Whooper Swans!

A couple of hours first thing this morning looking around the lighthouses, fishing boats and power station for scant reward, the highlights being 4 Stonechats and a few each of Goldfinches, Chaffinches, Skylarks and Meadow Pipits.

Mid morning at Boulderwall saw the 7 Cattle Egrets  and 4 Great White Egrets at the top end of Cooks pool.

The 7 Cattle Egrets showing well today at Boulderwall

As there was news of the first Whooper Swans in the area for 2 years at the back of Scotney, I decided to have a wander out there. I joined Brian at the farm entrance and we made our way into East Sussex to view the Whoopers which were in the company of Mute Swans and 2 Black Swans. We passed a flock of 41 Egyptian Geese adding to the hordes of feral geese at Scotney, 15 Ruff were by the back lake, several100s of Golden Plover and Lapwing were seen, along with Common Buzzard and Marsh Harrier, the Little Owl was seen briefly before being disturbed by a tractor, 2 Black Redstarts were around the farm.

Whooper Swans at Scotney

Fast growing numbers of Egyptian Geese on the peninsular

1 of 2 Black Redstarts around the Scotney Farm

Late afternoon on Burrowes from Makepiece 3 Caspian Gulls were seen 2 x 2w + 1 x 1w, also 3 Yellow-legged Gulls. 

Crests!

 Goldcrest with injured eye

Several Goldcrests and a Firecrest in the old lighthouse garden first this morning, with a few Goldcrests in the Station Gorse and West Beach, also a few Meadow Pipits, Goldfinches and Chaffinches over head.

A walk around the trapping area/Desert with AJG and JTM, saw of note a Ring Ouzel, more Goldcrests, a couple of Chiffchaffs, a Brambling, Great and Green Woodpeckers and a Common Darter.

Fortunately the other eye is good

Common Darter in the trapping area

DW saw a Snow Bunting on the beach at The Point which flew off west. I walked along the beach from the sea watch hide to the Diamond and back in the hope of relocating the Bunting, needless to say I failed to find it or to see anything much of note apart from a late Small Tortoiseshell.

An early afternoon visit to the ARC from Hanson where the islands are quickly becoming submerged, saw 12 Black-tailed Godwits and c100 Lapwing among the usual Shoveler, Gadwall, Teal, Pintail and Wigeon. In the Willow Trail more Goldcrests, another Firecrest and 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers.

Still at least 6 Cattle Egrets at Boulderwall and Great White Egrets scattered around the reserve.

Mid afternoon till dusk in Makepiece Hide watching the Gulls come onto roost was disappointing, as only a small number came in. Just 2 1w Caspian Gulls and 4 Yellow-legged Gulls came in.

Caspian Gulls!

Yellow-legged gull by the Fish Shack

A mild, windy morning with frequent showers:

08.00-10.00 from the fishing boats:

Common Scoter: 3W

Red-throated Diver: 2W    1 on

Great-crested Grebe: 2 around

Gannet: 1,214W

Cormorant: present n/c

Turnstone: 1 around
Yellow-legged Gull: 1 around

Caspian Gull: 1 x 1w around

Kittiwake: 22W

Sandwich Tern: 16W including flock of 9

Auk sp 7W

Pied Wagtail: 2 around

Goldfinch: 140 over

Grey Seal: 1

 4 of the 17+ Caspian Gulls on Burrowes

Late this afternoon in the company of DW and SM 17+ Caspian Gulls and 9+ Yellow-legged Gulls came in to the roost on Burrowes Pit. 

 Czech Republic ringed adult Caspian Gull 008:U in the roost

A very mild morning at the fishing boats with heavy showers sometimes torrential.

Velvet Scoter past the fishing boats this morning

8.00-10.00 from the fishing boats joined by OL:
Teal:18E
Pintail: 1E
Common Scoter: 5W
Velvet Scoter: 1E    1W probably same bird
Red-breasted Merganser: 1W
Red-throated Diver: 1E    7W   3 on
Great-crested Grebe: 32 around
Gannet: 1,076W
Cormorant: c400 around
Great Skua: 3W
Kittiwake: 72W
Sandwich Tern: 6W
Razorbill: 1W
Auk sp: 48W
Goldfinch: 20W
An early afternoon visit to Scotney saw 5 Tree Sparrows, 2 Black Redstarts and a Little Owl but no sign of any Twite, also there the usual Lapwing and Golden Plover as well as all the feral geese. While I was at Scotney an adult male Hen Harrier was touring The Point and attempted to go out to sea but soon returned, unfortunately it had disappeared before I arrived at the fishing boats.

