A good day on The Point

Star of the day was undoubtedly the Ortolan bunting found by DW and NG. A smart bird though quite flighty, never really allowing close approach. Other grounded migrants included a bright male Redstart, 12+ Wheatears, 3+ Willow Warblers and a Whinchat a rarity in spring now. Sea watch totals below.



O5.00-16.15 Myself +TG+JHRC+DW et al With an hours break to admire the Ortolan:
Red-throated Diver: 8E
Black-throated Diver: 13E
Gannet: 48E
Fulmar: 36E
Shelduck: 17W
Common Scoter: 243E
Bar-tailed Godwit: 98E
Whimbrel: 26E
Curlew: 1E
Grey Plover: 32E
Dunlin: 10E
Arctic Skua: 14E
Pomarine Skua: 22E (1,5,1,15)
Great Skua: 3E
Black Tern: 1 on The Patch
Commic Tern: 1298E
Sandwich Tern: 547E
Swift: 21 in off
Swallow: 64 In off

Elusive Migrants

On the ARC Pit and New Diggings this morning Hundreds of Swallows, House Martins, Swifts and a few Sand Martins. At the south end 2 Little Ringed Plovers, a Wheatear, 4+ Yellow Wagtails and at least 1 Channel Wagtail. An hour and half in the sea watch hide produced very little of note apart from a Black Tern on The Patch. After hearing that a Nightingale had been seen in the lighthouse garden I made my way there. Shortly after arriving at the garden I heard the Nightingale and got a very brief view of it. While trying to get a better view a male Pied Flycatcher briefly appeared and then disappeared as soon as I called DW and DB. While waiting for it to reappear, a bird flew out of the hedge at the back of the garden straight towards us over our heads out into a patch of Gorse. A Wryneck! Which disappeared completely. In the same patch the "Rubicola" Stonechat and mate were flit6ting around. In the lighthouse garden the Pied Flycatcher showed several more times briefly right at the back. Also seen 2 Willow Warblers, a Blackcap, a Common Whitethroat, a Lesser Whitethroat and male Common Redstart flew out to the Gorse. 

 4 Pomarine Skuas which I missed looking for the Pied gave TG the incentive to sea watch from the fishing boats. Shortly after arriving at the boats he called to say to more Poms had just gone past. A few minutes later I joined him 15.25-16.55:
Black-throated Diver: 1E
Fulmar: 22W
Gannet: 80W
Common Scoter: 7W
Avocet: 4E
Bar-tailed Godwit: 174E
Whimbrel: 1E
Great Skua: 1E
Pomarine Skua: 3E  2 of which I missed!
Arctic Skua: 14E
Little Gull: 1E
Common Tern: 226E
Kittiwake: 114E
Swallow: 5 in off

Cute Killer

Trawling through thousands of pictures today, came across this one I missed first time round taken in Antarctica last year. Got to be the cutest Killer!

Channel Wagtails of Blue Headed Wagtails

With the rain battering the bedroom window when the alarm went this morning, I could not raise my spirits high enough to get up. When I did rise the rain got heavier with strong NE winds  I was going nowhere today. Besides Mondays forecast looks good with a return to southerlies.
Sorting through yesterdays pictures I came across the 2 below. Pit about the quality the heat haze was terrible yesterday honest.

 Record of Channel or Blue Headed Wagtails 3of at least 5 present

Record of Channel or Blue Headed Wagtails 3 of at least 5 present yesterday. The left hand bird was displaying.

Nightingale Survey and Dungeness

05.00 at the Military Canal at Warehorne plodding around the tetrad looking for Nightingales. Two hours  and no Nightingales, but seems to be more Blackcaps, Whitethroats and Lesser Whitethroats.
Joined TG in a full sea watch hide at 07.30. These are the totals recorded by TG from 05.30-09.30 and from the fishing boats 14.15-16.45:
Red-throated diver: 5E
Black-throated Diver: 2E
Fulmar: 5W
Gannet: 207W
Brent Geese: 14E
Common Scoter: 139E
Whimbrel: 12E
Bar-tailed Godwit: 12E
Turnstone: 7 on beach
Little Gull: 1 off shore
Kittiwake: 14W
Common Tern: 593E
Sandwich Tern: 61E
Great Skua: 32E
Arctic Skua: 29E
House Martin: 2 in off
Swallow: 12 in off
At the south end of the ARC Pit 5 Channel Wagtails, 6 Yellow Wagtails, 1 White Wagtail, 2 Little Ringed Plovers and 3 Swifts over.

 At Scotney 3 Little Gulls,6 Whimbrel, 8 Dunlin, 1 Redstart, 2 Willow Warblers, 1 Cuckoo and 2 Marsh Harriers. At Boulderwall Farm 10+ Tree Sparrows, 9 Swifts overhead, 4 Whimbrel beside the entrance track and 4+ Marsh Harriers.

