Little Change

A couple of hours plodding around Orlestone Forest was pleasant but not overly rewarding bird wise. I probably clocked up more dogs species than birds. 4 Bullfinches being the highlight with a few each of Great, Blue, Coal, Long Tailed Tits, Goldcrests and a couple of Great Spotted Woodpeckers. Where are all the Finches?

 On the beach at Dungeness little change in numbers of Razorbills, Guillemots, Red Throated Divers  and Great Crested Grebes. Though Kittiwakes seemed more numerous and my first Little Gull of the year was feeding back and forth along the surf along with hundreds of other gulls. Off shore there was very little movement except for 32 Wigeon moving west.
The 1w Caspian Gull was in the roost but no Glaucous Gull today.

On the reserve 2 red head Smew and the Long Tailed Duck were on the ARC and a Great White Egret was on Burrowes from Dennis Hide.
Round the tower pits a Common Snipe flushed from a boggy area, a Kingfisher flashed over and a Bittern briefly, also 2+ Marsh Harriers.
Out on Walland the 53 Bewicks still at Midley. 

Man Flu

After spending all of yesterday and most of today indoors suffering from man flu (uploaded  1000+ pictures onto Flickr) I managed to drag myself to the fishing boats for an hour this afternoon. As I arrived the 1w Caspian Gull was on the track. On the sea 1000+ Great Crested Grebes, 1000+ Auks, 200+ Kittiwakes a few Gannets and a Bonxie west at 14.50.
Driving back across Walland still 53 Bewick Swans at Midley.

Wild and Wet

 At a very breezy and wet ARC Pit this morning the handsome drake Smew and a single redhead were at the southern end. Along with 6 Goldeneye and the Long Tailed Duck. On the New Diggings 1 Great White Egret and 6 Little Egrets.
11.30-12.30 at the fishing boats in very poor visibility, found most the Razorbills and Guillemots have moved on leaving several hundred Great Crested Grebes and a few Red Throated Divers with usual Gannets and Kittiwakes milling around off shore. The Caspian Gull and Glaucous Gull were conspicuous by there absence.

On Walland still 53 Bewick Swans at Midley, nearby 15+ Tree Sparrows in the bushes opposite the feeders, 50+ Fieldfare and 4 Mistle Thrushes at Midley Barn and 4 Marsh Harriers around the marsh.

Dull at Dungeness

An afternoon visit to the fishing boats in very dull drizzly conditions, with the fog horn blasting away the whole time  found less birds on the sea than yesterday, though still good numbers of Razorbills, Guillemots, Great Crested Grebes and Red Throated Divers. Gannets and Kittiwakes seemed more numerous  and 25 Common Scoter flew west in an hour. The 2w Glaucous Gull brightened up an otherwise gloomy beach.
On the ARC from the causeway viewing conditions were poor but I could still see 3 Smew including the adult drake.
On Walland at Midley the Bewick Swan herd has increased again, now 53 birds there including 5 juveniles, also 2 very bedraggled Marsh Harriers sitting in the same field.

Sea of Birds

First stop the fishing boats Dungeness. There was only 1 gull in the roost the Capian Gull. After taking a few more pics it was time to look at the sea. Wow the sea was carpeted with birds 2000+ Razorbills, several hundred each of Guillemots and Great Crested Grebes, 100+ Kittiwakes were patrolling up and down the beach and probably as many Red Throated Divers up and down off shore. Surprisingly few Gannets were at sea. The same Velvet Scoter made 3 fly pasts, 2 Red Breasted Mergansers west and 35 Brent Geese east.  

1w Caspian Gull

At the ARC 2 red head Smew, 10+ Goldeneye, 2 Marsh Harriers, a Kingfisher near the screen hide, 2 Chiffchaffs and 2 Goldcrests in the pines and 4 Tree Sparrows in the car park.
At Scotney 3 Greater White-fronted Geese  at the Sussex end along with 2 more Marsh Harriers.
Back at the beach this afternoon not quite so many Auks on the sea, the Velvet Scoter did another fly past as did a few Common Scoters, the 2w Glaucous Gull was following a fishing boat and Pomarine Skua chasing gulls close in shore disappeared to the west.  

Sheppey

Distant record of bird with black neck collar with white "K" and SY on side

The forecast was for a clear still sunny day perfect for a visit to Sheppey. I parked at Muswell Manor and walked down the track (about half a mile) to the raised bank between the RSPB fields. A little way down the bank I heard the first Lapland Bunting in with some Skylarks. A little further on a large mixed flock of Lapland Buntings and Skylarks got up from the middle of one field and wheeled around high dropping into the middle of the next field. This was the general pattern for the next hour and I estimate that there was around 30 present. Occasionally a Lapland Bunting could be seen briefly scuttling in the field but only through the telescope. While I was watching them a Great White Egret flew past, a Merlin  perched on some ironwork, a ring tail Hen Harrier sat in a field and 3-4 Marsh Harriers were hunting.
A long plod out to the Swale NR to look at the Geese was rewarded with good but distant scope views of c150 Greater White-fronted Geese but no Tundra Bean. Also seen along the bank another ring tail Hen Harrier, 1 Short-Eared Owl and 3 more Marsh harriers.
From the Harty raptor viewpoint 2 Common Buzzards, 1 Short-Eared Owl, 1 ring tail Hen Harrier, 1 Merlin, 4 Marsh Harriers and 1 Ruff.
    

