Marsh Harriers

A much quieter morning at The Point, still good numbers of Great Crested Grebes on the sea with a few Guillemots and Red-throated Divers, with a few more of each flying east into the bay, including the Guillemot below with all white wings. 2 Curlew, 9 Oystercatchers, 1 Fulmar and 13 Common Scoter also moved east.

 The south end of the ARC held 4 Smew (1 drake), c200 Shoveler, a Little Egret, a Marsh Harrier and a Great white Egret with another on New Diggings.

 A plod from the ARC car park out to Hookers, then up to the GO Cart track and back via Manor Farm was pleasant in the weak winter sun. The fields to the NW of Boulderwall Farm held 100s of Golden Plover, Lapwing, Stock Doves and Wigeon, also 3 Great White Egrets, 2 Common Buzzards,  25 Barnacle Geese, 5 Tundra Bean Geese among the Greylags and Canada's. Reed Buntings seemed to have returned to the ditches in good numbers and the Cetti's Warblers have started shouting, also most the fields seemed to have Skylarks in them. The large manure piles each had there own Stonechat with a few Meadow Pipits which have been very scarce lately. Up to 6 Marsh Harriers were on view the whole time I was there, they are superb birds but seeing them every day I tend to take them for granted, I will try not to in future. The fields between the go cart track and Manor Farm had several 100s of Fieldfare in them but very few Redwing. Arriving back at Hookers the 5 Tundra Bean Geese gave me a fly by shot.

At Scotney 25 Dunlin and 5 Ringed Plover of note on the flood opposite the lay by and a couple more Marsh Harriers hunting the fields behind.
On Walland the Bewick Swans still just about viewable but very distant from near Hawthorn Corner, opposite Midley drying barns a family group of 5 Bewick Swans showing well with the Mute Swans and nearby the usual Tree Sparrows in bushes opposite the feeding station. At Tickners Lane seed dump the usual Corn Buntings, Yellowhammers, Reed Buntings and finches. 

Walland Spectacle

Late morning at The Point and the sea was covered in Great Crested Grebes and Cormorants with a few Guillemots. Red Throated Divers were streaming east into Lade Bay with a few Gannets, Kittiwakes and Auks also 14 Common Scoters. While I was there the Glaucous Gull was flying up and down insisting on yet another photograph.

 The south end of the ARC 5 Smew (1 drake), 6 Goldeneye, c200 Shoveler, a Great White Egret and a Little Egret. From Hanson another 10 Smew (1 drake), 5 Goldeneye, another Great White Egret with the usual wildfowl. With the Long Tailed Tit flock in the Willow Trail were a Chiffchaff and Goldcrest. The bushes round the car park had c20 Tree Sparrows with 3 Marsh Harriers over.
From the track to the visitor centre a single Tundra Bean Goose with the Greylags. 24 Barnacle Geese (possibly a new flock as no hybrids present), c100 Curlew, c150 Golden Plover, c500 Lapwing, 2 Marsh Harriers and a Common Buzzard. Scotney was again disappointing.

On Walland this afternoon the Whooper Swan and Bewick Swan herd still present, if you want to see them I would do it in the next few days as they will very soon be off. Also still 100s of Fieldfare with a few Redwing and Mistle Thrushes feeding in the fields. A walk out from the Woolpack towards the windmills was disappointing, as the only geese I could find were Greylags, though the spectacle of 1000s of Lapwing, Golden Plover and Starlings doing aerobatics as a Peregrine came through was worth the walk, with a Barn Owl on the way back the icing on the cake.  

All on The Marsh

At The Point this morning no change in the weather or birds. Still 100s of Grebes, Auks and Red-throated Divers tooing and froing with the tides along with a few Gannets and Kittiwakes. The 3w Glaucous Gull made a fly by as I left. 

The Patch held 100s each of Black-headed Gulls, Herring Gulls and Common Gulls but nothing of note.

At the south end of the ARC 3 red head Smew among c200 Shoveller and a Great White Egret.

Dengemarsh Gully was again very quiet apart from a raucous Raven.

Once again at Scotney nothing of note.
On Walland opposite the flying club the flock 200+ Bewick Swans with a single Whooper but all distant.
The Goose flock at the Woolpack were flushed by farm machinery. I relocated the flock further out on the marsh which requires a 15 minute walk out on the public footpath that runs south from the Woolpack. The flock contained the 5 Tundra Bean Geese and 74 Eurasian Greater White-fronts among c200 Greylags. Also out on the marsh c200 Fieldfare, c500 Golden Plover, 5+ Marsh Harriers, 3 Common Buzzards and a Great White Egret. Tickners Lane seed dump held the usual finches Corn Buntings, Reed Buntings and Yellowhammers.

