Not Today

With the forecast of strong NNW wind and very cold with it I did not hurry out this morning. After domestic duties and a full English breakfast I made my way to Dungeness. On arrival TG and DW were already on site staring out to sea with the news that I had missed nothing good. I stayed after they left but saw nothing much of note. A short visit to the ARC was fruitless. Back at the beach the Glaucous Gull was on the beach also 2 Yellow-legged Gulls but still little of note passing off shore. A windswept Walland was only notable for the lack of avian activity.

Divers

08.00-14.00 A windy, chilly, damp and rewarding sea watch from the car on the concrete road with TG, later joined by DW, BB and MH.

Great Northern Diver: 1E  (very scarce at Dungeness)    Dunlin: 42E

Black-throated Diver: 2w                                                Curlew: 6E

Red-throated Diver: 6E  2w  4 on the sea                        Oystercatcher: 2E

Red-necked Grebe: 1 on sea                                             Yellow-legged Gull: 2 on beach

Brent Goose: 1408w   64E                                               Knot: 6E

Common Scoter: 69w  57E                                               Ringed Plover: 1 On beach

Velvet Scoter: 1E                                                             Turnstone: 4+ on beach

Wigeon: 132w  15E                                                          Bonxie: 2w

Teal: 33w  2E                                                                   Kittiwake:39w  4E

Pintail: 4w  2E                                                                  Little Gull: 2w   1E  

Red-breasted Merganser: 10w                                          Mediterranean Gull: 5w

Shelduck: 4w                                                                    Starling: 400 in

Merlin: 1 out   1 in off                                                       Goldfinch: 80+E

record of  todays Red-necked Grebe(will be glad to get my 7d back next week)

 Of note on the ARC from Hanson was c150 Golden Plover, 1 Marsh Harrier and the usual wildfowl. In the Willow Trail 2 Chiffchaffs and 2 Goldcrests with the Tit flock. On the reserve c25 Tree Sparrows at Boulderwall Farm and the 3 Great White Egrets on Burrowes being harassed by Grey Herons.

2w Male Hen Harrier

 As I drove out of Lydd on to Walland a superb 2w male hen harrier hunting a Kale field but staying distant. Further on 20+ Redwings at Hawthorn Corner and 10+ Tree Sparrows at Midley.

Goldfinches

A busy morning sea watching from the fishing boats this morning.With much needed help from TG, DW, BB, AB counting the finches moving east over the beach.

Red-throated Diver: 7w

Black-necked Grebe: 1 drifted west

Gannet: c40 off shore

Brent Geese: 112w 6E + 1 Pale bellied w

Common Scoter: 113w 6E

Merlin: 1 over beach

Sparrowhawk: 1 over beach

Curlew: 1E

Dunlin: 1E

Turnstone: 6 on beach

Bonxie: 2w

Guillemot: 6w 4E

Raorbill: 4W 2E

Auk sp: 412w

Sandwich Tern: 14 off shore

Kittiwake: 17w

Mediterranean Gull: 8w

Glaucous Gull: 1 on beach

Yellow-legged Gull: 1 on Beach

Swallow: 75

House Martin: 5

Skylark: 3 in

Meadow Pipit: 17 E

Redwing: 1 in

Chaffinch: 20E

Goldfinch: 3460E

Linnet: 277E

Redpoll: 16E

Siskin: 4E

Harbour Porpoise: 3+ offshore

1 of 3 on Burrowes Pit

On the ARC from Hanson of note 150 Golden Plover, 2 Marsh Harriers and 6 Swallows. In the Willow Trail 3 Goldcrests and 2 Chiffchaffs.

On the reserve 3 Great White Egrets showing well on Burrowes Pit (shame about the light) and the usual wild fowl.

Vis Mig Dengemarsh Gully

This morning I joined MH and BM by the sluice for a very enjoyable vis mig at a foggy Dengemarsh Gully 08.00-12.00: Totals below are birds identified most of which appeared to be coming straight in off the sea and up the gully. There were many more unidentified due to the conditions and some of us being a bit hard of hearing.

