Distant image of Pectoral Sandpiper Right and Curlew Sandpiper left through the heavy drizzle

As there was very little avian wise at Dungeness this morning myself, AJG & JTM took a trip to the Pannel Valley at Pett. The drizzle started just before we arrived and continued for most the time we were there. On the scrape the Curlew Sandpiper was showing distantly and was soon joined by the Pectoral Sandpiper, also there 2 Greenshanks, one of which was Portuguese colour ringed individual, also several Little Ringed Plovers, a Juvenile Marsh Harrier and 10 Little Egrets of note.

 Bedraggled juvenile Marsh Harrier

 Greenshank that is part of a Portuguese colour ringing scheme

 Little Ringed Plover with young

Massive crop on the elusive Ferruginous Duck

We had a look for the Ferruginous Duck before we went up the Pannel Valley but soon gave up in the driving drizzle, on our return a couple of hours later DB and family were there and watching the duck, which was always distant and constantly disappearing behind the Reeds, so not the most satisfactory views.

 The fisherman on the beach this afternoon were reeling in Pouting virtually every cast, so the Gulls got well fed.
15.00-16.45 from the fishing boats with AJG & JTM:
Common Scoter: 4E    1W
Great-crested Grebe: 1 around
Gannet: 9W   1E
Cormorant: 7 around
Mediterranean Gull: 3W
Kittiwake: 3W
Sandwich tern: 15W
Common Tern: 36W   6 around
Guillemot: 1W
Harbour Porpoise: 2+
Grey Seal: 1

A7TT at the fishing boats this afternoon

 2nd calendar year Belgian ringed Herring Gull H908051 joined us at the fishing boats, it has been present since at least last November.

At the ARC late afternoon the first 2 Golden Plovers of the Autumn,  3 Ruff, 4 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Common & a Green Sandpiper, Greenshank, 8 Redshanks, 2 LRP, 2 Garganey all the usual wildfowl & 100s of Sand Martins.

It's been a good a year for Sussex Emeralds, though the ones that have reached my trap have all seen better days.

 Fox on the track to Hanson this morning

Birding around the peninsular has been very slow in the last couple of days. On the reserve up to 3 Ruff, 2 Greenshanks, 8 Redshanks, 6 Ringed Plover, 4 Little Ringed Plovers, 10 Dunlin, singles of Common and Green Sandpiper, 6 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 seemingly resident Little Gulls and up to 4 Garganey among the 100s each of Pochards, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Shoveler, Mallard and Coot. The Common Terns are now fledging and seem to have been fairly successful. 

As is usual on the peninsular every July 1,000s of Sand Martins are passing through, also a few Swifts and Yellow Wagtails.

The Patch is still not working so Gull numbers are very poor, though along the walk to The patch there are lots of young Meadow Pipits and House Sparrows with a some Wheatears and Black Redstarts.

Hopefully in the next couple of weeks sea watching will start to be a little more rewarding.

14.00-15.30 from the board walk with JTM and AJG who collated the numbers:

Great-crested Grebe: 1W

Gannet: 11W
Mediterranean Gull: 2E
Sandwich Tern: 5W
Common Tern: 12W
Sand Martin: 219 out

 Ringed Plover at Firth yesterday evening

 Juvenile Mediterranean Gull at Firth this evening

 The first Small Phoenix  to make it into my trap 

 Blackneck a regular visitor to the trap

A Buff Arches a regular but gorgeous visitor to my trap

Greenshanks from Hanson this morning

3 visits to Hanson this today saw 2 Greenshank, 5 Redshank, 6 Dunlin, 3 adult male Ruff, a Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Little Gulls, 4 Sandwich Terns, a Water Rail on the path and Great White Egret  of note. This evening there 100s of Sand & House Martins hawking over the lake. 

Early afternoon over the fields in front of my house 100+ Sand Martins, 30+ House Martins and 20+ Swallows all hawking an insect hatching.

The sea is still uninspiring, but hopefully will improve after some stormy weather.
14.40-16.00 from the fishing boats:
Common Scoter: 6E
Gannet: 37W
Oystercatcher: 2E
Mediterranean Gull: 1W adult
Sandwich Tern: 2E
Common Tern: 8 around
Sand Martin: 42 S
Harbour Porpoise: 4+
Grey Seal: 1
Very quiet at Firth tonight just a couple of Ringed Plovers and a Green Sandpiper of note.

