31/03/2024

I don't see many Avocets on sea sea watches at Dungeness

A couple of relatively close Red-breasted Mergansers

A much better watch than yesterday, not huge numbers but nice number of species.

06.45-10.00 with TH,JY, SO,CP from the sea watch hide.  Wind E 4  Temp 7°  

Brent Goose: 86E (4 parties)

Shelduck: 63E (4 parties)

Shoveler: 22W

Teal: 8E

Pintail: 1E

Eider: 5E

Common Scoter: 643E   18W

Red-breasted Merganser: 4W     

Great-crested Grebe: 2E   7 present 

Oystercatcher: 10E

Avocet: 1E

Dunlin: 1E

Curlew: 7E

Bar-tailed Godwit: 1E

Kittiwake: 1E      

Black-headed Gull: 6E

Little Gull: 2E (ad + 1w)

Mediterranean Gull: 5E

Common Gull: 10E

Great Black-backed Gull: 26E

Herring Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 4E

Sandwich Tern: 37E 

Common Tern: 5E

Guillemot: 21E  

Auk sp: 4E  

Red-throated Diver: 17E    4W   

Fulmar: 1W

Gannet: 24E 

Cormorant: 56 around

Peregrine: 2 out to sea together, presumed local birds hunting.

Carrion Crow 7 SW out to sea

Harbour Porpoise: 7

Grey Seal: 1

Eider passing this morning

One of four flocks of Shelduck that came through this morning

At least 1 Great Northern Diver was still on Burrowes late afternoon

10+ Little Gulls were hawing over Burrowes today, they weren't all this obliging

Another tasty morsel

Apart from a couple each of Chiffchaff and Sedge Warbler and long staying Water Pipits I found very little sign of migrant passerines on my plod around the reserve. I was hoping for an LRP at Christmas Dell, which now looks very good due to the habitat creation works done over the winter, I will be very surprised if they don't breed there and probably Garganey. I'm guessing that when the storms clear in Iberia and Southern France there will be a rush of migrants.🤞

One of the three Avocets on Hayfield 2/1

Black-tailed Godwit on Hayfield 2/1

30/03/2024

  After a run of half decent sea watches, I can only describe todays as disappointing!

06.20-08.30 with RW, SO  from the sea watch hide. Wind SW 1-2 Temp 9° 

Brent Goose: 8E    1W

Common Scoter: 303E   8W    

Great-crested Grebe: 11 present 

Oystercatcher: 3E

Black-headed Gull: 2E

Mediterranean Gull: 2W

Common Gull: 16E

Great Black-backed Gull: 27E

Herring Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 2 present

Sandwich Tern: 25E   2W

Auk sp: 4E   

Red-throated Diver: 21E    2W   

Gannet: 29E   21W

Cormorant: 59 around

Harbour Porpoise: 4+

The Lydd Little Owls watched me as I walked by

Pied Wagtail collecting nesting material

After my late breakfast while scrolling X and WhatsApp I noticed there seemed to be lots of birders around Dungeness, so instead of going to the usual sites  walked out of the back of Lydd and then around the back of Scotney to Jurys Gap and back. Although it was a very pleasant walk it was also disappointing due to the complete lack of migrants. There plenty of Skylarks, Corn and Reed Buntings but none of the hoped for Yellow Wagtails, Hirundines and Little Ringed Plovers. But it is only still March. From the reports I heard from the reserve nothing new was found today, there are still a few Water Pipits around, c15 Little Gulls on Burrowes as well as the Great Northern Diver, 2 there yesterday, a White Stork of unknown origin flew through North East, a few Sedge Warblers and a Willow Warbler.

