Sea bird spectacle from the fishing boats!

A Stunning sunrise from the fishing boats this morning over a flat calm sea that was smothered in birds. Apart from Divers most birds were either feeding or tooing and froing. 07.40-09.20
Red-throated Diver:  327W  including a flock of 214.
Great Crested Grebe: 1,500+ feeding
Fulmar: 2W
Gannet: c50
Cormorant: 400+
Oystercatcher: 6E
Auks: c5,000 majority of which are Guillemots
Grey Seal: 1

North Thames Herring Gull  M8HT

At south end of the ARC the above Great White Egret seems to be a permanent fixture, along with 100s each of Gadwall, Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler, Pochard and Tufted duck also 6 Goldeneye and 3 Red head Smew.

At Dengemarsh a superb male Hen Harrier flew through. A flock of 6 Corn Buntings and 10 Reed Buntings were near the Chicken Sheds. At the bottom of the Gully c20 Meadow Pipits and c30 Linnets.

 The 2 Black-throated Divers were still on the New Diggings along with a red head Goosander and 2 red head Smew.

Birders being moved on by the police for parking on the causeway!

The police seem to have a bit of purge on birders parking on the causeway at the moment. Though there seems to be a grey area around the legality of these actions.
I can understand being moved on between 07.30-09.00 and 16.30-17.30 when the wacky racers that work at the power station, are racing up and down the causeway seemingly ignored by the police.  After reading the following taken from the internet I am none the wiser.
 Parking on single white lines

If the road has a continuous single white line running along the left side, parking is considered legal but in some cases may be used to discourage parking - though this is subject to localised laws such as no parking enforcement signs or other such prohibited parking markings. 

However, in certain cases the single white line represents that there is no pavement , if this is the case then it would be illegal to park on a single white line. Such locations can often be areas where no street lighting is available and the continuous white line is 

used to define the edge of the carriageway.

Glaucous Gull!

A much brighter day today, so I decided to start at Scotney GP, where 2 Dark Bellied Brent Geese and a Pale Bellied Brent Goose could be seen, with them were the 2 Tundra Bean Geese and 200+ Greylag Geese, a Great White Egret and 5 Little Egrets could be seen at the back of the pit, at the Kent end the Long-tailed Duck was in its usual spot.

09.45- 10.40 from the fishing boats joined by The Joker and SG of http://northdownsandbeyond.blogspot.co.uk/ fame.

Red-throated Diver:  226W    12E

Great-crested Grebe: 1,500+ o/s

Fulmar: 1W

Gannet: c20 o/s

Kittiwke: c100 in fshing melee o/s

Auks: 2,000+ majority Guillemots on the sea.

Smew

 On the ARC a Great White Egret and Little Egret at the south end with c150 Gadwall and c200 Wigeon. From Hanson and the screen hide 8 Smew including 2 drakes the first drakes of the winter, 4 Goldeneye, c 200 Pochard, 2 more Great White Egrets, 2 Marsh Harriers, a Chiffchaff and Cetti's Warbler.

Black-throated Divers

 On the new Diggings the 2 Black-throated Divers still present also a red head Smew. While I was on the central causeway trying to get some decent pics of the divers I received a call from DW that an adult Glaucous Gull was in the roost behind the fish hut, when I arrived the Gull was pretty much hidden only getting views of its back, the primaries and occasionally the back of its head, until the flock spooked with some flying off, fortunately the Glaucous Gull settled back down but in a dip out of sight, a short while later they spooked again and by the time I got the camera on the Gull it was overhead and headed away in front the power station.  

Adult Glaucous Gull

 I went to The Patch to try and relocate the Glaucous Gull but it was not to be. Around The Patch c 2,000 Black headed Gulls, an ad and 1w Little Gull and a Mediterranean Gull.

In local garden a Humming bird Hawk Moth was found showing just how mild it has been. 

Little Gull passage!

Little Gulls Passing the fishing boats this afternoon.

Waking up to rain and gales I had a leisurely breakfast and spent the rest of the morning doing domestic stuff before going to the fishing boats for some sea watching, most the time it was gloomy with some rain but the Little Gull passage made it worth while:

12.30-16.00 from the fishing boats joined by DW:

Red Throated Diver: 12W     8E

Fulmar: 2W

Gannet: 63W

Common Scoter: 72W

Shoverer: 2W

Wigeon: 40W   40E  Probably the same flock

Little Gull: 133W

Mediterranean Gull: 1+ o/s

Kittiwake: 288W

Auks: 2,236W vast majority of which were Guillemots

Red-throated Diver past the fishing boats

Day trip to Calais!

Snow Buntings Oye Plage

                                               Crested Larks Bleriot Plage, Calais.

