11/11/2023

Yellowhammer and Tree Sparrow

As it was a light NW breeze this morning I gave the usual sea watch a miss, instead I took the opportunity to wander out onto Walland Marsh in the beautiful sunshine. I found 10+ Tree Sparrows and 20+ Corn Buntings, also a pair of Yellowhammers that were un expected, the fields were full of Skylarks, Lapwing and Golden Plover, alas despite the abundance of Haw berries I did not see a single Thrush of any description and very few Finches, Several each of Ravens and Common Buzzards were seen, a confiding Chiffchaff was in a lone patch of Bramble.

Tree Sparrow

Yellowhammer

Tree Sparrow

Corn Bunting

Skylark 

Chiffchaff

 

A Short-eared Owl that came in off the the sea at the fishing boats this afternoon

An adult Sabine's Gull late afternoon at The Patch

Sabine's Gull over The Patch this afternoon

10/11/2023

An afternoon trip to Rye Harbour LNR to see the confiding Grey Phalarope. Despite the rain it performed admirably, probably because of the rain I had it all to myself for the hour I was watching.

Consuming a  nice juicy worm 

It took this posture on a couple of occasions when a juvenile Peregrine came over

It spent much of its time picking food from the stems of Bramble and Grasses

 

09/11/2023

One of several Little Gulls at the fishing boats this morning

 

An uninspiring sea watch this morning in constant Rain and drizzle.

07.45-08.45 with Richard

Common Scoter: 1W

Great-crested Grebe: 8W

Kittiwake: 30W

Little Gull: 8W        1  present

Mediterranean Gull: 3W        2 present

Great Black-backed Gull: 14W

Guillemot: 8W

Razorbill: 71W

Auk sp: 140W

Red-throated Diver: 2W     1 on

Gannet: 411W   

Cormorant: present

Starling: 30 in off

Goldfinch: 40 in off

Harbour Porpoise: 1

It now seems that there areas many as 45 Cattle Egrets around the peninsula. There was c1,000 Golden Plover at Scotney today along with the long staying Black-necked Grebe. The trapping area is as good as no go area due to the depth of water there.

Whooper Swans in Lydd Fields best viewed from Dengemarsh Road opposite the waterspouts centre

The 4 Amigo's on what's left of the ARC islands from Hanson

Little Grebe from Hanson

The long staying Arctic Tern at the fishing boats this afternoon

08/11/2023

The long staying juvenile Sabine's Gull

A 1w Caspian Gull in the sunshine Monday

A very damp sea watch today, in force 8 South Westerly 

07.45-10.15 from the fishing boats with DW, RW, DS et al

Brent Goose: 23W

Common Scoter: 18W

Great-crested Grebe: 4W

Dunlin: 1W

Kittiwake: 46W

Little Gull: 3W          2  present

Mediterranean Gull: 3 present

Great Black-backed Gull: 22W

Sandwich Tern: 1W

Arctic Tern: 1 present 

Arctic Skua: 1E

Guillemot: 17W

Razorbill: 48W

Auk sp: 155W

Leach’s Petrel: 1E

Sooty Shearwater: 1W

Gannet: 1,247W       148 present

Cormorant: present

Starling: 480 in off

Elsewhere on the peninsular, up to 41 Cattle Egrets, 4 Glossy Ibis, 2 Whooper Swans, a Water Pipit, a late Whinchat, several Merlins, the usual Great and Little Egrets and a Black-necked Grebe at Scotney.

Brent Geese passing in yesterdays sunshine

The long staying Arctic Tern

This juvenile Little Gull is one of the many that have been around

05/11/2023

A few bits from the weekend at Dungeness

Adult winter Sabine's Gull from Saturday

07.00-16.00  M.O.

