22/10/2024

A timely call from Tom telling us he had trapped another Yellow-browed Warbler, save myself and Richard from enduring a very poor sea watch any longer.

35 minutes was more than enough of this tedious watch:

 08.00-08.35 from the Hide with RW 
Wigeon: 1W
Oystercatcher: 11E
Common Tern: 1W
Arctic Tern: 1W
Sandwich Tern: 4W
Black-headed Gull: present n/c
Mediterranean Gull: 2W        
Common 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: 1W
Razorbill: 12W    
Auk: 20W    3E
Gannet: 32W.   14E
Cormorant: present n/c
Swallow: 6W 
Starling: 265W

After viewing the Yellow-browed Warbler we wandered out towards The Desert, several Swallows and House Martins flew over along with a couple of Brambling and some Siskins, we only got as far as the High Gorese when Owen called saying he'd found a pair of Bearded Tits in the Gorse and Bramble by the Polish Memorial. They seemed quite happy sunning themselves giving us superb extended views, eventually they flew off North.

Female Bearded Tit

Bearded Tits

Male Bearded Tit

Little Owl sunning itself

As the weather was so nice I went out on the marsh on my Bicycle this afternoon where I encountered 3 Little Owls, 5 Marsh Harriers and 2 Common Buzzards of note, sadly no winter Thrushes yet nor wildfowl. At Scotney a Ruff and 4 Redshank were on the Sward but only a handful of Golden Plover  and no wild Geese. Later I cycled down to Denge Marsh hide where the new islands were attracting roosting Gulls (The islands on Burrowes and the ARC have nearly all submerged) among the Gulls were a Brute of a 2w Caspian Gull and a 2w Yellow-legged Gull, also several Common Snipe on the islands. Passing Boulderwall there were 7 Cattle Egrets and 2 Glossy Ibis with the cattle, it seems likely that there are now 3 Glossy ibis present on the reserve.

"You can't see me"

Another Little Owl

The resident pair of Little Owls

Yet another Little Owl out enjoying the sun

2w Caspian Gull on the new islands at Denge Marsh

2w Yellow-legged Gull on the new islands at Denge Marsh

20/10/2024

It was a little uncomfortable at the fishing boats this morning which gave scant shelter in a blustery SSW wind blowing force 6+. When the Leach's Petrel flew by fairly close to the shore the dis comfort was soon forgotten until around 10.15 when the rain started and visibility closed right in.

Leach's Petrel

07.45-10.15 from the Boats with RW, SO et al

Common Scoter: 12E

Great-crested Grebe: 1W     1 present

Oystercatcher: 36E

Common Tern: 1W

Sandwich Tern: 32W

Black-headed Gull: 16W

Mediterranean Gull: 1W       

Common Gull: 15W

Herring Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: 4W

Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c 

Great Skua: 1E juvenile 

Arctic Skua: 1W   

Razorbill: 48W    

Auk: 16W

Red-throated Diver: 1  present

Leach’s Petrel: 1W

Sooty Shearwater: 1W

Balearic Shearwater: 1W 

Gannet: 559W

Cormorant: present n/c

Merlin: 1 in off

Swallow: 38 out  

Meadow Pipit: 16 in off

Starling: 20 in off

Linnet: 85W

Goldfinch: 224W

Harbour Porpoise: 2

Grey Seal: 2

Leach's Petrel

Leach's Petrel

One of 500+ Gannets that flew West this morning

The only Arctic Skua seen this morning

The only Mediterranean Gull seen this morning

19/10/2024

After disappointing and damp sea watch from the sea watch hide this morning, I just managed to finish a cup of coffee before I received the White-tailed Eagle message.

Apart from the Eagle it was very quiet day around the peninsular, a Glossy Ibis was on Cooks Pool, while on Burrowes 4th calendar year Caspian Gull with 3rd calendar year Yellow-legged Gull and a Black-necked Grebe.

G542 a 4th calendar year female White-tailed Eagle (Thanks to Tim Mackrill and the Roy Dennis Foundation for the details) made its 3rd appearance on the Dungeness peninsular this morning at Scotney GPs. Many thanks to Stephen Message for putting the sighting out quickly enabling me to be on site just a couple of minutes later.

Its huge size against an accompanying Rook

 

A showy Black-necked Grebe from Dennis's Hide this afternoon

Radford's Flame Shoulder was the outstanding pick of a very meagre haul in my trap this morning

18/10/2024

Due to the lack of wind this morning I gave the Sea Watch a miss. A wander around the the area this morning found very little, most birds seemed to have cleared out with the clear weather, a few each of Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Thrushes were seen along with a some small flocks of Stock Doves, but the morning was rescued by a Yellow-browed Warbler trapped in The Moat, also the contents of Dave Bunnies moth trap.

A super Yellow Browed Warbler at the DBO this morning

A very smart Speckled Crimson and Diasemiopsis ramburalis (Migrant Sable) also at the DBO this morning courtesy of Dave Bunney.

Ring Ouzels at Brett's Marina and Galloways found on my afternoon cycle ride

One of several Ruff on the eastern causeway at Scotney

A distant Little Owl at Scotney

A frustratingly brief view of a Ring tailed Harrier at Scotney this afternoon

17/10/2024

Little Gull at the fishing boats this morning

07.15-08.30 from the Boats with RW.

