Long-tailed Skua's

Due to domestic duties this morning I missed most of probably the best sea watch so far this year.
When I finally arrived at the fishing boats I was given a some what sarcastic round of applause from some of my kind hearted friends, who informed me with some glee of 10 Long-tailed Skua's, 100+ Arctic Skua's, 300+ Black Terns, 10+ Balearic Shearwaters with a supporting cast of Pomarine and Great Skua's and much more. If this was not bad enough my arrival coincided with an almost complete cessation of the seabird passage and most observers leaving (always a bad sign).
I stuck it out for a couple of hours and ended up seeing:
Balearic Shearwater: 2W
Gannet: 53W
Common Scoter: 29W
Ringed Plover: 13W
Arctic Skua: 9W
Long-tailed Skua: 1W
Black Tern: 17W
Common Tern: 161W
Guillemot: 1 on sea
Harbour Porpoise: 4+ off shore
On a normal day a really good sea watch but not a patch on what I missed, I still feel cheated and I'm sure my good friends wont let me forget. (The B*******)

Plodding Around and Water Rail first for me

The Midrips

Thinking that Dungeness would be swamped with visitors this morning I decided to go to The Midrips for a quiet morning. The pools held a few waders 156 Dunlin, 72 Ringed Plover, 4 Common Sandpipers, 3 Curlew, 1 Knot, 1 Sanderling, 40+ Golden Plover over, 4 Wheatears and a steady westerly passage of Sand Martins. Last Thursday evening CT had rung me about a Ring Tail Harrier he had seen there, but as we had seen a Ring Tail Hen Harrier close by that afternoon left it at that.

Hen Harrier
 

 As I made my way along the sea wall I had to brief distant views of a Harrier which looked to me like Hen Harrier. Shortly after CT caught up with me and we sat on the sea wall by the third pool. After while a Harrier was seen distantly being chased by a Sparrowhawk towards Galloways where it disappeared. Shortly another Harrier was seen coming from that direction and eventually flew quite close and was definitely a Hen Harrier. As we watched it hunting round the back of the pools another very gingery Harrier came in a juvenile Montagu's Harrier. The bird appeared to be catching what we assume were Dragonflys and taking them back to the bank to consume them, which it did on at least a dozen occasions. While watching the Harrier we also saw a Hobby, Merlin, Kestrel and a Marsh Harrier. Nearby at Scotney GP 100+ Golden Plover and 60+ Yellow Wagtails.

A very poor distant record of Juvenile Montagu's Harrier

 A visit to the ARC Pit found 1 Ruff and 1 Common Sandpiper at the south end. From Hanson 26 Dunlin, 14 Ringed Plover, 3 Common Sandpipers, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 1 Black Tailed Godwit and 3+ Garganey.

Water Rail Chick

 A text from SB about some Water Rail chicks at Scott hide was irresistable as I have never seen the chicks before. Fortunately as soon as I arrived on site 2 chicks were showing through the reeds. A brilliant first for me.

Dunge

A very windy and sometimes damp Dungeness today. A couple of visits to the ARC found 41 Dunlin, 17 Ringed Plover, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 4 Common Sandpipers, 4 Garganey, 43 Common Terns, 1 Black tern, 1 Little Gull, 2 Marsh Harriers and several hundred Sand Martins.
Sea watching from The Point and the fishing boats 1 Balearic Shearwater E, minimum of 5 Arctic Skua's tooing and froing, 1 Black Tern W, 1 Razorbill W(my first of the autumn), 2 Teal W, Many Gannets and Common Terns off shore feeding, at least 1 Juvenile Arctic Tern, 5+ of the ever present Harbour Porpoises, also the adult Yellow-legged Gull on the beach.

Yellow-legged Gull

 

Raptors



A late start this morning still suffering bravely and needing a hair cut. Had a look at the ARC from Hanson and found no real change from yesterday. The Willow Trail held 5+ Willow Warblers. I joined TG and BM at the obs on a raptor watch. The highlight being an Osprey all be it distant and straight out to see, also seen 13 Sparrowhawks and 3 Marsh Harriers, 2 Wheatears round the moat.

I spent the best part of 4hrs sea watching by the fishing boats and was later joined by TG in the hope that yesterdays Roseates might return. Unlike yesterday most the Terns were along way out as were 3+ Arctic Skua's and a few Gannets, 2 Little Terns were seen (not common here in Autumn). Although not alot was seen it was thoroughly enjoyable chatting, lounging in our chairs soaking up the sun(hard work but someones got to do it). Late afternoon I received a text from SB about a Ringtail Harrier at Galloways that might be interesting but was only seen distantly. On my arrival SB was still there and the Harrier soon showed distantly in the heat haze that's my excuse, we were still none the wiser until a little later when we joined by CT, it then flew straight past us out on to the ranges confirming that it was a Hen Harrier also 4+ Whinchats there. 

