to Carters Flood late this afternoon found 30 Blackwits, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Avocet and a Marsh Harrier. Vegetation infront of the hide has now made viewing the flood from very difficult. The scrape in the Panell Valley has now virtually dried up though the the small pool left did hold 6 Avocets (3 flightless juveniles), 2 Green Sandpipers and an LRP.

More of the same

I stopped at Cockles Bridge on the way to the ARC to watch a Marsh Harrier hunting. Whilst there a Corn Bunting was singing and Red legged Partridge put in an appearance also juvenile Pied Wagtail posed for the camera.

At the ARC Reed Buntings were still singing as were Reed and Sedge Warblers. One of the 2 Wood Sandpipers finally came close enough for a record shot. Still 2 Green Sandpipers, 3 Common Sandpipers, 3 Dunlin and 10+ LRPs also the Goosander was still at the south end along with Lapwing and her 2 chicks.

ARC Pit

An evening visit to the Pit found 8 Blackwits, 2 Wood Sandpipers, 5 Common Sandpipers, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Greenshank, 1 Dunlin, 1 Redshank, 14 LRPs, 6 RPs, 12 Oystercatchers, 100+ Lapwings, 2 Marsh Harriers, 3 Little Egrets and the usual Gulls, also at the South end the Goosander roosting on the island with Pochard and the 2 Lapwing chicks surviving another day despite attentions from the Crows.

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Summers over

At the ARC Pit this morning 2 Garganey, 2 Wood Sandpipers, 2 Green Sandpipers, 5 Common Sandpipers, 10 LRPs, 10 Little Egrets, 18 Oystercatchers, 2 Redshank, 100+ Lapwing, 2 Marsh Harriers, large numbers of Swifts, Swallows, Sand Martins and House Martins hawking high over the pit. On the way back to the car park a young Fox strolled across infront of me and disappeared over the bank.

On the sea at the point what appeared to be 100s of Swifts flying South, the only other birds of note were c.14 juvenile/1st winter Med Gulls feeding in the surf.

Late morning at Castle Water found 7 Green Sandpipers, 5 Common Sandpipers, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 4 LRPs and 4 Marsh Harriers(2Ads + 2 Juvs) and again loads of Swifts. On the Ternery Pool still a few juvenile Med Gulls and a few Common Terns no eggs or with chicks. Sadly the water level has risen noticeably and washed out some tern nests since Saturday. Maybe just a coincidence but the new sluices have been opened to flood the land scaped part of the reserve which is made up entirely of beach.  Doh!!  

Sandpipers

This morning at the ARC from Hansen Hide 2 Wood Sandpipers, 3 Green Sandpipers, 5 Common Sandpipers, 8 LRPs and the Goosander at the south end of the pit. In an hours sea watch from the fishing boats there was a steady trickle of Gannets, Sandwich and Common Terns with a few Kittiwakes and 1 Manx Shearwater at 09.50. At The Patch 14+ Med Gulls of all ages, a few Common and Sandwich Terns. On the power staion perimeter fence a few Linnets were posing. Back at the ARC the only addition was a Garganey.

Very Dodgy Duck

On my way to visiting mum in West Sussex gave me the excuse i needed to go and see the Marbled Duck at Arlington. It was easy to find asleep on the bank infront of the farm. In the hour i was there it barely moved its head even when someone from the farm sat on the bench above the bank about 20mts away. Wild and Timid i dont think so!