The Last Few days!

 Stunning male Brambling was a nice early morning surprise a few days ago

Spotted Flycatcher 1 of several that have arrived in the last few days

With lots going on domestically the last couple of weeks I haven't been able to update the blog daily but hope to get back to normal from now on. Above and below are images of the highlights of the last few days. The Littlestone Serin is still singing and showing well, a Bee-eater was seen at lade, at least 2 Garganey are frequenting the ARC, also a single immature Great White Egret remains around the reserve. Bitterns and Bearded Tits seem to be showing themselves much more readily. 

 Whiskered Tern

On the 20th Burrowes Pit hosted a Whiskered Tern which was joined by a Roseate Tern in the afternoon. On the Islands a bit of a wader fest with Curlew, Whimbrel, Bar-tailed Godwits, Knot, Grey Plover, Sanderling, Dunlin, Ringed Plovers, Little Ringed Plover and Oystercatchers.

 Roseate Tern

Roseate Tern with the Whiskered Tern giving a fly by

Firecrest trapped at the observatory

 Todays superb male Red-backed Shrike in The Moat, a second bird was found at the ARC late afternoon by JH.

I saw the Bittern 6 times today as it flew from Boulderwall to the Tower Pits and back

 Great Tit nesting in a traffic cone in the VC car park, there's also a pair of Blue Tits feeding young in a Life Ring in the pumping station at the Long Pits.

Black Terns & Poms!

Most of a flock of 45 Black Terns  passing the bouy

Another cold morning with a strong NE wind, is it really the middle of May?
05.20-10.00 with AJG, OL, JTM, SM, JH & Peter
Shelduck; 2E   2 in off over the power station.
Common Scoter: 16E   163W
Black-throated Diver: 3E
Great-crested Grebe: 4 around
Fulmar: 1E
Gannet: 161E     36W
Cormorant: c50 around
Peregrine: 1 around
Oystercatcher: 8E
Grey Plover: 1E
Sanderling: 59E
Knot: 8E
Turnstone: 1E
Dunlin: 3E
Pomarine Skua: 17E
Arctic Skua: 4E
Kittiwake: 3E
Little Tern: 1E
Black Tern: 60E     1 at The Patch
Sandwich Tern: 147E
Common Tern: 322E
Arctic Tern: 136E
Common/Arctic Tern: 601E
Auk sp: 8E.    2W
Swallow: 10 in
Swift: 1 in
Harbour Porpoise: 8+
Grey Seal: 1
Common Seal: 1

3 of the 17 Pomarine Skuas including a dark phase bird, all a bit distant.

The Littlestone Serin is still present and singing the pines at J/of Madeira Road/St Andrews Road.

A Spoonbill flew over Boulderwall Fields at 12.30 per JH.

Poms and A Serin!

A really poor image of 5 of 26 Pomarine Skua that passed Dungenesss today

 05.30-07.45 with AJG who kindly collated the numbers:
Shoveller: 9E
Common Scoter: 86E   5W
Great-crested Grebe: 4 around
Fulmar: 6E
Gannet: 96E
Cormorant: present n/c
Oystercatcher: 4E
Grey Plover: 8E
Whimbrel: 4E
Bar-tailed Godwit: 20E
Sanderling: 22E
Pomarine Skua: 1E
Kittiwake: 13E
Sandwich tern: 89E
Common/Arctic tern: 102E
Auk sp: 12E
Harbour Porpoise: 3+ around
Grey Seal 1 around

Courtesy of a call from Jacques this morning I was able to see and photograph this Tree Pipit he caught which was the definite highlight of a meagre haul in the nets this morning.

A poor image of a Corn Bunting which was part of a flock of at least 18 feeding in the Broome, a scarce bird on The Point.

The superb Serin at Littlestone which was found by Neil Frampton yesterday while he was looking after his grandchild I believe.

Yesterdays stunning male Common Redstart caught by Jacques. once again many thanks for the call.

The blog will be updated as when I can, due to some on going domestic issues at the moment.