Local movement

Another bitingly cold grey morning at The Point, at least the fishing boats gave some shelter from the NE wind.

From the fishing boats 08.20-10.15:

In the first hour c1500 Great Crested Grebes moved east into the bay, along with c2000 Auks (vast majority of which were Guillemots), c 300 Red Thoated Divers, c 150 Gannets and c50 Kittiwakes. In the second hour this local movement slowed to a trickle, with the addition of 32 Common Scoter, 2 Fulmars and a drake Goosander which brightened the sea watch. Also a Common Seal.

At the south end of the ARC 4 Smew(1 drake) and a Great white Egret among the common wildfowl. From Hanson 2 Smew, 3 Goldeneye and 4 Marsh Harriers of note. The Willow Trail held 12 Long-tailed Tits, a Goldcrest and a Chiffchaff. At the car park another Great white Egret over and c25 Tree Sparrows.

At Scotney nothing of note. A wander down Dengemarsh Gulley produced just a single Marsh Harrier of note. 

A single Whooper with the Bewicks

 Opposite the model aircraft club on Walland the 200+ Bewick Swans could be seen distantly and using the public footpath opposite allowed me to locate the Whooper Swan, the usual Sparrows and Finches at Bayland Farm and from the Woolpack the 5 Tundra Bean Geese and 6 Greater Whitefronts among the Greylags, also a single drake Pintail feeding in the field with the Geese. The Tickners Lane seed dump held the usual finches with 8 Yellowhammers, 7 Corn Buntings, 10+ Reed Buntings and a Common Buzzard.

Cold and Grey

 A biting NE wind making another cold gloomy day at Dungeness.
At The Point 08.00-09.00: On the sea still 100s of Great Crested Grebes with lesser numbers of Guillemots, Razorbills and Red Throated Divers. Off shore no passage just many Auks, Gannets, Kittiwakes and Red Throated Divers moving in and out of the bay. The only different birds seen were 2 Mallard.
At the Varne 6 species of waders and no sign of the Snow Buntings, but there were lots of dogs off the lead.
A wander round Lade Pits was uneventful with 6 Goldeneye the best of note.  

On the ARC from Hanson hide 5 Smew(1 drake) and 5 Goldeneye among the common wildfowl, the Willow Trail appeared devoid of life. A plod from the ARC car park around the reserve found c30 Tree Sparrows at Boulderwall Farm also a Great White Egret there, a Stonechat at the  sheep corral, from the track to Lydd a flock of c40 Linnets, c100 Golden Plover, another Great White Egret, 7 Barnacle Geese, 1+ Bearded Tit and 3+ Marsh Harriers of note.
Dengemarsh held 7 Ruff of note, at Christmas Dell nothing of note. The track from Scott to Makepiece held another Bearded Tit, from Makepiece 6 Smew (1 drake) among the common wildfowl.

P1BT still on the beach

More Wind Turbines

 An application for 4 more to built close to the existing Wind Farm on Walland Marsh!

After spending yesterday making some preparations for the house move, I was looking forward to getting out and about today. Peering out the bedroom window and seeing the car with a covering of snow the enthusiasm started to wane. After a full English I made my way to the Marsh.

From the Woolpack Inn several 100s of Greylag Geese with 6 Tundra Bean Geese and 75 Greater White-fronted Geese in the fields with a Common Buzzard and 2 Marsh Harriers over. From the triangle the Bewick Swan herd could be seen distantly, 2 more Marsh Harriers over and of note a Jay.

As I parked the car at the fishing boats the 3w Glaucous Gull flew in and landed beside the car (more pictures of the beast) On the sea 100s of Great Crested Grebes feeding still with much smaller numbers of Guillemots, but still many Auks tooing and froing off shore along with some Gannets and Kittiwakes, but no sign of passage.
A wander round the Lade Pits which are a little more sheltered from the easterly blast found 6 Goldeneye, 1 Great White Egret and several squealing Water Rails.
From the causeway 2 more Great White Egrets on the New Diggings and a red head Smew of note, on the ARC 5 red head Smew among the common wildfowl.
Coming home across Walland some of the Geese had relocated to the triangle but I was to cold to go through them.  

Droopy still around

At The Point this morning the blasting east wind made sea watching very difficult and uncomfortable again even from the car. However 08.30-09.00 saw once again plenty of Guillemots, Razorbills and Great Crested Grebes on the sea, c60 Red-throated Divers flew east, being joined by a handful each of Gannets and Kittiwakes.

On the beach the 3w Glaucous Gull, also droopy the Great Black Backed Gull, which is unable to close its wings tightly to its body but is able to fly perfectly well, consequently in today's wind its wings were flopping about.

