11/05/2025

This short video courtesy of David Scott of a Long-tailed Skua might not mean much to most people, but I have dreamed of seeing a spring Long-tailed Skua on a sea watch at Dungeness. I so very nearly missed it as myself and John Young had packed up watching and just reached the old lighthouse car park, when over our walkie talkies Jacob was shouting Long-tailed Skua close in. Both myself and John set off running the couple of hundred yards across the shingle to the beach, John was well in front of me but stumbled and fell as we neared the beach, when we got to the beach thanks to Jacobs instructions we both managed to see the bird, I have to admit it was not the views I have dreamed of but I am very grateful for the view I had.😀 Many thanks to David Scott for letting me have this video which I will cherish. 

What with seeing 7 Pomarine Skuas, a Bonxie and several Arctic Skuas today it was also a 4 Skua day. 

A full list of the days sea watching will be HERE  late this evening. 

3 of a flock of 4 Pomarine Skuas passing this morning

Ringed Plover in the ranges

I have been visiting the Ranges ie The Midrips and Wicks for last 3 days as they are very under watched,

There have been up to 74 Avocets present along with 30+ Whimbrel, 10+ Bat-tailed Godwit, 5 Grey plovers, 6 Turnstone, Dunlins, Sanderlings, Ringed Plovers, Little Ringed Plovers, Redshanks and Greenshanks but nothing scarce so far.

Avocets in the ranges

Whimbrel in the ranges

Winter Plumaged Curlew Sandpiper at Kerton Road Pit

Summer Plumaged Curlew Sandpiper at Kerton Road Pit

Bar-tailed Godwits, a Knot and Oystercatchers at the Kerton Road Pit

Bar-tailed Godwits and a Knot  at the Kerton Road Pit

 

A distant image of a White Stork taken from my garden this morning

The White Stork toured the peninsula this morning, also a Bee-eater made a brief tour of The Point, various waders were to be found on the reserve along with the resident birds, but no bid arrival.

09/05/2025

A flock of 80 Whimbrel passing the sea watch hide this morning

More of the c400 Whimbrel that passed while I was watching

A couple of distant Pomarine Skuas from yesterday

The Curlew Sandpiper found by Kevin at the Kerton Road Pit late morning, pity about the heat haze

Another Curlew Sandpiper was found on the ARC this afternoon by Graham and Nikki

I walked out along the Midrips and Wicks late afternoon and saw 52 Avocets, 34 Whimbrel, 4 Bar-tailed Godwits, a Greenshank, 2 Grey Plover, 2 Sanderling, 5 Redshank, several each of Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher and Lapwing, also Wheatears and Yellow wagtails. I feel sure this very under watched site will reward me eventually. 

From the reports I have had today it seems the reserve and the peninsula in general is still very quiet due to the constant NE wind. 

07/05/2025

A Great Skua passing distantly off shore this morning

As a cool NE wind was blowing again this morning I didn't expect much to be passing.

 07.00-08.30 from the hide

Common Scoter: 6E    7W

Great-crested Grebe: 32 present  

Oystercatcher: 2E

Whimbrel: 1E    1W

Bar-tailed Godwit: 10E

Little Tern: 1E

Commic Tern: 4E

Sandwich Tern: 44E      17W

Kittiwake: 42E   

Black-headed Gull: 5W

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Great Skua: 1E

Auk sp: 3E

Guillemot: 1E 

Gannet: 81E 

Cormorant: present N/C

Swallow: 3 In off the sea

Sand Martin: 13 In off the sea

Harbour Porpoise: 1

Grey Seal: 1

A party of 10 Bar-tailed Godwits passing 

4 of the 6 Common Sandpipers at the ARC from Hanson this morning

As I made my way home for breakfast after the morning sea watch I stopped at the ARC on route. From Hanson I was pleased to see at least 2 Black-headed Gulls appearing to be sitting on nests, also 3 Avocets there and 6 Common Sandpipers. Over the lake 100s of Swallows and Swifts.

Male Yellow Wagtail at Scotney

After breakfast I drove to the old sand pit and wandered around the now full to the brim lake hoping in vain to find some waders. There were a few duck and Mute Swans there and in the surrounding fields Skylarks, Corn Buntings, Linnets and Yellow Wagtails. Carrying on to the Western pit there was 1 each of Avocet, Greenshank, LRP and Common Sandpiper, also many Swifts and Swallows hawking over the pit.

I carried on to the farm seeing more Yellow Wagtails and checking the islands on the way which appear to have completely been taken over by Herring Gulls, even the Eastern Pits held few birds apart from Greylag Geese. Heading back to my car at the old sand pit I walked the length of the main pits seeing just 5 Whimbrel of any note on the sward. All in all a rather disappointing long hike, I keep telling myself if you get out and look you'll never see or find anything.

Another male Yellow Wagtail

A posing female Yellow Wagtail at the back Scotney

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