06/05/2025

 With the relentless cool NE wind still howling across the peninsula this morning there were even fewer birds than yesterday moving at sea. 

07.00-08.30 from the hide with RW

Common Scoter: 8E    5W

Great-crested Grebe: 8 present  

Oystercatcher: 3E

Little Tern: 1E

Sandwich Tern: 20E     8W

Commic Tern: 2E

Kittiwake: 5E   

Black-headed Gull: 4E

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Auk sp: 7E    1W

Gannet: 33E     18W

Cormorant: present

Swallow 8 in off

Harbour Porpoise: 1

At the ARC the 2 Avocets were still present  late morning along with 2 Ringed Plovers, but all the Common terns have departed. They may be back as the islands are now appearing quite rapidly.

Lapwing Chicks on Hayfield 1 today, cuteness overload. Also 3 Bar-tailed Godwits, 3 Redshank a Greenshank and an Avocet there. While I was there a Bittern was booming in the reed bed behind me and Bearded Tits were calling.

Lapwing Chicks

At least 15 Hobbys were present around the reserve today, making light of the wind.

This young female Sparrowhawk caught this careless Starling in my garden early this evening, after 40 minutes of plucking and feeding something spooked it, it flew up on to my fence with the Staling in its claws before disappearing into neighbouring gardens.

05/05/2025

Grey Heron coming in off the sea early morning and leaving a calling card on the beach

As I drove over the causeway early this morning the frost warning light came on in the car, with a stiff Northerly wind it was very cold in the sea watch hide.

06.45-08.45 from the hide with OL et al

Common Scoter: 3E

Great-crested Grebe: 19 present  

Oystercatcher: 7E

Whimbrel: 24E

Knot: 6E

Little Tern: 6W

Commic Tern: 18W

Common Tern: 4E

Sandwich Tern: 16E      42W

Kittiwake: 1W   

Black-headed Gull: 7E

Mediterranean Gull: 1E

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Auk sp: 1E

Red-throated Diver: 3E   

Gannet: 6E   18W 

Cormorant: present N/C

Grey Heron: 1 in off the sea

Swallow: 27 In off the sea

House Martin: 3 In off the sea

Harbour Porpoise: 2

Grey Seal: 1

I was going to go out the back of Scotney after breakfast but the wind was so strong I stayed home and got domestic tasks done instead.

When the sun was shining this afternoon I counted 14 Hobbys over Denge Marsh, most of them were very high so I probably missed the Red-footed Falcon if indeed there was one present. 😞

I counted at least 12 Lapwing chicks in Hayfield 1 & 3 but strongly suspect several more were present but hidden in the vegetation.

Lapwing and chick

It seems there were few birders out braving the cold weather looking for birds, but I was assured by Jacob that the trapping area, Desert and Long pits were avian free zones today.

04/05/2025

As early morning there was a strong cold North wind blowing across the peninsular this morning, I didn't venture down to the beach, instead I drove the short distance to Springfield Bridge and wandered around the reserve. In the hayfields there were at least 2 broods of Lapwings, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, a Greenshank and 8+ Redshanks along with 2 Little Egrets and 2 Yellow Wagtails. 3 Cattle Egrets were by Dengemarsh Hide and a Great White Egret on the NW bank of the lake, a Bittern was Booming from by Hookers. 

At Christmas Dell another Bar-tailed Godwit and Little Ringed Plover along with a cold looking Hobby, by the time I had completed the circuit of the reserve I had seen at least 5 Hobbys. Burrowes was very quiet avian wise no doubt not helped by the cold wind blasting across the lake. The plus side to the wind was that it attracted lots of Hirundines and Swifts which could be seen all across the reserve.

An hour in the sea watch hide this afternoon saw barely any birds of note. Nothing new was reorted from anywhere on the peninsula.

Even with 2 moth traps running I caught nothing notable.

A Hobby definitely not enjoying the early morning cold at Denge Marsh this morning

One of three Cattle Egrets behind Dengemarsh Hide

Bar-tailed Godwit at Christmas Dell

Little Ringed Plover at Christmas Dell

When the sun warmed the air a little I saw several Painted Ladies around the reserve

 

03/05/2025

A record image of my first Spotted Flycatcher of the year at Dungeness today

Sea watching was very slow this morning, so I went for a walk around the area bumping into a Spotted Flycatcher and a Ring Ouzel of note. Also a couple of Wheatears and a Whinchat which eluded the camera.

