And then there was none!

The Islands on Burrowes Pit are looking better every day to me, though apart from the feral geese, Cormorants and Herring Gulls little is yet using them, but I am confident that very shortly there will be a wader fest there. From Makepiece a Black-necked Grebe was the high light.

 Common Gull at the dipping pond.

 When I arrived at The Patch Hide with David G the beach was full of gulls, also 2 juvenile Common Terns were being fed by there parents on the beach. 3+ juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls among 100s of Herring and Lesser Black Backed Gulls, then they all took flight, the image below explains why. Shortly after several anglers took the same route so we gave up.

 The rest of the day was a wash out, which gave me the chance to thoroughly investigate the Plodland Moth Trap, where 42 macro species were logged, I'm still working on the micros.

 Several Crambus perlella today

 Spindle Ermine? 

 Dark Tussock

Spectacle

Amazing Storm Clouds!

 Having dinner about 20.00hrs last night alfresco style in the garden, I could see dark clouds on the horizon. I was not prepared for the speed at which I can only describe as a mega size white paint roller shaped cloud came in. It was rolling at an incredible speed and as it came overhead, the garden irrupted with pots being blown all over and plants being flattened. The wind dropped immediately the roller passed over, day became night as the dark clouds followed bringing some welcome rain. I was not quick enough with the camera to catch the white roller and the above image does not reflect the ferocity of the weather, but shows how dark it became in seconds. I have never seen this phenomenon before, I'm sure it must have a meteorological name.

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon.

 This morning a spin around Dengemarsh, Galloways and Scotney not unexpectedly found little of note, the usual Marsh Harriers, 2 Hobby's and 1 Yellow Wagtail were the highlights. This afternoon at the ARC a Jay at the pines was my first one this year on the peninsular, from Hanson c200 Coot, c150 Gadwall, c100 Pochard, 56 Cormorant on Cormorant Island rather overwhelmed the 4 Herring Gull chicks there.
At the fishing boats Mick and Richard had attracted a Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull with loaves of bread and bucket of fish heads.

The moth trap gave a poor return this morning but I have hopes for tonight even though it is raining at the moment.

 Cynaeda dentalis

 Langmaid's Yellow Underwing

Least Yellow Underwing

Lazy Day.

A plod around the bushes at The Point, then along the beach from the lighthouses to the fishing boats and back to the observatory, saw 3 Common Whitethroat, 2 Meadow Pipits, 2 Kestrels and a Sparrowhawk. No sign of a Scarce Toroiseshell, best I could find was a Painted Lady by the fishing boats. 

 At the ARC from Hanson a Reed Warbler was collecting food for its young. 2 Black-tailed Godwits flew in onto the beginnings of an island which is very good news. In the hide a beautiful Wasp nest, so be careful if you are visiting the hide.

A lazy hour at the fishing oats this afternoon:
Great Crested Grebe: 1 on the sea
Gannet: 2 down
Sandwich Tern: 6 down
The bull Grey Seal
Harbour Porpoise: 1
Chatting to angler there who had been fishing all day, he told me he hadn't caught anything today, indeed he had not even had a bite, which may explain the lack of Terns off shore.
At the South end of the ARC 6 Little Egrets and c150 Lapwing of note.

Ice Cold Beer & Ice Cream!

An early morning stroll down to The Patch making the most of the cooler air and not an angler to be seen. On the perimeter fence a tatty Black Redstart, over The Patch 4 Yellow-legged Gulls, 1 Mediterranean Gull and not a single Tern. Plenty of Gulls on the beach with at least 3 North Thames colour ringed birds, but the heat haze was to severe to read them.

A cup of tea at the observatory where DW identified some moths for me. With his bionic hearing he heard Swifts calling from the stratosphere, they were only dots in the binoculars.

At the south end of the ARC 13 Little Egrets with the motley assortment of eclipse duck. With birds hard to find let alone photograph in the rising temperatures, I spent most the rest of the day doing domestic chores and sorting through the Plodland moth trap, interspersed with Ice Cream and Ice cold Beers.

Four-spotted Footman (male)

Evergestis limbata 

Ethmia bipunctella

Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

Maple Prominent

True Lover's Knot

Pine Hawkmoth

Blue sky days.

Another quiet day around the peninsular. Best bird being the adult Roseate Tern that DW had fly into The Patch briefly.

2 Black-tailed Godwits at the south end of the ARC, 2 Common Sandpipers on Burrowes.

view from the fishing boats. No birds.

 14.20-15-45 from the fishing boats in the company of The Joker:

Gannet: 1 up    2 down

Whimbrel: 2 down

Common Tern: 3 down

Sandwich Tern: 4 down

Mediterranean Gull: 1 up

Swallow: 1 out

Sand Martin: 73 out

just as well the sun was shining and The joker kept me entertained. I can only assume that there is very little for the Gannets and Terns to feed on in this part of the channel at the moment.

