23/12/2020

2 busy sea watches today, though the majority of the birds went through in the morning. Great Skuas seem to be a daily occurrence this December, the juvenile Pomarine Skua gave nice views while attacking a Kittiwake. Although no Sandwich Terns were recorded from The Point today, 2 continue to linger in Lade Bay per PT.

70+ Greater White-fronted Geese continued to feed in the field opposite my garden until this morning when the farmer put up a scarecrow, which may fall down over night. On the ARC the Black-throated Diver is still present. A long circular walk yesterday around around Scotney Gravel Pits found the female Scaup at the Sussex end, 3 Green Sandpipers in the westernmost working pit but no sign of the Long-tailed Duck. The Bewick and Whooper swans can still be found on Walland Marsh. 

Adult Yellow-legged Gull on the beach yesterday along with a juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull below

Black-throated Diver on the ARC yesterday

 

18/12/2020

Polish ringed 1w Caspian Gull P:UV1 at the fishing boats yesterday

Known life history of Caspian Gull P:UV1

1w Caspian Gull P:UV1

Female Scaup at Scotney, Yesterday Still present today

Black-throated Diver at the ARC, Yesterday, Still present today as well as the Dusky Warbler.

Greater White-fronted Geese at Scotney, Yesterday

Red-throated Divers past the fishing boats this morning

 The sea watching is still dominated by Auks, Gannets, Kittiwakes, Cormorants and Red-throated Divers, with the odd Bonxie, Fulmar, Merganser and BTD.

Guillemot at the fishing boats

How they float amazes me every time one is towed passed Dungeness

Goldeneye on the ARC today. Still no Smew or Goosander around

Some of the 1,000s of Golden plover at Scotney today

565:U Czech ringed 1w Caspian Gull on Burrowes this afternoon

A yellow ringed 1w Caspian Gull on Burrowes this afternoon, sadly I was unable to read the ring

 

16/12/2020

This mornings sea watch was again dominated by large numbers of Guillemots and Razorbills mainly feeding close inshore, c100 Gannets were feeding in the bay and Kittiwakes were trickling through, of note several parties of Brent Geese moved east. Late morning 2 Pomarine Skuas were seen per AJG & OL, while early afternoon a Great Northern Diver and Black-throated Diver were seen per DH.

The White-fronted Geese flock was in the Lydd fields again with the Greylags and Mute Swans.

The Black-throated Diver and Dusky Warbler were still present yesterday but I heard of no reports of them today, though the weather made for very difficult conditions.

A wander around a gale lashed Dengemarsh was unsurprisingly very quiet, the only surprise was a Black redstart at Brick Wall Farm. 

White-fronted Geese coming into the Lydd Fields

                                         White-fronted Geese coming into the Lydd Fields

                                   White-fronted Geese coming into the Lydd Fields

Bath time for the Barnacles at Scotney yesterday

White-fronts over Scotney yesterday

 

14/12/2020

This morning sea watch is becoming some what repetitive, with Auks, Cormorants and Kittiwakes dominating the numbers. Though some Brent Geese heading back East was different.

07.30-09.00 from the fishing boats:

Brent Goose: 187E

Common Scoter: 1W

Red-throated Diver: 67W

Fulmar: 1W

Red-necked Grebe: 1W

Great-crested Grebe: 2W 1 o/s

Gannet: 378W

Cormorant: c3,200W from Lade Bay into Rye Bay

Kittiwake: 1070W   

Guillemot: 3,200W   many more feeing o/s

Razorbill: 1440W many more feeing o/s

Auk sp: 430W

I was unable to locate the Black-throated Diver or the Dusky Warbler at the ARC, though I didn't try to hard and looking into the low sun and brisk breeze didn't help, they are probably both still around. 

Female Scaup in usual pose at Scotney

A walk along the front of the main lake found the female Scaup at the Sussex end with some Tufties and Pochard,. A single Greater White-fronted Goose and the Blue phase Snow Goose was with the feral Greylags, as was the feral Barnacle flock. On the sward c400 Golden Plover allowed inspection, but alas I could find nothing unusual among them, 4 Ruff and a Raven flew through. The long-tailed Duck was also hiding from me. 

Greater White-fronted Geese and Greylags coming into Lydd Fields, it is a real treat to have these lovely Geese literally on my doorstep.

Greater White-fronted Geese and Greylags, Lydd Fields

Great White Egret over the hay fields

From the brightness of this morning to very dull walk around Dengemarsh this afternoon. 3 Great White Egrets, several squealing Water Rails and tacking Cetti's warblers were the highlights. A flock of c500 Lapwing on Hayfield 3 was nice but soon disturbed by Marsh Harriers. Between Dengemarsh hide and Makepiece Hide very little was seen or heard.

Clearing the Sea Buckthorn between Firth and Makepiece Hide. I believe a viewing platform in this area is proposed.
 

