Another Botanical Lesson

A brilliant day with GH and DW having a botanical lesson.

Late Spider Orchid

Late Spider Orchid

Man Orchid

Man Orchid

Lesser Butterfly Orchid

Lesser Butterfly Orchid

Fragrant Orchid with Late Spider Orchid

Heath Spotted Orchid

Heath Spotted Orchid

Another Rosy Day

 Arriving at The Point car park this morning I met Matt who had already been to The Patch and told me that there was a Roseate Tern there. Arriving at The Patch I quickly located it on the beach with c40 Common Terns and c10 Sandwich Terns and a few Gulls. I crawled to the edge of the sea wall so as not to flush everything and started photographing it. After about half an hour a second bird flew in to give more photographic opportunities. Later I made my way to the fishing boats and spent an hour sea watching. Little of note seen but 12 Swallows flew south. Then went back to The Patch where 1 Roseate was still on the beach as was a 1st Summer Little Gull also 2 Manx Shearwaters flew east and 7 Common Scoter. The Tern flew out to sea and was lost but later while watching from the sea watch hide I relocated the 2 Roseates feeding around the buoy

1st summer Little Gull with my first juv Black Headed gull at The Patch this year

Little of note

Remains of the hide at The Patch after winter storms

At The Patch this morning still 2 Roseate Terns, c50 Common Terns, c15 Sandwich Terns, 2 Portlandica type Terns, a Black Tern through, 16 Common Scoter E, 7 Fulmars E and c 40 Gannets tooing and froing. A plod along the shingle to Dengemarsh Gully found 1 pair of Ringed Plovers with at least 1 young, a family of Wheatears, c20 Linnets the Peregrines being very vocal  and little else of note.

Rosy Patch

I started this morning at Botolphs Bridge Road, West Hythe finding BM and GC already on site hoping that the recent Marsh Warbler would still be singing, but no sign today.
Next stop a plod down to the The Patch. Scanning the terns on the beach a Roseate Tern stood out and a few metres further on another among c80Common Terns, c10 Sandwich Terns and a couple of Portlandica type, both Roseates were still present at 16.00hrs.Off shore a Black Tern dipping and a Little Tern. Photography was virtually impossible with the heat haze from the beach.

Roseate, Common and Portlandica Terns

2 Roseate Terns and Common Terns

 At the south end of the ARC 3 Ringed Plovers, 1 Little Ringed Plover and 1 Redshank. Numbers of duck have stated to increase with10 Shoveller, 15 Gadwall, 8 Pochard, 7 Tufted Duck. The Oystercatcher nest looks like it has been predated and no sign of any birds. In the ARC car park a Tree Sparrow posed on the information board and on the track to Hanson Hide Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers, Little Grebe on one of the small pools, Cuckoo and Hobby over.

Yesterdays Orchids

Today was a wash out!

Lizard Orchid

Bee orchid

Cute Killer

Arriving at The Point this morning in heavy rain which quickly eased, allowing me to reach the sea watch hide without getting to wet. From there a few Gannets and a couple of Kittiwakes tooing and froing. At The Patch 40+ Common Terns, 10+ Sandwich Terns and a 1st summer Mediterranean Gull among the resident gulls.

At the south end of the ARC Pit, 40+ Swifts, 3 Ringed Plovers, 2 Little Ringed Plovers and the Oystercatcher still sitting tight.

As the weather improved I moved on to try and get some pictures of some Lizard Orchids and Bee Orchids which was successful, but when I tried to down load them the computer say NO! 

At Scotney hundreds of Herring Gulls and Greylag Geese, the only birds of note were 3 Wigeon.

Next stop Dengemarsh. An hour on Springfield Bridge with 16+ Hobby's with some giving spectacular aerobatic displays, the others loafing on the anti-predator fence, up to 5 Marsh Harriers, 2 Curlews(returning birds?), a Bittern booming and plenty of Common Terns. No sign of the Purple Heron today although in truth I did not really look for it, as I spent most my time admiring the Hobby's.    

 Plodding round the anti predator fence Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers singing as were a couple of Reed Buntings and Bearded Tits heard in the ditch but not seen.

 As I came out of Dengemarsh hide a Stoat dashed across the path into some brambles. I decided to wait a while in case it came back out, ten minutes later my patience was rewarded when it reappeared darting hither and thither playing and looking so innocent, always alert, inspecting holes, insects and sniffing sheep droppings. For what seemed an age this cutest of killers took no notice of me or the camera shutter then disappeared into the undergrowth. 