Brent Geese: 70w
Wigeon: 58w
Shoveller: 3w
Mallard: 2w
Tufted Duck:1E
Kestrel: 2 around
Curlew: 5E
Jack Snipe: 1 in and dived straight into the gully
Short-eared Owl: 1 just east of the gully.
Swallow: 31 in
Pied Wagtail: 11 in
Meadow Pipit: 38 in
Skylark: 122 in
Goldcrest: 4 in the gully
Chiffchaff: 5 in the gully
Robin: 22 in the gully
Song Thrush: 157 in
Redwing: 104 in
Blackbird: 112 in
Ring Ouzel: 5 in
Fieldfare: 3 in
Starling: c370 in
Chaffinch: 286 in
Brambling: 1 in
Goldfinch: c90 in
Linnet: c120
Siskin: 6+ in
Redpoll: 12 in
Reed Bunting: 7 in
Later a male Black Redstart was seen on the Dengemarsh Chicken sheds and a Great White Egret from the viewing ramp.

Siberian Stonechat

At a very foggy Dungeness this morning an arrival of Thrushes with 27 Blackbirds, 13 Song Thrushes, 9 Redwing, 1 Ring Ouzel and 18 Robins grounded between Lloyds and the Old lighthouse with more flying over unseen. Also seen 3+ Black Redstarts, 11 Goldcrests, 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Stonechat, 5+ Skylarks and a few Siskins over.

A look in the trapping area found more evidence of an arrival with Blackbirds seemingly everwhere and another Ring Ouzel.

With news that the Siberian Stonechat was still present at Beachy Head I gave in to temptation and twitched it with GH. AS we arrived at Birling Gap the fog cleared and the sun came out letting us enjoy  the Siberian Stonechat in good light. While there a Hobby flew over, we also saw a Whinchat which sometimes sat very close to the Siberian Stonechat, 1+ Brambling over, my first Fieldfare of the Autumn among many Thrushes and in Shooters Bottom several Goldcrests and Chiffchaffs, more Thrushes and Robins, a Black Redstart and a Hobby possibly the bird seen at Birling gap.

Wet and Miserable

Probably the most photographed Glaucous Gull ever.

As I drove on to the beach in the near dark this morning, I could see the Glaucous Gull bathing in the puddles by the fishing boats along with the adult Yellow-legged Gull. In couple of hours of staring through the rain from the end of the concrete road I recorded:
Red-throated Diver: 1E
Gannet: 136E
Brent Geese: 93w  2E
Wigeon: 7E
Common Scoter: 38w
Turnstone: 4 on the beach
Bonxie: 1E
Arctic Skua: 1W
Kittiwake: 14E
Sandwich Tern: 15E
Arctic Tern: 1E
Swallow: 7E
Meadow Pipit: 6 in
Skylark: 5 in
Redwing: 4 in
Starling: c250 in
Goldfinch: c500E
Linnet: c150E
Grey Seal: 1
Harbour Porpoise: 3+
Leaving the beach the light was a little better so I took yet more pictures of the Glaucous Gull.
In the Lighthouse garden a couple of Goldcrests and Chiffchaffs. Viewing The Patch from by the seawatching hide 3+ Mediterranean Gulls and a little Gull could be seen round the boil.
At Scotney the feral Barnacle Geese still present along with several hundred Greylags, a single Brent Goose, c300 Golden Plover, c1000 Lapwing, a single Redshank and a Marsh Harrier. With the weather getting worse I gave in to the inevitable and headed home.

Sprites

Near the the fishing boats this morning the Glaucous Gull was on the sands with the bait diggers, c600 Starlings came in and a few flocks of finches over. In the Lighthouse garden 4+ Goldcrests, 2 Chiffchaffs and 2 Song Thrushes. Round the moat 6+ Goldcrests, 6+ Chiffchaffs, 4 Blackcaps and a Ring Ouzel. Late this afternoon a Sparrowhawk was trapped and ringed at the obs. 