High tide pools at the fishing boats created by the winter storms 

Past its sell by date this Sussex Emerald turned up in the Plodland trap.

Aptly named Spectacle

European Corn Borer

Pale Prominent

Ruby Tiger

That time of year!

A look around the area found little of note and no Scarce Tortoiseshell. An hour at the fishing boats produced just 9 Gannets down channel and no Terns at all. Just one of those days.

Below just a very few of the moths caught in the Plodland trap recently.

Blue-bordered Carpet

Diamond-back Moth

Ethmia bipunctella

Figure of Eighty

A worn Saltern Ear

Small Ranunculus caught almost dailly.

Smoky Wainscot

Bits and Bobs!

Quiet at The Patch this morning as a couple of anglers were there. 100+Common Terns including a this years juvenile, 4 Yellow-legged Gulls, no Mediterranean Gulls or anything else of interest.

The ARC had 2 Black-tailed Godwits and 2 Redshank with 6 Little Egrets.

From Dennis's hide 2 Little Ringed Plovers and 2 Common Sandpipers, from Makepiece a Ringed Plover and a Ruff 3 Marsh Harriers and a Wigeon.

Juvenile Little Grebe on the dipping pool

14.25-15.25 from the fishing boats:

Gannet; 2 up   2down

Common scoter: 7 up

Mediterranean Gull: 1 up

Common Tern: 7 down

Sandwich Tern: 1 up

Swallow: 5 out

Harbour Porpoise: 1+ o/s

Hummingbird Hawkmoth: 1 in

At least the sun was shining and the French coast seemed as if you could touch it.

Moths and Gulls!

I over slept this morning after staying up into the early hours with the Plodland Moth trap. As I am a complete novice with moth identification, last nights deluge of moths was quite daunting and very time consuming. I have never seen so many moths in my life before, but compared with the observatory moth trap mine was slow(DW had in excess of 400 Diamond-back Moths compared to my 30+). I did record 57 macro species with help from DW on some of the identification. As for the micro's there are still a few pots in the fridge waiting to be photographed, enlarged and hopefully identified.

This afternoon I spent a pleasant couple of hours on the beach with Mick and Richard photographing Gulls, being joined by DW and GH who had just seen a an Osprey from the reserve head out to sea. 

A short stop at the south end of the ARC early evening found the usual suspects and also my first Common Sandpiper of the autumn on the far side of the lake.

2nd summer Herring Gull

North Thames colour ring Herring Gull K5FT

Lesser Black Backed Gull

North Thames colour ring TU3.T 

Juvenile  Yellow-legged Gull

Wash out!

From the concrete road this morning 142 Gannets down channel, 1 Manx Shearwater up channel, 2 Whimbrel and 2 Curlew down, a Mediterranean Gull down and few Common and Sandwich Terns fishing.
Mid morning at the ARC 100+ Sand martins over the lake, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Redshanks including a juvenile and the usual Little Egrets and Ducks.
When the rain finally stopped this afternoon I wandered from Springfield Bridge to Dengemarsh. Dengemarsh flood held the usual Greylags and a single Yellow Wagtail, the desert that is Hayfield 3 held a Shelduck, a Little Egret, a Black-headed Gull and a Crow.
Over Dengemarsh 40+ Swifts and a Hobby being chased by the Common Terns. Over the reed bed 3 juvenile Marsh Harriers and an adult male causing havoc among the Coot.
Late afternoon at The Patch, 100+ Common Terns, 6 juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls, 3 Mediterranean Gulls and another North Thames colour ringed Herring Gull KH7T  

Gannets and Manxies!

Another thoroughly miserable day with a strong NW wind meant sea watching was the order of the day. Well over 1,000 Gannets passed down channel ,(253 in 65 minutes this afternoon) 20+ Manx Shearwaters down channel, also 1 up very close in giving me one of the best views of this species I have had at Dungeness, I was so engrossed in watching it that I for got my camera was on the car seat beside me, 3 Kittiwakes, 70+ Common Scoter, 4 Mediterranean Gulls, the first few returning Auks whirred past, 4 Curlews, 1 Whimbrel and a Little Ringed Plover. Mammals were represented by a Grey Seal and 4+Harbour Porpoises.

 Once again no change at the ARC still 10 Little Egrets at the south end with the eclipse ducks. From Hanson c150 each of Coot, Gadwall and Pochard with smaller numbers of Tufted Duck.
A look at Scotney saw rapidly growing Herring Gull chicks on there island, a Curlew, and a Ringed Plover.

Herring Gull H8FT beside the Fish Shack at Dungeness this morning.