 



Hen Harrier Pity about the heat haze

Weevers and Roseate's

Jersey Tiger

 A quick look at The Patch this morning revealed no change to yesterday, with a Little Gull, a juvenile Arctic Tern among the usual Terns and Gulls.
A plod around The Desert found 7 Willow Warblers, 2 Blackcap, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 7 Common Whitethroat, 3 Yellow wagtails, 1 Pied Flycatcher, 1 Whinchat, 3 Sparrowhawks and 3 Green Woodpeckers. At the obs a Jersey tiger (first for the obs) was released. The ARC was very disappointing with just 2 common Sandpipers and 2 Dunlin, I could not even find any Garganey.

Jersey Tiger on release

 I went to the fishing boats where I was joined by CT and BH. Lots of Common and Sandwich Terns off shore along with a few Gannets and 4 Sanderling flew west.
The tide was exceptionally high and some small fish were being washed ashore. I picked up the first one and put back in the sea, a few minutes later another was washed ashore, I bent down to pick it up and yelped in excruciating pain the like of which I have never experienced before. Blood was literally fountaining from my thumb as I hopped around uttering expletives not knowing what to do, but slowly realising that the fish was a Weever. My thumb felt as if it would burst as did my finger tips. Even now 7 hours later my thumb is very painful.(I'm probably just a wimp)
While I was leaping around DW turned up and started to photograph the fish and its deadly stinging fin. As he was getting a close up there was a different call from the terns. DW immediately called Roseate Tern as an adult and juvenile were literally overhead then flew west fortunately they came back along the shoreline and made several passes allowing us to get some shots of them. Some compensation for the pain I was in.

Ad. breeding Roseate Tern

Juv. Roseate Tern

Juv. Roseate Tern

Ad breeding Roseate Tern

Ad. Breeding Roseate Tern

Juv. Roseate Tern

Juv. Roseate Tern

All at Sea

Quiet again at The Patch this morning with 1+ Arctic Tern, 1 Black Tern, c30 Common Terns, C15 Sandwich Terns, 1 Little Gull, 2 Black Redstarts on the power station and 2 Wheatears by the red and white gate.
After chat at the obs and another lesson in moth ID I went back to the ARC where I met MH and was joined by RK and TW from Sussex. The company was good but the birds were disappointing with just 1 Little Gull, 1+ Garganey, 2 Redshank, 3 common Sandpipers, c50 Golden Plover, 2 Marsh Harriers and c100 Sand Martins, also we only managed 2+ Tree Sparrows at Boulderwall but the feeders were empty.



Part of a flock of 28 Black Terns

 After parting company I went down to the sea from the concrete road where I spent c3hours. The stars of the afternoon were 2 flocks of Black Terns 28 and 24 respectively.
Gannets: off shore the whole time.
Common Scoter: 7E 12W
Turnstone: 3 on beach
Arctic Skua: c4 off shore
Little Gull: 1W
Yellow-Legged Gull: 1 on beach
Kittiwake: 3W
Black Tern: 55W  (28+24+1+1+1)
Sandwich Tern: c25 off shore
Common Tern: c50 off shore
Arctic Tern: 2 juveniles W
Swift: 1 out
Sand Martin: 8 out
Harbour Porpoise: 6+ off shore
Grey Seal: 1

Black Tern



Common Tern

Sandwich Tern

Arctic Skua



Juvenile Turnstone

Yellow-legged Gull

Bits and Pieces

The Point was covered in fog with seemingly few birds around when I arrived this morning. TG had been into the trapping area and seen 50+ Willow Warblers, 3 Lesser Whitethroat and a Redstart.
I needed to go to the reserve centre so I thought I'd spend the morning there.
On Burrowes of note just 2 Common Sandpipers. While walking up to Dengemarsh I found a Lesser Emperor Dragonfly which was flying up and down the path refusing to settle after ten minutes it disappeared. Carrying on to Dengemarsh the Great White Egret was viewable from the path to Hookers and 6+ Willow Warblers were in the bushes. With little else to see I went back to Christmas Dell to have another look for the dragonfly and found it in the same place. I took dozens of images in the next 15 minutes as it dashed up and down the track at breakneck speed before it disappeared again, but only managed 1 that was partially in focus. As I left the reserve I received a text from PT alerting me to an Osprey heading south at Lade but was unable to see it.

