Very Quiet!

An early morning sea watch from the sea watch hide was very disappointing with no Shearwaters and the only Petrel being a single Fulmar.

07.00-09.00 from the sea watch hide:

Great-crested Grebe: 1 around

Fulmar: 1W

Gannet: c30 around

Arctic Skua: c5W  &  5 around

Sandwich Tern: c100W

Common Tern: c40W

From Hanson of note 100s, of Swallows and Sand Martins over the lake, 2+ Black Terns, 2+ Arctic Terns, a Great White Egret and a Garganey among the usual wildfowl.

This afternoon 7 Cattle Egrets with the cattle in the Boulderwall fields. 

Juvenile Common Tern at the fishing boats

Another very disappointing sea watch
12.45-15.30 from the fishing boats:
Red-breasted Merganser: 2W
Great-crested Grebe: 6 around
Gannet: c30 around
Turnstone: 1 around
Arctic Skua: 5+ around
Yellow-legged Gull: 1 adult came to bread
Sandwich Tern: c100W
Common Tern: c10 around
Grey Seal: 1
Harbour Porpoise: 4+

Red-breasted Mergansers past the fishing boats

 Yellow-legged Gull at the fishing boats

Turnstone at the fishing boats

Fairly quiet on the sea this morning with Balearic Shearwaters before I arrived, c15 Arctic Skuas, c200 Sandwich Terns, a Common Terns, a juvenile Little Gull, a Peregrine came in and stream of Hirundines going south.

 Lovely Kestrel caught by Jacques in the Crow Trap

A walk around The Desert was very quiet avian wise not even the Wryneck popping up, a couple of Wheatears, more Hirundines, 3 Skylarks. At the observatory a Spotted Flycatcher was caught in The Moat, a Kestrel and several Meadow Pipits were caught in the Crow trap. 

From Hanson still 3 Black Terns, a Great White Egret and 3+ Garganey among the usual wildfowl. 

 Hook billed Herring Gull still present at the fishing boats today

Another 2 hour sea watch this afternoon was a pretty slow affair.

13.30-15.30 from the fishing boats with LH, PH, RW, AJG, JTM
Great-crested Grebe: 3 around
Balearic Shearwater: 2W   @ 14.16
Gannet: 17W      7E
Arctic Skua: 5 around
Yellow-legged Gull: 1 1w
Sandwich Tern: 260W
Common Tern: 17W
Black Tern: 2 around
Swallow: 270 out
House Martin: 17 out
Sand Martin: 8 out
Harbour Porpoise: 6+ around

 Couldn't resist a couple more pics of the stunning Oleander Hawk-moth

Oleander Hawkmoth!

 Oleander Hawkmoth

As I looked through the perspex top of the MV this morning this beauty was clinging to the rim, even though I knew exactly what it was I still had to look in the book to check, even when I had extracted the moth I had to go on the internet double checking images making sure I had not made a mistake. It is without doubt the highlight of my short time mothing,  

 Cattle Egret having a bath in the ARC

In a short walk around The Desert I failed to see the long staying Wryneck though it was still present today, Stonechats seemed to be on every bush, with a Few Common Whitethroats and Chiffchaffs.

An hour at the fishing boats lunchtime saw 5 Arctic Skuas marauding through a feeding frenzy of Gannets, Sandwich Terns, Gulls and 10+ Harbour Porpoises, all the while a stream of c200 Swallows and c40 Sand Martins headed off to France.

From Hanson at the ARC this afternoon all 3 Egrets species, c50 Golden Plover, a Greenshank, 3 Dunlin, a Ruff, a Black-necked Grebe, 3 Black Terns and 7 Garganey. 

 Lapwing giving a Great white Egret a hard time

 Great White Egret from Hanson

 Clancy's Rustic over shadowed today, as was the Delicate below.

This Weekend!

Great White Egret in front of Hanson last evening

5 of 7 Garganey in front of Hanson last evening

Juvenile Grey Heron in front of Hanson last evening

The 5 Cattle Egrets flying into roost last evening in near darkness(very high iso used)

06.15-08.15 from the sea watch hide with AJG,

Common Scoter:37W   3E

Manx Shearwater: 1W

Sooty Shearwater: 1W @ 06.57

Gannet: 76W

Cormorant: present n/c

Arctic Skua: 3W    1E

Skua sp: 1W

Mediterranean Gull: 2E

Sandwich Tern: 29W

Common Tern: 4W

Auk sp: 1W

Swallow: 705 out

Sand Martin: 14 out

Harbour Porpoise: 14+ 

Today the Wryneck posed for me as above image, more usually it's like yesterdays view below.
A rather quiet walk around The Desert this morning though the Wryneck did pose nicely for me, also seen 5 Common Whitethroat, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 6 Blackcaps, 5 Chiffchaffs, a single Wheatear and 6 Stonechats of note.

