29/10/2020

This Black-throated Diver was the highlight of this mornings sea watch, my first of the year.

Another very wet dark and dismal day at Dungeness. Sea watching this morning brightened up by the Black-throated Diver, otherwise it was the usual Gannets, Sandwich Terns, Auks, Gulls and 3 Merlins hunting. Another very short sea watch this afternoon saw very little. There doesn't seem to be much improvement in the weather for tomorrows birding.

1st calendar year Great Black-backed Gull JU581 ringed in Norway, its short life history is below.

Black-headed Gull and adult Mediterranean Gull

2nd cal year Mediterranean Gull

 

28/10/2020

Juvenile Arctic Skua at the fishing boats this morning

A thoroughly miserable day at Dungeness, with a mixture of gales, thunder storms and more general heavy rain meant sea watching was realistically the only birding to do, even that was curtailed early due to the strength of the rain and gales. I n the time at the boats this morning and for an hour this afternoon 16+ Arctic Skuas moved west, along with over a 1,000 Gannets, c300 Cormorants, 150+ Sandwich Terns a small number of Auks, a 1w Caspian Gull and a 1w Yellow-legged Gull, but very few Divers, Ducks and Geese, 3 Merlins hunting over the sea was nice though.

The possible Eastern YellowWagtail was not seen today, though not surprising considering the appalling weather. The 2 Glossy Ibis and 3 Cattle Egrets and several Great White Egrets were all seen.    

1 of a 1,000+ Gannets past the fishing boats today

Another 1w Caspian Gull makes a brief appearance at the fishing boats this morning

1w Yellow-legged Gull at the fishing boats this morning

 

26/10/2020

1st calendar year Caspian Gull at the fishing boats briefly this morning

This mornings sea watch was virtually a repeat of the lat few days, lots of Gannets, Sandwich Terns and Auks, with a bonus of a juvenile Pomarine Skua for those who got up early, sadly I didn't. Full details can be seen at https://www.trektellen.nl/count/view/2389/20201026

The Red-backed Shrike still at St Marys Bay today

Sadly this chap appears to have departed , so no pictures of it posing in the sunshine.

The adult and 2 juvenile Dark-bellied Brent Geese that have been frequenting the green at Littlestone 

Unusual sight of a Golden Plover on the beach at Littlestone

The 2 Glossy Ibis and 3+ Cattle Egrets, along with several Great White Egrets are still to be found around Cooks pool, along with usual birds around the reserve. The islands on the ARC are now fast disappearing so little of note seen here.

Adult Yellow-legged Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon

At the fishing boats this afternoon, probably Dutch.

 

An interesting Yellow Wagtail sp found by Sam and James at Dengemarsh this afternoon

23/10/2020

This mornings sea watch from the fishing boats with Sam Perfect and AJG who kindly kept the log:

07.10-09.10 from the fishing boats

Common Scoter: 4E  5W                           

Red-breasted Merganser: 1W                             

Red-throated Diver: 1W                     

Great-crested Grebe: 9 o/s 

Gannet: 186W

Cormorant: present n/c                                

Merlin: 2 around                                  

Oystercatcher: 5E                            

Knot: 3W                                       

Turnstone: 5 on beach                                        

Curlew: 1E                                       

Arctic Skua: 3 around                         

Great Skua: 2W                                   

Kittiwake: 6 down                                

Mediterranean Gull: 103W                                     

Sandwich Tern: 261W

Razorbill: 69W

Guillemot: 10W

Auk sp: 488W

White-fronted Geese opposite Scotney Farm Yard this morning

I had a long walk around the back of a breezy Scotney this morning, I came across a small flock of Tree Sparrows, a few Corn Buntings and a party of 14 White-fronted Geese, also I had my first 3 figure count of Egyptian Geese 104 there.😧 Also a trickle of Swallows heading Southeast. 

Passage Swallow

Swallow about to take an insect, pity it is not quite in focus.

The Shorelark by Littlestone Golf Course, St Marys Bay found by Alison Borlase this afternoon. As the area is like a Winalot advert it was amazing that it was still present at 17.20 when I left site, so hopefully it will still be there tomorrow.

