24/01/2025

Black Redstart on the power station perimeter wall at midday

4 Brent Geese west past the bouy this afternoon

At 07.50 this morning when I parked to go sea watching the car was rocking strongly in the wind, I thought better of it and went home for an early breakfast. By midday the wind had subsided so I went back and spent 3hrs sea watching being joined by Owen after a while.  

12.00-15.00 joined by OL 

Brent Goose: 2E     4W

Common Scoter: 5W

Great-crested Grebe: 1W

Kittiwake: 73W      9E

Black-headed Gull: c300W

Common Gull:  c200W

Herring Gull: c2,000W

Caspian Gull: 7W    (5 x 1w + 2w + 3w)

Yellow-legged Gull: 1W  (3w)

Great Black-backed Gull: 373W

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 5W

Guillemot: 9W       

Auk sp: 27W

Red-throated Diver: 4E     33W

Fulmar: 1W

Gannet: 57W       

Cormorant: Present n/c

Black Redstart: 1 behind hide again

Grey Seal: 2

Common Seal: 1

1w Caspian Gull

1w Caspian Gull

2w Caspian Gull

3w Caspian Gull

3w Caspian Gull

Very little news from the rest of the peninsula apart from the Long-tailed Duck still being present per PT

22/01/2025

A very poor return for an hour spent in the sea watch hide.

08.00-09.00 with RW & OL. NNW 2       3º

Oystercatcher: 1E 

Black-headed Gull: Present n/c

Common Gull:  Present n/c

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Guillemot: 1E   

Razorbill: 1E      1 present      

Auk sp: 2E

Red-throated Diver: 16E       22W

Gannet: 20E   6W

Cormorant: Present n/c

Grey Seal: 1

Common Seal: 1

On my back home for breakfast there were 10 Russian White-fronted Geese viewed from Cockles Bridge

The Long-tailed Duck was still on the New Diggings but distant, No Great Northern Divers seen today.

There is much disturbance around the reserve with work being done in the hayfields, Christmas Dell, Makepiece and the ARC so it was unsurprising that my wander around the reserve saw very little.

This Great White Egret was feeding in the Dipping Pond a first for me.

A Barn Owl disappearing down the track to Hanson from the ARC car park early this afternoon

On a brighter note the new Makepiece hide is coming on a pace, image taken from Scott Lookout.
 

20/01/2025

A slick of Cormorants offshore this morning

The sea watching can only get better!😂

 08.00-09.30 with RW & OL

Brent Goose: 4E

Oystercatcher: 14E 

Kittiwake: 5E    10W   

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

Guillemot: 2E

Razorbill: 3E      

Auk sp: 27E        4W

Red-throated Diver: 9E       331W

Fulmar: 1E

Gannet: 14E   57W

Cormorant: Present n/c

Black Redstart: 1 behind hide

Grey Seal: 2

The rest of my morning was taken up with domestic stuff.

Starting the construction of the new Makepiece Hide

A wander around the reserve this afternoon was predictably quiet, though good to see the Makepiece construction underway. A peregrine and 2 Ravens at Christmas Dell were best I could find there, Dengemarsh was disappointing seeing no Water Pipits and little else.

Peregrine at Christmas Dell

From the track to Hanson a Water Rail was skulking in the reeds

2 of the 4 Great White Egrets from Hanson late afternoon

There was no sign of any Great Northern divers or Long-tailed Duck today. The Bewick Swans were in the usual field at Midley.

19/01/2025

The cold dreary weather continues with sea watching be like Groundhog Day! 

07.50-09.20 with RW.  SSE3 3º

Oystercatcher: 5E 

Kittiwake: 10E   

Black-headed Gull: Present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 1W. (Adult)

Common Gull:  Present n/c

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Guillemot: 2E

Razorbill: 6E      5W

Auk sp: 31E        20W

Red-throated Diver: 68E       258W

Fulmar: 2E

Gannet: 54E    24W

Cormorant: Present n/c

Merlin: 1W

Grey Seal: 1

The Long-tailed Duck and the Great Northern Diver were both reported as still being on New Diggings, a Firecrest was reported at Scott Lookout and Water Pipits still on the hay fields.

Fruitless Harrier count this afternoon for me as none roosted at my reed bed, consolation was had with 2 Little Owls calling in the dark.

A male Hen Harrier roosted in another reed bed on Walland.

18/01/2025

A very cold sea watch with very limited visibility.

08.25-09.25  wind ESE 3   2º  Fog

Great-crested Grebe: 1 present

Oystercatcher: 2E 

Kittiwake: 1E   

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

Guillemot: 5E

Razorbill: 1E

Red-throated Diver: 154E

Fulmar: 1E

Gannet: 53E    

Cormorant: single flock of c2,000 drifted west past the Bouy 

Grey Seal: 1

1 0f 2 Cattle egrets at Cockles bridge this morning

White-fronted Geese in the distance through the fog from Cockles Bridge

After a very cold sea watch on my way home for a late breakfast, a brief stop at Cockles Bridge where 2 Cattle egrets and 7 White-fronted Geese could be seen.

A late morning/early afternoon walk from home to Denge Marsh Gully and back, saw the Yellowhammers opposite HRS, a Kingfisher at Denge Marsh a couple each of Marsh Harrier and Great White Egret a few Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails and not a great deal else. 

