Finches galore over The Point

When i arrived at The Point this morning the Gin clear sky was full of birds mainly moving east, most notably the tinkling of Goldfinches(The early risers had in excess of 3000) with Meadow Pipit numbers not far behind good numbers of Chaffinches and Greenfinches with 10s of Reed Buntings and at least 2 Brambling, 2 Redpoll , 12 Siskin, 4 Tree Sparrows, 48 Stock Doves, 40+ Swallows, 18 Blue Tits, 15 Skylarks along with 2+ Sparrowhawks and the local Kestrels in close attendance.
An Arctic Skua came right overhead chasing a Sandwich Tern and won its fish prize.
In and around the bushes were 25+ Goldcrests and the same amount of Chiffchaffs, 20+ Continental Song Thrushes, 1 Mistle Thrush,  1 Ring Ouzel, 2 Wheatears, 1 Whinchat,

1 Stonechat and smaller numbers of Pied Wagtails than of late.
Nearby the Black-throated Diver still on the New Diggings.
At Scotney the 3 Buff-breasted Sandpipers showing well all beit distantly, 1000+ Golden Plover, 500+ Lapwing, 2 Ruff, 2 Little Stints, 1 Egyptian Goose, Wigeon numbers appear to be building up and 2 Marsh Harriers by the wind turbines. 

Dungeness Point

 At The Patch 4 Little Gulls, 1 Black Tern, 1 Med Gull, 10+ Commic Terns and 5 Sandwich Terns. Also past in the fog 126 Brent Geese with many Goldfinches and Meadow pipits and Chaffinches coasting eastwards. 1 Mistle Thrush and 1 Sparrowhawk in off the sea.
On the land many Chiffchaffs and 5 + Goldcrests, 3 Stonechats with 100s of Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails. Also 1 Brambling and 1 Siskin , 25 Skylark, 27 Swallows over. 20+ Continental Song Thrushes around the point.

Egytian Geese at Pett

Stopped at Pett Pools on my way home and came across these 4 Gypo Geese. Also seen were a single Marsh Harrier and Little Egret along with several Little Grebes and the usual duck.
Next stop Scotney where all 3 Buff- Breasted Sandpipers were present on the Kent side albeit distantly. Still 1000+ Golden Plover present with 2 Ruff.

Late afternoon early evening at Scotney again!!!

The 2 Buff-breasted Sandpipers still on the Kent side but i couldn't find the the third. With them were 1000+ Golden Plover still and a Little Stint also a steady westward movement of Swallows. 2 Marsh Harriers round the turbines and in the nearby fields a covey of 7 Grey Partridge and 6 Red-legged Partridge.

Water Rail

A sad end for this Water Rail i found under power lines in a meadow at Send  Marsh near Guildford.
A dusk visit to Pett Pools revealed 1 Common Sandpiper, 28 Wigeon, 16 Little Grebe, 22 Gadwall, 11 Shovellor and a female Ruddy Duck another missed by DEFRA. A male Marsh Harrier was sitting on post out in the fields with 17 Curlew nearby.

Arlington and The ARC Pit

An hour spent at Arlington this afternoon looking at the Buff-breasted Sandpiper and chatting.
The scruffy juv Avocet was still present looking like someone has tried to strangle it along with 4 Dunlin and 2 Ringed  Plovers.
Managed an hour this evening in the hide at the ARC Pit. This produced 4 Black Terns swooping and diving and devouring the myriad of newly hatched bugs that covered the surface. 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 16 golden Plover, 4 Pintail and plenty of Teal, Shoveller, Gadwall, Mallard, Wigeon,Pochard and Tufted Duck. 2 Marsh Harriers appeared to go to roost on one of the vegetated islands and 3 Chiffchaffs in bushes by the hide but best of all was a drake Ruddy Duck that DEFRA must have missed.

Windy Dungeness

Yellow-legged Gull

Seawatching at the point 08.30-09.30, 8 Arctic Skuas W, 2E, 3 Bonxies W, 1 Long-tailed Skua W with another probable, a constant stream of Gannets, Sandwich and Commic Terns, also a Merlin in off the sea and many Swallows and Sand Martins still moving.
On the land a Yellow-legged Gull was in the gull roost but migrants were virtually non existant with the exception of 100s of Meadow Pipits and Gold  Finches with 6 Skylarks over and 7 Chiffchaffs in the bushes.
A walk around the reserve saw a Great White Egret, 1 Ring Ouzel,3 Chiffchaffs but not the Barred Warbler. By the approach road on the way out was a Short Eared Owl sheltering from the wind and rain.

Short-eared Owl

Dungenesss and Scotney

Barred Warbler

My first stop was the ARC Pit where i found 38,Golden Plover, 1 Little Stint, 1 Arctic Tern, 2 Black Terns, 4 Chiffchaffs and the usual ducks and geese and gulls. Opposite the ARC on the New Diggings a fine juvenile Black Throated Diver showed well. On to the point to be told that a Long-tailed Skua was lingering offshore. A few minutes later i was watching it albeit distantly along with an Arctic Skua to give great comparisons. Also there were 2 more Arctic Skuas past, 22 Common Scoter,1 Red-throated Diver, 1 Guillemot, a few Gannets and several Common and Sandwich Terns.
On the land at the point 100+ Pied Wagtails including one with a large growth on its foot preventing it from walking, 100+ Meadow Pipits,3 Ring Ouzels, 15 Chiffchaffs, 4 Black Redstarts,

2 Wheatears, and 12+ Siskins over, also good numbers of Swallows with few House and Sand Martins.
Back to Scotney where the 2 Buff Breasted Sandpipers were showing well along with 14 Ruff,1000+ Golden Plover and no sign of the albino Lapwing. Whilst there i was told of a Barred Warbler at Dungeness RSPB reserve which showed quite well for me. While watching it another Ring Ouzel popped up and at least 4 Cetti's Warblers were singing and then the rain came to curtail further excitements.

Juv.Black Throated Diver

Swallow

Swallows,Sand Martins and a House Martin

Buuff-Breasted Sandpiper on Sussex side

Barred Warbler

Late afternoon early evening at Scotney

No sign of any Buff Breasted Sandpipers this evening but 21 Ruff some of which were confiding with 1000+ Golden Plover. Still large numbers of Swallows moving east attracting the attention of a fem/juv Merlin giving a spectacular display, also a Sparrowhawk making a half hearted attempts at the Swallows. While scanning the  Goldies and Lapwings i came across an albino Lapwing the first i have ever seen, also a Rock Pipit and Little Stint running round the sheep field with the ever present Marsh Harrier over the fields at the back of the pit.

Buff-Breasted Sandpipers

As i was driving home i thought i would have a look at the Golden Plover at Scotney . 

When i pulled up Bob Smith and Keith Hackett were putting there scopes away. They told me they had seen a wader that they thought might have been a Buff-Breasted Sandpiper so we all had another look. I found a wader with my binoculars which was flushed almost immediately but was sure it was Buff-Breasted. We scoped the Kent side and we relocated the bird which was obviousely a Buff Breasted and whilst watching this one another appeared. We drove to the Kent side for better views and i got brief view before they were spooked again. Bob and Keith went off to Dungeness to see the Pec Sand and i went back to the Sussex end, where i relocated them and managed to get distant record shots of them both together  which  is probably unique for Sussex.

Also at Scotney were a flock of 16 Ruff, 1000+ Golden Plover, 8 Dunlin, 500+ Lapwing 4 Redshank and 3 Marsh Harriers aroun the wind turbines.