08/08/2021

Wheatear on the beach

Another very poor sea watch this morning but hopefully with the wind veering overnight tomorrow may be better. RW saw singles of Arctic and Great Skua off the fishing boats this afternoon.

Several Wheatears were on the beach with several more seen around The Point and Desert, also a single Whinchat. a Hummingbird Hawkmoth was basking on the perimeter wall. At least 3 Spotted Flycatchers, a Pied Flycatcher and a Redstart at the top of the Long Pits, 

After missing numerous fly over Spoonbills this year it was nice to catch up with the 3 that spent the day on Burrowes thanks to an alert from RW, also on Burrowes this afternoon a Ruff, Common Sandpiper, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit, c50 Golden Plovers among the Lapwing, 2 Garganey and a very welcome juvenile/1w Caspian Gull thanks to DW for the call. On the ARC the Glossy Ibis still showing well on its chosen island, 2 Garganey and the usual Great and Little Egrets. 3 Cattle egrets were on the Boulderwall fields.

This evening I went to The Midrips and Wickes but got my timings wrong and arrived just as the sun was setting. I still managed to see a Curlew Sandpiper, 2 Little stints, c20 Dunlin,  a Knot, Black-tailed Godwits, 4+ Spotted Redshanks, a Greenshank, Redshank, Ringed Plover, Curlew, Knot and Oystercatcher, countless  Wheatears and Yellow Wagtails were along the Green Wall beach and ranges.

Spoonbills feeding from the Firth Viewpoint

The 3 Spoonbills having a fly around this afternoon before settling back on the islands

Juvenile/1w Caspian Gull found by DW on Burrowes this afternoon

Dunlins, Little Stint and Curlew Sandpiper taken in near darkness this evening

 

The Weekend

The Midrips

As there is virtually no wader habitat at Dungeness this autumn I visited The Midrips this weekend for my wader fix. I saw13 species of wader including Curlew Sandpipers and a Little Stint, I also stumbled across a Grasshopper Warbler as walked along the green wall. There was a steady Easterly movement of Sand Martins and Swallows, also c150 Yellow Wagtails,  c30 Wheatears, 2 Whinchats and a few Terns off shore.

Visiting The Midrips can be problematic, especially at the moment with huge amouts of beach defence work being carried out seemingly 7 days a week, early morning is undoubtedly the best time before the contractors start work. 

Barge loads of shingle being imported for flood protection

Avocet with Black-tailed Godwits at The Midrips

Curlew Sandpiper at the Midrips

Black-tailed Godwit at the Midrips

Yellow Wagtails at The Midrips

A definite first for me was spotting this Grey Squirrel at The Patch on Saturday

Willow Warbler at Lighthouse Garden this morning

We seem to be in a form of Groundhog Day at the moment with the same birds all still present with the exception of the Wryneck that hasn't been seen for 2 days, though even that can easily be overlooked. Hopefully from tomorrow onwards the sea will start producing birds and new birds found on the land.

Ravens over the power station this morning

Glossy Ibis on its usual island at the ARC this afternoon

 

03/09/2021

Great White Egret at the ARC screen hide yesterday, without the hide these views would not be possible

Many Wheatears around the peninsular in the last few days, the Wryneck is quite elusive, the Pear Tree in the scrub south of the trapping area seems quite a reliable place to see it providing you want to put the time in. Whinchats can be found all around the peninsular, common warblers are in very short supply. A Spotted Flycatcher was down near The Patch per DG, while a Honey Buzzard flew south over Burrowes  per PT, little was seen on the reserve.

Only the second Redstart I've seen this Autumn

One of c6 Harbour Porpoises off the fishing boats this afternoon

This poor guy not only has a deformed leg, it has also swallowed a fishing hook. It does seem to be able to feed itself even with the birds nest of fishing line hanging from its bill blowing about in the wind.

The Glossy Ibis on its usual island at the ARC

A Cattle Egret in the pre roost with 2 Little Egrets. Last night 7 Great White, 14 Little and 2 Cattle Egrets  

came to roost along with the Glossy Ibis. At least 2 Merlins including a lovely adult male were hunting Starlings around the roost.

The next Cormorant on the Long Pits raft will hopefully be a Pygmy.🙏

 

01/09/2021

There were 6 Wheatears on the Bund by the sea watch hide early morning

I joined AJG & RW at the sea watch hide this morning, the list tells its own story!

06.30-08.15

Wigeon: 3W

Gannet: 44E

Cormorant: 7 present

Mediterranean  Gull: 3E

Sandwich Tern: 15 around

Common Tern: 2W

Arctic Skua: 1E

Wheatear: 6 present

Yellow Wagtail: 42E 

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 3+

Common Whitethroat giving the Wryneck some grief this morning

The elusive Wryneck was still present this morning sunning itself in the Pear Tree

An arrival of Wheatears today with 40+ around The Point another 20 at Galloway's and another 15 at Dengemarsh Gully. Whinchat numbers were less with only 2 that I saw on The Point, 4 at Galloway's and 2 at Dengemarsh Gully. At least 1 Pied Flycatcher was around The point.

Whinchat in the scrub south of the trapping area.