Late morning and most of the afternoon was spent round the trapping area with Mark T, where we came across a large Tit flock that contained 6+ Chiffchaffs, 6+Goldcrests and a Firecrest. Having been alerted that a Pallas's Warbler had been heard deeper into the trapping area, we slowly made our way to the area seeing more Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests also fly over Brambling, Siskin and Redpolls. After a while I heard it call 3 times but no sight of it. While looking for a it a Long Eared Owl was flushed which I missed, while looking for the Owl DW spotted the Pallas's Warbler which I glimpsed before it disappeared. SM heard and found a Yellow-browed Warbler amongst numerous Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests which I managed to get slightly better views of than the Pallas's. Some very good birds seen  but very frustrating views of most.    

Camera Problems

Sea watching this morning was uneventful with a couple of Arctic Skuas(probably the birds that have been around for weeks) a few Gannets and Terns, a Red-throated Diver on the sea, c250 Swallows and House Martins over, 350+ Goldfinches a few Siskins, Chaffinches and Redpolls, also 12 Pied Wagtails. The Glaucous Gull flew in and landed less than 10mts from me, I raised my camera and pressed the shutter and disaster, nothing happened, some frantic fiddling still nothing.The camera was saying both batteries and a spare apparently completely exhausted, which could not be as all 3 were charged fully last night. So spent the rest day on a trip to London to hopefully get the problem sorted. The repairers tried their batteries and still nothing. Will have to use my 40D for a while. 

Gulls

2 hours at the fishing boats  this morning was a let down after yesterday. Even so 2 Sooty Shearwaters, 1+ Arctic Skua, a few Common Scoter, a single Eider, 2 Red-throated Divers, a few each of Razorbills and Guillemots with more Auk sp, along with a few Sandwich Terns and Gannets passed by off shore. c300 Swallows went out and c400 Goldfinches and c30 Siskins moved over the beach. It was good to see that the Glaucous Gull was getting back into its old routine.

 At the ARC from Hanson a Merlin flashed across the lake, a Little Stint, a Knot and a Snipe were on whats left of the islands. A Great White Egret flew in being harassed by a Grey Heron and a Goldeneye was present., in the bushes Goldcrests, Chiffchaffs, Cetti's Warblers and Water Rail squealed. At the pines a Crossbill flew over, a Ring Ouzel, Redwing, several Song Thrushes and 3 Marsh Harriers were seen.

 At the reserve on  Burrowes pit 2 more Great White Egrets, 6 Jays flew over as did a Sparrowhawk and a 1w Yellow-legged Gull.

 In the gull roost on the reserve late this afternoon an adult Caspian Gull and an adult Yellow-legged Gull courtesy of DW.

Leach's, Sooty's and a Sabines

Leach's Petrel. Another contender for worst image of the week!

 A brilliant sea watch today 08.00- 15.00: 

Red-throated Diver: 1 off shore                        Sabines Gull: 1w

Great-crested Grebe: c20 off shore                 Glaucous Gull 3w on beach

Sooty Shearwater: 14w                                    Sandwich Tern: 43w

Leach's Petrel: 3w                                            Common Tern: 2w

Gannet:195                                                       Guillemot 26w

Common Scoter: 42w 8E                                  Razorbill: 84w                                

Red-breasted merganser: 1w                           Auk sp: 78w                          

Turnstone: 14+ on beach                                 Skylark: 4 in                               

Dunlin: 5w                                                         Swallow: 96 in                                      

Curlew: 1w                                                        Meadow Pipit: 5 in

Great Skua: 24w 2E                                          Pied Wagtail: 9 in 2 on beach

Arctic Skua: 6+ off shore                                  Starling: 26 in

Mediterranean Gull 2winiter: 1w                       Linnet: 20 over beach

Yellow-legged Gull ad: 1 on beach                   Goldfinch: 498 over beach

Little Gull: 1-3adults 1 1winter all west              Siskin: 7+ over beach

Kittiwake : 6w                                                    Harbour Porpoise: 3 off shore

Sooty Shearwater. Yet another contender for worst photo of the week

As I was driving off the beach a Gull caught my eye. As screeched to halt and fumbled for my camera I realised it was a 3w Glaucous Gull hopefully back for the winter.

The  only snatched shot I managed