Deserted Dunge

Pulling in to an empty ARC car park this morning with a bitter NE wind blowing across the pit a Great White Egret flew over towards Boulderwall Farm. From Hanson 3 red head Smew and still several hundred of Wigeon, Teal, Gadwall and Shoveler. A plod around the Willow Trail was birdless except for flushing a Marsh Harrier from the reed bed from the viewing mound. 

 From the causeway on New Diggings 12 Smew including 2 drakes and 6 Little Egrets tucked up in the NE corner. At the south end of the ARC 2 red head Smew and a Peregrine over.

 On the sea still plenty of Auks, Grebes, Kittiwakes and a fed Red Throated Divers tooing and froing off shore but I was unable to find the Glaucous or Caspian Gull.

 On the reserve my first Goosander of the year a fine drake and 1 Avocet both on Burrowes. At Christmas Dell  2 Stonechats and 4 Marsh Harriers. Denge Marsh held 8 Little Grebe and 150+ Greylag and Canada Geese. Early afternoon on Hookers pit a surprise in the form of a Long Tailed Duck. Presumably the long staying ARC bird.  

 After a chat with SB in the reserve centre he prompted me to take the short trip to Dover to try for the 2w Kumlien's Gull.

 As I walked down the pier I could only see 2 fisherman and no other birders, looking east into the harbour I could see 6 other birders on the inner pier scoping a flock of gulls on the ramp. Great I got the wrong pier, as I turned a white winged gull came out of the sun and grabbed a fish thrown by one of the fisherman and promptly disappeared. A short while later the fisherman threw another fish back and the bird appeared again but sat on the sea with its fish tight to the pier wall. The only way i could get a shot of it was to lay on the wall and hang over the side, stupid really but it had to be done hence the shaky images. When it flew it stuck tight to the wall and disappeared. I waited around for a while and a Kittiwake landed beside me in perfect light but as the pier shuts at 1600 I had to go. Walking round the circular bit in the middle, there is a trough with 2 taps and as i got a few feet from it I suddenly saw the gull the other side of it. I was to close for any shots so I backed off and managed to fire 3 quick shots as the gull dropped over the edge out of sight.

Freezing Dungeness

Redshank Scotney

First thing this morning at the ARC I walked the Willow Trail hoping to find Woodcock without any luck or birds. I entered Hansen Hide and opened a shutter which i quickly shut as the icy wind blew across the pit straight into the hide. Through the glass a Marsh Harrier was quartering the reeds and a Great White Egret was on the N.E. side sheltering under the willows along with several hundred duck (Wigeon, Teal, Gadwall, Shovelor, Mallard, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Goldeneye and 2 Shelduck).
From the causeway at the southern end 4 red head Smew, the Long Tailed Duck another Marsh Harrier and 100+ Gadwall.
On the beach from the point in biting NE wind still plenty Auks, Great Crested Grebes, Red Throated Divers and Kittiwakes tooing and froing with a few Gannets, 64 Wigeon W, 3 Mallard W +1E, 34 Teal W, 4 Pintail W, 6 Shelduck E, 25 Brent Geese W and 1 Bonxie W. The 2w Glaucous Gull was round the fishing boats.
Back on the causeway 5 red head Smew on New Diggings and 2 Little Egrets.
At Boulderwall Farm 6 Tree Sparrows by the empty feeders, a Great White Egret on the first pit and 100 Golden Plover out in the field, 2 Stonechats and 2 Mistle Thrushes by the entrance track, 2 Tree Sparrows and a Redwing by the feeders opposite the toilet block.
At Scotney 3 Redshank, 10 Dunlin, 100+ Golden Plover and little else of note.
On Walland  45 Bewick Swans at Midley also 8 Red Legged Partridges.    

Crossbills

Went to Blackdown today for the Parrot Crossbill but failed, good to catch with old friends though. The photographs of the bird claimed today seem some what unconvincing, but I am probably just grumpy because I did not see it.
20+ Common Crossbills seen including a male with faint wing bars also 1+ Woodlark.

Glaucous Gull

In a bitter south easterly at the point this morning the sea was once again full of birds. 2000+ Great Crested Grebes, 1000+ Auks and several hundred Cormorants on the sea, with many more tooing and froing along with 100+ Kittiwakes, 50+ Red Throated Divers, 50+ Gannets 2 Shelduck E, 7 Common Scoter W. On the beach I was unable to locate the Caspian Gull but the 2w Glaucous Gull reappeared after a weeks absence among the few gulls that were in the roost which was regularly disturbed by dog walkers and the many fisherman today.

On the ARC Pit fron the causeway in the rain 5 Smew including the drake, the Long Tailed Duck, 12+ Goldeneye and a Kingfisher flashed across. Around the Tower Pits another or the same Kingfisher, 1 Common Buzzard, 2 Marsh Harriers and 100+ Golden Plover flew over. 

On Scotney the only birds of note were 10 Dunlin, 3 Redshank, several hundred Lapwing, the feral Barnacle Geese Flock  and a Sparrowhawk flew through.

On Walland the 53 Bewick Swans were back at Midley this afternoon. 

