Northern France!

Another brilliant day trip to Northern France in the company of AJG and SO. Driving down the motorway to Sailly Bray 2 Spoonbills flew over and in the nearby village of Bonnelle a superb male Black Redstart sang from a TV aerial. As soon as we got out the car at Sailly Bray our ears were assaulted by bird song, Turtle Doves purring, numerous Blackcaps, Song Thrushes, Blackbirds, Wrens, Stonechats and a Grasshopper Warbler. The only slight disappointment was that the farmer was cutting the grass right in front of where the Bluethroats are usually seen. However we still saw Reed and Corn Buntings, Reed, Sedge and Ceetti's Warblers, a Mediterranean Gull, a Marsh Harrier, 2 Common Buzzards, 4 Turtle Doves, 16 Black-winged Stilts, a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and heard a Marsh Warbler and only 3 Crows one of which was in Larson Trap and no Magpies, so missing a Bluethroat was not a problem.   

 Next stop Le Crotoy where 100s of nesting Black-headed Gulls and Lapwings, White Wagtails, 3 Cattle Egrets, a Great White Egret, several Little Egrets and a White Stork.

 Next stop Marquanterre where White Storks, Spoonbills, Cattle, Little and Great white Egrets, Spoonbills and Grey Herons were seen, also 4+ Crested Tits performed admirably, unfortunately not well enough for the camera.

Chateau at our Honey Buzzard stop

 Our usual stop Honey buzzard stop on the D938 to Crecy-en-Ponthieu was once again a great success. The first Honey Buzzard appeared  within 2 minutes, in the next 15 minutes 3 more appeared. These were bettered when we wandered into the grounds of a Chateau, a Honey Buzzard flew low around us giving us stunning views.

 Next we drove north to Guinnes Marsh but were unable to find the boardwalk (lack of forward planning) however we still managed to find a singing Icterine Warbler.
We decided to go to Oye Plage where we came across a Little Tern colony on the beach. From the hides on the nature reserve we saw nesting Black-necked and Little Grebes, 100+ pairs of Avocets and numerous Lapwings nesting and not a predator proof fence to be seen, what we didn't see was Crows and Magpies and I am pretty sure that Foxes and Badgers are controlled. We also saw a flock of 17 Mistle Thrushes there, Song Thrushes and Blackbirds.
A couple of miles further along the coast we found at least 8 Kentish Plovers and some young and at another site found another pair also even more nesting Lapwings. Along the coast we did see a few Crows and Magpies but not the clouds of them that you see here. We stopped to check out a possible site for wintering Snow Buntings and Shorelarks and another singing Icterine Warbler, a superb end to a brilliant days birding in great company, many thanks to AJG for doing the driving.

Kentish Plovers

A Moth day!

At The Patch this morning another north Thames colour ring Herring Gull H8FT, a 2nd summer Mediterranean Gull among the usual Gulls, but not a single Tern. The highlight being 3 Mute Swans flying up channel. 

Mute Swans flying past The Patch

 Still 2 drake Garganey at the south end of The ARC.

2nd summer Mediterranean Gull

I ran my moth trap last night for the first time ever, so the rest of the day was spent trying to identify the catch. I managed most of the macro's in the end but did not attempt the micro's. 

Images of just a few of the very easy ones.

Buff Tip

Elephant Hawk Moth

Poplar Hawk Moth

Back at Dunge!

As I wandered down to The Patch this morning I met PT and Barney on their way back. They reported that there was little of note to be seen but I was going there anyway. Over the boil no more than 10 Common Terns among c70 Black-headed Gulls, and 50 Herring and Lesser black Backed Gulls. A Curlew flew west and a handful of Gannets moved up channel, also an adult Mediterranean Gull flew through The Patch. On the walk back a juvenile Black Redstart was feeding on the perimeter fence and the Pied Wagtails were mating ready for a second brood.

 Mediterranean Gull The Patch

A short stop at the south end of the ARC found 3 drake Garganey, among the Gadwall and Pochard. Also a Marsh Harrier came over from New Diggings flushing everything temporarily. 

 2 of the 3 Garganey at the south end of the ARC this A.M.

