05/11/2025

Razorbills and Guillemots

A bit of a theme at the moment for the first couple of hours of daylight at the fishing boats, 1,000s of Auks streaming out of Lade Bay with smaller numbers of Gannets and Kittiwakes, Sandwich Terns, Red-throated Divers etc, by 09.00 passage has more or less stopped.

At the ARC this morning Goldcrests and Chiffchaffs in the bushes and at least 2 Kingfishers around Hanson Hide, several Great White Egrets were present also a single Grey Plover among the usual wildfowl.

Black-necked Grebe

Another cycle ride out to and around the Scotney complex, saw a single Green Sandpiper on the Eastern Pit, Black-necked Grebe again in the SE corner of the main pit, the sward only had the feral geese after 2 Marsh Harriers had flushed everything else. Carrying on to Camber was generally disappointing as all the Golden Plover were out in the fields towards the wind turbines. Cycling out towards the wind turbines I managed to get fairly close to the Golden Plover flock that contained c1500 birds, scanning through them I located 3 Ruff, but could not pick out an American Golden Plover, though it was probably with them, I blame the Merlin, Sparrowhawks, Common Buzzards and Marsh Harriers for continually spooking the Plovers.  Coming back towards Lydd along the the back of the lakes I relocated the 2 Whooper Swans in the same place I found them a few days ago.

Whooper Swans

 

04/11/2025

A stunning Sunrise at the fishing boats this morning

1,000s of birds streamed westwards past the fishing boats in first couple of hours of daylight, by 09.00 there was barely a trickle. A full list of the sea watch can be seen at the following link SEAWATCH TOTALS

Razorbills streaming past the boats early morning

Guillemots streaming past the boats early morning

This Black-necked Grebe was very close to the cycle track along the front of Scotney late morning, apart from 5 Barnacle Geese, 4 Pintail and the usual wildfowl the rest of the complex was very lacking in birds.

Many thanks to Colin for the call telling me that 20+ Crossbills had been seen in The pines at the ARC this morning. I made my way there in hope rather than expectation, so I was very pleasantly surprised to hear and see them them as I approached The Pines. 

Perched Crossbills are rare occurrence on the Dungeness peninsula, these gorgeous birds were in the Pines by the Water Tower at the ARC. As usual I took far to many images. 

Crossbills coming to a puddle to drink

03/11/2025

1w Caspian Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon

 Another day of mainly staring at the sea, it wasn't the most engrossing day, though better than I expected, a full list of the the days sightings at the fishing boats can be seen at the following link SIGHTINGS

                                                                          Curlew

Red-throated Diver

Grey Plovers at the ARC early afternoon

There were several Firecrests and Chiffchaffs in the trapping area today per OL. At the ARC the highlight of my visit was a pair of Grey Plovers along with usual wildfowl. There was no news from the reserve. At Scotney just the 5 Barnacle Geese and 4 Pintail of note per RA.

01/11/2025

 A somewhat wet and windy sea watch this morning, though it did brighten up. My camera paid the price for me not noticing the rain running down the side of the boat on to the camera, it still works but the lens is very foggy.🤦 full details of todays sea watch can be seen at this link Sea watch Totals 

Gannets were slow starting, then between 09.00-10.30 they picked up with 600+ moving West

Pallas's Warbler

I had just arrived home from the mornings sea watch when Owen called me to say he'd had brief views of a Yellow Brow type Warbler in the scrub a couple of hundred yards down the road from Springfield Bridge, Dengemarsh, less than 5 minutes later I arrived and joined Owen just as the bird showed itself to us as a superb Pallas's Warbler. Thankfully even with a fogged up lens I was able to get some images of it. While I was there I also saw Firecrest, Goldcrest, Chiffchaff and Dartford Warbler, Many thanks to Owen for the call.

Pallas's Warbler

Elsewhere on the peninsula the Slavonian Grebe was still on Burrowes, at least a dozen Swallows were seen, also several each of Great White and Cattle Egrets. Late afternoon the Starlings put on another great murmuration at the ARC.

31/10/2025

 

Todays Little Auk, not an award winning image🥴

An excellent day of mostly sea watching with a long break late morning early afternoon for rain. 

The main highlights were were a Little Auk, Great Northern Diver, Sooty Shearwater, a Storm Petrel sp, Arctic Tern and 100s each of Kittiwake, Razorbill and Guillemot, also a Puffin which appeared when I'd popped home for lunch😢 A full list of todays sea watch can be found on this link SEA WATCH TOTALS

News from the reserve was fairly scant though the Slavonian Grebe is still on Burrowes per JY, the Black-necked Grebe was stillon Scotney main lake today apparently.

Great Skua from this afternoon

One of the 100s of Kittiwakes that moved west today

28/10/2025

Yesterdays Leucistic Kestrel by the power station, but didn't stay long

Leucistic Kestrel a stunning looking bird

Leucistic Kestrel

Leucistic Kestrel

Slavonian Grebe with a tiddler

Slavonian Grebe

Slavonian Grebe

Slavonian Grebe

This mornings sea watch was as expected a complete non event, so after breakfast I set out on my bicycle down to the reserve with absolutely no expectations, as I cycled down the usual Pipits, Wagtails, Wood Pigeons and Stock Doves came out the fields along with a few Goldfinches, Linnets and Chaffinches, Greylags, Canada Geese and Egyptian Geese were browsing the fields, reaching Dengemarsh Grey Herons, Great White, Little and Cattle Egrets could be seen with a couple of Marsh Harriers and Common Buzzards, the latter being dive bombed by a Peregrine, that also scattered all the Lapwings. Tufted Duck, Pochard, Wigeon, Teal, Pintail, Gadwall, Mallard, Shoveler, Little and Great-crested Grebes were all feeding around the lake, Reed Buntings, Bearded Tits, Cetti's Warblers and Kingfisher were all seen and heard as I made my way around the lake, but I did miss the Bittern that flew behind me apparently. Along the track to Burrowes Clouded Yellow and Migrant Hawker were seen with many Common Darters.

Migrant Hawker

My first Goosander on the peninsula this year didn't stay long

The first Barnacle Geese of the Autumn appeared on the Scotney Sward this afternoon

Some of the c2,000 Golden Plover at Scotney this afternoon

There were several 100s of Wigeon and Lapwing, also a minimum of 174 Egyptian Geese around the Scotney complex, especially out the back, with many Linnets and Skylarks and few Tree Sparrows but few Raptors.

The first 2 Whooper Swans of the year at the back of Scotney this afternoon

Finished the day by saying high to the local Little Owl enjoying the last of the days sunshine

26/10/2025

This Little Owl came out of the Old lighthouse Garden landed briefly at the entrance to the Experimental Station then headed off towards the New Lighthouse, this is the first one I have seen this far down the peninsular since I saw one in front the power station in 2012.

Small Copper in The Desert today, probably the last one I'll see this year

A wander around The Desert found 2 Dartford Warblers, and a few Stonechats, 103 Stock Doves moved NW,  quite a few unseen Chaffinches overhead along with Siskins and Redpolls, 3 Redwing and a party of 9 Brambling. There was no news from the reserve today.

The highlight of this afternoons sea watch from the fishing boats was these four Velvet Scoters 

A full account of this afternoons sea watch can be found on Trektellen using this LINK

Brent Geese passing the fishing boats this afternoon

Still a few Sandwich Terns around

A moulting adult Red-throated Diver at the fishing boats this afternoon