Dragons, Snakes and Ninjas

Record of 4 Wood Sandpipers at the ARC Pit late this afternoon.

The birding at Dungeness was some what patchy today with 20+ Willow Warblers, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 12+ Common Whitethroats, 1 Mistle Thrush, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 2 Green Wood Peckers, 2 Little Gulls, 3 Green Sandpipers, 2 Common Sandpipers, 6 LRPs including the now rapidly growing young ones amd the Goosander all at thr ARC Pit this morning. 

The Patch was uninspiring with c50 Common Terns, 1 Juv Yellow Legged Gull, a Peregrine and few Harbour Porpoises and Gannets off shore.

The bushes were virtually bird less, so a lot of time was spent around the Long Pits looking for the elusive Lesser Emporer Dragonflys. David Walker tried in vain to find me one though a pair had been there earlier.  He did find a Red Eared Terrapin and a Grass Snake and several other Dragons and Damsels.

In a late afternoon visit to the Hanson Hide at Arc Pit 4 Wood Sandpipers dropped in and a Greenshank flew over.

Common Darter

Common Darter

Red Eyed Damselfly

Grass Snake

Red Eared Terrapin

That Heron again

Leucistic Grey Heron

A quick look at the south end of the ARC on my way to the point found only 1 Blackwit, 2 Dunlin and the Goosander. From the sea watching hide a Black Tern on The Patch with a few Common Terns and the usual Gulls. At sea a few Gannets and 6 Shelduck flew west. On the beach the Glaucous Gull still by the fishing boats round the bushes on The Point 1 Willow Warbler, 6 Wheatears and 12 Whitethroats.
On the reserve the Great White Egret still there. As i walked round Hookers i flushed the leucistic Grey Heron from a ditch and it was gone before i could get a good shot of it.

Saturday & Sunday

A late afternoon visit to the ARC on Saturday found the Pectoral Sandpiper in superb light but to distant to get any decent pics. Other Waders there were 2 Ruff, LRPs including the 2 fluff balls, Common and Green Sandpiper, Lapwing, Golden Plovers, Oystercatchers, Dunlin and the usual wild fowl. Today no sign of the Pec. but Golden Plovers had increased to 52, 1 Wood Sandpiper, 3+ Green Sandpipers, 2+ Common Sandpipers, 1 Greenshank, the LRPs and fluff balls are now a week old, the Goosander at the South end, 10+ Willow Warblers in the Willow Trail and 100+ Sand Martins feeding over the pit. At The Patch 50+ Common Terns, 1+ Arctic Tern, 1 Kittiwake and little else of note. In the bushes around The Moat/Lighthouse just 2 Willow Warblers, 18 Whitethroat and 2 Wheatears.

Its that Gull again

In 3 visits through out the day to the ARC Pit there was up to 6 Greenshanks, 9 Dunlin, 6 LRPs including the 2 chicks, 200+ Lapwing + the 2 young that are now nearly fledged, 2 Blackwits, 1 Wood sandpiper, 3 Green Sandpipers, 5 Common Sandpipers, 14 Golden Plover, 9 Little Egrets, 2 Little Gulls, the Goosander still at the south end, 4 Marsh Harriers, 2 Sparrowhawks, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 2 Green Woodpeckers and 5 Willow Warblers in the bushes.

 On the point the Glaucous Gull was in its usual spot by the fishing boats, a few Gannets, Sandwich and Common Terns off shore. In the bushes 15 Willow Warblers, 18 Whitethroats, 2 Stonechats and little else.

Common Tern diving for a fish on Dengemarsh

Leucistic Grey heron

Leucistic Grey heron

On the reserve 2, Common Sandpipers, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Greenshanks, 1 Wood sandpiper, the Great Whit Egret, 1 Hobby, 3 Marsh harriers, 4 Willow Warblers and Reed and Sedge Warblers all round the reserve. Also present on New Diggings the Leucistic Grey Heron.

Swift Demise

On the approach to Hanson  Hide this morning i found a recebtly dead Swift on the path. On inspection the Swift appeared to have broken its right wing, i can only assume it collided with a bush and broke it.

From the hide there was not a great deal as a Peregrine had just flown through, but on a later visit  there were 10 Golden Plover, 6 Blackwits, 5 LRPs including the 2 fluff balls, 1 ad Little Gull, 2 Common Sandpipers, 2 Green Sandpipers, 1 Greenshank, 1 Wimbrel, 1 Curlew, 8 Dunlin, 6 Little Egrets and 3 Marsh Harriers also 4 Willow Warblers in the bushes, 2 Green Woodpeckers and a Great Spotted Woodpecker.

On the point/The Moat/Trapping area 12 Willow Warblers, numerous Whitethroats, 72 Swifts flew South 2 Green Woodpeckers and another Nightingale was trapped.