Met The Joker at the reserve where we spent a little time in Dennis's hide, the highlight being a Ringed Plover on one of the little bits of island that are beginning to reappear.

From the ramp up to 7 Hobby's could be seen, a couple of Bearded Tits and 2 Marsh Harriers. 

Late this afternoon/early evening several Bearded Tits could be seen by Springfield Bridge, Hayfield 3 had 7 each of Grey Heron and Little Egret and a Curlew, but it and the other hay fields are now drying out rapidly. Plenty of Common Terns could be seen on Dengemarsh also the Marsh Harriers. As I wandered past the entrance path to the hide an Oddie and film crew got out there car to do some filming (I didn't see a disabled sticker on their car) While they were in the hide  a 1st summer Hobby put on terrific display over Hookers with Cuckoo calling in the background. 

 1st summer Hobby

Short-toed Eagle!

 I had a brilliant day in the company of AJG at Ashdown Forest seeing the Short-toed Eagle that has been present there for a few days. While waiting for it to leave its roost a couple of Woodlarks were singing, also some Tree Pipits, Willow Warblers were constantly singing and seemed numerous, there were a few flyover Redpolls and some Coal Tits the first I have seen this year(I must get off the marsh more often). The bird eventually left its roost site near Long car park soon after 10.00 A.M. flying around for a few minutes before disappearing over the horizon towards Gills Lap, where it was relocated and put on a fine display for the best part of a couple hours, hovering high over the valley, sometimes dropping towards the ground and on at least one occasion catching what appeared to be a small snake. A Buzzard drifted in and harried and tussled with the eagle showing the obvious size difference.
It was great to see so many familiar faces and catch up with some of my old Sussex birding friends.
This afternoon we dropped into Old Lodge where we found a couple of Spotted Flycatchers, 2 Redstarts, 7+ Woodlarks, Blackcaps and more Willow Warblers.

 Tussling with a Common Buzzard!

The Short-toed Eagle was most of the time fairly distant and the light was awful!

Half hour sheltering in front the sea watch hide from the NE wind this morning yielded little of note. A few Gannets, Common and Sandwich Terns feeding off shore and party of c45 Common Scoter. A Black Redstart was singing from inside the compound. As I walked back to the car a flock of 11 Grey Herons came in off the sea by the old lighthouse and flew in over the observatory towards the reserve.(This evening 13 Grey Herons were feeding on Hayfield 3). By the fishing boats a pair of Wheatears with 2 fledged young also a leucistic Starling with a flock of c50 Starlings.

juvenile Wheatear

No sign of any Garganey at the south end of the ARC, but a very young Little Egret there presumably from the Lydd heronry.
Cycling past Scotney this afternoon there was no sign of any Avocets at the Kent end, so I fear the worst for the 3 non flying chicks. At the western end 3 fully fledged young with 2 adults that were giving a Grey Heron a serious hard time.
Approaching  Jurys Gap an adult male Marsh Harrier flew across the road in front of me also a stunning male Yellow Wagtail on a fence post just a few feet from me.
Along the Midrips 21 Avocets and at least 2 chicks, 7 Redshanks, 8 Oystercatchers, 20+ Shelduck but no ducklings, probably all taken by Foxes and Badgers, another male Marsh Harrier and a Grey Partridge flushed from the side of the track just before Galloways, while offshore 4 Little Terns and 6 Sandwich Terns. Cycling up the bridleway through the Gorse at Galloways I spotted another Grey Partridge on the track c50mts ahead of me, I pulled up to watch it and just kept walking towards me picking up insects, it eventually got to around 5 metres away where it looked at me then carried on feeding for another few minutes before wandering off into the Gorse. Because I was on my bike I had no camera, as after a few minutes of cycling with it on my shoulder I am in agony, if I had it in the camera bag on my back I can last a little longer, but by the time I have taken the bag off and unpacked the camera anything I wanted to photograph would be gone. I need to come up with some way of fixing the camera to the handlebars with a quick release system so the frame takes the weight hmmm!
This evening at Dengemarsh in a strong NE wind and grey overcast skies apart from the Herons on Hayfield 3 there were 3 Hobby's, 2 Marsh Harriers and 8 Swifts over the lake.

