Stormy!

07.30 till 08.45 when the weather closed in. with AJG who collated the numbers, joined by RW & JTM from the sea watch hide.
Brent Goose: 82E
Shelduck: 2W
Common Scoter:11E
Red-breasted Merganser: 1E
Red-throated Diver: 5E    17W    3 on
Great-crested Grebe: 3 on
Fulmar: 23W     2E
Gannet: 184E    33W
Cormorant present n/c
Dunlin: 7E
Curlew: 1E
Great Skua: 1E
Kittiwake: 13E     3W
Sandwich Tern: 1 around
Guillemot: 19W
Razorbill: 2W
Auk sp: 141W    27E
Harbour Porpoise: 1+

While I was having lunch this male Sparrowhawk visited my garden again

On my way to the beach this afternoon the 2 Whooper Swans were still at Cockles Bridge, nearby at least 3 Cattle Egrets were in the horse paddocks.

 Some of the 71+ Great-crested Grebes off the fishing boats this afternoon

13.45-14.45 from the fishing boats:
Red-throated Diver: 1E     7W
Great-crested Grebe: 71+ around
Fulmar: 1E
Gannet: 7E       26W
Cormorant: 300+ around
Sandwich Tern: 7W     2 feeding o/s
Guillemot: 14W       18 on sea
Auk sp: 12W

A very quiet and damp day around Dungeness today. There was little happening on the sea in the still conditions and very little around the reserve. The Smew made it into March but was as mobile as ever, the Whooper Swans were also still present at Cockles Bridge and the 4 Cattle Egrets were still in the Boulderwall Fields, also there 2 Great White Egrets and 2 Little Egrets. Reed Buntings seem to be numerous all over but I could only find 2 Tree Sparrows at Boulderwall. The common wildfowl were still present around the reserve with at least 6 Goldeneye. 

Very few Gulls came in to the roost this evening, but there was a 1w Caspian Gull along with 2 Norwegian and a Normandy rung Great Black-backed Gulls, 15 Ruff flew in to roost with 100s of Lapwing. 

Smew flying into the ARC from Hanson

Most of my time today was spent sea watching. As the fine weather broke  over night bringing windier and wetter conditions I thought the sea might be productive, passage was brisk early in the day but slowed to barely a trickle after 10.00 AM.
06.45-09.30 + 10.30-12.00 + 15.00-16.15 thanks to AJG for collating the numbers:
Brent Goose: 826E
Common Scoter: 33E
Red-breasted Merganser: 4E
Red-throated Diver: 244E   7W
Great-crested Grebe: 7 around
Fulmar: 5E    9W
Gannet: 860E    47W
Cormorant: c150 around
Mediterranean Gull: 1E
Kittiwake: 146E   16W
Sandwich Tern: 13E   46W
Guillemot: 55E  13W    24 on sea
Auk sp: 383E   49W
Harbour Porpoise: 3 

Smew

The 4 Cattle Egrets were in the horse paddocks as I drove to the beach this morning. On the reserve the Smew finally gave me a photo opportunity. At least 2 1w Caspian Gulls were on the islands today including a colour ringed individual, also 16 Ruff came into the islands to roost this evening. The number of Gulls roosting increased today while the number of Cormorants has declined. 

1w Caspian Gull bearing a yellow ring XCKU

Brent Geese passing out in the gloom this morning

08.00-09.00 from the sea watch hide in poor visibility:
Brent Goose: 246E
Common Scoter: 8E
Red-throated Diver: 15E    1W
Fulmar: 1E
Great-crested Grebe: 1W     2 on
Gannet: 27E   c20 feeding
Cormorant: 34 around
Kittiwake: 9E     8 on
Guillemot:  1E     32 on
Razorbill: 7E    2 on
Auk sp: 17E

 Ruff at Boulderwall

By the time I got to Boulderwall this morning the fog had lifted and the sun was shining, there I found 4 Cattle Egrets, 2 Great White Egrets, 2 Little Egrets, 14 Ruff, 26 Golden Plover, 8 Curlew, a Little Grebe, c200 Wigeon and the usual Coot and feral Geese all frequently being flushed by a couple of Marsh Harriers and a Common Buzzard. 

4 drake Goldeneye on the ARC were displaying to 5 females, c100 Pochard and c30 Tufted Duck were sleeping on the mirror like lake but little else of note.