A Skulking female Ring Ouzel at the top end of the TA this morning

A fly catching Wheatear with bling today

A Greenland Wheatear in The Desert today

A late afternoon visit to Lydd Ranges, 22 Avocets, 43 Whimbrel, 6 Bar-tailed Godwits, 4 Greenshanks, 17 Redshanks, 7 Turnstone, 8 Sanderling, 14 Dunlin, 3 Grey Plover, 12 Ringed plover, Common Sandpiper, 2 Little Terns, Yellow Wagtails, Wheatears and 10+ Painted Ladies. Ther was very little news form the reserve today apart from 2 Avocets from Hanson Hide.

Bar-tailed Godwit and Avocet at Lydd Ranges late afternoon

1 of 4 Greenshanks at Lydd Ranges late afternoon

                                     1 of 2 Little Terns at Lydd Ranges late afternoon

1 of at least 10 Painted Ladies along the Green Wall at Lydd Ranges today

01/05/2025

Yesterday a flock of 26 Pomarine Skuas flew East past The Point, the biggest flock I have ever seen in the UK. There are 16 just about visible in the very poor image above, the memory of that flock will stay with me forever.

4 Red Kites (all 2nd calendar year birds) made a brief appearance on The Point late morning today 

Grizzled Skipper

As the sea watching today was a little tedious I ventured out into the trapping area seeing 2 Grizzled Skippers and 2 Hairy Dragonflys, I also lucked in on a flyover Tree Pipit thanks to Jacob, but little else was seen in my brief visit.

Elsewhere around the peninsular was also very quiet avian wise.

Hairy Dragonfly

 

28/04/2025

A distant record image of a Pomarine Skua that flew East past the sea watch hide at 16.41

The list of 10 hrs of sea watching today looks better than it actually was!

06.00-09.00 & 11.00-18.00 from the hide with RW + Ray

Brent Goose: 3E

Shelduck: 10E 

Common Scoter: 215E    15W

Long-tailed Duck: 1E

Great-crested Grebe: 3E 

Oystercatcher: 12E

Whimbrel: 23E

Bar-tailed Godwit: 97E

Arctic Tern: 30E

Common Tern: 2E

Commic Tern: 22E

Sandwich Tern: 220E

Kittiwake: 2E   

Black-headed Gull: 51E

Mediterranean Gull: 2E

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Arctic Skua: 6E

Pomarine Skua: 1E

Guillemot: 1 present

Auk sp: 2E

Red-throated Diver: 6E

Gannet: 18E  

Cormorant: present

Harbour Porpoise: 16+

Grey Seal: 2

Apart from 2 Avocets on the ARC from Hanson and the 2 Red-crested Pochards on the Kerton Road Pit there was no other news from the reserve.

Normandy rung Great Black-backed Gull (Green 4A4) has been around for a few weeks.

 

27/05/2025

A local Raven scavenging in front of the sea watch hide this afternoon

 Sea watching over the weekend produced of note a Puffin, Long-tailed Duck, Great Northern Diver, 3 Great Skuas and 1,600 Bar-tailed Godwits. We are still waiting for the big Tern day and Pomarine Skua day. Although the reserve looks in good condition for migrants to drop in, it seems the birds think otherwise at the moment, but I'm sure it will come good in the next couple of weeks. The Bitterns are booming, plenty of Bearded Tits and all the regular Reed Bed warblers are in  and in full song, hopefully to be joined by one or two scarcities.

25/04/2025

Todays sea watching was dominated by the 3,500 Bar-tailed Godwits passing today, (a full list can be seen HERE ) also there was an arrival of Swallows. Nothing new was reported from the reserve, also very little in the way of new migrants on The Point apart from a few Wheatears. The pair of Red-crested Pochards continue to show well at the Kerton Road, Cemex Pit. 

Greenshanks on the hay fields last evening

Bar-tailed Godwits glowing in the setting sun last evening

Male Marsh harrier over Denge Marsh in the setting sun

The lone Barnacle Goose at Christmas Dell calling for a mate maybe?

Brown Hare on the reserve last evening

Brown Hare on the reserve last evening

23/04/2025

Pomarine Skuas passing this morning

An exceptionally good sea watch this morning despite the driving rain coming through the open slats of the sea watch hide. A full list of the of the numbers and species can been seen HERE

1 of the 15 Arctic Skuas that came past this morning 

Some of the 10 Black-throated Divers from this mornings sea watch

There was very little other news as everyone was sea watching, though at least 3 Black Terns made it onto Burrowes Pit, also the Red-crested Pochards were still on the Kerton Road Pit.

Black and Common Terns on Burrowes this afternoon