Friday 22nd July

Record of an excellent bird

 In 3 visits to the ARC Pit there were up 12 Little Egrets, 2 Hobbys, 3 Marsh Harriers, 8 Blackwits, 8 LRPs, 8 Ringed Plovers, 12 Golden Plover, 100s of Lapwing, 100+ Oystercatchers, 3 Turnstone, 24 Dunlin, 12 Common Sandpipers, 7 Green Sandpipers, 2 Greenshank, 2 Redshank, 2 Curlew, 1 Whimbrel, 1 Little Stint and best of all 1 Pectoral Sandpiper. In the last visit from Hanson the LRPs eggs must have hatched today as there were 2 feather balls on legs running around on one of the islands. The patch held a few Common and Sanwich Terns and 2 Juvenile Med Gulls. In The Moat and trapping area several Migrant Hawkers and Whitethroats but little else was showing. Th RSPB reserve had 4 Common Sandpipers, 2 Green Sandpipers showing well infront of Firth Hide with Lesser Black Backed Gulls and a Black-necked Grebe was new today. When i got home i had a surprise on my door step in the form of a young starving Fox.

Migrant Hawker

A very hungry cub.

Sorry

May i thank every one for the e-mails no matter how sarcastic pointing out that the bird i photographed yesterday was in fact a Melodious Warbler. I will of course suitably chastise my self by consuming many cans of Lager tonight so when i wake tomorrow with a hang over i will be reminded how stupid i was. Oh yes and i wont have to rush off to work like some, i'll have a leisurely breakfast and probabably head for the ARC.Today at the ARC Pit 100+ Oystercatchers, several hundred Lapwings, 10 Dunlin, 10 Ringed Plovers, 4 LRPs, 4 Green Sandpipers, 9 Common Sandpipers, 1 Blackwit, 26 Curlew over, 2 Whimbrel over, 2 Hobbys, 4 Marsh Harriers and at the south end 3 Little Gulls (2ads and a 1st summer) also the Lapwing and her 2 chicks have reappeared. Tried  to photograph the Black Redstarts again today and failed but some recompense with a Meadow Pipit posing.

Icky brightens the day

An over night clear out at the ARC this morning leaving just 4 Common  Sandpipers, 2 Green  Sandpipers, 6 LRPs, the usual wildfowl and Lapwings and 3 Little Gulls at the South end.Whilst walking along the concrete road to The Patch, hoping to photograph some Black Redstarts which were on the perimeter fence, I saw a Warbler fly from the fence to the bank and dive into a patch of brambles. The bird showed again straight away and was obviously a Hippolais and first thoughts was that it was an Icterine Warbler. I took a few record pics before having to walk back to nearly the car park to get a phone signal and let the locals know. Fortunately when I got back the bird was still there and after a few minutes the locals started arriving to see the bird. On The Patch there was very little of note.

A couple of visits to the ARC today came up with 2 Moulting adult Curlew Sandpipers, 1 Turnstone, 6 Common Sandpipers, 3 Green Sandpipers, 8+ LRPs, 4 RPs, 1 Little Stint, 9 Dunlin, 8 Little Egrets, a presumed family party of 5 Marsh Harriers, 3 Hobbys, the Red Head Goosander still, 3 Little Gulls, good numbers of Common Whitethoats, Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers and the ever present Cetti's Warblers.  

At the point 3 Black Redstarts by the power staion and 2 families of Wheatears, a Whimbrel over and little else.

Shower Dodging

From the screen hide this morning a Wood Sandpiper showing infront of the hide. Also there 2 Green Sandpipers, 1 Snipe, 1 LRP and a Little Egret.

From Hanson Hide the Little Stint moved closer than usual for a terrible record pic with 9+ Dunlin, 6+ LRPs,  4 Ringed Plover, 5 Common Sandpipers, 1 Green Sandpiper, 8+ Little Egrets, 2+ Hobbys and 100s of Swifts and Sand Martins. From the road the Goosander was joined by 3 Little Gulls (2ad Summer + 1st Summer) but the Lapwing and chicks were no where to be seen.

In the Willow Trail a flock of Long-tailed Tits held 2 Chiffchaffs.

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.