Goosander passing the fishing boats this afternoon 

14.00-15.30 from the fishing boats with RW, JTM & AJG.
Common Scoter: 2E

Goosander: 5W
Red-throated Diver: 1 on
Great-crested Grebe: 9 around
Gannet: c250 offshore
Kittiwake: c200 off shore
Sandwich Tern: 6 around
Razorbill: 1W
Auk sp: 22W
Common Seal: 1

Common Seal

JP281 Great Black-backed Gull today last seen by me on 04/10/2015

Late afternoon on the reserve, the Burrowes Pit Gull roost held at least 14 Caspian Gulls, including a yellow colour ringed 1w bird and a Green ringed adult, shame the birds were just 2 distant in the gloom to be able to read them.

Also on the reserve still at least 6 Cattle Egrets reported as well the usual Great White Egrets

The details of yellow ringed P:U65 1w Caspian Gull that was at the fishing boats on 08/11/2018 

Searching and Gulling!

 Red-throated Diver at the fishing boats

  Red-throated Diver at the fishing boats

Another morning spent around the fishing boat area searching for a rare Wheatear or scarce Bunting  and failing miserably.
08.00-13.00 Fishing boats area:
Brent Goose: 1E
Common Scoter: 5W
Red-throated Diver: 1W.     1 on
Great-crested Grebe: 9+ around
Gannet: 221W
Merlin: 1
Turnstone: 2 around
Curlew: 1W
Mediterranean Gull: 3E
Kittiwake: c200 around
Sandwich Tern: 2+ around
Stonechat: 2
Goldcrest: 3
Goldfinch: 410 over
Common Seal: 1
Harbour Porpoise: 1+

Sandwich Tern 

One of the many Gannets offshore

One of many Kittiwakes

 One of 8 Cattle Egrets at Boulderwall this afternoon

 Adult Caspian Gull in the Gull roost

3 Caspian Gulls came into Burrowes roost this afternoon along with 8 Yellow-legged Gulls.

1w Caspian Gull in the fading light

Caspian Gulls!

Sandwich Tern this morning

An hours sea watch this morning from the fishing boats was some what underwhelming, with a single Sandwich Tern and a few each of Gannets, Kittiwakes and Mediterranean Gulls, 10 Common Scoter flew west and Guillemots were offshore.

I walked the beach area around the new lighthouse to the research station then back to the sea containers in the hope of finding a Wheatear sp or a Bunting, needless to say I drew a blank on both counts. Checking the gull roost at the boats I came across V0WT Herring Gull a regular bird here.

 V0WT a Dungeness resident

 Around the sea containers a fly catching Black Redstart

As I walked towards the lifeboat station I spotted a 1w Caspian Gull bearing a Polish yellow ring. While photographing the Gull a Swallow flew out to sea.

After the Polish bird flew inland, another 1w bird with a distinctive bill came to the beach briefly before flying strongly out to sea.

 This bird made only a brief visit to the beach, 

2w Great Black-backed Gull JC782 is another regular on the beach here enjoying stranded Sea Mice

A lunch time walk to The Patch then on to the Diamond and back, in another failed quest for a rare Wheatear or Bunting I find 2 more Black Redstarts and another Swallow. 

This afternoon another hour at the fishing boats in the hope that the Tern sp seen at Greatstone might come past, if it did we missed it! also saw little else other than c150 Kittiwakes.

Late afternoon on the reserve 4 more Caspian Gulls came into roost 3 x 1w and lovely adult bird, also 6 Yellow-legged Gulls, 3 x adults, 2 x 3w and a 2w.

Earlier in the day 2 Spoonbills and 7 Cattle egrets were on the reserve, also the usual Great White Egrets. 

A very Quiet Day!

Another very mild day of southerlies and sunny spells. I joined JTM in walk around the area, apart from a few Song Thrushes, Goldfinches and Goldcrests very little was seen, JTM could hear some Firecrests which I'm afraid I am no longer able to hear unless they are very close.

On the reserve of note 6 Cattle Egrets by Cooks Pool, 9+ Great White Egrets scattered around Burrowes and a Goldeneye. In the small Great Black-backed Gull roost a couple more Norwegian rung birds. 

Some of the c400 Kittiwakes off the fishing boats this afternoon 

A short sea watch early afternoon saw c400 Kittiwakes loafing offshore with 3 Mediterranean Gulls, 2 Sandwich Terns feeding and 6 Great-crested Grebes, absolutely no passage of birds offshore this afternoon.

Great White Egret from Hanson this afternoon

From Hanson a Great White Egret strutting in front the hide, also a Water Rail and several Goldcrests in the Sallows. On the islands c100 Lapwing and a Black-tailed Godwit among the usual wildfowl.

Late afternoon from Makepiece 3 adult and 3w Yellow-legged Gull came into roost, as did a 1w Caspian Gull. 

In the MV over the last 2 nights just 3 Xylostella's and Silver Y, probably time to pack it away till next spring. 

White Billed Diver!

Today I joined MH & CT for what is a rare outing from Dungeness for me to Margate, to see the brilliant adult summer plumaged White Billed Diver found by Scott on Friday.

A short video of the Diver