23/11/2021

This adult male Long-tailed Duck was the standout highlight of this mornings sea watch, giving super scope views as it flew past. 

A Red-necked Grebe drifted west past us, but was quite distant, I thought I'd found it in the view finder but reviewing the images all I could see was sea.😂 There was nice selection of birds passing  and 2 Merlins hunting off shore.

Shelduck and Guillemots

Cattle Egrets by the entrance track to the reserve

There were at least 9 Caspian and 2 Yellow-legged Gulls present this afternoon, also 5 Goldeneye.

German ringed X812 Caspian Gull which we also saw on 03/11/2018

The known life history of Caspian Gull X812

Polish ringed P.7A6 Caspian Gull  managed to keep itself mainly hidden until it disappeared completely

Lithuanian yellow ringed Caspian Gull 7LC5 was still present today

Caspian Gull

Goldeneye from Dennis's Hide

 

22/11/2021

Todays excellent sea watch, nothing unusual, just good variety and numbers. Thanks to Sam & Tony for collating all the numbers. CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO SEE A FULL SIZE VERSION OF IT.

An excellent afternoon in the company of David Walker in Dennis's Hide, where at least 12 Caspian Gulls including a Lithuanian yellow ringed 2w and a Green ringed Polish adult, also 2 adult Yellow-legged Gulls all came into Burrowes, also an Avocet, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 6 Dunlin and a Goldeneye there. 

There may well have been more further up the pit, but I was not prepared to stand on a cold bleak viewpoint freezing, getting a soaking while staring through a scope that is shaking in the wind that howls through the viewpoints, especially on a day like today of which there will be many over the next few months. I don't suppose the RSPB will be welcoming back all people that purportedly said viewpoints were better than hides, until at least next summer.😡

Lithuaanian yellow ringed 2w Caspian Gull (7LC5) and an adult

Polish green ringed adult Caspian Gull (76P0)

2w Caspian Gull

Adult Caspian Gull

Retarded 2w Caspian Gull

4th cal year Caspian Gull

Adult Caspian Gull

4th Cal year Caspian Gull

4th cal year Caspian Gull and Avocet

4th Cal year Caspian Gull

Adult Yellow-legged Gull

Avocet

As I left the reserve this afternoon 6 Cattle Egrets were feeding in the Boulderwall Fields

 

20/11/2021

First year Red-breasted Flycatcher trapped at Dungeness Observatory today

After release it was still showing on/off in the Sallows around The Moat but very difficult to photograph in the poor light and drizzle.

The 2 Glossy Ibis and at least 5 Cattle and 2 Great Egrets were in the Boulderwall Fields. The other hi light was a Puffin that flew west past the fishing boats this afternoon, unfortunately I was to busy failing to get good images of the Flycatcher.

Yesterday at least 8 Black Redstarts around The Point, most in front the power station

Black Redstart

Who's a pretty boy

A couple of Merlins from yesterday around the power station

There seems to be good numbers of Pied Wagtails around The Point lately

Last night was the last throw of the dice this year as far as my nothing is concerned, so this Palpita vitrealis was nice finale.

17/11/2021

 A cool NW wind was never going to make a good sea watch, though it was busier than I expected.07.55 - 08.55  from the sea watch hide:

Common Scoter: 7E

Red-throated Diver: 1E    2W  

Great-crested Grebe: 4 on

Gannet: 475W      43E

Cormorant: present n/c

Peregrine: 1 in off

Kittiwake: 166W

Black-headed Gull: present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 1W

Common Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Guillemot: 12W       6 on

Razorbill: 97W    

Auk sp: 886W     27E

Starling: 3,840 in off

Grey seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 1

A wander around The Point and Desert found little of note, a flock of 11 Skylarks behind the fishing boats, a Black Redstart among the containers with another at Southview were the highlights. 

This Marsh Harrier was hunting the field in front my house late morning

Early afternoon saw the 2 Glossy Ibis showing well at Cooks Pool, the young female below is now starting to get her glossy feathers.

On Burrowes Pit this afternoon at least 3 Caspian Gulls, (1w + 3W + adult) also 3w Yellow-legged Gull.

16/11/2021

Another very still morning so unsurprisingly the sea was again flat calm, but a few birds off shore.   

8.10 - 09.10 from the sea watch hide:

Teal: 14W

Wigeon: 3E

Common Scoter: 4E

Red-throated Diver: 4E      1W     2 on

Great-crested Grebe: 11 on

Gannet: 248E      17W

Cormorant: present n/c

Kittiwake: 65E       7W

Black-headed Gull: present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 2W

Common Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 2W

Great Skua: 2W

Guillemot: 21E     8W     3 on

Razorbill: 102E  9W  15 on

Auk sp: 453E       82W

Black Redstart: 2 behind hide

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 2

During my walk around the trapping area I managed very brief views of the Siberian Chiffchaff and also saw a couple of European Chiffchaffs, a couple of Brambling over, several each of Redpoll and Siskin, also a few Blackbirds, Redwing and Song Thrushes were flushed, alas no sign of the 2 Long-eared Owls that SP flushed from the area whilst putting up the nets early morning.

On seeing the right hand bird I immediately thought it was a Caspian Gull, then changed my mind to Yellow-legged Gull but now I'm swinging back to Caspian and still not sure.

My first sighting of Polish ringed Black-headed Gull TJVV this winter at the fishing boats, first seen last winter hopefully it will hang around again.

Hastings Life Boat loaded with refugees and towing there RIB

Coming past the fishing boats

Transferred the refugees to the Dungeness boats 

Coming to shore at Dungeness

Late afternoon I rushed a Jack Snipe at the ARC. 14 Cattle Egrets, 9 Great White Egrets and 6 Little Egrets roosted at the ARC per PT, also the 2 Glossy Ibis were at Cooks Pool this afternoon also per PT.

15/11/2021

This 1st calendar year Caspian Gull dropped onto the beach by me this morning briefly before moving off West

08.05-09.35 from the boats:

Brent Goose: 3W  2E

Shelduck: 15W 

Teal: 1W

Common Scoter: 5W

Red-throated Diver: 1W    2E  2on

Great-crested Grebe: 4W      9 on

Gannet: 869W      37E

Cormorant: present n/c

Kittiwake: 112W

Little Gull: 5W

Black-headed Gull: present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 16W

Common Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Caspian Gull: 1 1cal yr on beach briefly then flew West

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 6W

Guillemot: 2W       11 on

Razorbill: 14W     6 on

Auk sp: 97W

Starling: 50 in off

Grey seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 1

Red-throated Diver at the fishing boats

A check of the Scotney Pits found all the usual feral geese but loo scarcer species among them.

The Goosander was still on the westernmost pit at Camber today

Yellow ringed 1st cal year Caspian Gull unfortunately it resolutely refused to move to shallow water so all I managed to get was P:8** making it a Polish bird.

Most of the afternoon was spent in Dennis's hide looking at Gulls, 3 Caspian and a a Yellow-legged Gull was found, once again the Starling murmuration was excellent.

2w Caspian Gull

1w Caspian Gull

Adult Caspian and Adult Yellow-legged Gull on Burrowes yesterday afternoon