 Arctic Skuas from the fishing boats this afternoon

13.30-16.30 from the fishing boats with AJG & RW:
Common Scoter: 22E
Manx Shearwater: 1W
Gannet: 29W   7E
Cormorant: present n/c
Ringed Plover: 16W
Turnstone: 1W
Dunlin: 24W
Sanderling: 9W
Whimbrel: 1W
Arctic Skua: 9W    4 around
Mediterranean Gull: 5W
Kittiwake: 2E   1W
Sandwich Tern: 1,293W   76E
Guillemot: 3 around
Swallow: 103 out
Sand Martin: 27 out
Harbour Porpoise: 20+
Grey Seal: 1

Common Tern at the Fishing boats this afternoon

It seems that the reserve was fairly quiet avian wise apart from the 5 Cattle Egrets at still reported as being at Boulderwall Farm, on the ARC 2 Black Terns, 3 Garganey and a Black-necked Grebe all being seen by others today.

Presumed faded or aberrant Meadow Brown in The Moat yesterday.

The Plodland MV continues to be disappointing.

Another good day at Dungeness!

Huge female Sparrowhawk, those claws are sharp and strong as DWs hand can testify!

First thing this morning 1,000s of House Martins and Swallows were on the move high over the peninsular. In The Moat I met DW who could here an Ortolan calling, he quickly pinned down the area it was calling from, even I with my dodgy hearing could hear it but it remained unseen, until it flew up from the back of Blackthorn flew around the observatory then down to the station where it appeared to land. Soon after that excitement a huge female Sparrowhawk found it's way into the Moat net still carrying a dead Sparrow, a Pied Flycatcher evaded the nets and Heligoland but Chiffchaffs and a Common Whitethroat didn't. A call from OL who was looking for the Ortolan around the lighthouse area with PT telling me he could see 7 distant large white Herons towards the ARC, from the top of The Moat with the aid of scopes we could see the Herons were Spoonbills. While having a cup of tea and watching another party of high Hirundines which suddenly scattered as a Merlin dived through them. Back on The Moat 9+ Kestrels could be seen, 3 Marsh Harriers, 2 Common Buzzards and a Peregrine perched on a pylon, also a couple of Tree Pipits over. The Wryneck was scoped briefly from the top of The Moat.

10.45-11.45 from the sea watch hide with AJG who collated the numbers:

Teal: 3W

Common Scoter: 2E

Gannet: 17W

Arctic Skua: 7W

Sandwich Tern: 187W

Common Tern: 13W

Black Tern: 8W

Swallow: 14 out  

Harbour Porpoise: 4+

 There were 2 Pied Flycatchers in a private garden this afternoon, many thanks to Dave Bunney for inviting me in to see and photograph them.

 2w Yellow-legged Gull at the fishing boats

Mid afternoon at the fishing boats with AJG, DS, and JTM 2 Yellow-legged Gulls put in an appearance, another 3 Arctic Skuas moved west as did 200+ Sandwich Terns, a few Gannets, a Guillemot and a Great-crested Grebe were offshore, also 2 Grey Seals and 6+ Harbour Porpoises.

1st cal yr Yellow-legged Gull being threatened by a Herring Gull at the fishing boats

Late afternoon the Ortolan was seen and photographed well by Andy and Paul, despite a few of us searching it was not seen again, though I did add a Common and Black Redstart to my day list.

On the short drive home I stopped off at Boulderwall as DW had seen 5 Cattle Egrets there earlier, after a couple of minutes of scanning the cattle 5 Cattle Egrets appeared, also a Great White Egret and Little Egret there. An excellent days birding all within a few minutes of home.  

Migrants!

