03/03/2025

As the peninsular was fog bound this morning there was no sea watch. A wander from the ARC to Denge Marsh and back was pretty quiet, a Bittern calling half heartedly at the back of Hookers was the highlight. At the back of Denge Marsh hide a Mink scurried across the path, disappearing into a ditch after going through the anti predator fence round the hayfields. On Boulderwall Fields 67 Golden Plover were noted.

The Scotney Purple Sandpiper have itself up to me this morning

A cycle ride out to Scotney and Walland Marsh gave reasonable views of the Purple Sandpiper found by Stephen Message at the weekend, Greenshank and Green Sandpiper there. At the western end of the Scotney complex in East Sussex the flock of c100 Tree Sparrows is still present. The swirling masses of Golden Plover and Lapwing seemed to have moved off leaving a few stragglers. A Ring-tail Hen Harrier, several each of Marsh Harriers and Common Buzzards were over the sheep fields and set aside.

Tree Sparrows at the old sand pit which has now filled with water, so no Sand Martin colony or migrant waders this year.

Tree Sparrows 

There are at least 60 Tree Sparrows in this image

Little Owls enjoying the warm afternoon sun on Walland

Good to see Greenfinches coming back onto my garden feeders

01/03/2025

A lay in this morning courtesy of the fog which didn't clear till 08.30ish.

09.06-10.06 from the Sea Watch hide with JY who kindly collated the numbers:

Mute swan 3 offshore then west
Shelduck 5E
Mallard pr offshore
Common Scoter: 7E  
Great-crested Grebe: 1W 1E  
Kittiwake 1W 1E 
Black-headed Gull: Present n/c
Mediterranean Gull: 2E
Common Gull:  Present n/c
Herring Gull: Present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c   
Auk sp: 2E
Guillemot 1E
Red-throated Diver: 5W 12E
Fulmar 1E
Gannet: 121E
Cormorant: Present n/c
Peregrine hunting offshore then in-off
Merlin hunting offshore then in-off
Grey seal 1
Harbour Porpoise 1

The Long-tailed Duck was still on the New Diggings this morning and the Smew still at the ARC.

I found 3 Jack Snipe today with aid of the thermal imager

The reserve in general remains fairly quiet avian wise, hopefully things will start to pick up a little but probably not till next month.

Surprise of the day was an excellent find by Stephen Message of a Purple Sandpiper at Scotney viewed from the double bends, shame it was a bit to far for any photographs. It remains a a scarce bird on the peninsular and definitely the first one I have seen at Scotney. The female Scaup was also still present there.

27/02/2025

 I thought yesterdays sea watch was poor, unfortunately todays watch was abysmal.

07.45-09.00 from the hide with RW, OL 
NW 3-4   3º    
Common Scoter: 8E  
Great-crested Grebe: 1E  
Oystercatcher: 1W     
Black-headed Gull: Present n/c
Mediterranean Gull: 1E  1W
Common Gull:  Present n/c
Herring Gull: Present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c   
Auk sp: 13E        9W
Red-throated Diver: 36E      12W
Gannet: 9E     3W
Cormorant: Present n/c
Black Redstart: 1 Behind Hide female
Meadow Pipit 2 Behind Hide

I did a circuit of the reserve late morning, a pleasant walk is the best I can say about it.

The Smew and Long-tailed Duck were in there usual spots per JY.

At least the Little Owls didn't let me down despite the miserable weather.

The Lydd Little Owls

26/02/2024

2 Velvet Scoter passing East past the sea watch hide this morning

07.35-10.00 from the hide with RW, 

Wind SW 3-6 picking up quickly  6º 

Brent Goose: 27E  (3 flocks)   

Pintail: 3W   (appeared to be coming in from the continent)

Velvet Scoter: 2E

Common Scoter: 13E     1W 

Great-crested Grebe: 5E         3 present 

Kittiwake: 2E  

Black-headed Gull: 154E

Mediterranean Gull: 3E 

Common Gull:  17E

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Guillemot: 7E     

Auk sp: 58E     12W

Red-throated Diver: 104E      8W

Gannet: 18E      7W

Cormorant: c500 present

Harbour Porpoise: 2

25/02/2025

Black Redstart behind the hide this morning

07.45-09.00 from the hide with RW, OL 

WSW 2-3   10º    Very uninspiring!