13/12/2020

Razorbills and Guillemots past the boats this morning

07.30-09.45 from the fishing boats this morning with CP, RW & OL,

Brent Goose: 7E

Common Scoter: 3E

Red-throated Diver: 5W      8E

Great-crested Grebe: 3W

Fulmar: 1W

Gannet: c580 feeding o/s

Cormorant: c2,200 feeding o/s

Kittiwake: 970W

Black-headed Gull: c150E into Lade Bay

Mediterranean Gull: 1E

Sandwich Tern: 1 feeding o/s

Yellow-legged Gull: 1 on beach

Guillemot: 830W many feeding o/s

Razorbill: 1,620W many feeding o/s

Auk sp: 470W

Gannet

An image from the garden of some of the White-fronted Geese in the Lydd fields 

The White-fronted Geese are still feeding in front my house with the Greylags and Mute Swans, also 2 Merlins hunting over the field. The Dusky Warbler and Black-throated Diver at the ARC have both been reported as present today. At Scotney the Scaup and Long-tailed Duckare reportedly still present.

On Walland the 23 Bewick Swans and 2 Whooper Swans were also reported but no one has refund the Tundra Bean Geese.

Whooper Swans at Hook Wall yesterday

Black-throated Diver on the the ARC yesterday

one of several Caspian Gulls on Burrowes yesterday afternoon

 

11/12/2020

 No early morning sea watch for this morning as I was feeling a little under the weather, I'm pleased to say I'm OK now.

CP watched from 07.30-09.00 from the fishing boats and kindly sent me his sightings:

Brent Goose: 1E

Wigeon: 4W

Common Scoter: 3W

Red-throated Diver: 11W   3E

Gannet: 80-100 feeding o/s

Cormorant: 1,500+ feeding o/s

Great Skua: 1W

Kittiwake: 128W

Mediterranean Gull: 5W   3E

Caspian Gull: 1 around

Sandwich Tern: 9W parties of 7 & 2

Guillemot: 680W

Razorbill: 210W

Auk sp: 180W

Mid morning Alan Pavey and Steve Message found a Dusky Warbler at the ARC, in the same place that Halimodendri Lesser Whitethroat was photographed on Tuesday. While I was looking for the Lesser Whitethroat I got a glimpse of Warbler that rang alarm bells but it disappeared and I didn't think of it again as I was after the Lesser Whitethroat, when I saw Steves WhatsApp message I could have kicked myself.

Dusky Warbler at the ARC this afternoon

The Black-throated Diver is still on the ARC, also a couple of Goldeneye. In the field in front my house there were at least 127 Greater White-fronted Geese, butI haven't seen the Whooper Swans for the last 2 days, they presumably have relocated back to Hooks Wall.

At Scotney the Scaup is still on the main lake and the Long-tailed Duck is on the lake to the east of the causeway.

10/12/2020

First thoughts were that this was a 1w Iceland Gull but it is probably a 2w bird. Either way it was nice surprise.

As a moderate SE wind was forecast this morning I was up early and on station at the fishing boats at 07.15 and AJG was at the turning circle.

The forecast was correct and birds were pouring past in the first light gloom. Most noticeably were my estimate of a flock of c2,000 Cormorants coming out of the bay, in truth there could just have easily been 4,000+ of them. A little further out Auks, Kittiwakes and Gannets were piling through, so I was relieved when CP arrived to help me count. A Bonxie powered through in the gloom. see poor image below.

07.15-10.30 & 12.50-15.05 from the fishing boats with AJG, CP, DW, and JY:

Common Scoter: 2W

Red-throated Diver: 241W

Great-crested Grebe: 2 o/s

Fulmar: 1E

Gannet: 1,342W + 100s feeding off shore

Shag: 1W  an oddly scarce bird at Dungeness

Turnstone: 3 on beach

Black-headed Gull: present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 109W   6+ lingering o/s

Common Gull:  present n/c

Great-Black-backed Gull:  present n/c

Iceland Gull: 1 probably 2nd winter

Herring Gull:  present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 33W     5+ lingering o/s

Great Skua: 1W

Guillemot: 3,530W   Many feeding o/s

Razorbill: 5,184W    Many feeding o/s

Auk sp: 2,022W

Bonxie in the early morning gloom

Razorbills and Guillemots piling through

Many Gannets were feeding

Red-throated Divers losing height rapidly

Mediterranean Gull with Kittiwakes

Sandwich Tern with Kittiwakes. Unprecedented numbers of Sandwich Terns for mid December

A 1st year Shag flew west past the boats

 

09/12/2020

From the fishing boats this morning 1,000s of Auks moved west, along with good numbers of Kittiwakes, Red-throated Divers and Gannets. Per AJG & RW. 2 Great Northern Divers were also seen to fly west from the bund per BH & RH.

The 2 Whooper Swans back in the field in front of my house this morning

Also in and over the field this morning a Merlin, Common Buzzard, Marsh Harrier, Sparrowhawk, Cetti's Warbler, Green Woodpecker, Skylarks and a Raven, a nice tally from the garden.

At the ARC the Black-throated Diver was still present but there was no sign of yesterdays hailmondendri type Lesser Whitethroat photographed there by DE from Thanet, but several Chiffchaffs.

At Scotney the Scaup was still present but the Long-tailed Duck appears to have moved to the New Diggings

per CT.

This afternoon at the fishing boats very little was moving, at least 5 Sandwich Terns were feeding along with many Auks, 60+ Kittiwakes and a dozen Mediterranean Gulls were losing off shore, 8 Red-throated Divers flew west.

Late afternoon the Whitefront flock had increased to 146.

Some of the Greater White-fronted Geese in the field in front of my house this morning

Bewick Swans at Midley

Black-headed Gull trying to rob a Sandwich Tern this afternoon