Wood Warbler

A late start this morning after watching the fantastic Olympic opening ceremony last night.
As I got out of the car I could hear a Willow Warbler calling and saw 3 more on the track to an empty Hanson Hide, also 3 Reed Warblers still singing by the track. From the hide 4+ Common Sandpipers, 2 Little-ringed Plovers, 2 Garganey, 1 Black-tailed Godwit. Mick, Richard and Kevin arrived and we put the world to rights. I decided to wander round to the Screen Hide and then up to the Tower. On the way there were a couple more Willow Warblers in the sallows also 2 Green and a Great Spotted Woodpecker. Up at the pines Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap another Willow Warbler and a superb Wood Warbler.

Wood Warbler

 The Lighthouse Garden held at least another 3 Willow Warblers and at The Patch little of note.

Willow Warbler



 Late this afternoon back at Hanson 4 Garganey, 4 Black-tailed Godwits, 5+ Common Sandpipers, 5+ Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Dunlin and Marsh Harrier. But no sign of the reported Kentish Plover.

Garganey

A Fishermans Victim

Condemned to a lingering death

 A half hour sea watch in the rain at The Point this morning was virtually bird less. With rain stopping I wandered down to The Patch, where by the old hide stood a second year Herring Gull with fishing line hanging from its bill. It had obviously swallowed the hook and attached to the line was
at least 1 more hook. Just another victim of some of our caring fisherman who discard there equipment and pollute the beaches with discarded beer cans, supermarket bags and even faeces.
Also seen at there a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull and a Grey Seal.  

Grey Seal

 At the ARC from Hanson 3 Green Sandpipers, 4 Common Sandpipers, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Little-ringed Plovers, 4 Dunlin, 5 Common Terns, 4 Little Egret and 3 Garganey among all the other eclipse duck.
On the reserve 2 Common Sandpipers on Burrowes, from Dengemarsh Hide at least 10 Common Tern chicks could be seen, 2 Marsh Harriers over the reed bed and near Springfield Bridge a Corn Bunting, 2 Stonechats, a Peregrine flew through and several Black-tailed Skimmers were on the path.

Black-tailed Skimmer

Butterflys

A day out in Surrey and Sussex today with GH and DW looking for Purple Emperors. We started at Botany Bay and had superb views of Wood Whites, Silver-washed Fritillaries, White Admirals and several other species but no Purple Emperor. We also so several family parties of  Marsh Tits and heard Treecreepers, Nuthatches, Bullfinches and a Tawny Owl.

Wood White

White Admiral

 We moved on to Southwater, where shortly after arriving at a spot I have seen Emperors before GH decided to have sit down and rest on the grass while DW and myself walked on. Seconds later GH called out after seeing what she thought was an Emperor high in the canopy. A short while later it reappeared and we manged great scope views at 60x. We then spent well over an hour with at least 2 Emperors in virtually constant view all be it high in the canopy hence the dodgy highly cropped images.

Purple Emperor

Purple Emperor

Purple Emperor

The Doldrums

At The Patch this morning a juvenile Mediterranean Gull and little else of note. On the perimeter wall a juvenile Wheatear with another by the car park.

An hour at the fishing boats in a refreshing breeze produced nothing of note.

At the ARC from Hanson Hide 2 Garganey, 3 Common Sandpipers, 2 Little Ringed Plovers and singles of Hobby, Sparrowhawk and Marsh Harrier.

Late afternoon an entertaining hour in a wonderful breeze on Springfield Bridge 3+ Marsh Harriers, 30+ Common Terns, a flyover Black-tailed Godwit, a Yellow Wagtail and a singing Corn Bunting. Also a huge Pike laying just below the surface of the ditch by the bridge and an assortment of Dragonfly's and Damsels.



2 Garganey

More of the same

A drive around Walland on my way to Dungeness found plenty of Tree Sparrows in the usual spots, but I found only 1 Corn bunting and no Yellowhammers. A few Reed warblers were still singing in some of the ditches and 2 Marsh Harriers were at Midley.

At the ARC 3 Common Sandpipers, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Greenshank and 2 Little ringed Plovers. Today was probably the first day since early May that i have not seen any Hobby's there.

Most of the afternoon was spent at the fishing boats sitting in cool breeze watching Harbour Porpoises.