 Another visit to the Church Lane pond found the Grey Wagtail a little more obliging, even the sun came out briefly, also there 12 Redwing, 4 Mistle Thrushes and 10 Goldfinches of note.

!0 Smew (2 drakes) could be seen from the causeway on the ARC along with 6 Goldeneye.
From the entrance track to the reserve just 2 Marsh Harriers after everything was flushed yesterday.
On a wind blasted Scotney nothing of note in the waves or on the grass.
Walland Marsh still holds the 200+ Bewick swan herd also a few Fieldfare, the Water Rail put in an appearance opposite the feeders, at Tickners Lane seed dump 18 Yellowhammers and 7 Corn Buntings among the Chaffinches and Reed Buntings.

Freezing Dungeness

 A biting east wind at The Point made sea watching uncomfortable even from the car. In a short watch there were still 100s of Auks and Great Crested Grebes on a very choppy sea, Red-throated Divers were tooing and froing off shore as were Gannets and Kittiwakes and a single adult Mediterranean Gull. The 3w Glaucous Gull was loafing in the puddles behind the fishing boat allowing close approach from the car.

While watching the Glaucous Gull BH texted me to say a Grey Wagtail, (which is a surprisingly difficult bird to find on the ground at Dungeness, they are usually autumn fly overs) was at the Church Lane pond. After a successful twitch (species number 132 on the marsh this year) which also found c15 Redwing and 6 Mistle Thrushes, a warm up at the Meehan Road coffee shop courtesy of MH.
A very quick look at the Varne Sailing Club found a single Snow Bunting on the strand (PT had 2 this afternoon so maybe all 3 are still present).

The track to the RSPB reserve was good until just about everything was flushed by Shepherds.
4 Great White Egrets were present, with up to 5 Marsh Harriers, 200+ Golden Plover, 5 Tundra Bean Geese, 7 Barnacle Geese, 2 Egyptian Geese and 2 Ravens over.

The 5 Tundra Bean Geese do nothing for there credentials consorting with Egyptian, Canada and Greylag Geese. 

The Bean geese after being flushed

At Scotney nothing of note and on Walland the 200+ Bewick Swans with a single Whooper Swan. The Water Rail put in a brief appearance at the feeding station and at The Tickners Lane seed dump, 14 Corn Buntings, 6 Yellowhammers and a Common Buzzard. 

A Marsh Rarity

A rare windless and warm day at Dungeness. The sea was calm and from the fishing boats many Guillemots, Great Crested Grebes and smaller numbers of Razorbills, Gannets and Red Throated Divers could be seen on the sea.  6 Common Scoter flew east and this afternoon DW had the first Sandwich Tern of the year. At The Patch plenty of Black headed and Herring Gulls and a single 1st winter Mediterranean Gull. At Lade Pits no sign of the Black-throated Diver(I have over looked it before). The North Pit was virtually devoid of birds. A local dog walker told me a couple of eastern European gentleman had been camping there for a couple of days!

From the RSPB reserve entrance track the 5 Tundra Bean Geese and 7 Barnacle Geese with c200 Golden Plover, c150 Curlew, 3 + Marsh Harriers and a Stonechat of note. Best of all was meeting Pete and Mim for the first time this year.

On the ARC from Hanson 4 Smew and 4 Goldeneye were the pick of the bunch. In the Willow Trail a Chiffchaff was singing and 3 Goldcrests were with 4 long-tailed Tits.

A poor image of a marsh rarity 

 While scanning the fields for wild geese near Hawthorn Corner a call alerted me to a movement in the bushes, I was surprised to see a Treecreeper a rarity on the marsh. From the Triangle the Bewick swan flock could just about be seen in the distance. Tickners Lane seed dump still holds Corn buntings, Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings and the Common Buzzard .

Wandering round Fairfield Church I at last came upon the wintering Green Sandpiper but little else there. 

Otters

Myself, DW, GH and TG all wanted to go back to Thetford to try and see the Otters that we missed last week. This morning we drove to Thetford arriving mid morning. As we walked down the path towards the town centre I spotted an Otter under the bridge, which gave us great views all be it in very poor light. We followed it for c100mts when it disappeared into an ivy covered fallen tree where it started to play with another Otter. The light was so bad I have ditched all those images. As the Otters appeared to have gone and the Dipper had not shown either, we made our way back to the car park and walked down to the Nunnery Lakes. On the walk we saw several Muntjac and a Kingfisher were the highlights. Arriving back near the car park the Dipper had appeared and about a dozen photographers were busy snapping so we joined them. After a few minutes a birder arrived asking if the Dipper was present, we duly pointed to it 15 foot away, thanking us he casually asked if we had seen the Otters that were playing by the bridge 50mts away. In seconds he had the Dipper to himself. The Otters gave us a superb performance, it just a shame the light was so bad.