The only partially in focus image I managed of this Lesser Emperor

In 3 visits to the ARC today 3 Common Sandpipers, 1 Wood Sandpiper, C35 Golden Plover,4 Garganey, an adult Little Gull, 2 Marsh Harriers and several hundred Sand Martins.
A quick look at Scotney found 200+ Golden Plover, 3 Yellow Wagtails and Marsh Harrier among 100s of Greylag and Canada Geese.

Willow Warblers



I didn't bother with The Patch this morning as judging by the car park the beach would be smothered in fishermen. First look at the Lighthouse Garden revealed it to be virtually bird less, so was taken aback on arrival at the obs to be told of 30+ Willow warblers and a Pied Flycatcher in The Moat.

A walk around The Moat found easily 30 Willow Warblers but the Pied Flycatcher had gone missing.

A check around Lloyds, West Beach, The Lighthouse and the station found another 6. A wander around The Desert, the high gorse and the south edge of the trapping area found at least another 32 with 8 Common Whitethroats. 



 Moving on to the ARC where most the waders had gone leaving just 3 Common Sandpipers, 2 Ringed Plovers, 1 Black-tailed Godwit and 6 Golden Plover. The Willow trail held another 4 Willow Warblers and another 12 on the track to and around the pines. From the pines I saw a Honey Buzzard flying north over Boulderwall presumably the same bird seen over Burrowes and from the screen 2+ Garganey and 2 Marsh Harriers. 

 A very hot plod from the ARC car park to Springfield Bridge found c10 Tree Sparrows at Boulderwall with another 5 at Hookers, still plenty of Reed and sedge warblers in the ditches and bushes also a few more Willow Warblers. A few Cetti's Warblers are still making themselves heard around the reserve. At the viewing ramp 4 Bearded Tits and 4 Marsh Harriers and 3 Swifts with the increasing numbers of Swallows. On Dengemarsh the Great white Egret showed well then flew to north end of the marsh. Wandering back 6+ Yellow wagtails flew over and a party of c50 Golden Plover. 

Hot!



A late start due to domestic duties but lunch time at the ARC in baking Hanson hide found 1 Knot, 5 Ringed Plover, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 5 Common Sandpipers, c50 Golden Plover, 5 Garganey, 1 adult Little Gull, the juvenile female Peregrine, c30 Yellow Wagtails and many Hirundines over the pit(C150 Sand martins, C100 Swallows, C30 House martins and 2 Swifts).

An hour and half at the fishing boats sitting soaking up the glorious sunshine in a cool breeze was entertaining with up to 3 Arctic Skua's beating up c100 Common Terns and c25 Sandwich Terns, also 37 Swallows and 4 Sand martins flew south and up 11 Harbour Porpoises were off shore. 

Late afternoon a plod from Springfield Bridge to the viewing ramp at Hookers saw 10+ Yellow Wagtails, 5 little Egrets, the newly arrived Great White Egret, 2 Marsh Harriers, 2 Ravens and a Whinchat making use of the anti predator fencing. 

Another victim of a Angler

At the point this morning little of note 0800-0900:

Fulmar: 2w
Gannet: 107w  42E
Common Scoter: 9E  4w
Little Gull: 1 at The Patch
Common Tern: c200 moving into Hythe bay
Swift: 1 in
Harbour Porpoise: 8+
At the ARC lees waders than of late but still 2 Little Stints, 9 Common Sandpipers, 1 Dunlin, 5 Ringed Plovers, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 3+ Garganey and c100 Sand Martins.

Cap Blanc Nez from Dungeness

This afternoon the french coast was very clear which did not bode well for a sea watch. In 3 hrs:
Balearic Shearwater: 1w
Fulmar: 1E
Gannets: 32W 14E
Black Tern: 2 off shore
Common Tern: 40+ off shore
Arctic Tern: 1 Juvenile off shore
Arctic Skua: 1W
Sand Martin: 7 out
Harbour Porpoise: 11+
Grey Seal: 1

Juvenile Herring Gull fighting a losing battle to stay afloat

A juvenile Herring Gull flew into a fisherman's line, instead of trying to free the bird, he remained in his chair and cut his line, leaving the gull entangled with the weights dragging it down. The gull lasted c10 minutes before it drowned. The gulls wing was probably broken when it flew into the line and would probably have perished any way. Although the collision was not the fisherman's fault it was the callous way he made no attempt to aid the gull.