04/09/2023

Spotted Flycatcher in the Willow Trail

The view from the Axell Bus Stop at the end of the Willow Trail for Wheelchair visitors or just sitting on the bench. 

After a brief improvement in the sea watching at Dungeness normal service has been resumed, yesterday and today it was very poor with little recorded. Another long walk around the peninsula today was very hard going considering it is early September. Around the point I saw a few each of Willow Warbler, Common and Lesser Whitethroat, Wheatears a few Hirundines over and the resident Stonechats, Dunnocks etc.

The view from the Firth Fence. Not a bird to be seen.

A Walk around the reserve was even poorer, 12 Little Egrets on Burrowes, a flock of 30 Golden Plover were the only waders. In front of Firth that used to be one of the best hides absolutely no birds due to them being flushed the moment anyone walks in front of the ridiculous new fence. The New Excavations are now nigh on impossible to view on the walk from Makepiece to Scott. 

Hayfield 2 is rapidly drying out, so no birds were seen there Hayfield 1 is dry with just a few grazing feral Greylags, same applies to Hayfield 3. Few birds were seen on the return trail.

One of Whinchat at Galloways this afternoon

 

                                                               Common Whitethroat Galloways

Garden Warbler ARC car park

Hummingbird Hawkmoth that has been visiting my garden regularly

01/09/2023

A damp Garganey from Hanson Hide 

Glossy Ibis and little Egret from Hanson today

Cape Shelduck that has been at Scotney for a few months has turned up on the Cormorant Island at the ARC tonight.

There have been small numbers of Redstarts, Spotted and Pied Flycatchers, Warblers, Whinchats and Wheatears around the Peninsular though finding them has been hard work, the Wryneck was present for at least 3 days but it was so elusive that I along with most of the locals failed to see it. Hopefully the the forecast easterly winds for next week will bring more birds.

A couple of Balearic Shearwaters passing the fishing boats this afternoon

Some of the 26 Arctic Skuas that passed the fishing boats this afternoon

Some of the 250+ Sandwich Terns that passed the fishing boats this afternoon

Common Terns passing the boats this afternoon

 

30/08/2023

Spotted Redshank & Garganey from Hanson

After yesterdays influx of Balearic Shearwaters, the sea watching today returned to being rather poor.

There were a few Willow Warblers, Common and Lesser Whitethroats with a few Blackcaps at the top of the Long Pits, though even these seemed to melt away rather quickly. 100s of Swallows have been feeding over the half cut Lydd fields, joined by a few House and Sand Martins, I guess feeding on the disturbed insects. Several visits to Hanson today where the Spotted Redshanks were new this morning and a Black-necked Grebe was new this evening, The 2 Glossy Ibis were still present along with 2+ Garganey, Dunlin, Ringed Plovers, Golden Plover, Great White Egrets and the usual Herons and wildfowl. The 2 Black Terns were still on Burrowes and a Greenshank was at Dengemarsh also a Hobby.

Spotted Redshanks from Hanson

Glossy Ibis from Hanson

Greenshank, hayfield 2

Wheatear on the beach

27/08/2023

Spotted Flycatchers were found at the Long Pits and the ARC

Sea watching remains very poor at Dungeness this week, some consolation is the Willow Warblers, Common and Lesser Whitethroats, Reed and Sedge Warblers with small numbers of Blackcaps and Garden Warblers, Spotted Flycatchers, Whinchats and 2 Pied Flycatcher, Wheatears are scarce at the moment. A Wryneck was present round private gardens but very elusive so much so most people never saw it including my self.

Adult Lesser Whitethroat at the Long Pits

                                         Juvenile Lesser Whitethroat at the Long Pits

Great White Egret at the ARC where there are still 4 + Garganey, 2 Glossy Ibis, a few Common Sandpipers, Dunlin, Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers, up to 120 Golden Plovers and a single Ruff.

Black Tern on Burrowes

Apart from 2 Black Terns on burrows today the main reserve has been very poor avian wise. Only 1 hay field has been flooded and I could see no waders on there today, though it is impossible to view the all the of that hay field, why the hay field has not been flooded I have no idea as the pump is in place. As is now usual there is absolutely nothing to look at from the Firth fence due to the disturbance by the visitors to walk in front the fence. The new are islands by the old Makepiece hide are as expected White Elephants, attracting the odd Gadwall and Gull which duly flush as soon as anyone walks by. 

Fox enjoying the abundance of Blackberries and Rose Hips on the peninsula

25/08/2023

This Little Tern is one of several that have flown past the fishing boats, along with a handful of Black Terns, Arctic Skuas, Sandwich and Common Terns but in very low numbers.

Adult and juvenile Garganey at the ARC which has once again been the place on the reserve where a few birds have been seen, but little quality over and above the usual suspects.

Up to 120 Golden Plover have been dropping into the ARC during the day lately

Black Tern on Burrowes for the last couple of days was the highlight there this week

3 Wood Sandpipers on the hayfield 2 though no sign today

Autumn Lady's Tresses at the Long Pits today were the highlight of an almost avian free walk 

21/08/2023

The Pied Flycatcher in The Moat today 

There were a small number of Willow Warblers, Lesser and Common Whitethroats around the area today but the Pied Flycatcher in The Moat was the highlight.

Juvenile Little tern at the fishing boats this afternoon

2 sea watches today saw 2 Balearic Shearwaters, 5 Arctic skuas, 22 Little Terns and 100s of Sandwich and Common Terns.

Juvenile Little tern at the fishing boats this afternoon

1 of 4 Garganey at Hanson this evening

At Hanson This evening the usual Garganey, Egrets and Glossys but very few waders, surprising as 6 Wood Sandpipers were on Hayfield 2 with 2 more on Cooks pool during the morning.

Cattle Egret this evening

                                                Glossy Ibis and Little Egret this evening

Porter's Rustic although a very rare moth in the UK, it is very underwhelming 

19/08/2023

The sea watching at Dungeness continues to be abysmal, Skuas and Shearwaters are very scarce so far this autumn and only small numbers of Terns off shore. Probably due to the seemingly lack of fish.

This bird made me double take when it came onto the beach. It's definitely got some Caspian in it, but probably a hybrid with Yellow-legged or Herring Gull.

Norwegian ringed Great Black-backed Gull J40CM

Norwegian ringed Great Black-backed Gull J62AR

1 of 2 Spotted Flycatchers at the Long Pits during the week. There are still a few Willow Warblers, Common and Lesser Whitethroats around but only small numbers.

Up to 4 Lesser Emperors were showing well from Hanson Hide during the week, The Glossy Ibis are still there as is the Wood Sandpiper and up to 5 Garganey, hopefully very soon there will be some new birds arriving at the ARC, Burrowes has been abysmal with just the Greenshank, Whimbrel and Common Sandpiper. It is increasing looking like a new milestone in the decline of Dungeness RSPB will be passed this year,  for the first time in its history no Terns bred on the reserve. I have not seen any evidence that the Bitterns and Marsh Harriers were successful on the reserve, though this could be attributed to very high water levels which the RSPB have no control over.

a Spinnach Moth, despite being a relatively common moth, this is the first to come to my trap.

Cydia Amplana a suspected migrant, Though with the numbers being recorded it could be breeding locally