Few Migrants!

Common Whitethroat 

A very quiet day around the peninsular with very few migrants. Very few birds made it into the nets the highlights being  a Garden Warbler and a Sedge Warbler. Elsewhere a Whinchat, a Spotted Flycatcher and 2 Common Redstarts were reported. Up to 5 hobby's at the ARC were noted.

On the sea a couple of Arctic Skuas and a few Common Scoter, Sandwich and Common Terns.

Garden Warbler

Sedge Warbler

Nightingale MIss!

The early mornings finally caught up with me today as I slept through the alarm and didn't wake up till gone 07.00. By then I'd already missed a call from Jacques about a Nightingale he'd trapped.

When I finally arrived at the observatory I did a couple of net rounds with Jacques but only a single Common Whitethroat was caught and processed, 2 Wheatears were around The moat.

I next went to The Patch without any real hope of finding anything interesting, which was was just as well as the highlight was 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Back at the car park the resident male Peregrine was upsetting the Herring Gulls and a female Black Redstart was collecting food.

 Cattle Egret over the hay field taken last weekend

A walk around the Hay fields with the wind picking up all the time, 3+ Hobby's, a Corn Bunting and a few Swifts of note were seen,  Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers were all heard but no sign of any of the Cattle Egrets or Wood Sandpiper.

Corn Bunting at Dengemarsh flood

Avocet at The Midrips

Another disappointing walk along The Midrips saw 10 Avocets, a Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Dunlin, * Ringed Plover, 4 Redshank, 18 Shelduck, 2 Wheatears and a Marsh Harrier. 

Gannet west past the fishing boats this afternoon

14.00-16.15 from the fishing boats with AJG and JTM
Brent Goose: 4E
Common Scoter: 21E   23W
Great-crested Grebe: 6 around
Fulmar: 1E . 1W
Gannet: 47W
Arctic Skua: 3E
Kittiwake: 18W
Mediterranean Gull: 3W all 1st summer birds
Sandwich Tern: 89W
Common Tern: 49W
Guillemot: 3E
Auk sp: 13E
Swift: 3 in
Swallow: 4 in
Harbour Porpoise: 3+
A brief look from Dennis's Hide late afternoon saw a Greenshank, 2 Dunlin and c100 Common terns of note.

Black Terns!

1 of the many Black Terns at Dungeness today

Even in the shelter of the crowded sea watch hide this morning it was very wet at times as the southerly wind drove the rain in, our optics needed regular cleaning as there was plenty to see. The first 2 Pomarine Skuas sailed past as only Poms can close to shore, on the downside knowing how wet the hide was going to be I left my camera safely locked up in the car.
05.15-13.00 with CP, AJG, CF, JTM et al
Teal: 2E
Common Scoter: 53E   47W
Red-throated Diver: 2E
Black-throated Diver: 1E
Great-crested Grebe: 14 around
Fulmar: 48E   4W
Manx Shearwater: 7E
Gannet: 518E   127W
Oystercatcher: 1E   1W
Ringed Plover: 1E
Bar-tailed Godwit: 11E
Knot: 8E
Dunlin: 5E   9W
Great Skua: 5E
Pomarine Skua: 5E
Arctic Skua: 4E
Kittiwake: 6E
Little Tern: 13E
Sandwich Tern: 390E
Common/Arctic Tern: 2,602
Black Tern: 92E
Guillemot: 1E
Auk sp: 7E   1W
Swift: 1 in
Swallow: 10 in
Grey Seal: 1
Harbour Porpoise: 1+
The rain today dumped many Black Terns on the reserve today, along with a few waders, Knot, Dunlin, Common Sandpipers, Bar-tailed Godwits, Whimbrel, Turnstone and Grey Plover.

At least 50 Black Terns graced Burrowes Pit today

 Many Common Terns are now to be seen on the reserve

A Brown Hare running along the beach this afternoon

Kentish Plover!