Brent Goose: 31E  (4 flocks)      1W

Common Scoter: 12E     8W  

Oystercatcher: 4E     

Black-headed Gull: Present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 1E  5W

Common Gull:  Present n/c

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Guillemot: 1E     

Auk sp: 2E

Red-throated Diver: 32W      5E

Gannet: 7E 

Cormorant: Present n/c

Black Redstart: 1 ringed male behind hide 

I spent some time with JY counting Common Snipe with aid of our Thermal Imagers, we found 20+ Common Snipe and 2 Jack Snipe, we would never have found the latter without using the Thermal Imagers, we also had a couple of Russian White-fronted Geese fly over and found 10+ Great-crested Newts.

Uncropped image of the first Jack Snipe

Cropped image of the first Jack Snipe

Uncropped image of a second Jack Snipe

Cropped image of the second Jack Snipe at a slightly different angle

Great-crested Newts

2 of the 3 Cattle Egrets in the Cockles Bridge Triangle

Barn Owl by Hanson Hide this morning

The female Smew was again on the ARC today and the Long-tailed Duck was still on the New Diggings

Blue Tits were going in and out of the nest hole they used last year on the side of Hanson Hide today

A Tree Sparrow nearby

24/02/2025

A Gannet battling West past the Bouy this morning

The sea watch hide kept me dry this morning, despite it shaking each time one of the force 9 gusts struck it in the very wet and stormy conditions. 

07.30-10.30 from the hide joined by Owen.

SSW 7-9    10º    Rain

Brent Goose: 51E  (4 flocks)

Velvet Scoter: 2E (drake and duck)       5W (single party 3 drakes)

Common Scoter: 6E     13W  

Great-crested Grebe: 2E 

Oystercatcher: 2E     

Kittiwake: 8W

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: 5W

Guillemot: 15W     

Razorbill: 34W

Auk sp: 7W      6E

Red-throated Diver: 51W      5E

Fulmar: 1E      2W

Gannet: 55W      21E 

Cormorant: Present n/c

A smart looking Cormorant passing West this morning

A very smart adult Herring Gull

A quick trip to Scotney saw the the female Scaup at the double bends and huge flocks of Lapwings and Golden Plover swirling about over the fields.

Aftre lunch a visit to the ARC saw the female Smew but always distant, as was the Long-tailed Duck on the New Diggings. Very little else was seen in the poor weather.

 

23/02/2025

More Brent Geese on the move today

Brent Geese with an Cormorant escort

07.00-10.40 & 12.45-14.55 from the hide with JS, CF, RW, OL, SO, N & J Burt 

SSW 7   10º    

Brent Goose: 735E  (27 flocks)

Pintail: 2E

Common Scoter: 28E  

Great-crested Grebe: 3E      15 on  

Oystercatcher: 22E

Curlew: 2E

Kittiwake: 89E

Black-headed Gull: 196E

Mediterranean Gull: 67E

Common Gull:  61E

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 5E

Guillemot: 3E    

Razorbill: 4E

Auk sp: 29E  

Red-throated Diver: 182E     9W 

Great Northern Diver: 1E

Fulmar: 2E

Gannet: 83E   15W 

Black Redstart: 1 behind the hide

Cormorant: Present n/c

Harbour Porpoise: 2

Grey Seal: 1

Black Redstart behind the Sea watch Hide

Female Scaup at Scotney

The female Scaup was again at Scotney from the double bends today, also the female Smew was still on the ARC but elusive. The Long-tailed Duck was still showing poorly on the The New Diggings. On Burrowes a Great Northern Diver was still present at the South Western end from Makepiece. 5 Avocets on Dengemarsh were a surprise. There were no reports of any wild Swans on Walland today.

