Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull!

First thing this morning at The Patch a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, a juvenile and adult Mediterranean Gull and a North Thames ringed Herring Gull F8ZT, which is regular around Dungeness with very little else. As the boil is still barely a ripple very little is attracted to it.
At the ARC it was much the same as yesterday, though lots more Swifts around.

 This juvenile Cuckoo was viewed from the reserve entrance track this morning also a Hobby over. Another Hobby was hawking over the Long Pits.

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon

14.20-16.05 from the fishing boats with JTM, AJG and CB:
Common Scoter: 11E
Fulmar: 1W
Gannet: 5E   16W
Arctic Skua: 2W
Kittiwake: 19W
Mediterranean Gull: 6W
Yellow-legged Gull: 1 juvenile around
Sandwich tern: 4E
Common Tern: 18W
Swift: 134 out
Sand Martin: 47 out
Harbour Porpoise: 1

 Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull

Fulmar past the fishing boats this afternoon

This evening Firth hide was disappointing as I was convinced the drizzle would have dropped something in, but it was not to be.

 Distant image of Pectoral Sandpiper Right and Curlew Sandpiper left through the heavy drizzle

As there was very little avian wise at Dungeness this morning myself, AJG & JTM took a trip to the Pannel Valley at Pett. The drizzle started just before we arrived and continued for most the time we were there. On the scrape the Curlew Sandpiper was showing distantly and was soon joined by the Pectoral Sandpiper, also there 2 Greenshanks, one of which was Portuguese colour ringed individual, also several Little Ringed Plovers, a Juvenile Marsh Harrier and 10 Little Egrets of note.

 Bedraggled juvenile Marsh Harrier

 Greenshank that is part of a Portuguese colour ringing scheme

 Little Ringed Plover with young

Massive crop on the elusive Ferruginous Duck

We had a look for the Ferruginous Duck before we went up the Pannel Valley but soon gave up in the driving drizzle, on our return a couple of hours later DB and family were there and watching the duck, which was always distant and constantly disappearing behind the Reeds, so not the most satisfactory views.

 The fisherman on the beach this afternoon were reeling in Pouting virtually every cast, so the Gulls got well fed.
15.00-16.45 from the fishing boats with AJG & JTM:
Common Scoter: 4E    1W
Great-crested Grebe: 1 around
Gannet: 9W   1E
Cormorant: 7 around
Mediterranean Gull: 3W
Kittiwake: 3W
Sandwich tern: 15W
Common Tern: 36W   6 around
Guillemot: 1W
Harbour Porpoise: 2+
Grey Seal: 1

A7TT at the fishing boats this afternoon

 2nd calendar year Belgian ringed Herring Gull H908051 joined us at the fishing boats, it has been present since at least last November.

At the ARC late afternoon the first 2 Golden Plovers of the Autumn,  3 Ruff, 4 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Common & a Green Sandpiper, Greenshank, 8 Redshanks, 2 LRP, 2 Garganey all the usual wildfowl & 100s of Sand Martins.

It's been a good a year for Sussex Emeralds, though the ones that have reached my trap have all seen better days.

 Fox on the track to Hanson this morning

Birding around the peninsular has been very slow in the last couple of days. On the reserve up to 3 Ruff, 2 Greenshanks, 8 Redshanks, 6 Ringed Plover, 4 Little Ringed Plovers, 10 Dunlin, singles of Common and Green Sandpiper, 6 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 seemingly resident Little Gulls and up to 4 Garganey among the 100s each of Pochards, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Shoveler, Mallard and Coot. The Common Terns are now fledging and seem to have been fairly successful. 

As is usual on the peninsular every July 1,000s of Sand Martins are passing through, also a few Swifts and Yellow Wagtails.

The Patch is still not working so Gull numbers are very poor, though along the walk to The patch there are lots of young Meadow Pipits and House Sparrows with a some Wheatears and Black Redstarts.

Hopefully in the next couple of weeks sea watching will start to be a little more rewarding.

14.00-15.30 from the board walk with JTM and AJG who collated the numbers:

Great-crested Grebe: 1W

Gannet: 11W
Mediterranean Gull: 2E
Sandwich Tern: 5W
Common Tern: 12W
Sand Martin: 219 out

 Ringed Plover at Firth yesterday evening

 Juvenile Mediterranean Gull at Firth this evening

 The first Small Phoenix  to make it into my trap 

 Blackneck a regular visitor to the trap

A Buff Arches a regular but gorgeous visitor to my trap

Greenshanks from Hanson this morning

3 visits to Hanson this today saw 2 Greenshank, 5 Redshank, 6 Dunlin, 3 adult male Ruff, a Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Little Gulls, 4 Sandwich Terns, a Water Rail on the path and Great White Egret  of note. This evening there 100s of Sand & House Martins hawking over the lake. 

Early afternoon over the fields in front of my house 100+ Sand Martins, 30+ House Martins and 20+ Swallows all hawking an insect hatching.

The sea is still uninspiring, but hopefully will improve after some stormy weather.
14.40-16.00 from the fishing boats:
Common Scoter: 6E
Gannet: 37W
Oystercatcher: 2E
Mediterranean Gull: 1W adult
Sandwich Tern: 2E
Common Tern: 8 around
Sand Martin: 42 S
Harbour Porpoise: 4+
Grey Seal: 1
Very quiet at Firth tonight just a couple of Ringed Plovers and a Green Sandpiper of note.

Firth Hide!

This juvenile Song Thrush that was foraging around the pots on my small patio early this morning is the first that I have seen in the garden, I look for ward to seeing more.

Most Grey Wagtails I see on the peninsular are usually high flying specks picked up on call, so I was delighted that this young bird dropped onto the mud in front of Firth Hide last evening for a few minutes to bathe before moving on.

 This Curlew also dropped into Burrowes for a few minutes to bathe before moving on last evening.

 This juvenile Mediterranean Gull dropped in for a few minutes to preen yesterday evening

This adult also dropped in for a few minutes to preen

 1 of 6 Dunlin present yesterday evening

 A Green Sandpiper from Firth yesterday evening

There were 3 Little Ringed plovers at Firth yesterday evening

3 of the 5 Black-tailed Godwits that dropped in to feed last evening 

Firth was very productive last evening, joining the above  were  many Common Terns bathing and resting including juveniles, 2 Sandwich Terns, a Garganey was still present and still asleep, 4 Ringed Plovers, a Common Sandpiper, 2 Redshanks, a Cuckoo flew across the lake, a trickle of Sand Martins moving south and 10+ Swifts. The 2 Little Gulls were still present on the ARC also the Ruff still there. The Serin was still singing at littlestone Friday PM.

 This Greenshank dropped into Firth for less than a minute early this morning

Probably the same Greenshank in front of Hanson a little later

The biggest surprise in my moth trap this morning an Emperor Dragonfly