26-27/11/2025

This Shorelark was one of the highlights of yesterdays excellent "Wednesday Birders Club" day out to Sandwich Bay, Hume's Warbler also seen but far too quick for me and my camera, more Grey Partridges, not forgetting my first Ring-necked Parakeets of the year. The top highlight was Owens lovely cake.

Shorelark

Grey Partridges

27/11/2025

Back to normal this morning with an early morning seawatch, Auks, Kittiwakes and Gannets were the bulk of the birds moving West with a few Common Scoter and a lingering Sandwich Tern.

 
A visit to the Hanson Hide at the ARC where 3 Caspian Gulls were probably the highlights, also a 3rd winter Yellow-legged Gull out on the Cormorant island.

The weather deteriorated rapidly making this afternoon a time for domestic stuff.

2w Caspian Gull

2w Caspian gull

A Great White Egret towering over some of the several 100 of Shoveler present in front of Hanson Hide

Pochard from Hanson Hide

Gadwall from Hanson Hide

Shoveler feeding in circles

24/11/2025

A Surprisingly busy early morning sea watch with 1,100 Kittiwakes moving west along with 800 Auks, smaller numbers of Gannets and Divers. A full list can be seen at the following link SEA WATCH  as is usual by 10.00 hrs all passage had petered out.

Looking East over the old sand pit

 Late morning at the sand pit c1,500 Golden Plover and c500 Lapwing in the surrounding fields, all the feral Geese appeared to be present but I couldn't find the Bewick Swan, but it may still be present as I didn't venture as far as intended  due rain fast approaching. Scotney sward was almost bird-less apart from a few feral geese.

13 Red-legged Partridges along the track to Hanson early afternoon

From Hanson the usual Great White Egrets and wildfowl also several squealing Water Rails in the reed beds, but I couldn't find the drake Red-breasted Merganser. 

4 Cattle Egrets were in the Cockles Bridge triangle.

21/11/2025

A very cold hour hour in the sea watch hide this morning, staring through the sleet at a virtually blank sea if you disregard the Cormorants. 3 parties of Starlings struggled in off the sea, a single drake Shoveler flew west as did 8 Common Scoter and that was about as good as it got. No doubt I'll be back tomorrow just in case something good appears.

One of at least 4 Chiffchaff at Bretts

When the weather cleared I had a wander around Bretts Marina, hoping to find a lingering sprite among the Tit flocks, but I was out of luck.

Owen discovered 2 White-fronted Geese among c200 Greylag Geese at Dengemarsh

Another visit early afternoon to the sand pit found the lone Bewick Swan still present with a mixed flock of Greylag, Canada and Egyptian Geese, also c100 Golden Plover present but little else.

The Starling murmuration at the ARC was again popular, the first birds usually arrive just before 16.00 by 16.20 it is pretty much over, at least 3 Bitterns showed this evening and 10+ Great White Egrets roosted.

20/11/2025

This male Sparrowhawk was the highlight in yesterdays horrible wather

 

I cant resist taking its photo every time I cycle past it

A very cold and unproductive hour in the sea watch hide this morning, visibility in the haze over the sea was appalling this morning which is normal in the cold weather.

A sun bathing Grey Heron  in a sheltered ditch at the back of Scotney today

Another cycle ride around the Scotney complex today is best described as bracing. There didn't appear to be any influx of wildfowl, though the single Bewick Swan was new in and the 5 Barnacle Geese have become 6, also there was a few Song Thrushes and Blackbirds about. The Black-necked Grebe was still present, but just a few Golden Plover being flushed by the Marsh Harriers and Common Buzzards.

My first Bewick Swan of the winter, this one was on the old sand pit at Jurys Gap early afternoon

18/11/2025

Grey Partridge

A good day out to Rye Harbour Nature reserve with Richard, Colin and Owen who took care of us 3 pensioners, fed us Tea and Cake and delivered us back home safely.

Grey Partridges are probably extinct on the Dungeness peninsula so it was really nice to see 3 of these once common birds. The Long staying Spoonbill and Spotted Redshank showed nicely as did many other waders despite the cold weather, a calling flyover Snow Bunting was a first for a few years for me.

Spotted Redshank

Spoonbill and Little Egret

 

17/11/2025

Both visits to the beach were quite poor in variety and numbers, made worse by the horrible haze that my optics only magnified. Todays totals can be seen at the following link SEA WATCH

A short and chilly bicycle ride around Scotney allowed me to drop in on the local Little Owl, safely tucked out of the North wind and basking in the warm sunshine, It was very alert due to the presence of a Kestrel  and a Common Buzzard, also a Marsh Harrier which flew over.