I then went to Dennis's Hide hoping to spend some time looking at Gulls, I was to be disappointed as there was only a handful of Gulls present, there was a minimum of 600 Lapwings roosting on the islands, also thankfully a huge drop in the number of Cormorants roosting. 

The 2 Whooper Swans were still in the Kale field from Cockles Bridge. 

A Little Owl was by the Lydd camp watchtowers this afternoon also Green Woodpecker there. 

At Dengemarsh and down the Gully the highlights were c50 Reed Buntings, 2 Corn Buntings and c40 Linnets.  Hopefully a change in the weather will liven things up.

 Golden Plover over Bouldrerwall

Wigeon at Cook's Pool

Hooded Crow!

07.45-09.00 fro the sea watch hide with JTM:

Brent Goose: 244E

Shelduck: 1E

Shoveler: 6E

Pintail: 2E

Common Scoter:7E

Red-throated Diver: 1^E   4W

Great-crested Grebe: 2W     4 around

Gannet: c80 around

Cormorant: present n/c

Oystercatcher: 1E

Curlew: 4E

Kittiwake: 1 over The Patch

Guillemot: 1E   1W   2 on

Auk sp: 6E    9W

As I got back to the car I received a call from Dave Bunney telling me a Hooded crow had just flow over his house onto the beach, myself and JTM were there in minutes, just in time to watch the bird fly off into Lade Bay, where we caught up with it again for a very short while before we watched it disappear into the haze over Littlestone. As you can see I only managed some poor rather distant record images. Many thanks to Dave for the prompt call.

 Hooded Crow

 Hooded Crow 

Hooded Crow

Next a walk around the Kerton Road Triangle where I managed to get brief views of 2 Dartford Warblers, also there 4 Stonechats, a Kestrel and several each of Meadow Pipit and Skylark.

 Great White Egrets

A wander round Dengemarsh was very quiet, but 2 Great White Egrets and Grey Heron were nice, in the hay fields 2 Common Snipe but no sign of the Water Pipit or anything else of note.

Grey Heron

Whooper Swan

At lunchtime in the field opposite my garden the 2 Whooper Swans were again showing well, 2 Common Buzzards over and a hunting Marsh Harrier.

At Scotney the feral Barnacle Goose flock was still present, along with c200 Wigeon and 8 Curlew, Golden Plover seem to have departed. On the Scotney causeway 3 North Thames ringed Herring Gulls in the roost.

1 of 13 Sandwich Terns at the fishing boats this PM

15.00-16.00 from the fishing boats:
Red-throated Diver: 32E   2W
Great-crested Grebe: 6 on
Gannet: c30 around
Cormorant: c500 feeding off shore
Oystercatcher: 1E
Turnstone: 7 on beach
Mediterranean Gull: 1W
Kittiwake: 16 around
Sandwich Tern: 12E      1 feeding off shore
Grey Seal: 1

Turnstone at the fishing boats

A quick stop at Cooks Pool on the home saw 4 Cattle Egrets, a Great White Egret, a Little Egret, 9 Ruff among the many Lapwing and Starlings and 4 more Curlew.

Whooper Swans!

Stonechat by the approach road early morning

07.00-08.30 with RW, So & AJG who kindly collated the numbers:
Brent Goose: 15E
Teal: 4E
Wigeon: 33E
Mallard: 2E
Pintail: 4E
Common Scoter: 8E
Red-breasted Merganser: 4E
Red throated Diver 52 up
Great-crested Grebe: 46 around
Fulmar: 2E
Gannet: 319E  c50 feeding offshore
Kittiwake: 29E
Guillemot: 16E
Razorbill: 3E
Auk sp: 129: E
A walk around the Desert area produced a Common Snipe, 4 Stonechats and at least 6 Skylarks and a few Meadow Pipits but little else of note.
With the lovely weather Dungeness and the reserve soon became very busy so I got some domestic stuff done.

Superb views of the 2 Whooper Swans this afternoon 

Fog!

 Common Gull claiming a nest box

I didn't go out today until after 2 PM when the fog lifted a little. The 2 Whooper Swans were still in the Kale field and 3+ Cattle Egrets were in the horse paddocks, there were at least 3 Great White Egrets around, I saw the drake Smew distantly at Xmas Dell to the accompaniment of the New Lighthouse fog horn. By 3.30 PM the fog had closed in again so home for a cup of tea.

