Wednesday 11/09/2019

06:15-09:15 from the sea watch hide with RW, Brian, OL & AJG who collated the numbers:
Common Scoter: 6W   4E
Gannet: 447W
Grey Plover: 1W
Arctic Skua: 11W
Kittiwake: 17W
Mediterranean Gull:1W
Little Tern: 1W
Sandwich Tern: 476W
Common Tern: 172W
Black Tern: 1W
Swallow: 92 out
Harbour Porpoise: 2+
Grey Seal: 2

Comparison of  Little Gull against Black-headed Gull at Hanson

As we walked the track to Hanson OL spotted a Wryneck which promptly flew across a pond and disappeared into the Sallows. From Hanson 3 Avocets, a Greenshank, 2 Common Sandpipers, 9 Dunlin, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, a Knot, 3 Garganey, a Little Gull, 2 Black Terns, Water Rails, a Cattle Egret and 100s of Sand Martins over the lake.

 Cattle Egret from Hanson

Avocets from Hanson

At Firth N08X Lesser Black-backed Gull probably ringed in Malaga, Spain. Details awaited

At Firth Norwegian ringed J716A Lesser Black-backed Gull 

Arctic Skua from the fishing boats this afternoon

13.30-15.30 from the fishing boats with RW & AJG:
Great-crested Grebe: 2 around
Fulmar: 3W

Gannet: 245W
Knot: 1W
Arctic Skua: 6+ around
Sandwich Tern: 248W
Common Tern: 63W
Swallow: 19 out
Grey Seal: 1
Harbour Porpoise: 2+
This evening back at Firth a single 1st cal year Caspian Gull among the roosting Gulls, 1 Black Tern and a 3 Great White Egret.

 Arctic Skuas from the fishing boats this afternoon

 A pristine Convolvulous Hawkmoth in my trap this morning

Hedge Rustic an uncommon visitor to my trap

Caspian Gulls!

 First Firecrest of the Autumn for me

A walk around The Desert and trapping area with AJG saw 3 each of Whinchat and Wheatear, a few Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Common Whitethroat, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 10+ Stonechats, a couple of Green Woodpeckers and a small passage of Hirundines overhead. At the observatory a Tree Pipit dropped into the bushes very briefly and a Firecrest and Black Redstart was trapped, also 2 Clouded Yellows put in a brief appearance.

Young male Black Redstart

 A trio of Egrets species from Hanson

I joined CT at the ARC mid morning, from Hanson Great White, Cattle and Little Egret, 2 Curlew Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper, 2 Dunlin, 7 Bar-tailed Godwits,  4 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Greenshank, 3 Ruff, 30+ Golden Plover, the usual Lapwings, 2 Black Terns and 2 Garganey among the usual Wildfowl. This evening CT added Wood Sandpiper to the list.

Great White Egret

 Common Sandpiper at Firth

Early afternoon on Burrowes from Firth a single Knot, 2 Common Sandpipers and 2 Black Terns were the highlights.

Knot at Firth

1st cal year Caspian Gull

14.00-16.30 from the fishing boats with AJG, JTM & DW:

Gannet: 2E   24W
Cormorant: 13 around
Oystercatcher: 3W
Sanderling: 2W
Kittiwake: 2 juveniles around
Mediterranean gull: 1E 1st cal year
Yellow-legged Gull: 3 around all 1st cal year birds
Caspian Gull: 2 around both 1st cal year birds
Black Tern: 2W
Sandwich Tern: 89W
Common Tern: 49W
Sand Martin: 10 out
Swallow: 61 out
Harbour Porpoise: 2
Common Seal: 1

 1st cal year Caspian Gull

 1st cal year Caspian Gull

Border Force off Dungeness towing presumably a migrants R.I.B.

 Norwegian ringed Lesser Black-backed Gull J538L. It's History below.

This evening from Firth hide 2 more 1st calendar year Caspian Gulls and the above Norwegian Lesser Black-backed Gull, also 100s of Sand Martins that disappeared as quickly as they came. Unfortunately very few Gulls came into roost this evening.

Yet another very quiet day on the peninsular. A walk around The desert with AJG and JTM before the rain set in found of note a single Spotted Flycatcher, 8+ Stonechat and a few each of Chiffchaff and Common Whitethroat.
A mid morning sea watch in the rain from the hide saw a couple of Arctic Skuas and few each of Gannet, Common & Sandwich Terns and Common Scoters.

 Garganey

At the ARC from Hanson a couple of Garganey close in front the hide, a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper, 4 Ruff, a Common Sandpiper, 3 Greenshank, 100s of Sand Martins over the lake and a Great White Egret of note.

Garganey

12.20-14.35 from the fishing boats with AJG who collated kindly the numbers:
Teal: 15W
Common Scoter: 28W  10E
Great-crested Grebe: 1W    1 around
Gannet: 10W
Arctic Skua: c9 Around
Mediterranean Gull: 3W all 1st cal year
Kittiwake: 4W
Common Tern: 32W  many more far off shore in feeding flock with Sandwich Terns
Sandwich Tern: 187W
Sand Martin: 4 out
Swallow: 56 out
I joined AJG in walk around The Moat this afternoon seeing another Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Black Redstarts, Common Whitethroats, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs a Willow warbler and a Lesser Whitethroat. I also took a peek at the Willow Emerald damselfly found by Jacques in the Heligoland a first for Dungeness.

J6YY Norwegian Ringed Lesser Black-backed Gull this afternoon. It's life history below.

1st cal year Caspian Gull at Firth

3 visits to Burrowes today recorded 12 Colour ringed Gulls and saw a 1 legged Knot being taken by a Sparrowhawk, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Redshank, 3 Ruff, 5 Greenshank, 2 Dunlin, 40+ Golden Plover, 3 Great White Egrets, 2 Black Terns and 2 Caspian Gulls. 

