27/06/2021

 A thoroughly miserable day with constant rain or drizzle with very low cloud all day. A male Marsh Harrier quartering the Rape field in front the house was my highlight, though a lovely male Pied Wagtail collecting food from the garden was a close second as it is a bird I have very rarely seen actually in the garden. The only news was a single Common Sandpiper on Burrowes per PT who was brave enough to walk round the reserve getting a soaking for his trouble. If the hides were open at Dungeness RSPB as seems to be the case every where else I would have ventured down to the reserve to observe the avian comings and going's. 

The image above shows the known history of orange colour ringed  Lesser Black-backed Gull that was in the Gull roost by the entrance track to the VC on Friday 25/06/202. It appears to spend most winters in Malaga Harbour.

26/06/2021

I joined SO and AJG who kindly collated the numbers at the sea watch hide this morning: 

06.00-07.30

Common Scoter: 36E         8W

Fulmar: 3W

Gannet: 51E

Cormorant: c20 around

Kittiwake: 1E

Black-headed Gull: c220 at The Patch including first juvenile of the year.

Mediterranean  Gull: 3E     2 at The Patch

Great Black Backed Gull: c30 at The Patch

Herring Gull: c100 at The Patch

Sandwich Tern: 14W    6E

Common Tern: 16E      12+ feeding offshore

Guillemot: 1W

After the sea watch we had a wander around the reserve, there was very little song to be heard today so hopefully all the warblers, finches etc are settled down to nesting. No change on Burrowes still 30+ pairs of Common Terns and the resident Herring, LesserBlack-backed and Common Gulls nesting, also 8 Sandwich Terns were flying around making plenty of noise. The wildfowl is all looking very scruffy as they go into eclipse, the only waders we saw were a handful of Lapwing and an Oystercatcher. At Dengemarsh this afternoon 2 Hobby's, 3 Ravens, Yellow Wagtails and Corn Buntings.

This afternoon at the ARC the Glossy Ibis still present on its favourite island, the usual male Marsh Harrier hunting the Coot but little else of note. 

Plenty of Linnets around the reserve, a very under rated bird.

Adding to a very fragile nest at Hookers today

2 of at least 6 Great White Egrets at Boulderwall this morning

Single Pyramid Orchid hideen among the brambles under the pines at the ARC

The moth trap catch continues to be poor. 5 of these Elephant Hawkmoth were as good as got today

25/06/2021

07.15-08.15 from the hide:

Common Scoter: 7E

Gannet: 3E  4W

Cormorant: 6W

Mediterranean Gull: 1E    1W

Common Tern: 1W

Auk sp: 1E

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 4+

Large mixed very distant feeding flock of c200 GBBG, HG, BHG.

Not much of a return for the time, at least it was dry in the hide.

A quick look around the fishing boats found 2 young Wheatears, then the rain started again.

At the ARC the Glossy Ibis was still on its favourite island gorging Medicinal Leeches,. On the Tern raft, there appears to be about 10 pairs of Common Terns but could be more or less as the visibility was poor. a family of Water Rails disappeared quickly into the reed bed in front the screen hide as hunting Marsh Harrier came over, hopefully I'll get my camera back from repair next week as my spare one is very slow to focus and the quality leaves a lot to be desired.

At Boulderwall 2 Great White Egrets were the highlights. A colour ringed (D9CT) Lesser Black-backed Gull was in the roost by the entrance track just before the VC. On Burrowes c30 pairs of Common Terns appear to be nesting on an island, unfortunately a Herring Gull is raising 3 chicks on the same island, so I'm guessing when the Terns hatch none will fledge as the Herring Gulls will have them as a live buffet.

The only waders I could see there was a Redshank and a single Lapwing. PT had a Green Sandpiper in the hay fields.

At Boulderwall 2 Great White Egrets were the highlights. A colour ringed (D9CT) Lesser Black-backed Gull was in the roost by the entrance track just before the VC. On Burrowes c30 pairs of Common Terns appear to be nesting on an island, unfortunately a Herring Gull is raising 3 chicks on the same island, so I'm guessing when the Terns hatch none will fledge as the Herring Gulls will use them 

The seemingly ever present Glossy Ibis yesterday still there today.

Poor image of Six Belted Clearwing at Dungeness yesterday

A rather attractive Grasshopper sp at Dungeness yesterday.

23/06/2021

AJG did an early morning sea watch 06.00-07.30:

Common Scoter: 6W

Gannet: 11E

Great White Egret: 1 out to sea

Kittiwake: 2W

Common Tern: 34E (one flock of 23)

Swallow: 1 in off the sea

A little better than of late which shows how poor the sea has been.

With my car in for service all day and having builders in I only walked down the track by the football club

and watched from home. Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers were all heard, a Cuckoo is still calling from nearby, a male Marsh Harrier hunted the ditches, the Yellow Wagtails were busy feeding young, likewise the resident Meadow Pipits, the local Common Buzzards appeared to be taking food into Lydd Wood. 2 Grey Herons circled over the fields gaining height until nearly lost to sight them drifted South East.

Apparently the Glossy Ibis was still at the ARC today, 20 Mediterranean Gulls were at The Patch, a male Hen Harrier was seen at Galloway's per DS, the highlight for Burrowes was a Brent Goose per OL, yesterday's highlight was a winter plumage Knot.

