PLODDINGBIRDER

Wednesday, 13 March 2024

13/03/2024

3 distant Velvet Scoters passing East this morning

Another good sea watch today with the highlight for me being 2 Spoonbills, the first I have seen on a sea watch at Dungeness.

06.30-11.30 with TW,TH, CP & RW from the sea watch hide. Wind SW 4 Temp 9°

Brent Goose: 1,880E

Wigeon: 1E

Pintail: 68E

Velvet Scoter: 3E

Common Scoter: 51E 3W

Great-crested Grebe: 60+ present

Kittiwake: 16E

Black-headed Gull: 291E

Mediterranean Gull: 31E

Common Gull: 661E

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 1 present

Sandwich Tern: 2E 1W

Guillemot: 68E 16W 21 present

Auk sp: 65E 19W

Red-throated Diver: 83E 13W

Fulmar: 1E 3W

Gannet: 47E 19W

Cormorant: present n/c

Spoonbill: 2E First ones I have seen on a Dungeness sea watch

Peregrine: 1 in off presumed local bird

Skylark: 9W

Harbour Porpoise: 1

Brent Geese passing this morning

Peregrine that came in off the sea this morning, presumably a local bird that had been on a hunting sortie.

The Dengemarsh Black-necked Grebe

My all around Dengemarsh saw 2 Water Pipits, flight views only as when they do land they are hidden among the Cotton Grass. Also 12 Dunlin, 2 Curlew, 3 Redshank and at least 6 pairs of Lapwing. There is still lots of Teal, Wigeon and Shoveler around the reserve, those around the hay fields seem to be particularly jumpy.

Another Black-necked Grebe from Makepiece

A very distant Black-necked Grebe from Firth

Gorgeous Little Gull on Burrowes today

Great Northern Diver on Burrowes late afternoon

There is possibly 3 Great Northern Divers present on the reserve, as Steve M and Alan P saw 2 Great Northern and a Black-throated Diver on ARC at the more or less the same time I was seeing this one on Burrowes.

I don't think I've ever this boat at Dungeness before

Tuesday, 12 March 2024

12/03/2024

A Thoroughly miserable day on the peninsular.

06.45-09.00 with TW, RW, from the sea watch hide. Wind SSW 3 Temp 9° Rain poor visibility

Brent Goose: 164E (5 parties)

Wigeon: 2E

Pintail: 4E

Eider: 2E immature drakes

Common Scoter: 33E 4W

Great-crested Grebe: 46 Minimum present

Kittiwake: 8E

Common Gull: 6E

Great Black-backed Gull: 12E

Herring Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 2E

Guillemot: 48E 13W 8 on

Razorbill: 1E

Auk sp: 8E 2W

Red-throated Diver: 42E 24W

Fulmar: 3E 1W

Gannet: 85E 23W

Cormorant: present n/c

Grey Seal: 1

I had a wander around the hay fields from mid afternoon when the rain finally let up, but even then the drizzle and mist persisted. I found my first Black-necked Grebe of the year on Dengemarsh ( no images as I didn't fancy carrying the camera in the poor weather) also Great White Egret there. On hayfield 2 there was a stunning Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit with 14 Dunlin. A Brown Hare was behind Christmas Dell and 4 Bearded Tits were at the old pump site, unfortunately little else was seen in the way of new arrivals.

Monday, 11 March 2024

11/03/2024

One of the Brent Geese flocks from early this morning in the fog

06.20-09.20 & 13.00-15.00 with TW, RW, DW, OL from the sea watch hide. Wind NW 3 Temp 7° Fog

Brent Goose: 2,229E 6W

Shelduck: 2W

Wigeon: 8E

Teal: 2E 3W

Common Scoter: 4E 2W 4 on

Great-crested Grebe: 4E 9 present

Dunlin: 2E

Black-headed Gull: 3E

Common Gull: 2E

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 3E presume same 3W

Guillemot: 9E 11W 6 on

Razorbill: 2E

Red-throated Diver: 29E 71W

Fulmar: 1E

Gannet: 14E 25W

Cormorant: present n/c

Harbour Porpoise: 3+

Red-throated Diver from the sea with hide this afternoon

Sunday, 10 March 2024

10/03/2024

3 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, possibly 5 in this image from yesterday

Another excellent days sea watching, which included the first Arctic Skua and the first push of Little Gulls of the spring. Also excellent numbers of Brent Geese and Red-throated Divers, also a Goldeneye which is not a common bird on a sea watch

06.20-11.20 & 13.45-15.30 with TW, DW from the sea watch hide, Wind ESE 3 Temp 7°

Brent Goose: 2,457E

Shoveler: 4E

Wigeon: 17E

Pintail: 34

Teal: 9E

Velvet Scoter: 1W

Common Scoter: 398E 2W

Great-crested Grebe: 3E 4W 4 present

Goldeneye: 1E

Red-breasted Merganser: 2E

Oystercatcher:2E

Curlew: 3E

Sanderling: 1W

Dunlin: 8E

Kittiwake: 91E

Black-headed Gull: 31E 2W

Little Gull: 30E

Mediterranean Gull: 6E

Common Gull: 27E

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 1W

Arctic Skua: 1E

Guillemot: 43E

Razorbill: 2E

Auk sp: 36E 10W

Red-throated Diver: 722E 44W

Fulmar: 3E

Gannet: 410E 17W

Cormorant: present n/c

Sparrowhawk: 1 female SE out to sea

Harbour Porpoise: 5+

Grey Seal: 1

The Glossy Ibis is still around its usual haunts, Both Great Northern and Black-throated Divers were to be found on the lakes, 4 Cattle Egrets by the airport road, but no noticeable sign of passerine passage.