At Scotney the Black-necked Grebe was still present at the east end of the main lake, also a Green Sandpiper there, the sward was virtually birdless after a Peregrine flew through as well as another Marsh Harrier, though the Curlew took no notice of either of them. At the back he raptors were causing havoc among the Golden Plover and Lapwing.

Polish ringed Black-headed Gull TJVV at the fishing boats this afternoon

 

A Great White Egret was showing really well from Hanson early afternoon

The Starling murmuration was not as spectacular as some afternoons, but it made up for it by all the Starlings roosting in the reed bed immediately in front of the hide, a Merlin flew through them and a 2 Sparrowhawks were in attendance one of which grabbed a Starling just as it was dropping in.

A Bittern from Hanson late afternoon

16/11/2025

This weekend has had that end of season feeling with cooler weather moving in. Sea watching has been slow, with the usual rush early morning of Auks coming out of the bay along with a few Little Gulls, Kittiwakes and Gannets. There was a small increase in wildfowl but nothing out of the ordinary, Starlings continue to arrive throughout the day in very average numbers.

The Starling murmuration at the ARC is getting bigger perhaps 10,000 birds, a long way short of 100,000+ of yester year. Several Bitterns and Kingfishers are usually seen from Hanson during the wait for the murmuration.

The main reserve is still very quiet avian wise, quite possibly due to the ongoing maintenance of the lakes and the excavation of new scrapes, and installation of anti predator fences at Boulderwall.

Scotney has also been quiet with just a single Black-necked Grebe of any note there. Walland is also quiet, with no winter Swans or Thrushes yet, though a grey male Hen Harrier was seen today.  Hopefully the cooler weather will bring some winter visitors.

2 Lapwing East past the fishing boats this afternoon, unusual on a sea watch here

Shelduck east past the fishing boats this afternoon

 

12-13/11/2025

 Sea watching has been relatively slow over the last couple of days, 1,000+ Auks each day though by 08.30 passage has all but stopped,  full details can be found at this link SEA WATCH 

Shags are still a scarce bird at Dungeness

Velvet Scoter

Black-necked Grebe east ent on Scotney main pit

Cycling around Scotney allows me to cover most of the complex fairly easily, though the tracks around the back across the fields are now getting a little sticky, the bird numbers are mainly made up of Lapwing, Golden Plover, Starlings, feral Geese, Linnets with much smaller numbers of Skylarks, I am ever hopeful I will find something different among them especially now cooler weather is coming, in particular wild Geese and Swans, Hen Harrier, Short-eared Owl and perhaps a scarcer Bunting.

A lone Brent Goose on the Scotney sward

One of at least 3 Black Redstarts at Jurys Gap

Kingfishers and Bitterns seem relatively easy to see at the ARC at the moment in the afternoons

Great White Egrets have been giving exceptional views in front of the Axell viewpoint late afternoon

11/11/2025

A reasonable sea watch this morning for Little Gulls but little else in the way of quality.

One of several Little Gulls that came past the fishing boats this morning

Plenty of Gannets passing this morning

Pallas's Warbler

After this mornings sea watch I went to the Observatory with Richard, immediately on arrival Jacob told us that there was a Pallas's Warbler in the ringing shed, perfect timing.

 

The Black-necked Grebe was again showing well on the main lake at Scotney late morning

Another cycle ride around the Scotney Complex was hard work in the strong win and muddy track at the back. c2,000 Lapwing and c500 Golden Plover at the back, but very few wildfowl, 2 Kingfishers were around the farm with another 2 down on the drain at the old sand pit, also a scattering of Great White and Little Egrets. The only raptors were singles of Kestrel, Marsh Harrier and Common Buzzard.

1w Great Black-backed Gull wearing a Normandy ring

Mediterranean Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon

10/11/2025

 A thoroughly miserable day weather wise with heavy driving rain interspersed with driving drizzle, meant the only birding would be sea watching which was surprisingly good, with nice views of Leach's Petrel, 200+ Little Gulls among the Gannets, Kittiwakes and Auks. Alas few photo opportunities due to the weather.                                                Merlin from the fishing boats this afternoon

Dartford Warblers on The Point in yesterdays better weather conditions

German ringed Black-headed Gull at the ARC