Damsels



Red Eyed Damselfly

Little of note around The Point today. At The Patch a few Common Terns amongst the resident gulls and a single 1st summer Mediterranean Gull. In the power station compound the family of Black Redstarts and a Wheatear.
At the south end of the ARC Pit 2 Little Ringed Plovers, the Oystercatcher amazingly still sitting tight and a Hobby.
The north end of the trapping area seemed devoid of avian life, but a few Dragons and Damsels kept me busy with the camera for a while though most the images were rubbish in the poor light.
A plod along the RM Canal Ruckinge to Bilsington for yesterdays 2 Whooper Swans (BB) drew a blank. Plenty of young Starlings in the fields, a family of Great Spotted woodpeckers, another of Green Woodpeckers, 4 Yellowhammers, a singing Blackcap, 2 Common Whitethroats and 3 singing Reed Warblers were some compensation.

Wild Flower Education

With very little happening at Dungeness on the avian front, I willingly took up the offer from GH and DW to try and educate a Philistine like me, by introducing me to some of the wild flowers around the marsh and giving me a very enjoyable afternoon.

Rosy Garlic

Burnet Rose

Bee Orchid

Greater Butterfly Orchid

Greater Butterfly Orchid

Common Spotted Orchid



White Common Spotted Orchid

Marsh orchid

Pyramid Orchid

Wild Weather

The gale force winds today made birding on shore a non starter, so a sea watch from The Point in the comfort and shelter of the car was the order of the day.
08.15-16.00
Manx Shearwater: 10W
Fulmar: 18W
Gannet: 226W  56E
Common Scoter: 3W
Common Tern:  c300+W
Sandwich Tern: c70+W
Arctic Skua: 1E
Great Skua: 1E
Kittiwake: 12W
Auk sp: 10W
Swift: c300 out
Ring Plover: 1 by the car most the day
Harbour Porpoise: 2+ off shore

                                                                                                                                      

Hobby's and Purple Heron

As I pulled up at Dengemarsh this morning the Purple Heron made a short flight landing near Springfield Bridge. Waiting on the bridge for it to hopefully show again, it was hard to believe that it was June as I was wearing 2 Fleeces, hat and gloves. After a short wait the Purple Heron stalked from behind the tall reeds, showing its head and neck and the top of its back for next hour giving great scope views before briefly stepping into full view though still difficult to photograph through the waving reeds. Shortly after it flew to Christmas Dell then back to Dengemarsh and continued to be seen in flight on and off all day.

 Hobby's were much in evidence until the clouds rolled in with c10 hunting over the reserve, also 3+ Marsh Harriers, a Bittern was seen on several occasions flying over the reed bed, several Bearded Tits, a Greenshank over, 2 Yellow Wagtails and the Red-crested Pochard.

At the viewing ramp this Hairy Hawker eating a bee.(probably one of the introduced ones) 

Purple Heron

At sea off The Point this morning a few very distant Manx Shearwaters, the usual Common and Sandwich Terns tooing and froing, a feeding flock of c60 Gannets, a few Fulmars, 2 Sanderling E, 19 Common Scoter W and a Black Tern at The Patch.
Whilst I was at the north end of the trapping area trying to photograph Dragons and Damsels, CT called me to say, that as he was driving down Dengemarsh road, he thought he had seen a Purple Heron drop into the reed bed near Springfield Bridge, but was not 100% certain. 15 minutes later I was standing on the bridge with him, PT and Barney watching up to 5 Hobby's acrobatically catching insects over the reed beds, up 4 Marsh Harriers and the female Red-crested Pochard. After an hour there was only CT and myself left looking for the Purple Heron and we were rewarded with a very short flight view. After another hour a 1st summer Purple Heron flew out of the reed bed for a more prolonged flight allowing record images to be taken and to the obvious enjoyment of DW who had just ambled to the bridge seconds earlier. Then the rain started.

Manxies

Waking up to heavy rain, I took the opportunity of being stuck at home to finally do the paperwork involved with Nightingale survey. The final tally was 22 singing males in one tetrad and 4 in the other.

Black Tern over The Patch

Mid morning the rain eased and made my to Dungeness. At the south end of the ARC Pit 2 Dunlin, 2 Redshank, 2 Ringed Plover, an Oystercatcher sitting on its nest very close to where the Lapwings nest was predated. Also c300 Swifts, c50 Swallows, c10 House Martins, 2 Sand martins hawking over the ARC Pit, New Diggings and The Point.
In 2.75 hours watch from the fishing boats and from the sea watch hide 11.45-14.30 with DB.
Manx Shearwater: 58W   2E
Fulmar: 9W
Gannet: c200  milling around off shore
Common Scoter: 2W
Sanderling: 5E
Sandwich Tern: c25 off shore
Common Tern: c200 off shore
Black Tern: 1 at The Patch
Guillemot: 1E
Auk sp.: 13W
Kittiwake: 2W

Jubilee wash out

As expected the sea was quiet in a very short watch, with just a few Gannets and Sandwich Terns tooing and froing off shore with 9 Common Scoter flying west.

