19/09/2024

As you can see below the sea watching is still abysmal, probably due to the roaring NE winds blowing across the peninsular. The winds are also responsible for the lack of passerines apart from Hirundines that are still streaming through.

The sandpit has had a clear out of waders, now just a few Avocets and 2 each of Green and Common Sandpiper, The water levels on the ARC are still rising from the recent deluges now seeping through into the lake. This afternoon all I could find there was a Common Sandpiper and a few Lapwing. The track into the ARC car park was resurfaced today and is now nice and smooth.

The works on Christmas Dell/New Excavions has finished, the new islands look good, but time will tell if the Terns and Black-headed Gulls nest there, also the on going maintenance of the islands could be an issue due to lack of staff. The digger is now starting work on Denge Marsh creating 3 islands which will no doubt have the same maintenance issues, also I believe some rafts are to be deployed on Denge Marsh.

The weather at the weekend is shaping up to be quite good for birding.🤞

07.35-08.35 from the hide with RW, OL

Brent Goose: 2E

Wigeon: 2E

Common Scoter: 7 on sea

Dunlin: 3E      

Sandwich Tern: 38E           

Common Tern: 6E

Black-headed Gull: present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 2E

Herring Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull:  present n/c

Arctic Skua: 1E

Gannet: 22E      

Cormorant: Present n/c

Swallow: 362SE

Sand Martin: 13SE

House Martin: 7SE

Meadow Pipit: 4NE

Harbour Porpoise: c6

Grey Seal: 1

Yellow Wagtails at Boulderwall today

Cattle Egrets at Boulderwall today

Green Woodpecker at the ARC

1st calendar year Caspian Gull at the fishing boats yesterday

16/09/2024

This mornings sea watch with OL 07.20-09.00 

Mallard: 1E

Teal: 9W

Wigeon: 8W

Common Scoter: 3E

Sandwich Tern: c40 around

Common Tern: c10 around

Black-headed Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull:  present n/c

Arctic Skua: c10 around

Balearic Shearwater: 4E          13W

Gannet: 17W

Cormorant: present n/c

Harbour Porpoise: c20 

Todays highlight a Grasshopper Warbler this morning courtesy of Dungeness Bird Observatory

A wander around The Desert saw and heard plenty of Chiffchaffs and a few Blackcaps, 9 Stonechats, 2 Ravens but little else of note.

A visit to the ARC saw 4 Cattle Egrets, a Glossy Ibis and a Little Ringed Plover as the only notable species. 

90 minutes early afternoon at the fishing boats was very pleasant in the warm sunshine out of the wind, but birds were very few and far between.

A late afternoon visit to Dennis's after the American Golden Plover had been reported found only 2 Golden Plovers, 2 Dunlin among the Lapwings and Gulls also 2 Black Terns present.

Sandwich Tern at the fishing boats

Common Tern at the fishing boats

 

15/09/2024

A few birds seen over the last few days on the peninsular

Yet another Honey Buzzard over the peninsular

Female Red-veined Darter in The Moat

Wood Sandpiper with Red-necked Phalarope in the Sandpit

 Red-necked Phalarope in the Sandpit

 Red-necked Phalarope in the Sandpit

Wood Sandpiper in the Sandpit

Common Sandpiper at the ARC

Pectoral Sandpiper at the ARC

Long-tailed Tit at the ARC

The American Golden Plover that was on Burrowes Pit for a few hours on Saturday

3w Caspian Gull on Burrowes Pit Saturday

Little Owl at Scotney

Greenshanks at Scotney

Tree Sparrows Walland Marsh

Red-necked Phalarope at the Sandpit this morning

Red-throated Diver at the fishing boats this afternoon

Balearic Shearwaters at the fishing boats this afternoon

        

12/09/2024

 With a NW wind blowing again this morning, I once again gave the sea watch a miss and went straight to the ARC, where the Pectoral Sandpiper was still showing in terrible light conditions, a single Garganey, 3 Ruff, the Glossy Ibis and a Great White Egret that had the decency to pose in good light. A good start to a great days birding.

Great White Egret at the ARC this morning

My next stop was at The Point and a wander around The Desert. A search for the Wryneck drew a blank but a flock of 11 mobile Tree Sparrows were nice and 2 even posed for me.

Tree Sparrows are now a scarcity in The Desert

In the sheltered spots a few Warblers were found mainly Chiffchaffs, but also Willow Warblers, Common and Lesser Whitethroat. I got a brief glimpse of Dartford Warbler and while waiting for it to show itself a Sedge Warbler peeked out of a Gorse bush.

Dartford Warbler

Sedge Warbler

Willow Warbler

Lesser Whitethroat

Just as I about to go home for brunch a smart juvenile Honey Buzzard drifted West over The Desert then a few minutes later came back East and was lost to view towards Lade.

Juvenile Honey Buzzard being mobbed by a Kestrel

                                     Juvenile Honey Buzzard being mobbed by a Kestrel

                                    Juvenile Honey Buzzard being mobbed by a Kestrel

Juvenile Honey Buzzard being mobbed by a Kestrel

The superb White Winged Tern this afternoon

White Winged Tern

White Winged Tern with 4 Black Terns

11/09/2024

The Tree Pipit was a nice surprise in the cold early morning at the ARC car park. The bushes around the track to Hanson held lots of newly arrived Chiffchaffs and a single Goldcrest.

From Hanson All 3 Egrets, Glossy Ibis, Marsh harrier, Common Buzzard, 2+ Garganey, Pectoral Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper and the usual wildfowl.

Poor image of a Tree Pipit at the ARC car park first thing this morning

Pectoral Sandpiper at the ARC early morning

Glossy Ibis glowing in the early morning sun

Not quite sure why I took this image

Whinchat by the entrance track to the VC

Denge Marsh and the hay fields seemed to be an avian free zone, apart from 2 Spoonbills that I glimpsed briefly flying West as I cycled between Christmas Dell and Scott. Christ was Dell is looking good but with the works ongoing very little to be seen there.

The White Winged Tern was still on Burrowes with at least 9 Black Terns, 2 Common Sandpipers, 3 Dunlin, 20 Knot that flew straight through and 2 Redshank,.

White Winged Tern

Black Tern

Apart of Knot and Shoveler flying through Burrowes just before the rain arrived