15/01/2025

Early this morning 36 Bewick swans appeared out of the fog over my house heading towards Walland Marsh, after presumably spending the night roosting on the reserve. The Yellowhammers were still along the football club hedge.

Bewick Swans

Most of my day was taken up with sorting out my phone, so when my head was about to explode with the frustration of it and before I threw the new one against a wall, I put it down and went for calming walk around Denge Marsh. The Ravens on the pylons were constantly croaking, several Bearded Tits were in the reeds around the path and 3 Great White Egrets were around. The Water Pipits were again camera shy.

Lots of Gulls from the Denge Marsh Hide but I could find nothing of note among them. The only other news I heard was the Great Northern Diver on Burrowes was seen.

Bearded Tit at Denge Marsh this afternoon

Record of 1 of the Water Pipits on Hayfields 1 & 2

 

14/01/2025

Just before sunrise c20 Bewick swans flew over my house out onto Walland Marsh, they presumably roosted on the ARC or Burrowes. The Yellowhammers were still in the hedge opposite.

A gentle WSW 2-3 breeze and a positively balmy 4º enabled  a somewhat slow watch with only 6 Gannets seen, but 2 Velvet Scoters were nice addition to the year list.

 08.10-9.10  with RW

Velvet Scoter: 2E

Common Scoter: 2W

Great-crested Grebe: 1W

Kittiwake: 7W   

Black-headed Gull: Present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 1E

Common Gull:  Present n/c

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Caspian Gull: 2W (2 x 1w)

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Guillemot: 14W    

Razorbill: 59W 

Auk: 61W      74E

Red-throated Diver: 189W   6E  

Fulmar: 1W

Gannet: 3W    3E     

Cormorant: Present n/c. Very few this morning

The 2 Tundra Bean Geese were still at the back of the sand pit along with a couple of Bewick Swans. At Cockles Bridge 6+ Russian White-fronted Geese. 5+ Water Pipits were seen on the hay fields.

13/01/2025

I spent the morning in the woods catching up with woodland species seldom seen on the shingle, the afternoon I spent at Denge Marsh. I walked in from Springfield Bridge where to Ravens were squabbling on the pylons. Several Common Snipe flew from the flood along with a Water Pipit. The track at the top of hayfield 3 is a quagmire (Wellington Boots essential) due to the excavaters installing new sluices that will hopefully stabilise water levels on the hay fields which will be most welcome, as the path dries out I'm sure it will improve.

In the pathside reeds plenty of Bearded Tits calling and a few showing. 

1w Caspian Gull on one of the new islands at Denge Marsh

1w Caspian Gull on one of the new islands at Denge Marsh

North Thames ringed Herring Gull X2DT on the ice at Denge Marsh. This bird is now 12 years old and appears to have spent most of is life in the Dungeness area, I have recorded it 16 times since February 2014 though it has gone unrecorded between 2019 and 2023.

3 Common Gulls on the ice at Denge Marsh

 

12/01/2025

Female Bearded Tit

Another very frosty crisp morning with not a breathe of wind. A walk around the Long Pits first thing was very quiet bird wise though I did see my first Woodcock of the year there. A quick look at New Diggings from the causeway saw the Great Northern Diver and Long-tailed duck along with 8 Goldeneye.

Along the entrance track to the reserve there were 9 Russian White-fronted Geese on Boulderwall Fields along with the usual feral Geese and 2 Great White Egrets.

Around the hay fields and Dengemarsh Bearded Tits were popping out everywhere and feeing on the ice, there were at least 2 Chiffchaff fly catching in the reeds. In hayfields 1 & 2 at least 2 Water Pipits that are bit camera shy at the moment, less welcome there was a Mink. Another Great Northen Diver was on Burrowes.

This afternoon around the Scotney sand pit the 2 Tundra Bean Geese in the fields to the east of the pit with c100 Greylag Geese, 2 Barnacle Geese and Brent Goose, also 7 Bewick Swans there, c400 Golden Plover

a Green Sandpiper in the pit and the flock of Tree Sparrows around the edge. 

Russian White-fronted Geese

Water Pipit

Tundra Bean Geese just over the county border in East Sussex

Bewick Swans just over the county border in East Sussex

Tree Sparrows just over the county border in East Sussex

 

11/01/2025

Tundra Bean Geese with Greylag Geese in the East Sussex part of Scotney complex

Tundra Bean Geese in the East Sussex part of Scotney complex

The 2 Tundra Bean Geese with Greylag Geese in the East Sussex part of Scotney complex

2 Russian White-fronted Geese flying around the Scotney Complex

33 Bewick Swans and 2 Mute Swans, very alert as a Fox saunters across the field close to them 

As the calm weather continues, sea watching is not really worth the effort. I tried some more thermalling this morning but failed miserably, just a single Common Snipe for my efforts. 

The Long-tailed Duck and Great Northern Diver were still on the New Diggings today, also the Burrowes Great Northern Diver is still present. On Walland the Bewick Swan herd is increasing and now joined by a juvenile, the 2 Whoopers are still at Newlands Farm but very distant from the road.

The back of a Long-eared Owl on the peninsula

Goldfinch at the ARC

 

08/01/2025

Withe the flat calm conditions this mornings watch was unsurprisingly poor.