One of several Corn Buntings seen on my walk today

Small Tortoiseshell basking in the warm sunshine today

28/03/2024

 06.00-09.00 with RW,TH, PT,DW  from the sea watch hide. Wind SSW 6-8 Temp 7°

Brent Goose: 139E (9 parties)

Common Scoter: 393E   12W

Red-breasted Merganser: 2W     

Great-crested Grebe: 2 present 

Oystercatcher: 4E   

Curlew: 3E

Kittiwake: 18E    

Black-headed Gull: 9E

Mediterranean Gull: 6E

Common Gull: 93E

Great Black-backed Gull: 44E

Herring Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 5E

Sandwich Tern: 19E  

Guillemot: 1E  

Auk sp: 16E    

Red-throated Diver: 96E    2W   

Fulmar: 4E    1W

Gannet: 183E   8W

Cormorant: 16 around

Harbour Porpoise: 2

Grey Seal: 1

Late morning/Early afternoon the wind strengthened to force 8-9 SSW with squally showers

around 13.30after a very quiet hour the first of 17 Manx Shearwater appeared quickly followed by a procession of Arctic Skuas, making a very enjoyable afternoon in the relative comfort of the hide.

12.20-16.20 with RW,CP  from the sea watch hide

Brent Goose: 25E (2 parties)

Common Scoter: 131E   

Kittiwake: 28E   

Little Gull: 3E 

Mediterranean Gull: 2E

Great Black-backed Gull: 83E

Sandwich Tern: 34E

Arctic Skua: 23E  

Guillemot: 1E  

Auk sp: 39E    

Red-throated Diver: 27E      

Fulmar: 5E    11W

Manx Shearwater: 7E    10W

Gannet: 159E   27W

The only other news from the peninsular was the continuing presence of a Great Northen Diver and a 1st summer Little Gull on Burrowes.

27/03/2024

Great Skua past the hide this morning

06.00-10.00 & 13.20-15.30 with RW,DW,CP,JY from the hide. Wind SE  3-4 veering S 6-7 Temp 8°-11  

Brent Goose: 960E (42 parties)      1W

Shelduck: 2E       

Shoveler: 6E

Eider: 1E   (duck)

Common Scoter: 729E   9W  

Red-breasted Merganser: 1E drake 

Great-crested Grebe: 9E   15 present 

Oystercatcher: 1E   

Curlew: 23E

Kittiwake: 146E    

Black-headed Gull: 28E 

Mediterranean Gull: 14E

Common Gull: 282E

Great Black-backed Gull: 46E

Herring Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 4E

Sandwich Tern: 190E    11W 

Common Tern: 1E first of the year

Arctic Skua: 3E   1 o/s

Great Skua: 1E  

Guillemot: 6E    1W

Auk sp: 78E      18W

Red-throated Diver: 251E    6W   

Black-throated Diver: 1E

Great Northern Diver: 1E

Fulmar: 6E   1W 

Gannet: 412E   36W

Cormorant: 30 around

Peregrine: 1 out to sea presumed local bird hunting

Harbour Porpoise: 2

Grey Seal: 1

More Brent Geese past today

 Elsewhere a handful or Hirundines dropped in to the lakes this afternoon when the showers came throug, otherwise nothing else was seen.

26/03/2024

Some of the 1,000+ Brent Geese past the hide this morning

 

06.15-11.15 with RW,DW, CP from the sea watch hide,  Wind SE 3-4 Temp 8° 

Brent Goose: 1,016E (32 parties)

Shelduck: 7E       

Shoveler: 15E

Teal: 4E

Eider: 6E   5 drakes

Common Scoter: 1,707E   26W

Red-breasted Merganser: 3E     

Great-crested Grebe:13 present 

Oystercatcher: 4E   

Curlew: 2E

Kittiwake: 4E    

Black-headed Gull: 6E  2W

Mediterranean Gull: 3E

Common Gull: 7E

Great Black-backed Gull:  present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 9E    2W   

Guillemot: 3E   2 present   

Auk sp: 16E      2W

Red-throated Diver: 105E    5W     3 present

Great Northern Diver: 1E 

Fulmar: 2E    

Gannet: 64E   14W

Cormorant: 41 around

Carrion Crow: 3 out

Harbour Porpoise: 4

Grey Seal: 1

Another hour this afternoon added little to the above. The ARC from Hanson was very quiet apart from a few Chiffchaffs and a couple of reported Sedge Warblers. On Burrowes this afternoon a 2nd cal year Little Gull, some Goldeneye and a Great Northern Diver. From the double bends at Scotney an adult Little Gull was best I could find, then the rain really set in.