On the reserve little of note on the islands on Burrowes Pit, but between Scot Hide and Christmas Dell 12 Willow Warblers, 16+ Whitethroats, a Greenshank flew over and my first Common Redstart of the Autumn. The Great White Egret was on show from Christmas Dell as was the leucistic Grey Heron briefly.

Yellow-legged Gull

First stop this morning the ARC found 30 Willow Warblers between the car park and water tower which bode well for the trapping area. A Peregrine flew through the pit scattering all the birds on the islands. At the south end the Goosander was still present. Expecting plenty of migrants round the trapping area i was surprised to only find 3 Willow Warblers in as many hours and little else. News from Mark of Cory's Shearwater west past St Margarets had me join the locals sitting at The Point expectantly although the Shearwater did not oblige an adult Yellow-legged Gull did and performed for the camera 

Back at the ARC this afternoon highlights were 2 eclipse Garganey, 2 adult Little Gulls, 10 Little Egrets, 26 Golden Plover, 2 Redshank, 6 Green Sandpipers, 3 Common Sandpipers and 5 LRPs including the 2 fluff balls.

When i pulled up at the south end of the ARC Pit Mark Hollingworth was already there, watching a few Dunlin and Common Sandpipers and little else of note. Mark suggested we go to Galloways and Denge Marsh Gully, so i parked up at the ARC car park and jumped into his car and we went to Galloways. On the way down we saw a couple of Willow Warblers, several Whitethroats, 3 Stonechats a covey of Red legged Partridges and a male Marsh harrier. As we drove slowly back up windows open Mark heard a Grasshopper Warbler reeling, despite his best efforts i just could not hear it old age setting in. (now i know how Dick Walker felt). A bit further up Mark spotted a Little Owl. Whilst i was trying photograph the Owl he got a call from Dave walker at the Obs to say a Wood warbler had been trapped, needless to say the Owl was uly ignored as we drove straight to the obs to be greeted by the sight of a stunning Wood Warbler being held by Paul being photographed by Dave. A couple of minutes later it was released and as far as i know not seen again.  

After a cup of tea and some banter we left the obs and went to Denge Marsh Gully where the highlights were a family of Wheatears, a Hobby, the Great White Egret and another Little Owl on the chicked shed. Then Mark got another call from Dave to say they had trapped a Nightingale so back to the obs we went and saw this little beauty. Later we went back to Hanson hide at the ARC where the LRP fluff balls were still running about, 26 Golden Plover, 1 Little Gull, numerous Lapwing and Oystercatchers and little else of note.

Sand Martins

A slow plod around the trapping area in glorious weather but little in the way of grounded migrants found 6 Willow Warblers, 4 fly over Yellow Wagtails and stream of Sand Martins moving North. By the power station the resident Black Redstarts and Wheatear families. Also a resident Meadow Pipit complete with bling catching Grasshoppers for its young.     By the fishing boats 100s of Sand Martins on the shingle and 20+ Sandwich Terns fishing off shore and another family of Wheatears.

 At the ARC Pit the only new arrivals were 2 Ruff, the LRP chicks have now survived 3 days and the Lapwing chicks both look as if they will fledge. The Goosander still on its island at the south end.

Another missed Wood Warbler

A Quiet day at Dunge today started at the Midrips where there was a party of 14 Avocets(7ads & 7Juvs), 2 Greenshank, 2 Whimbrel, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 6 Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plover, a family party of 5 Kestrels and 9 Wheatears(6ads & 3 juvs).

Next to the ARC Pit where a Wood Warbler had been seen but alas i could not find it though i did meet Steve Ashton there on away day from Stodmarsh. From Hanson the usual 100s of Lapwing,1 Turnstone, 22 Golden Plover, 2 Green Sandpipers, 3 Common Sandpipers, 6 Dunlin, 6 LRPs including the 2 fluff balls still surviving. From the road i could not find the Pectoral Sandpiper or Little Stint, just a few Dunlin and Common Sandpipersthe 2 Lapwing chicks and the Goosander on its island. 

I photographed this gull with a deformed bill a couple days ago on the beach.

By the screen hide at the ARC Pit today 6 Green Sandpipers and 3 Juvenile LRPs.

From Hanson Hide 1500+ Lapwings, 150+ Oystercatchers, 8 Blackwits, 21 Golden Plovers, 6 LRPs including the 2 fluff balls, 9 Dunlin, 4 Common Sandpipers, 6 Common Terns and 2 Marsh Harriers. Also Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers  the usual wildfowl and many Sand Martins moving through.

At the South end from the road the Pectoral Sandpiper still showing although distant. Also 14 Dunlin, 4 Common Sandpipers, 1 Little Stint, 3 Little Gulls and Lapwing still with 2 chicks. On the reserve generally quiet, The Great White Egret still showing and 4 Common Sandpipers on Burrowes Pit and many Sand Martins overhead.