15/05/2026

An early morning Bittern at the ARC

Garganey still at the ARC, another was on the Boulderwall flood this evening

 A Friday Birders Club away day to Rye Harbour LNR today, a long walk all the way round seeing plenty of birds and finishing back at the car park to feast on Owens home made Madeira Cake and Tea, an excellent day out with excellent company, we must do it more often.

Sadly the only Little Tern we saw at Rye Harbour LNR today

Good to see some Sandwich Terns Nesting

11 species of wader were seen including this Red Knot

This Spoonbill was a nice surprise 

White-fronted Goose at Castle Water

14/05/2026

Another very cold May sea watch this morning, the highlights were 23 Manx Shearwaters moving West along with 80+ Kittiwakes.

I've been hearing a Green Woodpecker from my garden daily and today I finally spotted it out in the field on one of the telegraph poles.
 

In between the showers several Hobbys were hunting over the ARC complex this afternoon, a drake Garganey was on the main lake from Hanson with a handful of Dunlin, a Redshank and 2+ Avocets. Plenty of Swifts were around especially during the showers along with Swallows. House and Sand Martins.

13/05/2026

Meadow Pipit on the perimeter wall

A single Arctic Skua and 109 Kittiwakes were the highlights of a 90 minute sea watch this morning.

In 4 visits to the ARC today the highlight was a party of 7 Sanderling dropping in immediately after one of the very heavy showers. The showers also dropped large numbers of Hirundines and Swifts which quickly melted away as each shower cleared.

Sanderling and Avocets

Black-headed Gulls sitting out a thunder and hail storm at the ARC

Lesser Whitethroat at Dennis's

 

12/05/2026

Early morning in the frost at Hanson 6 Avocets, 2 Common Sandpipers, 4 Ringed Plovers and 2 pairs of Oystercatchers along with several pairs og Black-headed Gulls and Common Terns. In the reeds and bushes the Warblers were in full song despite the cold but not a breath of wind. By the track the first Southern Marsh Orchids are now blooming.

Frost on the picnic table at Hanson early this morning

Southern Marsh Orchid at the ARC

At Boulderwall the Lapwing chicks are growing apace while dicing with death by pushing through the anti predator fence and running along the track🙄 Along towards Dengemarsh 4 Fox cubs were out exploring there new world.

Lapwing Chick Boulderwall flood

Fox cubs along the bridleway

From the viewing ramp 5+ Hobbys, Bittern, Bearded Tits, Marsh Harriers and more Warblers.

Bittern from the ramp

Hobbys from the ramp

At Dengemarsh the new rafts are attracting the Common Terns, as the Herring Gulls seem to be settled on there nests on the islands the Terns should hopefully be relatively safe. Ther was still 2 Yellow billed Great White Egrets there today.

Great-crested Grebes at Dengemarsh

Sqabbling Common Terns at Dengemarsh

Female Pochard at Dengemarsh

Drake Pochard at Dengemarsh

11/05/2026

Singing male Wheatear

 A very cold with a touch of frost start to the day at the ARC found no sign of the Temminck's Stints, a few Common Terns and Avocets, a Whimbrel, Redshank, a Common Sandpiper and a 3 Ringed Plover on the islands, all the usual Reed bed Warblers were singing and a Hobby flew over, there was no sign of yesterdays birds on the Boulderwall Flood.

At The Point a singing Wheatear was pretty much the highlight there.

A slightly dejected Hobby at Dengemarsh in the rain

The reserve was unsurprisingly quiet in the wet and cold, but lots of Hirundines were feeding low over the lakes, a couple of Grey Plover and Redshanks were feeding on the islands among the nesting Herring Gulls. A Cuckoo was calling at Hookers and a Garganey was flushed from hayfield 2 and disappeared into Dengemarsh, where the several pairs of Common Terns are showing interest in the newly deployed Tern rafts, a Bittern was calling from the usual spot there where hopefully he has a mate nearby, there only appears to be one Bittern calling this year.

Swallow

Sand Martin

House martin

Common Swift

09-10/05/2026

Today felt like an end of season sea watch, I doubt many more Skuas will be seen this spring here.

Dark phase Pomarine Skua passing the Dungeness Bouy

                                    A flock of 4 Pomarine Skua passing the Dungeness Bouy

                                                           Dark phase Pomarine Skua 

Some of a flock of 8 Pomarine Skuas passing East in the awful haze

Whimbrel and a Bar-tailed Godwit

A very cold Sunday with a stiff North wind produced a very poor early morning sea watch, the Temminck's Stints were still at Boulderwll though relocated to the ARC late afternoon, wher 3 Sanderling and a Dunlin were on the islands, the drake Garganey was still present.

One of 3 Temminck's Stints on the Boulderwall Flood

Temminck's Stints flying off to the ARC

A drake Garganey with a presumed Yellow-billed Pintail

                                    A drake Garganey with a presumed Yellow-billed Pintail

Sanderling at the ARC

Grey Plover on Burrowes

Lapwing Chick(2 taken by a Grey Heron this afternoon)

Great-crested Grebes with young on their backs on the Boulderwall Flood

Reed Bunting singing in a cloud of midges

A Puss Moth, the 3rd this year to grace my trap