Brent Goose: 10W

Wigeon: 1W

Common Scoter: 14W   4E

Great-crested Grebe: 4 present

Ringed Plover: 1 present

Turnstone: 14 present 

Purple Sandpiper: 2 present       

Sanderling: 5 present

Grey Phalarope: 1 flew from bay, landed on sea not seen again

Kittiwake: 800W

Little Gull: 120W   

Black-headed Gull: minimum 400 in roost at Julie Jean

Mediterranean Gull: 20+ off Julie Jean 

Common Gull:  min 300 from the sea watch hide heading to The Point

Great Black-backed Gull:  min 150 present

Lesser Black-backed Gull: min 20 present

Herring Gull: 1,000+

Caspian Gull: 2 present

Yellow-legged Gull: 1 adult in roost at Julie Jean

Sandwich Tern: 3 present   

Arctic Tern: 1 present

Great Skua: 12W

Arctic Skua: 14W     2 present

Long-tailed Skua: 1W 

Guillemot:  2 present

Razorbill: 20 W & E the hide

Auk sp: 60  W & E the hide

Red-throated Diver: 2W       1E

Black-throated Diver: 1W

European Storm Petrel: 2W

Leach's Petrel: 7W

Gannet: 3,000 early movement was E then W rest of day. c1,000 feeding 

Cormorant: 500 present

Merlin: 1 in off at the hide

Harbour Porpoise: 2 around the bouy

Grey Seal: 1

 

One of the many Little Gulls from this weekend

Sanderling, Dunlin, and a Knot on the beach

Knot

Sanderling and Dunlin

Some of the 23 Cattle Egrets in the Horse Paddocks this morning

One of the usual 3 Glossy Ibis at Cook's Pool

Redpoll over the reserve today

The Greylag flock opposite my house, I'm hoping they will attract some wild geese.

03/11/2023

A peregrine Falcon just after it caught a Storm Petrel yesterday

After yesterdays unprecedented sea watch when 203 Leach's Petrels & 84 Storm Petrels were seen along with 2 Sabine's Gulls, a Grey Phalarope and 4 Purple Sandpipers of particular note were recorded I didn't expect today to be very good, I'm happy I was wrong.

Storm Petrels yesterday

Leach's Petrel 

yesterday

07.00-15.00 with RW, DW, JY, GH, BW,SM et al

Brent Goose: 31W

Wigeon: 14E

Velvet Scoter: 3E

Common Scoter: 27W   6E

Long-tailed Duck: 1W

Red-breasted Merganser: 1W drake

Great-crested Grebe: 14W

Grey Plover: 17W

Turnstone: 12W         18E        3 on beach

Dunlin: 30W

Sanderling: 5W

Kittiwake: 318E

Sabine’s Gull: 1 present

Little Gull: 80W   

Black-headed Gull: 168W

Mediterranean Gull: 163W

Common Gull: 583W

Great Black-backed Gull: 106W

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 13W

Sandwich Tern: 7W    

Common Tern: 1W

Arctic Tern: 1W

Arctic Skua: 2W     1 present

Guillemot: 2W   1 present

Razorbill: 14W  

Auk sp: 19W

Red-throated Diver: 2W

Black-throated diver: 1W

Great Northern Diver: 2W

European Storm Petrel: 44W

Leach's Petrel: 57W

Gannet: 1,812W

Cormorant: 784W

Merlin: 2 present

Rock Pipit: 1W

Pied Wagtail: 2 present

Skylark: 3 in

Swallow: 1W

Goldfinch: 47W

Redpoll: 18W

Grey Seal: 1

The Gorgeous juvenile Sabine's Gull

Juvenile Little Gull

Arctic Tern

Purple Sandpiper

01/11/2023

Some of the 3,000+ Gannets that moved west past Dungeness today

The sea watch hide was rocking a bit today in the gale force winds but was still intact at the end of today, 🤞for tonight and tomorrow. The table below shows the result of 7 hours sea watching today.

 

One of the Sooty Shearwaters

The juvenile Sabine's Gull spent some time off the fishing boats this afternoon

                                                               Juvenile Sabine's Gull

Juvenile Sabine's Gull

Common Tern at the fishing boats this afternoon

1w Caspian Gull (on the right) with a Herring Gull for comparison

The fishing boats late afternoon