21/02/2025

One of today's flocks of Pintail passing the sea watch hide. Many thanks to John Young for the image.

Although the weather looked as though it might encourage some migration the first 2 hrs were fairly quiet, with the usual lull from around 08.30 leaving me thinking it was going to be another slow February day,  then around 09.30 duck and geese numbers picked up and they just kept on coming, with Pintail in particular coming in record breaking numbers, a wonderful experience that will be cherished by those present.

07.15-15.00 from the hide with JS, CF, CP, RW, TH, PE, JY, OL SSE 5-6    11º    

Brent Goose: 2,283E 

Greylag Goose: 28 came in off the sea 

Shelduck: 2E

Shoveler: 65E  

Pintail: 994E    A record count for Dungeness

Teal: 3E 

Eider: 1E   (drake)

Velvet Scoter: 1E

Common Scoter: 65E 

Stock Dove 13  8 came in off the sea later 5 flew South out to sea

Great-crested Grebe: 3E  

Oystercatcher: 26E

Ringed Plover: 1E

Curlew: 34E 

Sandwich Tern: 1E

Kittiwake: 186E

Black-headed Gull: 309E

Mediterranean Gull: 60E

Common Gull:  117E

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: 149E

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 2E

Guillemot: 31E      2 present

Razorbill: 4E

Auk sp: 204E   13W

Red-throated Diver: 110E     2W 

Fulmar: 5E

Gannet: 128E   2W 

Cormorant: Present N/C

Peregrine: 1 present

Harbour Porpoise: 2

Common Seal: 1

Grey Seal: 2

19/02/2025

A pair of Eider passing the hide this morning

 06.55-09.30 & 13.00-15.15 from the hide with CP, RW, OL    SE 4-5    3º      

Brent Goose: 595E  (17 flocks)

Pintail 8E   (4 drakes)

Eider: 2E   (drake & duck)

Common Scoter: 8E  

Great-crested Grebe: 7E       

Oystercatcher: 29E

Little Gull: 1E

Kittiwake: 485E

Black-headed Gull: 146E

Mediterranean Gull: 2E

Common Gull:  41E

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 1E

Guillemot: 60E      3 present

Razorbill: 226E

Auk sp: 714E  

Red-throated Diver: 263E    24W 

Fulmar: 5E

Gannet: 89E   2W 

Cormorant: 82E      36W

Brent Geese passing the hide today

Pintail past this morning

Elsewhere the Long-tailed Duck, Black-necked Grebe and 4 Water Pipits are all still present around the reserve per PT & RW but nothing new.

18/02/2025

Some of this mornings Brent Geese

A lone drake Eider the first one I've seen this year

 07.40-11.00 & 14.00-1545 from the hide with JS, CF, RW, JY, OL  

ESE 4-5    2º    

Brent Goose: 621E  (14 flocks)

Shoveler: 5E   (3 drakes)

Wigeon: 4E      (2 drakes)

Eider: 1E   (drake)

Common Scoter: 9E  

Red-necked Grebe: 1E

Great-crested Grebe: 2E      3 on  

Oystercatcher: 14E

Curlew: 6E (single flock)

Sandwich Tern: 1E the first Dungeness record this year.

Little Gull: 1W (adult)

Kittiwake: 22E

Black-headed Gull: 39E

Common Gull:  10E

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 1E

Guillemot: 15E      1 present

Razorbill: 96E

Auk sp: 404E  

Red-throated Diver: 242E    45W 

Great Northern Diver: 1E

Fulmar: 2E

Gannet: 87E   6W 

Cormorant: 123E       364W

Black Redstart: 1 behind hide

Harbour Porpoise: 2

Common seal: 1

Grey Seal: 1

A very poor record of todays Red-necked Grebe

Black Redstart behind the hide

Apparently there was much disturbance on the reserve from work parties, so not surprising that there was no other news from the peninsula, apart from the Cattle Egrets still being present in the Cockles Bridge Triangle.