 The Joker, PT and CP invited me to join them on laid back day out around Calais, to hopefully find a couple of Crested Larks, Shorelarks, Snow Buntings and possibly a Twite and Lapland Bunting.
We arrived at Bleriot Plage, Calais to the sound of Fog Horns from the harbour and thick fog. Things weren't looking to hopeful as we split up to search the beach and dunes. I had the easy walk along the flat beach in front of 100s of holidays huts, some of which were virtually buried in the sand drifts caused by the recent storms. The others searched the undulating dunes. After c500mts I saw 3 Crested Larks on the beach in the gloom, I moved back and called out to the others. CP was the first to arrive, I pointed out the 3 and we promptly found 4 more. We all had great views of them and CP found yet another one a little further on, 8 Crested Larks a fantastic result as we were doubtful of even finding the 2 that had been reported on the internet. PT also saw and heard a male Black Redstart which I missed around the old gun emplacements. The omens for the day looked good.  

Brent Goose Le Hemmes de Marck

 Next stop Le Hemmes de Marck where by now the sun had come out. A huge vista of fabulous habitat comprised of salt marsh, sand dunes and sandy beach lay before us, on the down side there were also many shooting pools, each with its own bunker for the French Hunters to blow the legs and wings off any passing birds. We spent several hours searching but hardly scratched the surface of this site, we found a flock of 130+ Linnets, c40 Skylarks a few Reed Buntings, a single Brent Goose probably a gun victim and 5 birds that were probably Shorelark but flew off low and carried on.

 Next stop was Oye Plage where once again we split up to cover as much ground as possible, after walking about 500mts I walked into a Slack and immediately saw a snow storm of c50 Snow Buntings. I texted the others and while waiting for them looked out to the distant sea, where a few Red-throated Divers, Great Crested Grebes, Common Scoter and Gannets flew by, on the shore Ringed Plovers, Dunlin and Sanderling. When they arrived we all had excellent views of the Snow Buntings. I wandered on a bit further in the hope of finding something else but failed, while I was away the Snow Bunting flock was joined by another flock of c20 making 70+ birds, its along time since I saw that many.  

 At the Oye Plage reserve we sat in the hide for a while seeing many Shelduck and Mallard, fewer Wigeon, Teal and Shoveler, 2 Common Snipe, a single Greater Whitefronted Goose among some Greylags and Common Buzzard. We looked in another hide that over looks a super looking pool, which in spring sees Black Winged Stilts, Avocets, Garganey, Black Terns and more but not today. Bizarrely immediately behind the hide are several more pools all with shooting bunkers full of plastic lure ducks. Protect the birds one side of the road, but if they stray to the other side shoot them! As we left site 44 Greater Whitefronted Geese flew over, a great end to really good day out in great company.

Short-eared Owls!

07.40-09.40 from the fishing boats with DW:

Red-throated Diver: 196w   2E

Great Crested Grebe: 200+

Gannet: c20 o/s

Cormorant: c350 o/s

Common Scoter: 133w

Wigeon: 120w

Shoveler: 1w

Teal: 5w

Oystercatcher: 6E

Kittiwake: 100+ o/s

Auk: 1,000+ o/s 

 The 2 Black-throated Divers were still on New Diggings this morning, also a Goosander. a red head Smew and 3 Goldeneye. A Great White Egret was posing at the south end of the ARC where c200 Gadwall, c300 Pochard, c200 Tufted Duck, 4 red head Smew and a Marsh Harrier.

2 Tundra Bean Geese with Greylag Geese

 At Scotney the 2 Tundra Bean Geese were still present but the Long-tailed Duck was hiding today.

Sanderling and Dunlin

 On the beach at Littlestone a mixed flock of Sanderling and Dunlin, also 5 Grey Plover and 27 Turnstone.

Dunlin

Late afternoon at Littlestone Golf Course 2+ Short-eared Owls hunting the roughs but always distant, also an adult male Merlin chasing Meadow Pipits and Skylarks.

Harriers, Barn Owls and some Geese!

 Driving across the causeway this morning the 2 Black Throated Divers on New Diggings could be seen, also 2 Great White Egrets at the south end of the ARC.
 As the beach was packed fisherman and OL had seen the Hume's Leaf Warbler first thing, I opted to go into the trapping area and try to get some shots of it. After 3 hours of not hearing or seeing it I gave up. However a Red Admiral there was some compensation, my first Raven of the year flew over as did a Marsh Harrier.  

 This afternoon from Caldecott Lane 41 Bewick Swans were still in the usual fields, at Baynham farm 20+ Tree Sparrows and 2 Yellowhammers at the feeding station.
At last a beautiful sunny afternoon in which to do the Harrier roost count, as is normal no Harriers actually roosted in the reed bed I watch, but at least 11 Marsh Harriers overflew the reed bed and a superb male Hen Harrier teased me by dropping in as if to roost, but then changed its mind and headed elsewhere. Also seen while waiting were 2 Barn Owls, 3 Common Buzzards, a Merlin and flock of 58 Greater Whitefronted Geese which spent half an hour flying around the whole area before settling in a field at Cheyne for a few minutes before heading off east.