 Juvenile Golden Plover in The Desert

Around the desert and bushes this today there were plenty of migrants, at least 4 Common Redstarts, 2 Spotted Flycatchers, 2 Garden Warblers, lots of Blackcaps and Common Whitethroats, 5 Lesser Whitethroats, 3+ Whinchats, 8+ Wheatears, the Wryneck was still insitu,  a few Swallows moving through, a juvenile Golden Plover running around and 2 more over, I've probably seen more Wrynecks on the ground in the desert than Golden Plovers.

 1 of 2 Spotted Flycatchers in The Desert

 1 of 4 Common Redstarts seen in The Desert

 Daily pic of the Wryneck

 1 of Great Spotted Woodpeckers

 2 more Juvenile Golden Plover over The Desert

 Tree Pipit at the Observatory

Good numbers of birds trapped and processed at the observatory this morning including the above Tree Pipit. From the top of The Moat c20 Common Buzzards were seen, presumably local birds and wandering juveniles. 

 Humming Bird Hawkmoth on the perimeter wall

A very brief look at the sea from the sea watch hide saw c20 Gannets feeding way out to sea, c20 Sandwich Terns feeding, a summer plumaged Red-throated Diver on the sea, 8 Common Terns over The Patch and 8+ Harbour Porpoises off shore.

 The Wryneck again this afternoon as it disappeared into the Pear Tree

Another walk around the bushes this afternoon was similar to this morning, though the Wryneck had moved over to the Pear Tree and did not want to be photographed.

 Marsh frog Hanson Hide

On the ARC from Hanson 3, Garganey, 78, Golden Plover, 3 Dunlin, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, c150 Lapwings, 4 Cattle Egrets, 6+ Great White Egrets, 3 Black Terns and a Goldeneye among the usual wild fowl.

1 of 3 Garganey on The ARC

Sheltering from the Weather!

 Wryneck posing in there drizzle this morning

Mid morning the long staying Wryneck was still in the Desert posing occasionally in the constant drizzle, a few Common Whitethroats were also seen there along with a flock of c150 Linnets and lots of Meadow Pipits.

 4 Cattle Egrets over a Great white Egret on the ARC this afternoon

I spent a couple of in Hanson hide sheltering from the rain,  over the lake 100s of Sand Martins and Swallows were hawking with at least 8 Black Terns and 1+ Arctic Terns, a Peregrine was sitting on fence post by the railway and a Hobby mad a few appearances, juvenile Curlew Sandpiper dropped in during a heavier shower but was soon flushed by a Marsh Harrier as was a juvenile Ruff, the 4 Cattle Egrets flew in, 3 Great White Egrets were present with several Little Egrets, 2+ Garganey and 2 Golden Plovers and a Common Sandpiper were on the islands, a first year Black-necked Grebe, 3 Pintail, 6+ Wigeon also present, in the reeds Water Rail were squealing and Cetti's Warblers chacking. 

 Curlew sandpiper from Makepiece this afternoon

 Another hour spent sheltering from weather in Makepiece hide this afternoon saw the same or another juvenile Curlew Sandpiper drop in briefly, also 2 Whimbrel, a Common Sandpiper and 12 Great White Egrets.

3 of the 12 Great White Egrets on Burrowes this afternoon 

Yellow-legged Gull at The Patch

First stop this was The Patch where an adult Yellow-legged Gull was posing in front the hide, further down the beach towards Denge Marsh a 1st calendar year Yellow-legged Gull was roosting among the Black-backed Gulls. Offshore an Arctic Skua was harassing Sandwich Terns that were passing along with a few Gannets.

Wryneck in The Desert

Around The Desert a Wryneck was the main attraction, also 2 Wheatears, 2 Common Redstarts, 2 Black Redstarts, 3 Common Whitethroats, a single Willow Warbler, 2 Sparrowhawks and few Hirundines over.

A walk around Scotney was very disappointing with nothing of note, though the strong westerly wind didn't help.
13.30-15.30 from the sea watch hide with AJG & joined by OL:
Red-throated Diver: 1 around
Manx Shearwater: 1E
Gannet: 32W
Arctic Skua: 3W   3E
Mediterranean Gull: 1E
Kittiwake: 1W
Sandwich Tern: 367W
Common Tern: 8W
Guillemot: 2W
Harbour Porpoise: 6+
Late afternoon at the ARC from Hanson was also disappointing for waders with just a Common Sandpiper seen, the Goldeneye was still present and up to 14 Black terns were hawking over the lake with many Sand Martins.