41 Bewick Swans were on Walland per GH, NB, KP et al was the only other news I heard of today.

17/01/2025

A cold watch this morning 4ºC in force3 WSW breeze. No improvement in the birds made it seem much colder.

07.50-09.30  with RW, OL & Sue H

Great-crested Grebe: 4 present

Oystercatcher: 5E     1W

Kittiwake: 41W   

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

Guillemot: 1E  3W

Razorbill: 2E

Auk: 27W      58E

Red-throated Diver: 44W   93E  

Gannet: 51W   23E     

Cormorant: Present n/c.  

Grey Seal: 1

7 Russian White-fronted Geese over Lydd Fields taken from my garden, a nice garden year tick.

A 2w Caspian Gull on Burrowes before being disturbed by the work party

You can just about make out 3 Water Pipits in the above image, in the hayfield behind Christmas Dell

Water Pipit

The Long-tailed Duck and Great Northern Diver are still to be found on the New Diggings, I couldn't see the diver on Burrowes but it is probably still present. On Walland there were 34 Bewick Swans (per John Kirk) at Midley. The wintering Greenshank is still at Scotney but there was no sign of the 2 Tundra Bean Geese today but could still be present.

15/01/2025

Early this morning 36 Bewick swans appeared out of the fog over my house heading towards Walland Marsh, after presumably spending the night roosting on the reserve. The Yellowhammers were still along the football club hedge.

Bewick Swans

Most of my day was taken up with sorting out my phone, so when my head was about to explode with the frustration of it and before I threw the new one against a wall, I put it down and went for calming walk around Denge Marsh. The Ravens on the pylons were constantly croaking, several Bearded Tits were in the reeds around the path and 3 Great White Egrets were around. The Water Pipits were again camera shy.

Lots of Gulls from the Denge Marsh Hide but I could find nothing of note among them. The only other news I heard was the Great Northern Diver on Burrowes was seen.

Bearded Tit at Denge Marsh this afternoon

Record of 1 of the Water Pipits on Hayfields 1 & 2

 

14/01/2025

Just before sunrise c20 Bewick swans flew over my house out onto Walland Marsh, they presumably roosted on the ARC or Burrowes. The Yellowhammers were still in the hedge opposite.

A gentle WSW 2-3 breeze and a positively balmy 4º enabled  a somewhat slow watch with only 6 Gannets seen, but 2 Velvet Scoters were nice addition to the year list.

 08.10-9.10  with RW

Velvet Scoter: 2E

Common Scoter: 2W

Great-crested Grebe: 1W

Kittiwake: 7W   

Black-headed Gull: Present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 1E

Common Gull:  Present n/c

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Caspian Gull: 2W (2 x 1w)

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Guillemot: 14W    

Razorbill: 59W 

Auk: 61W      74E

Red-throated Diver: 189W   6E  

Fulmar: 1W

Gannet: 3W    3E     

Cormorant: Present n/c. Very few this morning

The 2 Tundra Bean Geese were still at the back of the sand pit along with a couple of Bewick Swans. At Cockles Bridge 6+ Russian White-fronted Geese. 5+ Water Pipits were seen on the hay fields.

13/01/2025

I spent the morning in the woods catching up with woodland species seldom seen on the shingle, the afternoon I spent at Denge Marsh. I walked in from Springfield Bridge where to Ravens were squabbling on the pylons. Several Common Snipe flew from the flood along with a Water Pipit. The track at the top of hayfield 3 is a quagmire (Wellington Boots essential) due to the excavaters installing new sluices that will hopefully stabilise water levels on the hay fields which will be most welcome, as the path dries out I'm sure it will improve.

In the pathside reeds plenty of Bearded Tits calling and a few showing. 

1w Caspian Gull on one of the new islands at Denge Marsh

1w Caspian Gull on one of the new islands at Denge Marsh

North Thames ringed Herring Gull X2DT on the ice at Denge Marsh. This bird is now 12 years old and appears to have spent most of is life in the Dungeness area, I have recorded it 16 times since February 2014 though it has gone unrecorded between 2019 and 2023.

3 Common Gulls on the ice at Denge Marsh

 

12/01/2025

Female Bearded Tit

Another very frosty crisp morning with not a breathe of wind. A walk around the Long Pits first thing was very quiet bird wise though I did see my first Woodcock of the year there. A quick look at New Diggings from the causeway saw the Great Northern Diver and Long-tailed duck along with 8 Goldeneye.

Along the entrance track to the reserve there were 9 Russian White-fronted Geese on Boulderwall Fields along with the usual feral Geese and 2 Great White Egrets.

Around the hay fields and Dengemarsh Bearded Tits were popping out everywhere and feeing on the ice, there were at least 2 Chiffchaff fly catching in the reeds. In hayfields 1 & 2 at least 2 Water Pipits that are bit camera shy at the moment, less welcome there was a Mink. Another Great Northen Diver was on Burrowes.

This afternoon around the Scotney sand pit the 2 Tundra Bean Geese in the fields to the east of the pit with c100 Greylag Geese, 2 Barnacle Geese and Brent Goose, also 7 Bewick Swans there, c400 Golden Plover

a Green Sandpiper in the pit and the flock of Tree Sparrows around the edge. 

Russian White-fronted Geese

Water Pipit

Tundra Bean Geese just over the county border in East Sussex

Bewick Swans just over the county border in East Sussex

Tree Sparrows just over the county border in East Sussex