58 Greater White Fronted Geese over Walland

The grass is greener on the other side!

An hour this morning and another this afternoon sea watching from the fishing boats was a almost a re run of yesterday with 100s  of Guillemots and Kittiwakes, lesser numbers of Razorbills, Red-throated Divers, Great Crested Grebes, Gannets, Common Scoters, 2 Teal, 74 Brent Geese, a couple of Fulmars, a Mediterranean Gull, a Little Gull and the addition of 5 Great Skuas. As I left I was asked by a couple of birders if I'd seen much, my reply was oh the usual Gillies, Kits and Divers. For 50 years I lived Shoreham, West Sussex, how soon I forgot the hours I used to spend at Widewater and Selsey Bill in West Sussex, where my sightings at Dungenesss today would have been really memorable, in fact I cant remember ever seeing 5 Great Skuas at Widewater in one day let alone a couple of hours!
On reading Owen Mitchells blog (a real Selsey sea watching stalwart)  http://selseybirder.blogspot.co.uk/ tonight, I realise how lucky I am now to live just a 5 minute drive from the fishing boats at Dungeness let alone the reserve, the ARC, Scotney, Walland and all the avian treats they produce.

Still Raining!

07.30-09.30 from the fishing boats being joined by DW:

Red-throated Diver:  11w  3E

Fulmar: 7w

Gannet: 27w  2E

Brent Goose: 38E

Common Scoter: 226w

Little Gull: 4w

Kittiwake: several 100s feeding off shore and moving west 

Auks: 100s probably 1,000s maily Guillemots tooing and froing off shore with some westward movement especially the first half hour. 

The 2 Black-throated Divers still on New Diggings also a Great White Egret.

The ARC from the causeway another Great White Egret, 100+ Gadwall, 200+ Pochard, 50+ Tufted Duck, 6 Goldeneye, 1 red head Smew and a Marsh Harrier.

Rainbow from Plodland this afternoon.

With a rapid deterioration in the weather this afternoon I spent a while scoping the fields in front of Plodland. Highlights were a Peregrine buzzing 200+Lapwing and c20 Golden Plover, Common Buzzard on its usual bush, 3+ Marsh Harriers, a Great White Egret, a little Egret, 3 Grey Herons and 100+Greylag Geese.

Stagnant!

On my way to The Point this morning, I could see the 2 Black-throated divers on the New Diggings and 2 Great White Egrets at the south end of the ARC.

I spent half an hour looking at the sea where plenty of Guillemots and a few Razorbills were tooing and froing, along the colour change 100s of Black-headed Gulls feeding with smaller numbers of Kittiwakes, a few Gannets further out and 4 Red-throated Divers flew west. Very few of the bigger Gulls on the beach or in the roosts. Fairlight rung Herring Gull A3BJ was by the fish hut. 

 A look around the Scotney complex was disappointing with no wild Geese being seen around the main pit, but the Long-tailed Duck was still present and a flock of 40 Linnet was notable. The usual feral Geese, Dabblers, Lapwing and a few Golden Plover and Dunlin were insitu. Pigwell and the wash pit were virtually birdless apart from Black-headed Gulls and Starlings. 17 Pied Wagtails at the Lydd sewage works was notable.
This afternoon from Hanson 3 Smew, 5 Goldeneye, 2 Great White Egrets, 3 Marsh Harriers, a Bittern and good numbers of wildfowl.

Late this afternoon from Firth hide this Goosander which was joined by 3 more at dusk and 2 red head Smew. Once again I did not see the Glossy Ibis come in to roost(maybe its moved to Sandwich) a Red-throated Diver flew through as I left.  

Waiting for the Ibis!

Chiffchaff from Firth hide this afternoon

As the weather was so miserable this morning I spent the time doing a bit of decorating. By 13.00 i'd had enough and headed for the reserve.

North of the entrance track which was being repaired again, 2 Great White Egrets could be seen in the fields along with c20 Curlew. 

From Dennis's hide a Black-throated Diver could be seen distantly on New Diggings. A Black-necked Grebe was feeding by the far bank of Burrowes Pit.

From Makepiece several 100s each of Shoveler, Wigeon and Teal, lesser numbers of Tufted Duck and Pochard, also c25 Pintail and 5 Shelduck.

From Firth Hide 2 Chichaffs and a single red head Goosander when arrived, which was joined by 2 more flying in along with 2 red head Smew, a Red-throated Diver flew through Burrowes towards Dengemarsh and 2 Marsh Harriers were over the Open Pits. Despite staying till 16.15 the Glossy Ibis failed to materialise. As I made my way back to the car park a Merlin dashed over the track towards the Open Pits.