A 12 hour sea watch today with the undoubted highlight being the Kentish Plover

 A poor image taken through the heat haze from the pebbles of the Kentish Plover that flew in from the sea, landed briefly before departing West. (Could easily turn up at Rye Harbour LNR)

 05.30-17.30 joined throughout the day at various times by AJG, GH, OL, MH, CP, JTM, SM et al
Brent Goose: 12E
Shelduck: 4E     4in
Tufted Duck: 2E
Garganey: 2E
Common Scoter: 373E.  119W
Red-throated Diver: 11E
Black-throated Diver: 3E
Great-crested Grebe: 18 around
Fulmar: 4E.   2 around
Gannet: 343E   17W
Cormorant: 37 around
Oystercatcher: 14E.    8W
Kentish Plover: 1 adult male in then west 
Sanderling: 4E
Dunlin: 4 in then West
Bar-tailed godwits: 11E
Whimbrel: 21E
Great Skua: 5E
Pomarine Skua: 1E
Arctic Skua: 8E
Little Gull: 1E
Kittiwake:11E
Little Tern: 16E
Sandwich Tern: 384E   19W
Common Tern: 186E
Arctic Tern; 94E
Common /Arctic Tern: 2,075E
Black Tern: 5E
Guillemot: 3E
Auk sp: 29E.   6W
Sand Martin: 1 in
Swallow: 34 in
Carrion Crow: 3 in

As I drive the short distance to the beach this morning the car was bleeping ice warnings at me! Giving me a foreboding that this morning sea watch was going to be poor, it was not poor it was dire! especially considering that it is the 5th of May!
O5.30-08.00 with AJG, SO, MB et al
Shoveler: 1W
Common Scoter: 23W
Great-crested Grebe: 12 around
Fulmar: 2E
Gannet: 147E   43W
Cormorant: present n/c
Oystercatcher: 1W
Arctic Skua: 1E
Mediterranean Gull: 1E (1st Summer)
Common Gull: 18E
Kittiwake: 4W
Sandwich Tern: 158E   19W
Common Tern:107E
Common/Arctic Tern: 40E
Auk sp: 1E
Harbour Porpoise: 5+

Tree Sparrows at Scotney deciding which way to go

A Long walk out the back of Scotney was pleasant but cold in the a stiff NW breeze. As I walked towards the farm the remains of 2 Mute Swans and an Avocet were laying on the grass under the power lines.

 At the farm a female Yellow Wagtail was pulling cows hairs off the barb wire for nesting material.

Tree Sparrows and Yellow Wagtail feeding in the hay

The regular Little Owl was in its usual spot on the crates having been missing the last few times I looked for it. A Hobby zipped across the farm yard in pursuit of a Swallow that was far too agile for it.

Tree Sparrows and Yellow Wagtails were seemingly all around the yard and Swallows were prospecting for nest sites.

On the back lakes at least 34 Avocets were present with 16 looking like they were on eggs, hopefully the Badgers wont be able to get out to them and there is enough of them to deter the Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls. My first Common Sandpiper of the year was with a Ringed Plover on another island, but disappointingly no other waders were present.

 As I continued my wander Yellow Wagtails and Swifts were numerous as were Reed Buntings and Linnets, just small numbers of Corn Buntings, another Little Owl, several Common Buzzards, 2 Marsh Harriers were seen. 
Another sea watch this afternoon from the fishing boats was vast improvement to this mornings watch.
13.40-16.40 with AJG who collated the numbers:
Shelduck: 2E
Common Scoter: 60E  5W
Red-throated Diver: 5E
Great-crested grebe: 16 around
Fulmar: 4E
Gannet: 73E
Cormorant: Present n/c
Shag: 1E  a scarce bird at Dungeness.
Bar-tailed Godwit: 8E
Great Skua: 3E
Arctic Skua: 3E
Little Gull: 8E
Kittiwake: 3E
Little Tern: 17E
Sandwich Tern: 218E
Common Tern: 24E
Arctic Tern: 11E
Common/Arctic Tern: 117E
Guillemot: 1W
Auk sp: 3W
Swallow 1 in