Lazing in the Sun

As I wandered towards the sea watch hide I was joined by DW on his bike. He carried on down to The Patch while I plodded along the sea wall to meet him. While we were there he picked out 2 Yellow-legged Gulls an Adult and a juvenile, also there 2 Mediterranean Gulls and the adult Little Gull still. A dot at the back of the Power station was a Black Redstart which DW said was singing loudly not that I could hear it. Off shore a Common Seal and a few Gannets and a couple of superb sailing ships. 

 A plod around The Point found a few pairs of Common Whitethroats feeding young, a juvenile Wheatear and several Linnet families.

Sea Pea on The Point

 A visit to the ARC Pit south end found 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Little Ringed Plover and a juvenile Peregrine sitting on one of the telegraph poles.
At the Tower my first returning Willow Warbler of the Autumn in the pines with a large Tit flock including 15 Long-tailed Tits also 1 Hobby and a Marsh Harrier hunting round the tower. On the islands 3+ Common Sandpipers, 1 Greenshank, 1 Green Sandpiper, a Little ringed Plover and a Garganey.

Who needs the Mediterranean!

 Back at the fishing boats this afternoon a few Sandwich Terns, Gannets and 3+ Harbour Porpoises off shore. Not to much to interrupt my dozing in the glorious weather.

Hotting up

First stop this morning the ARC. A wander up to the Tower in the hope of migrant warblers drew a blank, but 2 Hobby's, 2 Marsh Harriers and a Peregrine were compensation. From the Screen hide a Common Sandpiper, 3 Dunlin and a Little ringed Plover among the Lapwing and all the eclipse duck.

At The Patch an adult Little Gull, a single juvenile Mediterranean Gull, c40 Common Terns among the usual gulls, a few Gannets off shore also a Common Seal and 2+ Harbour Porpoises.  



On the reserve from Dengemarsh Hide now 2 newly hatched Terns in the corner of the raft in front the hide, the abandoned clutch still intact. Over the reed beds 2 Hobby's, 2+Marsh Harriers. A Greenshank and 2 Black-tailed Godwits flew through. On the return trail 2 juvenile Wheatears.

Eagle Owl



 After a lay in this morning I went to have a look at the presumed escape Eagle Owl that has taken up residence on the NW side of Charter House, Ashford. (Its the largest tallest building in the town centre) For the short time I was there it was mainly asleep and in the shade. I went back this evening  and it was basking the sunshine.

At Dungeness little of note at The Patch, around the point 3 Wheatears and a Peregrine over were the only birds of note.
At the ARC the highlight was Greenshank. 2 Hobby's and 2 Marsh Harriers were over the Tower Pits. 

Little Gull

Mid morning at Scotney 2 Curlew and 2 Bar Headed Geese among all other feral geese, 2 Marsh Harriers hunting the windmill fields and numerous Swifts, House and Sand Martins.

At the south end of the ARC an adult Little Gull of note.

Lunchtime sea watch at the fishing boats produced a few Gannets and Terns off shore. But after c20minutes I received a text from BH about a probable Black Stork over New Romney heading towards Dungeness. After a quick drive to Boulderwall where SB, CT and others were all looking skyward, no Stork but up to 3 Hobby's.

A short spell in Hanson Hide found the Little Gull there for a while until the juvenile female Peregrine made a second pass through flushing most birds there. A juvenile Marsh Harrier was over the reed bed and Little Ringed Plover was on one of the islands. A lot less Swifts over the pit than of late but still plenty of Martins. 



A Summers Day

While pulling on my fleeces on as I got out of the car on another God awful summers day at the ARC this morning 2 Ravens flew over cronking. Myriads of Swifts mainly fairly high over the pit while skimming the surface 100s of House and Sand Martins. The only wader was a single Little Ringed Plover.  

Juvenile Sandwich Tern

By the time I got to the reserve the wind was really blowing. From Firth Hide a few Herring, Lesser Black Backed and Common Gulls hunkered down on the island. From Makepiece the only waders a Ringed Plover and an Oystercatcher also a Juvenile Sandwich Tern flew through. On Dengemarsh the Common Tern Chick numbers have doubled to 2. Over the reed beds 2 Marsh Harriers were battling the wind.

 Back at the reserve centre this Fox cub was trotting around the entrance.

 An afternoon plod around The Tower pits was very under whelming until a family of Great spotted Woodpeckers appeared.