Another Great Days Sea Watching

Another great days sea watching. Not as busy as yesterday but certainly alot more comfortable.
06.00-11.45 from the sea watch hide and 14.00-17.00 from The Point:
Red-throated Diver: 10E
Black-throated diver: 16E
Fulmar: 27W
Manx Shearwater: 2W
Gannet: N/C some off shore
Brent Goose: 62E
Pochard: 4E
Goldeneye: 2E
Common Scoter: 675E
Red-breasted Merganser: 3E
Merlin: 1 in off
Whimbrel: 21E
Bar-tailed Godwit: 45E
Dunlin: 2E
Sanderling: 5E
Oystercatcher: 6E
Great Skua: 66E
Arctic Skua: 44E
Kittiwake: 16 W
Mediterranean Gull: 4+ off shore
Yellow-legged Gull: 1 off shore
Little Tern: 6 off shore
Commic Tern: 148E + c250 on The Patch
Sandwich Tern: 95E
Tawny Pipit: 1 in at The Point and flew west (TG,MC)
This evening 2 Blue-headed Wagtails at south end of the ARC Pit per TG 

Superb Dungeness Sea watch

A superb pink blushed Little Gull

Black Tern

06.00-16.00 from a very soggy sea watch hide:
Red-throated Diver: 3E
Black-throated Diver: 25E
Fulmar: 153E    Blue Fulmar: 2E
Manx Shearwater: 3E
Gannet: 1493E  416W
Common Scoter: 272E
Velvet Scoter: 2E
Bar-tailed Godwit: 34E
Whimbrel: 4E
Grey Plover: 2E
Black Tern: 9E
Little Tern: 19E
Common Tern: 1702E
Arctic Tern: 37E
Sandwich Tern: 843E
Great Skua: 123E
Arctic Skua: 41E
Pomarine Skua: 1E
Kittiwake: 20W
Little Gull: 82E
Yellow-legged Gull: 2 off shore
Auk sp.: 35W
Swallow: 1 in off
An excellent days sea watching in great company.

Swifts

A couple of hours sea watch 08.00-10.00 was rather slow this morning with:

Diver sp.: 1E

Gannets: N/C but small numbers mainly moving west

Common Scoter: 26E

Merlin: 2 in off

W£himbrel: 4E

Arctic Skua: 2E

Little Tern: 1E

Arctic Tern: 1E

Common Terns: c170 off shore

Mediterranean Gull: 1W

Swift: 5 in off

Black Redstart: 1 Singing behind the hide.



 On the reserve 6 Whimbrel by the entrance track. On Burrowes of note 9 Swifts, 20+ Swallows, 10+ House Martins and 2 Wigeon. A northern Wheatear at Christmas Dell. On Dengemarsh 2 Garganey, 1 Ruff, 1 Black-tailed Godwit and the Bittern could be heard booming.

 Another hours sea watch this afternoon produced 4 Arctic Skuas in one flock, and a few Kittiwake, Gannets, Common and Sandwich Terns.

At the south end of the ARC Pit this afternoon 2 Ringed Plovers, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Oystercatchers, 14 Yellow Wagtails, 5 White Wagtails and a Little Egret.

A Soggy Dungeness Seawatch

From the seawatch hide 07.00- 15.00:
Black-throated Diver: 6E
Diver sp: 3E
Fulmar: 3E 16W
Manx Shearwater: 7E  9W
Gannet: 224E  248W
Brent Geese: 20E
Common Scoter: 342E
Shelduck: 6E
Oystercatcher: 2E
Knot: 1E
Bar-tailed Godwit: 243E
Whimbrel: 10E
Arctic Skua: 30E
Great Skua: 58E
Kittiwake: 24W
Little Gull: 22E 1 flock
Black Tern: 4E
Sandwich Tern: 122E
Common Tern: 1194E
Guillemot: 1 on sea
Razorbill: 1 on sea
Auk sp.: 129W
Swallow 1 in off
Harbour Porpoise: 3+ off shore

Another Plod

I arrived at the Military Canal at Warehorne at 05.00 for a dawn start of this tetrad which drew a blank for Nightingales yesterday. By 08.00 I had plodded around all the suitable habitat and still no Nightingales. I did find my first Lesser Whitethroat of the year, but for some reason the dawn chorus was very quiet and short lived. I feel sure I will find Nightingales there some time next week.
A sea watch from the hide 10.00-11.15 was very poor:
Gannet: 17E  6W
Common Scoter: 48E
Bonxie: 2E
Swallow: 1 in off
Linnet: 4 in off
Harbour Porpoise: 2 off shore.

