Western Sahara March 2018!

 Sudan Golden Sparrows, one of four of my target species at Oued jenna

 Cricket Longtails another target species was common around our camp at Oued jenna

 Dunn's Lark third target species, c20 birds seen

Torch reflection in the eye of a Golden Nightjar my main target species, through sheer incompetence not checking the flash gun settings I missed probably my only chance of ever photographing the species. Every time I look at the above image I feel terrible! Had the flash worked I could have hoped for an image similar to the one below of a melanistic Montagu's Harrier taken in similar circumstances. 

Melanistic Montagu's Harrier photographed at night with flash gun 

The same bird still present the next morning

 Jerboa taken with a properly set flash gun

 Many Temminck's Horned Larks were seen

  Temminck's Horned Lark 

 Flocks of 50-100 Black-crowned Sparrow Larks were around our camp at Oued jenna but were incredibly difficult to photograph in the time we had, this was the only bird I managed to capture.

 Thekla Larks were reasonably common

 Bar-tailed Desert Larks were common but usually camera shy.

Hoopoe Larks were fairly common

 Probably our most surprising find was 5 Pharaoh's Eagle Owls 2 of which were by the sea at Dakhla

Pharaoh's Eagle Owl being mobbed by a Hoopoe at Oued jenna

Where I would expect to find a Pharaoh's Eagle Owl, peeping out of hole in high rock face in the hills south of Oued jenna.

1 of c100 Black Kites seen migrating over our camp at Oued jenna

A female Montagu's Harrier found roosting late afternoon in the desert 

 Fulvous Babbler common around the camp

 Migrant Subalpine Warblers were common at the camp

A Tree Pipit spent a couple of days feeding around the camp

 Great Grey Shrike(elegans) common everywhere

Several migrant Woodchat Shrikes were seen

 Desert Warbler only 1 bird seen

 Cream-coloured Coursers were fairly common

 Only 4 Red-rumped Wheatears were seen

A few Red-throated Pipits were seen at water holes

White-crowned Wheatear a few seen mainly from the vehicles

  5th new species for me was African Royal Tern

 Caspian tern and African Royal Terns

Caspian Tern

A Miserable Day!

A fairly miserable and damp watch this morning with rain blowing straight through the slats into the hide.

08.00-10.30 from the sea watch hide with JTM:

Brent Goose: 125 up  2 down

Shelduck: 3 up

Shoveler: 2 down

Pintail: 4 up

Common Scoter: 15 up

Red-throated Diver: 6 up  13 down

Great-crested Grebe: 5 up    4+ on

Fulmar: 18 up

Gannet: 206 up

Cormorant: present n/c

Oystercatcher: 9 up

Great Skua: 1 u[

Arctic Skua: 2 up

Kittiwake: 37 up

Sandwich Tern: 26 up

Guillemot: 47 up

Auk sp: 214 up

 Juvenile Glaucous Gull at the fishing boats today

 Firecrest in the scrub by the beach car park this afternoon. Still plenty around.

At least 3 Brambling at the visitor centre feeding station today

Late afternoon a Merlin flew over Burrowes towards the Open Pits, at Cooks Pool 2+ White Wagtails of note. From the screen hide a bittern booming half heartedly.

Dolphins!

08.00-10.00 from the sea watch hide:

Shelduck: 2 up

Teal: 2 up

Shoveller: 4 up

Common Scoter:13 up  30 down

Red-breasted Merganser: 9 up

Red-throated Diver: 32 up 17 down

Great-crested Grebe: present N/C

Fulmar: 1 down

Gannet: present N/C

Oystercatcher: 2 up

Mediterranean Gull: 1 up

Sandwich Tern: 23 up    5 down

Harbour Porpoise: 2+

Common Dolphin: 2

JTM spotted 2 Dolphins c1 mile off shore and for around an hour we watched them moving up and down presumably feeding, eventually they came a little closer just the other side of the bouy,. The consensus was that they were Bottlenose Dolphins, but a conversation with Paul Weiss this evening and reviewing of the images I took, has led me to conclude that they were Common Dolphins, though I would willing take advice from any cetacean experts. 

Highly cropped images of Common Dolphins?

At The Patch nothing of note due to disturbance, though a male and female Black Redstart and and Reed Bunting with Meadow Pipits on the fence behind The Patch.