A Grey Day!

A thoroughly grey and cool wander down to The Patch this morning a 3rd summer Yellow-legged Gull, also the first juvenile Black-headed Gull. Over the boil again just a handful of Common Terns with the Black-headed Gulls. Off shore just 2 Gannets and 15 Common Scoter.

A short stop at the south end of the ARC produced 2 eclipse drake Garganey hiding in the Crassula with a handful of Shoveler and Gadwall. I missed the 2 Red-crested Pochard that were there.

I cycled out to Scotney and out along the back of the farm where Corn Bunting, Skylark and Yellow Wagtail seem quite plentiful and couple of Hobby's entertained. At least 4 pairs of Avocets still sitting on the Island. Once I was past the lake the sheep fields were birdless apart from an overflying Marsh Harrier. At the Sussex end of the main pit the the 3 pairs of of Avocets appear to have lost all there chicks. At the Kent end 2 chicks have fledged and the other 3 are well on the way.
This evenings wander around Dengemarsh found the now usual eclipse ducks, 2 Marsh Harriers, 2 Redshanks on the Hay fields. The Common Terns were particularly noisy this evening  when the sun finally broke through.   

Summer Doldrums

At The Patch this morning in the company of BH a 2s Mediterranean Gull among the Black Headed, Herring and Lesser Black Backed Gulls. Over the boil a few Common Terns and a couple of Gannets off shore.
In a stroll around The Desert I barely lifted my bins it was that quiet.
This evening around Dengemarsh the usual Greylag families, Little Egrets, Grey herons joined by juveniles, plenty of eclipse Gadwall, Mallard, Shoveller and Teal but no sign of the Glossy Ibis. The ditches still hold Reed and Sedge Warblers, Reed Buntings and the odd Cetti's Warbler.   

RIP Pete Neatherway!

 Wandering down to The Patch this morning there were 2 Hummingbird Hawk moths on the perimeter wall, 1 still present when I came back. At The Patch there were plenty of gulls but I could find nothing interesting among them. 30 Common Scoter flew up channel and handful of Gannets were off shore. A dental appointment and other domestic stuff my ploddings were seriously curtailed today.

I have just heard the sad news that my friend and lovely guy Pete Neatherway has passed away today. Pete and his wife Mim were Beachy Head stalwarts for many years right up until Pete's untimely death. My thoughts are with Mim who is still recovering from serious illness.

Saved by a Gent!

This morning I stepped out of the front door to the sight and smell of sewage flowing out of the manhole in my drive. Fortunately I know Chris, a lovely guy who came straight away with his drain rods and quickly established that the blockage was in my neighbours man hole. He then quickly and efficiently cleared the blockage. Very many thanks Chris, me and Sally can't thank you enough.  

Eventually I made down to Dengemarsh where the Glossy Ibis was in Hay Field 3 and up to 6 Hobby's were catching Dragonflies. At the Dengemarsh hide I met the Joker and we spent some time chewing the fat, seeing a Black-tailed Godwit over a couple of Marsh Harriers and the raft nesting Common Terns.

Some of yesterdays Orchid images 

Lizard Orchid

Bee Orchid

Pyramid Orchid

Colour Ringed Gulls!

This morning at The Patch it was all about colour ringed gulls. The tide was nearly up and all the gulls were right in front the hide, with no fishermen or dog walkers to disturb them. I spent the best part of 2 hours there trying to read and photograph the North Thames colour ringed birds. Over the boil c50 Common Terns of note.

 FZ7.T a Dungeness regular

 K5FT

 P1BT a Dungeness regular

 P4FT

 R2HT

 R3FT

 R4GT

 T2HT

T9DT

This afternoon I cycled to Camber to see the  Lizard Orchids. On the way I stopped at Scotney where the 5 Avocet young at the Kent end are doing well. At the East Sussex end the 3 pairs of Avocets now have at least 4 young. Over the lake a Hobby was  catching Dragonflies. I will hope to post images of the Orchids tomorrow as my card reader is playing up.

This evening the Glossy Ibis was on Hayfield 3 with 8 Little Egrets, a Cuckoo flew over and 2 Bearded Tits were by the gate.