25/03/2024

Brent Geese passing the sea watch hide this morning

06.30-11.00 & 13.30-15.30 with RW,DW, SM, JY et al from the sea watch hide. Wind SSE 5-6 Temp 9° 

Brent Goose: 1,953E (43 parties)
Shelduck: 2E       
Shoveler: 15E
Teal: 14E
Common Scoter: 268E  
Red-breasted Merganser: 9E     
Great-crested Grebe: 6E   12 present 
Oystercatcher: 9E  

Dunlin: 12E 
Curlew: 1E
Kittiwake: 24E    
Black-headed Gull: 5W
Common Gull: 61E
Great Black-backed Gull:  present n/c
Herring Gull: present n/c
Lesser Black-backed Gull: 15E
Sandwich Tern: 91E   12W     
Guillemot: 5E   2 present   
Auk sp: 52E      14W
Red-throated Diver: 147E    6W 
Black-throated Diver: 2E
Fulmar: 6E      1W
Gannet: 73E    31W
Cormorant: 46 present
Harbour Porpoise: 4

Grey Seal: 1

Very little news from elsewhere on the peninsula, just the 2 x 2 cal year Little Gulls still on Burrowes.

24/03/2024

Probably the poorest watch of the year so far! Conditions look better as week goes on🤞

 06.30-08.30 with SO from the sea watch hide, Wind WNW 6  Temp 5° 

Brent Goose: 11E

Great-crested Grebe: 2E   1 present 

Black-headed Gull: 1W

Mediterranean Gull: 1E    

Common Gull: 1E

Great Black-backed Gull:  present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c 

Sandwich Tern: 1W

Guillemot: 1E   1 present

Auk sp: 8E      

Red-throated Diver: 10E   1W     1 on

Gannet: 14E   5W      

Cormorant: 1E  (c2 mile offshore high) 13 present

Black Redstart: 1 present

Meadow Pipit: 2 in off

Carrion Crow: 1 in off

Harbour Porpoise: 2+

I think the Black-throated Diver and one on the Great Northern Divers have finally departed, just the one GND has been seen since Friday. A bit of an arrival of Wheatears and Willow Warblers this weekend but no exceptional numbers. A couple of Sedge Warblers on the reserve and the first Garganey there today, SM found a Garganey yesterday on the sward at Scotney. 

The Glossy Ibis looked stunning while it was touring the hay fields in the afternoon sun

This Garganey flashed across the footpath just in front of me at head height as walked between Scott and Christmas Dell, by the time I got my camera up and on to it, it was already dropping into hay field 3.

The same bird very distant at the bottom of hay field 3

One of several White Wagtails around this weekend

Yesterdays Slavonian Grebe on the ARC was sadly gone today

3 Black-necked Grebes yesterday on the ARC , just 2 today

At least 2 Little Gulls were present on Burrowes this afternoon

22/03/2024

Great-crested Grebe with Stickleback from Hanson late morning

This mornings sea watch was probably the poorest watch of the year so far!

06.30-08.30 with RW from the sea watch hide.  Wind WSW5  Temp 10° light rain 

Brent Goose: 4E

Common Scoter: 19E   

Great-crested Grebe: 2 present 

Oystercatcher: 3E

Kittiwake: 9E 

Mediterranean Gull: 3E     1W

Great Black-backed Gull:  present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 5E   

Guillemot: 9E   3W

Auk sp: 34E       25W

Red-throated Diver: 36E   2W   

Gannet: 92E   17W      32 present

Cormorant: 14 present

Peregrine: 3 tussling over power station, intruder chased SW out to sea.