Meadow Pipit with a juicy Grasshopper for its young

Painted Lady basking on the track

An unknown caterpillar c75mm long

20/06/2021

Sedge Warbler

A walk around the reserve in the morning in the company of AJG unsurprisingly failed to find the Rosy Starling as it has been very elusive. A party of 8 Green Sandpipers were on the hay fields and still present in the evening when I repeated the walk. A family party of Bearded Tits again showed well by the pumps, Marsh Harriers were busy hunting and at least 5 Great White Egrets are present, Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers  seem to be abundant as does Reed Buntings, the Bittern however appears to have stopped booming and is very elusive, inly being seen in flight by the lucky few. The Glossy Ibis is still on its usual island on the ARC, where the usual summer build up of Pochard and Gadwall is occurring. The Hooded Crow deserted Greatstone and turned up at Dengemarsh and then in Lydd.

1 of a party of 8 Green Sandpipers on the hay fields

Hooded Crow by the dung heap at Dengemarsh

 

19/06/2021

AJG & SO did an early morning sea watch 06.00-08.00

Gannet: 6W

Mediterranean Gull: 1W

Sandwich Tern: 2W

Common Tern: 3W

Swift: 640W 

Apart from the Swifts a very quiet watch.

2 Young Black Redstarts that have been frequenting the power station perimeter wall

This week has been fairly slow avian wise, though all the usual Herons except the Cattle Egrets which have disappeared can be seen, along with the usual raptors, reed bed dwellers and wild fowl. A White Wagtail was feeding young on the hay fields was interesting to see. At Dengemarsh both Yellow Wagtail and Corn Bunting have bred and are feeding youngsters. Moth numbers have dropped now the cooler weather has arrived.

Nearby at Greatstone around the car park opposite the Jolly Fishrman PH the Hooded Crow continues its stay, it can be frustratingly elusive disappearing into the housing estate and making sots along to Littlestone. At Scotney hordes of Greylags, Canada, Egyptian and now even Barnacle Geese have raised young, among them all a single Greater White-fronted Goose. Now there are 3 Black Swans which are frequenting Dengemarsh, The ranges and the back fields of Scotney.

The Glossy Ibis is almost a permanent fixture on the ARC gorging on medicinal Leeches 

The Rosy Starling by the coral, the 4th I've seen at Dungeness this spring

A White Wagtail in the hayfield feeding young

A Yellow Wagtail waiting to feed its young at the hay fields. Appears to be mainly Hoverflies.

A family of Bearded Tits at Dengemarsh

A fresh looking Painted Lady in my garden this afternoon

Lime Hawkmoth from

 this mornings catch

 

Marsh Warbler

Marsh Warbler

Last Saturday evening I received a text from Dave Bunney say ing he thought he had a Marsh Warbler in his garden, a few minutes later I was on site speaking to Dave, he told me it could only really be seen from inside his lounge and invited me in to view. The bird showed almost immediately and several more times in the time I was there, allowing to get some images showing some of the salient features. Alas the bird disappeared overnight.

All these images were taken through the double glazed window

Its fairly quiet around Dungeness at the moment, though there is still plenty to see. The Glossy Ibis is still showing well on the ARC. Around the reserve plenty of Bearded Tits, occasional sightings of the Bitterns, lots of Reed, Sedge and Cetti's warblers and plenty of scruffy moulting wildfowl.

On the sea a few Mediterranean Gulls and Gannets, Terns are very scarce this year. 

2 Beautiful Marbled in the trap yesterday morning

 

Another Rosy Starling

Yesterday the 3rd Rosy Starling I have seen at Dungeness this spring turned up, at least 2 more have been seen on the reserve both of which I managed to miss. The weekend was very quiet avian wise, though there were many human visitors.

This bird was very mobile and disappeared into the power station complex

Corn Bunting at Scotney today

A morning walk around the reserve was very pleasant but typically quiet for the time of year. The usual reed bed warblers and Tits were all seen and heard, a glimpse of a Bittern, a Hobby and hunting Marsh Harriers and Common Buzzards.The Common Terns on Burrowes are pairing upland will hopefully pick a Herring Gull free island to nest on. The Glossy Ibis was on its usual Island on the ARC. 

A circuit of Scotney this afternoon, found 14 Avocets attempting to nest again, this time on an island so hopefully the Badgers won't get them, 4 Little-ringed Plovers, 4 Ringed Plovers and all the usual feral wild fowl. The fields were appeared to hold plenty of Skylarks, Corn Buntings and Yellow Wagtails.

Barnacle Goose with at least 2 goslings at Scotney today

 

10-12/06/2021

The last image I took of a Collared Pratincole before they all departed

The Greatstone Hooded Crow which took me 5 attempts to see it. It seems now that if you throw some bread out in the car park opposite the Jolly Fisherman PH, there is a good chance it will come into feed.

The Glossy Ibis is still strutting around the island on the ARC gorging itself on Medicinal Leech's. Marsh Harriers are much in evidence around the peninsular hunting for their young. Hobby's are having much better time now the warmer weather has arrived. A few more Common Terns have arrived on Burrowes and the ARC and look to be thinking about nesting. Reed, Sedge and Cetti's warblers are feeding young all around the reserve, as are Common and Lesser Whitethroats, Bearded Tits are much in evidence, but the Bitterns are keeping a low profile.

The Cormorant colony on the ARC can be a little noisy at the moment

The Boulderwall Barn Owls come out at all times of the day now they have young to feed

There are good numbers of Yellow Wagtails breeding around the peninsular, this one is in the field opposite my house.

A gorgeous visitor to my garden this morning, it represents the 150th species that I have seen from or in the garden. I think I'll put it on the pending list. I fear such a colourful bird won't last long in the wild. A Golden Oriole was reported within sight of my garden yesterday😳

This morning we had a super encounter with a Hare that totally ignored us.

Hares playing

A very washed out Painted Lady at Hookers today