 Firecrest at the lighthouse today

2 Firecrests in the lighthouse garden and another Black Redstart in the experimental station but I saw little else of note. Another Black Redstart by the lifeboat station.

 Lovely male Brambling at the visitor centre feeding station today

I made my way to the reserve after receiving a message from Liz Hunter about the male Brambling at the visitor centre feeders. With a little patience it showed very well gleaming in the bright sunshine. 

Scanning Tanners Pool the 3 Smew still in residence among c70 Wigeon and 2 Pintail, all of which ere constantly being harassed by a Marsh Harrier. The was also 2 Slavonian Grebes on the reserve per Liz and Paul and 2 Black-necked Grebes on the ARC per RW.

Great Spotted Woodpecker at the reserve feeding station

A fostered Lamb at Scotney

A 2 hour walk around the back of Scotney late morning /early afternoon was predictably disappointing avian wise, highlights being 7 Avocet, a Grey Plover, 3 Curlew, 5 Dunlin, 2 Common buzzards, a Marsh Harrier and a few Skylarks and Reed Buntings.

Fancy racing Pigeon at West Beach this afternoon

15.00-16.00 from the fishing boats:

Common Scoter: 8 up

Red-throated Diver: 26 up     24 down

Turnstone: 2 on beach

Skylark: singing behind the boats

Sandwich Tern: 19 up       16 down

A Slow Day!

Sometimes Gull watching can be so frustrating!

07.30-08.15 from the sea watch hide with JTM:

Common Scoter: 13 up

Red-throated Diver: 4 up   21 down

Great-crested Grebe: 3 up  7 on

Fulmar: 1 up

Gannet: 53 up

Sandwich Tern: 9 up

Guillemot: 17 up . c20 on

At The Patch relatively few Gulls but there was  2 1w Caspian Gulls there, but no sign of the Little Gull or Glaucous Gull while I was there. A party of 50 Brent Geese flew east past the The Patch.

1w Caspian Gull

A second 1w Caspian Gull

1 of several Black Redstarts around today

It was generally very quiet around The point but there was a scattering of Firecrests and Black Redstarts and 2 over flying Egyptian Geese which I'm sure are the first I have seen at the Point.

An hour sky watching from home lunchtime produced just 1 distant Marsh Harrier.

This afternoon from the fishing boats a painfully slow hour sea watching produced just 2 Brent Geese up, 2 Red-throated divers up and 9 down and a few Gannets and Guillemots feeding off shore.

This afternoon an hour at the fishing boats 

A decent day at Dungeness!

 Juvenile Glaucous Gull at The Patch

This morning at The Patch a party of 9 Little Gulls flew east along with a Brent Geese and dabblers. The Glaucous Gull still present as was the adult Little Gull, the 1w Caspian Gull was new in.

1w Caspian gull at The Patch

Little Gull over The Patch

Still plenty of Firecrests around Dungeness today

Around Beach area and bushes good numbers of Firecrests still along with at least, 3 Black Redstarts 12 Reed Buntings, a single Wheatear, 6 Meadow Pipits and singing Skylarks.

1 of at least 3 Reed Buntings in the Moat

At lunchtime while scanning the fields and sky in front my house I got a message from Mr Brown that he'd seen a Kite sp drifting my way, sure enough a Red Kite appeared (still a scarce bird at Dungeness), also seen 6 Common Buzzards, 3 Marsh Harriers, a Sparrowhawk, a Kestrel and Great White Egret of note. Late afternoon the 3 Smew including the drake on Tanners Pool with c100 Wigeon there also 2+ White Wagtails.

 Some of the 1,700 Brent Geese past the fishing boats this afternoon

Eider past the fishing boats this afternoon

13.13-16.00 from the fishing boats with JTM & RW:

Brent Goose: 1,759 up

Common Scoter: 102 up

Eider: 6 up
Red-throated Diver: 91 up   2 down
Gannet: 72 up
Oystercatcher: 1 up
Avocet: 9 up
Knot: c40 up
Dunlin: c60 up
Little Gull: 7 up
Kittiwake: 32 up
Sandwich tern: 14 up  7 down
Guillemot: 32 up   c30 around
Raven: 2 up
Harbour Porpoise: 4+

Knot & Dunlin

The Bluethroat still showing well at Dusk(1 of yesterdays images)