The gorgeous and confiding Red-backed Shrike at Littlestone Golf Course, St Marys Bay today

22/10/2020

 .                            Merlin hunting over beach behind the fishing boats this morning

07.10-09.40 from the fishing boats with SP and AJG who collated the numbers:

Dark-bellied Brent Goose: 1E

Velvet Scoter: 1W drake

Common Scoter: 1W    2E

Red-throated Diver: 4W  

Gannet: 485W   

Cormorant: 680 pushed from Lade Bay by the Range Boats

Peregrine: 1 out

Merlin: 3 hunting around the beach

Sparrowhawk: 1 in off

Oystercatcher: 2W

Turnstone: 18E

Kittiwake: 2W

Black-headed Gull: 17W

Mediterranean Gull: 4W

Common Gull: 42W

Herring Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: 149W

Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 181W

Arctic Skua: 2 o/s

Great Skua: 1W

Razorbill: 9W

Skylark: 15N

Swallow: 31S

Alba Wagtail: 4 on beach

Rock Pipit: 2W

Goldfinch: 525W

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 2+

Another 90 minutes at the fishing boats this afternoon was very poor with juat a handful of Terns and Gannets.

German ringed 3rd calendar year Caspian Gull preening moments before being flushed by another Merlin

Life history of the 3rd calendar year Caspian Gull that was in the roost by the track to the VC this afternoon. Also an adult Yellow-legged Gull present.

At Boulderwall the 2 Glossy Ibis and 3 Cattle Egrets were still present this afternoon, along with a Great White Egret. 4 Black-tailed Godwits on Burrowes were the only notable birds seen there.

The islands on the ARC are disappearing quite quickly, so no surprise that it was very quiet avian wise there. 

20/10/2020

A slightly better sea watch today  

A surfing Red-throated Diver

My first Great Northern Diver of the year this morning

Just a lone Arctic Skua today chasing the Sandwich Terns

Common Scoter enjoying the surf toady

White-fronted Geese with Greylag and Canada Geese at Scotney today

The Dartford Warbler thats been in The Desert for a few days

A Common Redpoll trapped and ringed at the Observatory recently

Both Glossy Ibis still insitu at Cooks Pool with a Great White Egret. At least 3 Cattle Egrets present there again today. My first Goldeneye of the autumn was on Burrowes today. Apart from an increase in the number of Pintail there appeared to be very little else on Burrowes. The same was noted at the ARC today.

16/010/2020

Wheatear by the new lighthouse

07.00-09.00 & 12.30-13.30 from the fishing boats: Numbers kindly supplied by AJG:

Dark-bellied Brent Goose: 433W     49E

Greylag Goose: 2E

Shelduck: 36E

Wigeon: 76W  

Teal: 3W

Velvet Scoter: 10W a single flock

Red-throated Diver: 1W

Great-crested Grebe: 2 present 

Gannet: 63E    

Cormorant: present n/c

Black-headed Gull: present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 1E

Common Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 27W     12 o/s

Great Skua: 2E

Arctic Skua: 3W

A gorgeous Pallas's Warbler trapped and ringed today at the Observatory

Looking miffed but showing its crown stripe 

Common/Meally Redpoll trapped and ringed at the observatory

Around the area still plenty of Redpolls, Siskins, Goldfinches, Chaffinches and a few Crossbills over, in the bushes plenty of Chiffchaffs, Goldcrests and a small number of Firecrests and at least 1 Yellow-browed Warbler also a few Blackcaps, also Song Thrushes and Redwings with small numbers of Fieldfare and at least 2 Ring Ouzels. Up to 3 Short-eared Owls were seen, a flock of 8 Great White Egrets flew out to sea but seem to have changed there mind, as I saw at least 3 flying back north with others being reported. The reserve and the ARC seem to have been very quiet with just the long staying pair of Glossy Ibis being seen, the usual Great White Egrets but no reports of any Cattle Egrets. Herons Park this afternoon was alive with Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests but once again I failed to find an eastern sprite.