Harbour Porpoise: 4

My first 3 Swallows and a Sand Martin of the year over misty ARC this morning, also my first Kingfisher of the year there, a couple of Siskins flew through and a few Chiffchaffs were obvious new arrivals. The Black-throated Diver was also there but flew over onto Burrowes mid afternoon.

A fly catching first summer Little Gull on Burrowes this afternoon

A fly catching Black-headed Gull with a near adult Little Gull on Burrowes this afternoon

What I consider to be a "Littoralis" Rock Pipit fly catching on the raft in front of Dennis's Hide this afternoon

Great Northern Diver on Burrowes this afternoon

Drake Goldeneye on Burrowes in the rain

21/03/2024

Wheatear behind the boats today

A very poor sea watch for us this morning.

06.30-08.30 with RW, TH, DW  from the sea watch hide. Wind NE 1-2 Temp 9°  

Wigeon: 3E

Teal: 5E

Common Scoter: 29E   4W    

Great-crested Grebe: 4E      5 present 

Oystercatcher: 4E

Kittiwake: 1E    2W  

Black-headed Gull: 100E     

Common Gull: 22E

Great Black-backed Gull:  present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 4E   3W  

Guillemot: 8E   

Auk sp: 26E       8W

Red-throated Diver: 27E   2W

Fulmar: 1E     

Gannet: 192E   

Cormorant: 35 present

Harbour Porpoise: 2

Glossy Ibis around the hay fields late morning. This bird looks to be a new arrival as the long staying bird is not as colourful and has the juvenile pale flecking around the neck.

An influx of Little Egrets onto the Hayfields today

A wander around the hay fields with Colin and Richard in gloomy conditions saw 2 Corn Buntings at Springfield Bridge, a Great White Egret and probably the 2 Water Pipits in Denge Marsh Flood, on hayfield 3 c10 Common Snipe, 2 Pintail and the Ibis of any note, several Bearded Tits were seen in the reeds and Bittern was heard briefly but it generally very quiet.

This afternoon in hindsight a wander around the Scotney sand pit was probably a mistake, visibility was very poor in the mist, the wind had picked up and it was cold, apart from mewing Mediterranean Gulls little was seen.

20/03/2024

Oystercatchers passing the sea watch hide this morning

Meadow Pipit on the wall behind the sea watch hide

Enough on the sea watch this morning to keep my interest for a couple of hours.

 06.30-09.00 with RW, OL, DW  from the sea watch hide.  Wind S 1-2 Temp 11° 

Brent Goose: 117E (5 parties)

Shelduck: 14E     

Shoveler: 26E

Pintail: 3E

Common Scoter: 147E   4W    

Great-crested Grebe: 2E      6 present 

Oystercatcher: 22

Ringed Plover: 1E  

Whimbrel: 2E 

Kittiwake: 2E  

Black-headed Gull: 96E     

Mediterranean Gull: 1E 

Common Gull: 19E

Great Black-backed Gull:  present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 5E   1W  

Guillemot: 3E   

Auk sp: 3E       4W

Red-throated Diver: 93E   

Fulmar: 2E     

Gannet: 26E    4W

Cormorant: 46 present

Harbour Porpoise: 4

After the sea watch Owen and Richard picked me up in the truck which was loaded with Tree Sparrow nestboxes which were kindly supplied by Paul Trodd, John Young and Dungeness RSPB. We made our way out onto the marsh with permission from the farmer and installed the boxes to the accompaniment of Tree Sparrows tu-wicking around us. There are now 25 boxes for this colony, hopefully they will all be used like the first batch we put up last year.

While having lunch at home there was a kettle of 12 Common buzzards over me

White Wagtails at Springfield Bridge this afternoon

Corn Buntings at Springfield Bridge this afternoon

Black-necked Grebe on Dengemarsh this afternoon

One of two Water Pipits on Dengemarsh Flood this afternoon

Water Pipit over Dengemarsh Flood