Oak Beauty

The second night of running my moth trap caught the moths of the year, a splendid Oak Beauty, a Common Quaker and a Common Plume.

Slow going!

08.30-09.30 from The Patch hide with RW:

Greylag Goose: 2W

Wigeon: 13E

Common Scoter: 2E

Red-throated Diver: 3E   8W

Great-crested Grebe: 5 on

Fulmar: 4E

Gannet: 67W     25E

Cormorant: c300E

Kittiwake: 46E

Mediterranean Gull: 4E

Auk sp: 210E      430W

Harbour Porpoise: 1

Next a visit to the reserve to look at Burrowes from Dennis's, but being half term it was a very short visit, the car park filled very quickly so I went for breakfast and got some domestic stuff done.

An afternoon visit to The Patch was disappointing, 6 Reed Buntings feeding along the perimeter fence being the highlight. Back on the reserve there was now 52 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls, but no sign of yesterdays colour ringed birds, so I assume they are migrating through. The drake Smew was reported as still being present. The 4 Cattle Egrets were still around Boulderwall/horse paddocks, also the Whooper Swans have not departed and were feeding in their usual Kale Field late this afternoon.

I have put my moth trap out this evening more in hope than expectancy.

Cattle Egrets at Boulderwall this afternoon

A short uninspiring sea watch this morning saw a few each of Gannets, Auks, Red-throated Divers, Kittiwakes and Great-crested Grebes, Cormorants were however still abundant. The first Sandwich Tern of the year was seen by BB before I arrived.

As it is half term and coupled with clement weather means lots of tourists, so I decided to checkout Camber Pools, at least 245 Curlew were in the fields along with 8 Ruff and 5 Mediterranean Gulls and 100s of roosting Black-headed and Common Gulls which kept me busy for a while, checking for Bonaparte's Gull and colour rings which I failed to find on both counts. 

 Some of the 245 Curlews in field behind Camber Pools

Some of 37 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, including North Thames colour ringed bird N7CT 

History of N7CT

On the reserve this afternoon a small influx of 37 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls 2 of which were sporting colour rings. At least 4 of the Great Black-backed Gulls were bearing Norwegian/ Danish colour rings, I seem to be spending more and more time looking at Gulls legs! 

Also on the reserve the drake Smew still present, 2 Goosander, 3+ Great White Egrets and the 4 Cattle Egrets still around the Boulderwall Fields, also the 14 Ruff still present along with the usual Lapwing, Golden Plover, Wigeon and feral Geese, several Marsh Harriers also present. I was unable to find the Whooper Swans today so I fear they may have departed.

The 2 Whooper Swans yesterday

Flyby Glaucous Gull!

 Back end of the Glaucous Gull as it sped past the sea watch hide

 Some of this mornings Gannets

8.00-10.00 from the sea watch hide with RW:
Brent Goose: 219E
Wigeon: 8E
Red-throated Diver:114E    42W
Great-crested Grebe: 2 on sea
Fulmar: 4W     2E
Gannet: 454E     72W
Cormorant: 500+ around
Curlew: 3E
Great Skua: 1E
Kittiwake: 224E
Glaucous Gull: 1 juvenile E
Guillemot: 77E
Razorbill: 435E
Auk sp: c1,450E     c380W
Harbour Porpoise: 1
The 2 Whooper Swans were still in the fields at Cockles Bridge. The 4 Cattle Egrets had moved over towards Dengemarsh per RW.

 Some of this mornings Brent Geese

W4VT Herring Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon

13.30-14.30 from the fishing boats with RW:
Red-throated Diver: 4E   2W
Great-crested Grebe: 205 from RX446
Gannet: c200 off shore
Cormorant: many present n/c
Oystercatcher: 2W
Great Skua: 2E
Guillemot: c100 on sea
Razorbill: c10 on sea
Auk sp: c50W
Mid afternoon on the reserve from Dennis's Hide 3 more Norwegian and Danish ringed Great Black-backed Gulls. Also 14 Ruff came into roost again per DW.
This evening only 2 Marsh Harriers roosted at my allotted reed bed though 7 dropped in but were spooked by something, perhaps a Badger, then flew towards the ranges.