Wet and Windy

A wet and windy morning at Dungeness sea watching in comfort from the car 08.00-12.00:

 

Red-throated Diver: 1E

Sooty Shearwater: 2W
Gannet: c200+ Predominately W
Common Scoter: 5W 31E 1 on sea
Grey Heron: 1 out
Arctic Skua: mimimum 4 off shore 3DP + 1LP
Great Skua: 1W
Little Gull: 1 off shore
Mediterranean Gull: 1ad off shore
Kittiwake: 1 juv off shore
Sandwich Tern: c40 off shore
Common Tern: c25 off shore
Arctic Tern: 2+ off shore
Swallows: 742 out

Harbour Porpoise: 3+ off shore

 

From a wind and rain swept Hanson Hide the ARC was not at its best with little of real note. 2 Sparrowhawks were trying and failing to catch any of the 100s of hirundines feeding over the lake, 2 Marsh Harriers flew over flushing most the duck, there were no waders to flush. 2 noisy Water Rails close to the hide refused to show them selves in the newly cut area of reeds neither did a Cetti's Warbler or the several Chiffchaffs calling in the bushes. 

 

At Scotney the feral Barnacle Geese flock still present as was 8 Bar-tailed Godwits, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Ruff and c150 Golden Plover.

Back from summer break

 

A morning visit to Orlestone Forest found all the expected woodland species including a small party of Crossbills in the car park.

On arrival at the Dungeness Obs. to be told some Ring Ouzels had been seen had me plodding round The Moat out past Lloyds to SE corner of The Desert and up to the north end of trapping area and back down the western side of The Long Pits. Several small parties of Siskins, Goldfinches and linnets flew over, 21 Chiffchaffs were seen along with 5 Stonechats, 1 Whinchat, 1 Reed Warbler, 4 Sparrowhawks, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker and a trickle of Hirundines but no Ring Ouzels.

Very little movement again on the sea from the fishing boats. The Yellow-legged Gull was posing there with some Great Black Backed Gulls.



 At the ARC from Hanson just a couple of Golden Plover and Dunlin among the usual ducks and 100s of feral Greylags, also a Hobby chasing the Hirundines and Migrant hawkers.

Back from there summer quarters

At Scotney the first signs of winter with the return of the 60+ Barnacle Geese flock and the accompanying hybrids, also 100+ Golden Plover there, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Curlew and 2 Marsh Harriers.

Barred Warbler

At The Point after a late start this morning very little sign of any sea passage. 2 Arctic Skuas were probably the same birds seen for the last couple of weeks and a few Gannets and Terns off shore. On the beach the adult Yellow-legged Gull in the small roost.

After parking in the ARC car park and plodding out to Denge Marsh, where the Great White Egret was in its usual place and a Whinchat was on the fence at Hayfield 3, I received a call from DB about a Barred Warbler trapped at the obs. I was a 20 minute walk from my car but fortunately SB was able to pick me up and get me to the obs before the bird was released. After the bird was released it showed after a while and was on show on and off most of the afternoon. Unfortunately most the time it was partly obscured by vegetation and I spent the rest of the afternoon filling 2 cards.  

 

The Patch

An hour at The Point looking at a virtually empty sea this morning. Although many 100s of birds were moving offshore 99% of them were Swallows. The rest were 2 of the virtually  resident Arctic Skuas a few Terns and Gannets. This afternoon things had not improved  



Dark winged juvenile Little Gull

2 visits to The Patch found 4 Little Gulls(3 Juvs and an adult) including the almost black winged  individual, 4+ Arctic Terns, 20+ Common Terns, 20+ Sandwich Terns and 3 Mediterranean Gulls among the usual Gulls. Behind the new Patch hide a Chiffchaff, a Wheatear and wren was unusual.  

 The bushes were much quieter today with just a few Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps. At the ARC from Hanson the Pectoral Sandpiper still present with 5 Dunlin, the Black-necked Grebe, 2 Marsh Harriers, 8 Little egrets and 100s of Hirundines.

Arctic Tern

Chiffchaffs

 

A short sea watch this morning produced nothing of note on the sea. Overhead 2 Grey Wagtails several small flocks of Siskins, Goldfinches, Linnets and Meadow Pipits, also large numbers of Hirundines moving. 

One of many on the peninsular today

 In the bushes around The Point and Desert/trapping area 3 Firecrests (2 Lighthouse and 1 Lloyds), a Great spotted Woodpecker, 3 Redstarts, c25 Blackcaps, 3 Common Whitethroats, 1 Garden Warbler and at least 50 Chiffchaffs.

Aberrant Teal?

 On The ARC the Pectoral Sandpiper, 50+ Golden plover, 4 Dunlin, 2 Black Terns, a Black-necked Grebe, 1+ Garganey, an unusual plumaged Teal, a Peregrine and a Marsh Harrier. In the Willow Trail c20 Chiffchaffs, c15 Long-tailed Tits and a water rail. The track to and round The Pines held at least 100 Chiffchaffs, 10+ Blackcaps, 2 Common Whitethroats and Spotted Flycatcher.