Dotterel

After a text from BB I went to straight to Lydd Airport, where the Dotterel after being refound by Neil B was giving good scope views, in the field beside the airport approach road among Golden Plover and Lapwing. Also seen there a Common Buzzard, a Peregrine, a Black Redstart and 8 Red Legged Partridge.
A couple of hours round the Tower Pits was disappointing bird wise with 2 Marsh Harriers, a Goldcrest, a Chiffchaff  and a Common Buzzard perched on the listening ears.  

Little Owl year tick

A lunch time start today after sorting out bits at home this morning. I went straight to the fishing boats which were bathed in sunshine where the Caspian Gull was immediately on show. On the sea only a few Auks, Grebes and Kittiwakes tooing and froing but 2-300 Cormorants were busy fishing. Again the Glaucous Gull was conspicuous by its absence.
On the ARC from the causeway 3 Smew including a smart drake, the Long Tailed Duck and fly by Bittern.

On the reserve Burrowes Pit was birdless. Not surprising as brush cutting was being done on the islands.

Christmas Dell was its usual peaceful self, with a single Common Snipe taking advantage of the newly cut reeds in front of the hide, up to 3 Marsh harriers quartering the reed beds a couple of Bearded Tits calling as was a Water Rail. The rest of the reserve was just as quiet with brief views of a Great White Egret, 4 Stonechats around the paths and 9 Tree Sparrows at the entrance.

On Walland this afternoon 2 Little Owls my first for the year, no sign of the Bewick Swans. At the Woolpack Harrier roost 4 Tufted Duck on the reservoir but no Harriers came into roost though 6+ were seen further out on the marsh and 2 Common Buzzards were seen.

Brent Geese

On my way to Dungeness there were still 53 Bewick Swans at Midley.
Sea watching from the fishing boats  (10.30-12.30) was kept interesting due to the large number of Brent Geese moving east, most were along way out and high.
Brent Geese: 2262E
Wigeon : 37 E
Numbers of Auks, Great Crested Grebes,Kittiwakes, Gannets and Red Throated Divers were well down on recent counts. The Caspian Gull was still on the beach.
At the ARC Pit from Hanson with MH this afternoon the Long Tailed Duck, 42 Bewick Swans, 4 red head Smew, 16 Goldeneye, 400+ Golden Plover, 2+ Marsh harrier, 2 Chiffchaffs, 2+ Cetti's Warblers and 2 Water Rail squealing.
MH and I then went to Dengemarsh hide which was very quiet. As we left I got a call about a Dotterel with the Golden Plover flock on the ARC. On arrival a very kind birder had the Dotterel lined up for us in his scope at 50x mag which was necessary as the birb was distant. We moved to the screen hide where we located the Dotterel at slightly closer range,  but it was still very difficult buried in among all the Golden Plover.
Back on Walland the Bewick Swans had gone so were presumably the ones relocated to the ARC Pit.

For some reason Blogger wont let me upload any pictures from my computer only from the internet!

Tractors

With the rain tipping down I arrived at the point at about 10.15 and stayed till 11.30.  On the sea things had not changed with 100s of Auks, Great Crested Grebes, Kittiwakes and smaller numbers of Red Throated Divers and Gannets. 68 Brent Geese moved east and 14 Common Scoter west. At the ARC a Great White Egret, 1 red head Smew, the Long Tailed Duck and 14 Goldeneye and a soggy Marsh Harrier.

With the rain still falling I decided to head home. As I drove across Walland near Midley I noticed a large pale shape flying way out in the field a male Hen Harrier, I quickly stopped grabbed the camera and managed a couple of extreme range shots in terrible visibility, before my ears were blasted by the horn of huge tractor filling my rear windscreen just as the bird turned and headed towards me. By the time I moved the car out the way the Harrier had crossed the road close behind me and was heading out to the windmills. ****! 

Further along the road the 53 Bewick Swans were still in there usual field. 

Back Home

A visit to Mum gave me the opportunity to try and see the 3 Snow Buntings at Widewater  my old stamping ground. The Buntings were not difficult to find and showed well in the early moring sun.
Also there 4 Little Egrets, 6+ Little Grebes, a Kingfisher, 1 Redshank and a Red Throated Diver off shore.

Little Change

A couple of hours plodding around Orlestone Forest was pleasant but not overly rewarding bird wise. I probably clocked up more dogs species than birds. 4 Bullfinches being the highlight with a few each of Great, Blue, Coal, Long Tailed Tits, Goldcrests and a couple of Great Spotted Woodpeckers. Where are all the Finches?

 On the beach at Dungeness little change in numbers of Razorbills, Guillemots, Red Throated Divers  and Great Crested Grebes. Though Kittiwakes seemed more numerous and my first Little Gull of the year was feeding back and forth along the surf along with hundreds of other gulls. Off shore there was very little movement except for 32 Wigeon moving west.
The 1w Caspian Gull was in the roost but no Glaucous Gull today.

On the reserve 2 red head Smew and the Long Tailed Duck were on the ARC and a Great White Egret was on Burrowes from Dennis Hide.
Round the tower pits a Common Snipe flushed from a boggy area, a Kingfisher flashed over and a Bittern briefly, also 2+ Marsh Harriers.
Out on Walland the 53 Bewicks still at Midley.