Harrier Roost

From the fishing boats this morning in brisk south easterly still plenty of Guillemots, Razorbills, Red Throated Divers and Great Crested Grebes on the sea, though it did not seem as many yesterday but counting was difficult in a choppy sea. Kittiwakes and Gannets were milling around off shore and 127 Brent Geese flew east. The 2w Glaucous Gull was in the roost as was the 1w Caspian Gull later.
On the ARC from the causeway the Long Tailed Duck, 2 red head Smew, 14 Goldeneye and a Marsh Harrier were at the south end.
In 2 hour plod around the reserve the highlights were 2 Tree Sparrows, 2 Marsh Harriers and 200+ Golden Plover at the back of Hookers.
On Walland still 48 Bewick Swans including 5 juveniles. At dusk a minimum of 18 Marsh Harriers came into the marsh over the reed bed I was watching but none roosted there. No Hen Harriers were seen this evening.
  

Frosty Walland

On very frosty Walland Marsh this morning 2 Mistle Thrushes with 50+ Fieldfare, 2 Green Woodpeckers and a Common Buzzard in the hedges and fields at the northern end of the marsh. In the bushes opposite the feeders 15+ Tree Sparrows and in the field opposite a Hen Harrier (prob 1st fem) quartering the dykes though always distant. At Midley the Bewick Swan herd has increased to 48 including 5 juveniles also 2+ marsh harriers there.

 A watch from the fishing boats 10.35-11.35 was productive with 109 (3,46,6,44,1,2,7) Brent Geese moving east. A single flock of 92 Red Throated Divers flew west out of Hythe Bay with many more s on the sea and toing and froing. Several 100s Guillemots and Razorbills of shore in more or less equal numbers, also 100+ Kittiwakes, 50+ Gannets 1000+ Great Crested Grebes off shore, 3 Sanderling and a Dunlin flew west and the 2w Glaucous Gull appeared grabbing a small flat fish when the fishing boat came ashore.

East Kent

Water Pipit

 A still bright morning at Grove Ferry was only spoilt by the lack of birds. Although some good birds were seen numbers of them and the common ones were poor or non existent.  An hour sat in Marsh Hide produced 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Redshank, 1 Greylag Goose, 1 Water Pipit, 1 Marsh Harrier in front the hide. Harrisons Drove had 1 Grey Heron. David Feest hide held 40+ Teal, 6 Gadwall, 12 Shoveler and 4 Tufted Duck. 4 Cetti's warblers were heard, 3 Bearded Tits, 1 Ring Tail Hen Harrier and 3 Marsh Harriers were seen from the paths between the hides. From the viewing ramp 2 Ruff and 100+ Lapwing.

 The afternoon was spent at Oare Marshes where good numbers of Black Tailed Godwits, Golden Plover, Lapwing, Snipe, Redshank, Dunlin a few Avocet and Ringed Plovers were roosting along with many Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler and Pintail. From the sea wall 200+ Avocet were on the Swale, on the wall and salt marsh 50+ Reed Buntings, 30+ Skylark, 20+ Meadow Pipits and 2 Rock Pipits. From the sea wall the adult Rough Legged Buzzard could be seen with 2 Common Buzzards and 2+ Marsh Harriers over Mocketts Farm. At the east end of the reserve 2 showy Water Rails performed.

Out and About

In Orlestone Forest this morning a distant Tawny Owl was calling as I got out the car and things went downhill from then. After an hour and half's plod just a few Great and Blue Tits, the only finches were a few Chaffinches and fly over Siskin, a Nuthatch calling deep in the wood and a Great Spotted Woodpecker. It was time to cut my losses and try and find the Purple Sandpipers at Hythe that I have heard so much about. This time I was not disappointed as I could see them as I parked the car. These were the first I have seen since moving from Shoreham in West Sussex. On closer inspection there was 7 Purple Sandpipers on the rock groyne also 18 Turnstones that flew off when disturbed by a dog, fortunately the Sandpipers were very confiding taking no notice of the dog or me.     

Just lately the birds on the beach at Dungeness is like Ground Hog day and today was no different.
On New Diggings it looks like the shooters that were seen on Tuesday in the boats presumably paid for by DEFRA were very efficient. Nice to know our taxes are being used efficiently.
On the ARC the Drake Smew and 2 red Head Smew with the Long Tailed Duck.
On Walland Marsh a flock of 15 Corn Buntings at Hawthorn Corner my first this year also 4 Mistle Thrushes there. The Bewick Swan herd at Midley has risen to 45 including 5 juveniles, 20+ Tree Sparrows round the feeders and 50+ Fieldfare in the hedges. The Woolpack Harrier roost was very disappointing with a maximum 6 Marsh Harriers seen and only 1 adult male roosted also 2 Common Buzzards there.