Sunset at The Patch

At Scotney c200 Golden Plover, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Black-tailed Godwits and a Curlew. While there a call from DW about juvenile Sabines Gull at The Patch. Although I was on site a few minutes later the gull had moved on. Compensation in the form of 4 Little Gulls, 3+ Mediterranean Gulls, 2 Black Terns, 2+ stunning juvenile Arctic Terns and several Common Terns over The Patch. Also a brilliant sunset.  

Sea Watching

 

This mornings sea watch from the Fishing boats was an improvement on yesterday.

TG,DW,BM,MH,MC  06.30-11.30 totals:

Gannet: 500+                                        Mediterranean Gull: 4 o/s 

Sooty Shearwater: 5W                          Kittiwake: o/s

Fulmar: 1W                                           Little Gull: 4W

Brent Goose: 2E                                    Sandwich Tern: 124W

Common Scoter: 68W                           Common Tern: 54W

Merlin: 2 in                                            Arctic Tern: 4W

Bonxie: 16W                                          Black Tern: 2W

Arctic Skua: 10W                                  Hirundines (majority Swallows): c3000 out

 



 At the ARC the 2 Spoonbills till approx 12.30 when flew high SW. The Pectoral Sandpiper was still present, easy to find as it was the only wader apart from a Lapwing. 2+ Black Terns over the lake along with 100s of mainly Sand Martins, a Marsh Harrier and 5+ Chiffchaffs around the hide.

Taken just before they departed

Another hour early afternoon from the fishing boats was riveting, so much so that one of the watchers fell asleep standing up. 

Sheltering in Hanson



Seawatching from The Point this morning was again disappointing. With frequent squalls the visibility was sometimes very poor not that there was much to see.

Gannet: c60

Common Scoter: 15w

Arctic Skua: 3 o/s

Sandwich Tern: 28w

Common Tern: 15w

Auk sp: 9E

Hirundines mainly Swallows: 186 out 

 A few hours at the ARC Pit spent mainly in Hanson keeping dry and out of the wind. The 2 Spoonbills were still present as was the Pectoral Sandpiper along with 5+ Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plover, 17 Golden Plover, a Garganey among the regular wildfowl 7 Pintail, 32 Wigeon, a Black-necked Grebe, 3 Black Terns, a Common Tern, 8 Little Egrets, a Marsh Harrier, 2+ Sparrowhawks and numerous Sand martins and swallows over the pit. In the Willow trail 4+ Chiffchaffs, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 1 Green Woodpecker and a Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Another short watch at The Point this afternoon produced even less than this morning.

Firecrests

 

An early-ish start at the fishing boats expecting Skuas, Shearwaters and Petrels was some what disappointing with none seen on a flat calm sea. But 1000s of Hirundines appeared to be moving out. The gardens and bushes around The Point held at least 7 Firecrests and few Chiffchaffs and then the rain and wind came.



 About 13.00 the rain cleared and Gannets started to pour through east off shore, 581 in an hour but not much else. By 1500 3 Bonxies had moved east, 5+ Arctic Skuas were o/s, 2 Black Terns west with small numbers of Common and Sandwich Terns, 10 Brent Geese and 15 Wigeon.

Great Crested Newt

 Some Great Crested newts were crossing the track to Hanson Hide this afternoon. From the hide 2 Spoonbills hunkered down in the wind, the Pectoral Sandpiper, 3 Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plover were the highlights.

Spoonbills doing what Spoonbills do best!

Sooty

                 By the time I got my camera this Sooty was disappearing into Hythe bay

 

Watching from The Point this morning with BM expecting to see streams of Skuas and Shearwaters was not to be:

Red-throated Diver: 1E 1W

Leach's Petrel: 1 (BM only)

Sooty Shearwater: 2 E

Gannets: c50 o/s

Brent Goose: 52W  3E

Shoveler: 8E

Wigeon: c60W

Teal: 8W 

Common Scoter: c40W

Arctic Skua: 4+ o/s

Little Gull: 1Juv  o/s

Kittiwake: 7w

Sandwich Tern: c50 o/s

Swallows and Sand Martins: 200+ moving

 

The ARC from Hanson was rain lashed and windswept with just a few Dunlin and teal on the islands.

 

 

Some migrants

Even from my rubbish pictures the more I look, discuss and read, it would seem the stint was more than likely a Semi Palmated Sandpiper.
Plenty of migrants on the track to and at The Pines this morning(thanks Neil), mainly Chiffchaffs and Chaffinches and few Goldfinches over. This afternoon Neils Spotted flycatchers reappeared there.
The north end of trapping area held 30+ Chiffchaffs but little else.
Back at the ARC from Hanson the Pectoral Sandpiper, 100+Golden Plover, 4 Dunlin, a Snipe and up to 12 Little Egrets were the highlights.
Very little on the sea from the fishing boats this afternoon the highlight being a juvenile Little Gull, hopefully tomorrow will be much better.