On the land a Lesser Redpoll in the lighthouse garden, 4 Swallows through. I a plod around The Desert Magpie's and Crows outnumbered passerines which tells its own story. 

At the south end of the ARC Pit 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Grey Plover, 3 Dunlin, 2 Oystercatchers and 3 Ringed Plovers.

Round the Water Tower 2 Marsh Harriers, a Common Buzzard flew over and 4 bedraggled Hobby's looking fed up, sitting around waiting in vain for it to warm up and bring out the Dragonfly's, Lesser Whitethroat still singing alon with the odd Cetti's and Reed Warbler. About 13.15 the rain set in so I joined the rest of the country watching the Jubilee celebrations. 

In the Woods

Having a few bits to do at home this morning and guessing that Dungeness would be a bit wind swept, I decided to spend the rest of the day in Orlestone Forest. Parking in Faggs Wood I spent 5 hours plodding around most of the forest. As expected few birds were singing with them being busy with breeding.
Only 1 Nightingale heard where a month ago 22 were heard, All I saw were brief glimpses of most birds they as flashed through the canopy or the undergrowth but 32 species seen or heard in a very pleasant plod.

More of The Same

Now that most the birds are in breeding mode it is very quiet on the avian front round The Point. At The Patch 16 Sandwich Terns, 14 Common Terns on the beach and 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls flew through. Plodding further on 2 pairs of Wheatears, 18 Linnets, a family of Pied Wagtails and a Peregrine on the switching station.

An hour at the fishing boats found a few Sandwich and Common Terns tooing and froing along with a few Gannets, a Kittiwake flew west as did 2 distant Auks and 4 Common Scoter.

At the south end of the ARC the water level is slowly dropping a pair of Lapwings look as though they are trying to nest there, also there 2 Ringed Plovers, 1 Little Ringed Plover, a Dunlin and 2 Hobby's. 

At the ARC car park several Tree Sparrows grabbing Damselflys, 2 Marsh Harriers over the Water Tower and a Hobby.

An hour spent at Galloways this afternoon with MH saw a Marsh Harrier and a few Mippits but no sign of the Quail heard earlier by SC.

   



Windy

At The Patch this morning in a brisk south westerly a few Common and Sandwich Terns and an adult Yellow-legged Gull were the highlights. On the power station perimeter fence 2 Black Redstarts and a Northern Wheatear.
Round the bushes and Lighthouse garden a Sparrowhawk spooked the local Linnets and the resident Common Whitethroats.
At the south end of the ARC Pit the water level is starting to drop as the Herring Gulls nest is now on dry land also there 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Ringed Plovers, an Oystercatcher, a Lapwing and a Dunlin.
Round the reserve the wind was still blowing no sign of yesterdays Squacco Heron, plenty of Tree Sparrows and the Bitterns seem to be more in evidence, hopefully they are feeding young and 20+ pairs of Common Terns on the Dengemarsh rafts. At the viewing ramp a family party of Bearded Tits, 3+ Hobbys, 3 Marsh Harriers, 2 Little Egrets and all the usual warblers also several Hares.
Across Walland more Tree Sparrows,  4+ Hobbys, 2 Marsh Harriers, a Turtle Dove, several Yellow Wagtails, Yellowhammers and Corn Buntings.

Lord of Hookers finds another Squacco

Due to family commitments I was in the midlands yesterday and missed the skulking female Red Breasted Flycatcher, they are super birds even the females.
This morning I was at the south end of the ARC when I got a text from The Lord Of Hookers about a Squacco heron that had just flown over him at Christmas Dell and disappeared into the thick mist over Dengemarsh. I parked in the ARC car park and plodded along to Dengemarsh through the mist. On the way plenty of Reed ans Sedge Warblers singing along with Common Whitethroat and Linnets and Lesser Whitethroat. By Hookers a couple of Bearded Tits flew by the path and the Bittern boomed from the mist enveloped Dengemarsh. Reaching Dengemarsh I looked from the hide at the Common Terns on the rafts, I checked around the reed fringes that I could see but no Squacco. As I came out the hide MH appeared and we made our way to the gate overlooking the western side of the marsh, there we met The Lord of Hookers  and paid homage. A few minutes later the Heron flew out of the reeds and settled across the lake from us giving distant and misty views.
While we there a Bittern gave a couple of fly pasts and some more booming, a drake Garganey was floating about and 2 Little Egrets dropped in.
After going back to my car for lunch  I went back to Dengemarsh with DW and almost immediately the Squacco flew across the lake towards us and landed closer to us for a couple of minutes before going into the hayfield and then out to Christmas Dell.