06.00-07.30 from the sea watch hide: SO & AJG who collated the numbers:

Teal: 9W

Wigeon: 3W

Common Scoter: 3E

Gannet: 32W

Cormorant: present n/c

Oystercatcher: 2E

Arctic Skua: 6W

Mediterranean Gull: 5W

Sandwich Tern: 420 down/around

Auk sp: 2 W

Grasshopper Warbler was the star of this mornings catch

A walk around The point was again disappointing due to the lack of birds, very small numbers of Phyloscopus and Sylvia Warblers, a few Meadow Pipits over, 3 Black Redstarts and a few Stonechats.

Arctic Skua at the Fishing boats this afternoon

13.45-15.45 from the fishing boars with RW, AJG, JTM, SO
Gannet: c15 around
Cormorant: 16 around
Oystercatcher: 5E
Curlew: 4 in
Whimbrel: 2 in
Arctic Skua: 8-12 around
Little Gull: 1E juvenile
Kittiwake: 12 around
Mediterranean Gull: 2E both 1 cal year
Sandwich Tern: c50 around
Common Tern: c20 around
Guillemot: 3E
Common Seal: 1
Grey Seal: 2
Harbour Porpoise: 10+

Arctic Skua at the Fishing boats this afternoon

Galloways held a few Stonechats and Common Whitethroats but little else. At the ARC virtually no change from yesterdays birds, except for Sand Martins which were only present in small numbers.

Lesser Black-backed Gull HN84A at Firth hide this evening, I believe it was ringed in Germany, but waiting for confirmation, also 2 more Norwegian ringed Great Black-backed Gulls present, while I was there a Knot was present, 3 Black-tailed Godwits dropped in as did a Greenshank and a Common Sandpiper, 2 Black Terns were hawking over the lake.

Treecreeper!

 Treecreeper the rarest bird at Dungeness so far this year 

As I arrived at the observatory Jacques was processing a Treecreeper that had been trapped in The Moat, they are not annual, I have seen more Short-toed Treecreepers here. The Treecreeper was the definite highlight of the morning with few migrants around again.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Cattle Egret from Hanson

The ARC was again fairly quiet again, a Cattle Egret showed well and a Great White Egret was present, 140+ Golden Plover dropped in to the islands which held 3 Ruff, 3 Greenshank, 4 Garganey 2 Dunlin and a Common Sandpiper of note among the common wildfowl. 100s of hirundines mainly Sand Martins were hawking over the lake.

A Wheatear with a damaged beak was on the beach, it appeared to be feeding well enough. 

Grey Seals at the fishing boats this afternoon

14.00-16.00 at the fishing boats with RW, JTM and AJG:

Fulmar: 1W

Manx Shearwater: 1W

Gannet: c20 feeding off shore

Hobby: 1 came in off the sea

Arctic Skua: 2 around

Black Tern: 1 around

Sandwich Tern: c30 around

Common Tern: c20 around

Grey Seal: 2

Harbour Porpoise: 6+

 Juvenile great Black-backed Gull JJ761 from Norway

Another couple of hours spent in Firth hide looking at gulls legs this evening with DW proved successful for colour ringed birds, of note 2 Black terns over the lake and 4 Turnstone that dropped in.

 Lesser Black-backed Gull J876Z from Norway

 Juvenile Great Black-backed Gull JR760 from Norway

 Great Black-backed Gull JT524 a Norwegian bird

 Lesser Black-backed Gull V.7 a Dutch bird

 Great Black-backed Gull JT904 another Norwegian bird 

SHB Lesser Black-backed Gull a Landguard area ringed bird

Colour Rings!

 A walk around The Desert and trapping area with AJG this morning found very few migrants, just a few each of Chiffchaffs, Blackcap and Common Whitethroats and a few Swallows over. Hopefully the birding will improve in the next few days.
This afternoons sea watch was not very inspiring.
13.20-14.20 from the fishing boats with Peter and AJG who collated the numbers:
Fulmar: 1E
Shearwater sp: 1E (Manx or Balearic)
Gannet: 48E
Arctic Skua: 1 around
Mediterranean Gull: 1W
Sandwich Tern: 220W
Common Tern: 41W
Black Tern: 3W
Guillemot: 2E
Harbour Porpoise: 4+
This evening from Firth hide good numbers of Greater and Lesser Black-backed Gulls came in to roost, including at least 7 colour ringed individuals which kept me entertained.

 Norwegian ringed Lesser Black-backed Gull J557R

 Landguard area ringed Lesser Black-backed Gull BXB.P

NTRG Lesser Black-backed Gull W0UT

Norwegian Great Black-backed Gull ringed as a chick on 09.07 2019 at SANDØY, Mandal, Vest-Agder, 57°58'03"N 007°33'39"E 891 Kilometers from Dungeness.

 Norwegian Great Black-backed Gull ringed as a chick on 10.07 2018 at Revøy, Farsund, Vest-Agder, Norway 58°02'57"N 006°47'45"E and not seen again until today.

 Danish ringed juvenile Great Black-backed Gull JZP58, unfortunately this bird is not yet registered on their web site.

 2 cal year Great Black-backed Gull ringed as a chick on 01.07 2018 at Håpoldenden, Askøy, Hordaland, Norway 60°33'21"N 004°57'44"E. I saw this bird twice in August and again today but there are no other reports

 A frustrating third summer Yellow-legged Gull sporting a yellow ring but refused to come out of the water for me to read and photograph it.

2 Cattle Egrets on the ARC from a couple of days ago