08/09/2023

100s House Martins around the top of the Water Tower

The paucity of common migrants at Dungeness continued today, with just the odd Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher , Wheatear and Whinchat being seen, warbler numbers were also very low, a few new waders dropped into the ARC 5 Curlew Sandpipers, a Little Stint and 4 Ruff this evening, but numbers generally low. Sea bird passage has stopped completely in this windless hot weather. 

Little Stint from Hanson

Great Whites and Cattle Egret from Hanson

Wheatear at The Pines

4 of the 5 Curlew Sandpipers from Hanson today

Wasp Spider at the observatory today

Abherrant Small Copper at the observatory

Waved Black the first record for my trap

Centre-barred Sallow

 

06/09/2023

Some of the 1,000s of Hose Martins, Swallows and Sand Martins around the Peninsula today

A poor image of a party of 6 migrant Tree Sparrows in The Desert today, the Wood Lark that was also in The Desert absolutely refused to be photographed. Just a few Common Whitethroats, Lesser Whitethroats, Blackcaps and Willow Warblers there today with a single Whinchat and 3 Wheatears.

Whinchat in The Desert

Winter is coming, the first Red-throated Diver of the Autumn, this was the highlight of another very poor sea watch this afternoon.

Snipe feeding at the ARC. Also they're the Glossibis, 3 Egret species, Garganey, Golden Plovers, Common Sandpiper and the usual wildfowl.

Pied Flycatcher at top of Long Pits

A very unshowy Spotted Flycatcher at the Long Pits

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