Juvenile Hobby at Galloway's

Wheatear at Galloway's

An afternoon sea watch with AJG and RW who kindly kept the log:

14.00-15.30

Common Scoter: 9E

Fulmar: 1E

Gannet: 44E

Cormorant: 1W

Sandwich Tern: 94E     25W

Common Tern: 2E

Arctic Skua: 1E

Harbour Porpoise: 4+

2 Garganey at The ARC

The Garganey and Ibis were showing well at the ARC this afternoon, a Black-necked grebe was a little more distant.

The Glossy Ibis at the ARC

On Burrowes from Dennis's Hide singles of Black Tern, Common Tern, Little Stint and Dunlin, 2 Ruff and 2 Black-necked Grebes.
 

31/08/2021

A dire, but the only image I managed of a very elusive Wryneck at the SE corner of the trapping area today.

AJG did an early watch 06.20-07.20 and kindly sent me the numbers:

Common Scoter: 82W

Gannet: 42E

Cormorant: 5 present

Oystercatcher: 18E

Mediterranean Gull: 1E

Sandwich Tern: 18E

Common Tern: 3E

Arctic Skua: 3W

On my walk to the The Patch first thing this morning 2 Wheatears were on the perimeter wall, also a c15 Linnets feeing in the Kale. At The Patch barely a bubble could be seen, so very few Gulls, a single juvenile Mediterranean Gull among c200 Black-headed Gulls and 2 Sandwich Terns roosting on the beach, little else was noted there.

Noted around The Desert and edges of the trapping area the elusive Wryneck, 16 Wheatears, 3 Whinchats, 14 Stonechats, 10 Yellow Wagtails, 9 Common Whitethroats, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Willow Warblers, 2 Sparrowhawks, 2 Ringed Plover and a single Turnstone flew over, 2 elusive Pied Flycatchers were in The Moat but I only saw 1.

A party of 11 Black-tailed Godwits on Burrowes from Dennis's hide, just for Pete.😂

On the reserve from Dennis's Hide (I can't face going further on the reserve at the moment as it is far to depressing) 11 Black-tailed Godwits, a Little Stint and many Sand Martins of note. Apparently further up Burrowes a Black Tern and a Ruff could be seen per PB. 2 Cattle Egrets, a Great White Egret and several Little Egrets around the Boulderwall Fields, also a Whinchat by the entrance track.

1 of 2 cattle Egrets at the top end of Cooks Pool this morning

This afternoon at Dengemarsh Gully 2 Whinchats, 6 Yellow Wagtails, a Wheatear and a Raven were noted.

At Galloway's 10 Whinchats, a Wheatear, numerous Stonechats and a few Common Whitethroats and Yellow Wagtails.

An Osprey was high over Lade Bay this afternoon per DS.

A couple of the 10 Whinchats at Galloway's this afternoon

Juvenile Stonechat at Galloway's this afternoon

 

29/08/2021

Saturdays Wryneck at Galloway's, gave prolonged scope views late afternoon/early evening, but not really close enough for the camera.

Common Whitethroat warming itself early this morning

AJG did an early sea watch 05.50-06.50 and kindly sent me his numbers :

Common Scoter: 2E

Gannet: 55E

Oystercatcher: 5W      3E

Kittiwake: 2W

Sandwich Tern: 15E

Great Skua: 2E

Arctic Skua: 1E

There were 4 Hummingbird Hawkmoths basking on the perimeter wall this morning

A chilly start made a fairly unproductive wander around The Desert this morning,  highlights, were 13 Wheatears, 2 Whinchats, 4 Willow Warblers, several Stonechats, Yellow Wagtails, Common and Lesser Whitethroats, lots of Meadow Pipits, Swallows and Sand Martins, a Sparrowhawk, a Kestrel and a juvenile Cuckoo.

Sparrowhawk over The Desert this morning

The highlight of our walk around the area this morning was this juvenile Cuckoo

This afternoons sea watch:

14.00-16.00 from the fishing boats with AJG, RW, OL.

Common Scoter: 4E     1W

Fulmar: 1W

Sooty Shearwater: 1E

Gannet: 51E   

Cormorant: 2E        4W

Dunlin: 7E

Turnstone: 4W

Kittiwake: 3E

Mediterranean Gull: 8E    all juveniles

Sandwich tern: 141E   18W

Common Tern: 11E

Arctic Skua: 7E     2 x LP, 5 X DP,

Sand Martin: 20 out

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 3

A little Stint, an Avocet, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Common Sandpiper and a Golden plover were seen on Burrowes today per NB. It would seem the island scrub clearance is now starting to make a difference to wader numbers using the reserve, so hopefully it won't be so depressing walking round. Several people I spoke to today were compiling about the lack of shelter from the wind, especially at the Firth Viewpoint which funnels the wind, making the use of a scope near on impossible.

3 Cattle Egrets and a Little Egret at the Eastern end of the ARC this afternoon

Cattle Egret over the ARC

Also at the ARC were 3 Garganey and at least 1 Black-necked Grebe among the 100s of Coot and eclipse wildfowl, also at least 1 Great White Egret there making the set.

Glossy Ibis still present at the ARC

The concrete man at Dengemarsh Gully was the only thing of interest that I saw at there this evening