Saturday, 9 March 2024

Pale-bellied Brent Goose with Dark-bellied Brent Geese

An excellent morning sea watching producing the first 3 Sandwich terns of the spring., fingers crossed for many more in the coming weeks.

06.45-11.45 with SO, DW from the sea watch hide. Wind SSE4-5 Temp 7°

Brent Goose: 1,569E (34 parties)

Pale-bellied Brent Goose: 3E

Shelduck: 12E (2 parties)

Shoveler: 15E (3 parties)

Wigeon: 12E (3 parties)

Pintail: 46(8 parties)

Teal: 29E ( 6 parties)

Tufted Duck: 3E

Velvet Scoter: 7E (1 party)

Common Scoter: 68E ( 17 parties)

Great-crested Grebe: 9E 2W

Oystercatcher: 6E

Curlew: 6E (3 parties)

Dunlin: 12E (4 parties)

Kittiwake: 56E

Black-headed Gull: 46E

Mediterranean Gull: 4E ( 1 party)

Common Gull: 49E

Great Black-backed Gull: 37E

Herring Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 1E

Sandwich Tern: 3E

Guillemot: 108E

Razorbill: 11E

Auk sp: 117E

Red-throated Diver: 427E 6W

Fulmar:5E

Gannet: 1,605E

Cormorant: present n/c

Skylark: 1E off shore

Harbour Porpoise: 2

Grey Seal: 1

Common Seal: 1

Velvets Scoters passing distantly this morning

2 Great Northern Divers were still on Burrowes late this afternoon

Curlew on Hay Field 2 late afternoon

Friday, 8 March 2024

08/03/2024

Flock of Gannets passing the hide this morning

07.15-10.15 with RW, DW,OL,TH from the sea watch hide, Wind E5-6 Temp 7°

Brent Goose: 4E

Shelduck: 4E

Shoveler: 57E (10 parties)

Wigeon: 33E (5 parties)

Pintail: 71E 11 parties)

Teal: 122E ( 11 parties)

Common Scoter: 27E ( 8 parties)

Great-crested Grebe: 13E

Oystercatcher: 2E

Avocet: 2E

Black-tailed Godwit: 1E

Sanderling: 6E

Dunlin: 4E

Kittiwake: 2E

Black-headed Gull: 16E

Mediterranean Gull: 3E

Common Gull: 62E

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 3E

Guillemot: 121E

Razorbill: 37E

Auk sp: 139E

Red-throated Diver: 80E 2W

Fulmar: 4E

Gannet: 729E

Cormorant: present n/c

Carrion Crow: 1E off shore

Harbour Porpoise: 1

Todays flyby Avocets

Thursday, 7 March 2024

07/03/2024

One of the parties of Avocets passing The Point this morning

With a change in wind direction over night immediately improved the sea watching making the six hours I spent there fly by, the downside of the easterly wind was the air pollution cutting visibility noticeably.

An early flock of Brent Geese picking up the red hue from the rising sun

06.50-12.50 joined by DW & OL from the sea watch hide. Wind E4-5 Temp 7°

Brent Goose: 410E (26 parties)

Shelduck: 28E ( 5 parties)

Shoveler: 27E (5 parties)

Wigeon: 3E

Pintail: 124E (9parties)

Teal: 61E ( 9 parties)

Common Scoter: 96E ( 15 parties)

Great-crested Grebe: 12E 9 on sea

Oystercatcher: 15E

Avocet: 23E (8 + 15)

Curlew: 8E

Bar-tailed Godwit: 2E

Dunlin: 13E

Kittiwake: 36E

Black-headed Gull: 56E

Mediterranean Gull: 2E

Common Gull: 68E

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Guillemot: 376E

Razorbill: 73E

Auk sp: 258E 17W

Red-throated Diver: 31E 98W

Fulmar: 1W

Gannet: 138E

Cormorant: Minimum 179 present

Black Redstart: M + F behind hide

Harbour Porpoise: 1

Grey Seal: 1

A flock of mainly Pintail with some Shoveler passing this morning

Cormorant with a Dogfish

One of todays Black Redstarts

A Small Tortoiseshell my first butterfly of the year yesterday at the lighthouse

Tuesday, 5 March 2024

06/03/2024

Brent Geese passing The Point a log way off shore

I spent most of the day sea watching, to be honest not a brilliant days watching, staring at dots miles out to sea is not to many peoples taste but I enjoy it.

07.00-10.00 &13.30-15.30 with RW, OL & DW from the sea watch hide

Brent Goose: 240E

Teal: 4E

Wigeon: 10E

Pintail: 36E

Eider: 1E adult drake

Common Scoter: 17E 2W

Great-crested Grebe: 6E 47+ on sea

Oystercatcher: 9E 1W

Kittiwake: 9E

Black-headed Gull: 14E 5W

Mediterranean Gull: 2E 2W

Common Gull: 7E 2W

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Guillemot: 37W 13E

Auk sp: 12E 74W

Red-throated Diver: 34E 161W

Fulmar: 3E 2W

Gannet: 140E 27W

Cormorant: 212W into Rye Bay

Carrion Crow: 5 present

Harbour Porpoise: 3

The Great Northern and Black-Throated diver were at the southern end of the ARC today, the Glossy Ibis was still in the horse paddock and the Scaup was still on the caravan park pit per DW, at least 3 Firecrests were around per OL.