 08.20-9.20  with OL, RW  Just a slight westerly breeze this morning, 1ºC

Common Scoter: 6W    2E

Great-crested Grebe: 2E   3 present

Kittiwake: 1W   

Black-headed Gull:  Present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 1W

Common Gull:   Present n/c

Herring Gull:  Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Guillemot: 17W    10E  

Razorbill: 6W      2E

Auk: 47W      12E

Red-throated Diver: 7W   1E  

Gannet: 29W       

Cormorant: 1,000s+ around

Common Seal: 1

Grey Seal: 1

We had a wander around The Point and The Desert which was very quiet and very little of note was seen, eventually the Thermal Imager came good and found another Jack Snipe which was a real poser.

Jack Snipe

Jack Snipe

Great Northern Diver with the Long-tailed Duck in the background on the New Diggings this afternoon, the other Great Northern Diver was still on Burrowes with at least 10 Goldeneye.

As the rain started this afternoon I made a stop at Cockles Bridge where there was 8 Cattle Egrets with 2 Little Egrets, presumably the 8 birds that have been frequenting the airport approach road.

Probably due to the weather I heard of no other news.

07/01/2025

 

One of this mornings Mediterranean gulls

A bitterly cold morning in the hide, at least we were dry and out of the wind , 1.5 hrs was enough.

08.00-9.30  with OL, RW

Kittiwake:127W   

Black-headed Gull:  100s W

Mediterranean Gull: 2W

Common Gull:  100s W

Herring Gull: 1,000s W

Caspian Gull: 2W (2 x 1w)

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Guillemot: 8W    9E  

Razorbill: 3W 

Auk: 104W      17E

Red-throated Diver: 72W   16E  

Gannet: 35W       

Cormorant: 1,000s+ around

Common Seal: 2

On the reserve the 2 Great Norther Divers ,Long-tailed Duck and 4 Greater White-fronted Geese were still present. Bewick and Whooper Swans were reported as still present on Walland Marsh today.

I had a bit of fun using my Thermal Imager this afternoon finding 2 Jack Snipe without flushing them and a Bittern.

Without the Thermal Imager I would not have found these 2 Jack Snipe

Terrible images of the bittern found with the aid of the Thermal Imager in near darkness at the ARC from Hanson Hide

06/01/2025

Young male Sparrowhawk hunting from my garden fence late this morning

A very windy and at times damp in the sea watch hide this morning. Wind 8-10 with frequent showers  8º

08.00-10.00  with OL, RW

Grey Plover: 1W

Kittiwake:109W   

Little Gull: 2E  

Black-headed Gull:  Present n/c

Common Gull:  Present n/c

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Caspian Gull: 2W (1w + 2w)

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Guillemot:16W    7E   

Auk: 6W      2E

Red-throated Diver: 4W   3E  

Fulmar: 10W

Gannet: 302W       

Cormorant: 1,000s+ around 

4 Greater White-fronted Geese still present on Boulderwall Fields this afternoon

It was a very quiet day with no other news from the local area. I think the cold wind kept everyone away.

Tufted Duck splashdown on the ARC this afternoon

04/01/2025

While cleaning the frost from Sallys car this morning, I noticed a small flock of Chaffinches sitting on top of football club hedge, I grabbed my binoculars and was very pleasantly surprised to see 3 Yellowhammers amongst them, they are difficult species to catch up with on the peninsular, mostly they are Autumn flyovers calling, these were the first I have seen from the garden since lock down.

Rather than sit in cold sea watch hide I opted for a cycle ride around Scotney, notables were a Greenshank, 2 Green Sandpipers, Tree Sparrows and Kingfisher, there was no sign of any wild Grey Geese which was not surprising the way the shepherds were riding all over on the Quad Bikes, the Lapwing and Golden plover were constantly disturbed, I must assume there is much good feeding to be had in the back fields for the birds to tolerate this level of disturbance.

A short visit to the reserve this afternoon saw the Great Northern Divers and the long-tailed Duck but not a great deal else.

Other news was that there were up to 17 Bewick Swans on Walland and 2 Whooper Swans, there was also still 4 Greater White-fronted Geese on Boulderwall Fields.

Tree Sparrows on the Sussex side of the border at Scotney/Jurys Gap

There are now a minimum of 140 Tree Sparrows in the flock 

Kingfisher by the Jury's Gut Sewer

 

03/01/2025

With domestic stuff to do first thing it was a late start today, which allowed the weather to warm up a little in the bright sunshine which allowed me to get the bicycle out.

My first stop was to say hi to the local Little Owls

On to Scotney where a Geeenshank was soaking up the sunshine out of the breeze, 

Nearby an old friend, Herring Gull X2DT which I last saw nearly 6 years ago on 15/08/2019,  I recorded it 15 times between then 14/12/2017.

1 of 8 Curlew on the Scotney sward.

1 of 70+ Tree Sparrows at the back of Scotney today

Bewick Swans on Walland Marsh

A brief trip to the reserve where 8 White-fronted Geese, Great Northern Diver and Long-tailed Duck were the highlights.

Whooper Swans on Walland Marsh

Late afternoon I finished the day out on the ranges with Owen and Dave, where we saw 2 Short-eared Owls and a Barn Owl, also Marsh harriers and Common Buzzards.