Brent Goose: 3W

Wigeon: 3W

Common Scoter: 2W    5E

Great-crested Grebe:    4 present

Common Tern: 1W

Sandwich Tern: 19W

Little Gull: 1W

Kittiwake: 4W

Black-headed Gull: Present n/c     

Common 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: 2W  

Razorbill: 9W

Guillemot: 1W      

Auk: 52W

Red-throated Diver: 1W

Gannet: 225W 

Cormorant: 209W

Merlin: 1W  juv/fem

Harbour Porpoise: 2

Grey Seal: 1

We cut our sea watch short today thinking that the land would be more productive, we were wrong, a handful of Thrushes around the The Desert and TA, along with a few Siskin, Swallow and Skylarks over were about as good as it got until 4 Ring Ouzels put in a brief appearance. From Dennis's a smart 1w Caspian Gull on Burrowes and a few Cattle Egrets on Boulderwall Fields, late afternoon Mike Buckland found a Yellow-browed Warbler at Christmas Dell.

Very poor image of one of 4 Ring Ouzels that flew around the observatory today

A female Gem from the trap this morning

A male Gem from the trap this morning

My first Sallow of the year

16/10/2024

A Juvenile Great Skua passing the fishing boats, now very much a notable bird since the Bird Flu!

Great To see Polish Ringed Black-headed Gull TJVV back for its 5th winter at Dungeness

07.40-09.0 & 13.00-14.30 with RW, OL TW, JY, DW

Brent Goose: 103W     6E

Shoveler: 3W

Common Scoter: 6W    8E

Great-crested Grebe: 1E     3 present

Marsh Harrier: 1 in off the sea

Common Tern: 9 E/ present

Sandwich Tern: 46W

Little Gull: 2E

Kittiwake: 5W       2 present

Black-headed Gull: present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 101W      12E       

Common Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c  

Great Skua: 1W

Arctic Skua: 5W          3E 

Auk: 42W     16E

Red-throated Diver: 1E    

Gannet: 211W   33E

Swallow: 82 out to sea

Harbour Porpoise: 4

Grey Seal: 1

Common Scoter passing the fishing boats this afternoon

Glossy Ibis on Boulderwall Fields by Cooks Pool

A visit to Hanson saw plenty of common wildfowl but nothing notable the fast diminishing islands, though a Black-necked grebe was seen there late afternoon. As I type a thunder storm is crashing around outside with torrential rain, so I think this is the end of ARC islands, Burrowes islands won't be far behind them.

On Burrowes this afternoon 3 Yellow-legged Gulls and 2+ Caspian Gulls of note but no sign of the Black Tern. There are still double figure numbers of Common Snipe at Christmas Dell but the hay fields are avian free despite plenty of water. A few Bearded Tits are being seen daily from the ramp at Denge Marsh.

One of 7 Gems in the trap this morning

 

15/10/2024

Some of this mornings Brent Geese very distant, like this flock over the back of the container vessel which is a minimum of 6 miles out in the shipping lanes.

Other flocks were much closer

 07.30-10.30 from the Hide

Brent Goose: 3043W

Shelduck: 81W

Shoveler: 14W

Wigeon: 103

Pintail: 28W

Teal: 11W

Common Scoter: 91W    28E

Red-breasred Merganser: 1W

Great-crested Grebe: 1W     4 present

Oystercatcher: 3W

Dunlin: 1W

Arctic Tern: 1 present

Common tern: 1 present

Sandwich Tern: 27W

Black-headed Gull: 183W

Mediterranean Gull: 156W       

Common Gull: 18W

Herring Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c  

Arctic Skua: 2W     2E

Razorbill: 82W

Guillemot: 9W      

Auk: 11W

Red-throated Diver: 1E

Sooty Shearwater: 1E  

Gannet: 92W   40E

Harbour Porpoise: 3

Dolphin sp: 3+W

Grey Seal: 2

Juvenile Arctic Tern

Gannet trailing what I hope is only sea weed which will fall off as it rots

Siberian Chiffchaff

100+ birds were ringed at the observatory today including the above Siberian Chiffchaff, a late Willow Warbler, several Firecrests and Redwing. At leat 3 Black Redstarts were around the Polish Memorial.

There were still good numbers of Chiffchaffs around at least 1 Wheatear and a trickle of Swallows and House Martins.

A late Willow Warbler

Firecrest

Redwing

Avocets on Burrowes, 2 of which were colour ringed

13/10/2024

A cold fairly windy start to the day at The Point, vis mig was virtually non existent, a flock of c50 Stock Doves over, as well as a few each of Meadow Pipits, Goldfinches and Song Thrushes, the highlight was a Barn Owl which flushed from the trapping area near the entrance to net site 13 and promptly disappeared deeper into the Sallows. Barn Owls are just about annual on The Point, presumably young birds trying to find a territory.

Late morning when the wind had dropped right out, I cycled out to Scotney paying a visit to my local Little Owl on the way. Large numbers of Greylag, Canada and Egyptian Geese were encountered all around Scotney but no winter Geese. Tufted Duck, Pochard, Wigeon and Curlew numbers seem to be growing as do the numbers of Little Grebes but I could find none of its the scarcer relatives, several 100s of Gold Plover were wheeling around over the fields at the back, 4 Tree Sparrows and a Grey Wagtail of note flew over.

At the back of Scotney a Lurcher belonging to the traveller community had caught a Hare and been abandoned, 3 members of the community had runaway taking 2 other Lurchers with them once the farmers and authorities were around. As there are Sheep in the nearby fields the Lurcher may die from lead poisoning.

The local Little Owl was enjoying the late morning sun today

An abandoned Lurcher with the corpse of a Brown Hare

By the fishing boats this afternoonGBBG J99AM with its conspicuous wide grin caused by the fishing hook, appears too be thriving, there was very little moving on the sea in the very still conditions . 

Adult Caspian Gull on Burrowes this afternoon

A Dutch ringed 1w Caspian Gull on Burrowes yesterday

A 1w Caspian Gull on Burrowes this afternoon, also there a Black-necked Grebe and Black tern of note.