Firth Hide!

This juvenile Song Thrush that was foraging around the pots on my small patio early this morning is the first that I have seen in the garden, I look for ward to seeing more.

Most Grey Wagtails I see on the peninsular are usually high flying specks picked up on call, so I was delighted that this young bird dropped onto the mud in front of Firth Hide last evening for a few minutes to bathe before moving on.

 This Curlew also dropped into Burrowes for a few minutes to bathe before moving on last evening.

 This juvenile Mediterranean Gull dropped in for a few minutes to preen yesterday evening

This adult also dropped in for a few minutes to preen

 1 of 6 Dunlin present yesterday evening

 A Green Sandpiper from Firth yesterday evening

There were 3 Little Ringed plovers at Firth yesterday evening

3 of the 5 Black-tailed Godwits that dropped in to feed last evening 

Firth was very productive last evening, joining the above  were  many Common Terns bathing and resting including juveniles, 2 Sandwich Terns, a Garganey was still present and still asleep, 4 Ringed Plovers, a Common Sandpiper, 2 Redshanks, a Cuckoo flew across the lake, a trickle of Sand Martins moving south and 10+ Swifts. The 2 Little Gulls were still present on the ARC also the Ruff still there. The Serin was still singing at littlestone Friday PM.

 This Greenshank dropped into Firth for less than a minute early this morning

Probably the same Greenshank in front of Hanson a little later

The biggest surprise in my moth trap this morning an Emperor Dragonfly

The Last Few Days!

Dungeness has been very quiet over the last few days, though a fair selection of waders have been making mostly short appearances, these included Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Greenshank,  Wood, Green and Common Sandpiper, Knot, Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Ruff, Little Ringed and Ringed Plover. A mobile Great White Egret and Garganey among the usual wildfowl, while overhead Yellow Wagtails Swifts, House and Sand Martins, have been trickling through and even a couple of Grey Wagtails.

The sea has been very quiet probably due to the fact that the power station is shut down and there is no Patch to speak of.

 1of 2 summer plumaged Knot at Firth Hide Tuesday evening

 Little Ringed Plovers have been showing well from Firth Hide lately

This Wood Pigeon was attracted by the trickle of running water from the solar pump in the Crow Trap this morning.

My first Boxworm Moth of the year on the 9th July

 The first of the Common Terns to fledge

 2 Sandwich terns dropped in for a few minutes

 Great-crested Grebe on its nest on Burrowes this evening

 A sleepy Garganey at Firth this evening

A flock of 18 Black-tailed Godwits that flew in over Burrowes this evening from the South East just before dusk then headed North towards the ARC.

Thresher Shark!

 Meadow Pipit

On the walk down to The Patch there were 3 broods of Meadow Pipits and at least 1 brood each of Wheatear, Black Redstart and Pied Wagtail. The parents of these broods seemingly being able to find copious amounts of food by the path. At The Patch there was just 1 1st summer Mediterranean Gull present among c40 Black-headed and Herring Gulls.

 Meadow Pipit 

 Wheatear

 Peregrine with unidentified prey 

2 Peregrines were around the pylons calling frequently and no doubt terrorising the local Pigeons

Little Gulls on the ARC

3 visits to the reserve and ARC today saw of note 2 Little Gulls, a Great White Egret, 2 Ruff, a Spotted Redshank, 6 Redshank, a Bar-tailed Godwit, a Green Sandpiper, 8 Ringed Plover, 2 Little Ringed Plover and 6 Dunlin.

An afternoon sea watch with AJG was very pleasant in the warm sunshine but made very special by a Thresher Shark that fully breached c1mile offshore, even at that range I could clearly see its huge tail whipping in the air as it breached. This is now the third time I have seen this spectacle off Dungeness in the last 5 years.

13.45-16.00 from the fishing boats with AJG:
Common Scoter: 4E
Gannet: 58E   3W
Cormorant: 2 around
Kittiwake: 2E
Mediterranean Gull: 34E
Sandwich Tern: 13E   7W
Common Tern: 62E   4W
Auk sp: 3E
Sand Martin: 2 out
Swallow: 7 out
Grey Seal: 1
Harbour Porpoise: 1
Thresher Shark: 1