At the ARC Pit a drake Garganey at the south end with a pair of Teal.
In the car park several Tree Sparrows, a Common Whitethroat and a Sedge Warbler. From Hanson the Long-tailed Duck, 1 Little Ringed Plover, a singing Reed Warbler, 2 Marsh Harriers and a Sparrowhawk.
In the Willow Trail a Chiffchaff, 2 Cetti's Warblers and 4 Speckled Wood butterfly's.
By the track to the reserve 6 Whimbrel and 2 Marsh Harriers. The car park at the centre was packed, so I drove round to Dengemarsh Road and walked the path round the flooded fields, where little was seen but to more Garganey on Dengemarsh.
Driving back across Walland 2 Marsh Harriers, 2 Common Buzzards, several Tree Sparrows, 4 Corn Buntings and 3 Yellowhammers by the rubbish pile.

Nightingales

I arrived at Orlestone Forest at 04.15 in the dark this morning to do the first offical visit for the Nightingale survey. As I opened the car door Nightingales could be heard along with a couple of Tawny Owls. I made my way to the furthest end of my tetrads slipping and tripping in the mud and streams that were the clean dry footpaths a week ago. As dawn broke the forest came alive with bird song Mistle and Song Thrushes, Blackbirds, Robins, Wrens, Blackcaps, Nuthatches, Green Woodpeckers, a Cuckoo called from the top of conifer in the growing light and most importantly Nightingales. I arrived back at the car at 07.15 after covering the first tetrad having located 18 singing Nightingales. The second tetrads habitat is not nearly as good for Nightingales but I was still very disappointed not to find any Nightingales. I will have to go back for another go round it at dawn another day.
At Dungeness a seawatch from the hide 09.30-12.00 was not very productive:
Red-throated Diver: 1E
Black-throated Diver: 1E
Manx Shearwatewr: 1W
Fulmar: 1W
Gannet: 22E  7W
Brent Geese: 5E
Common Scoter: 182E
Guillemot: 1 off shore
Mediterranean Gull 1st W: 1W
Bonxie: 1E
Arctic Skua: 3E
Common Tern: 200-300 off shore
The only other birds of note were 8 Whimbrel by the reserve entrance track.

A Disappointing Day at Dunge

I made the choice today having a lay in, with the last 2 mornings bringing excellent sea watches, it could not happen again today, and it didn't. When I arrived at the hide the occupants informed in no uncertain terms that there was sea passage today.  Just a few distant Bonxies and a couple of Divers and the Terns and Gannets tooing and froing off shore. 

At least the Wheatears like the anti predator fence!

A plod around the reserve found little of note. A northern Wheatear at Christmas Dell, a Green Sandpiper and a Common Tern on Dengemarsh, a few Swallows and the obligatory Marsh Harriers.
On the ARC Pit from Hanson the Long-tailed Duck, 2 Little Ringed Plovers and little else. At the south end 2 more LRPs, 2 Yellow Wagtails and a Common Snipe.
Another hours sea watch from the fishing boats produced just a few Terns and Gannets.
A look at Scotney on the way found nothing of note.   

Bonxie day record for Dungeness

A superb day long sea watch mainly from the hide 06.30-17.00:

Red-throated Diver: 7E
Black-throated Diver: 24E
Diver sp.: 2E
Fulmar: 28E 22w
Manx Shearwater: 65w
Gannet: 814E   381w
Brent Geese: 108E
Eider: 6E
Common Scoter: 428E
Whimbrel: 7E
Arctic Skua: 53E
Great Skua: 267E   A day record for Dungeness
Mediterranean Gull: 3E
Kittiwake: 27E  5w
Sandwich Tern: N/C  Several hundred off shore and past
Common Tern: N/C  several hundred off shore and past
Auk sp.: 8+

Bonxies

Bonxie

Arctic Skua

Black-throated Divers

Skua's come with the storm

Dungeness Sea Watch Hide 07.30-13.00    14.00-15.00 The Point:
Red-Throated Diver: 9E
Fulmar: 18E  7w
Manx Shearwater: 2E  1w
Brent Geese: 191E
Common Scoter: 287E  29 w
Velvet Scoter: 6E
Eider: 1 drifted E
Red-breasted Merganser: 8E
Oystercatcher: 1E
Kittiwake: 8E  3w
Arctic Skua: 18E
Great Skua: 39E
Skua sp: 1E
Gannet, Sandwich Tern and Common Tern: N/C but good numbers tooing and froing off shore
Harbour Porpoise: 2 off shore

2 Northern Wheatears by the car park. This afternoon at the ARC Pit 8 Swallows, 3 House Martins, 2 Common Whitethroats, 2 Sedge Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs, 3 Cetti's Warblers and 1 Wigeon.

2w Iceland Gull Demise

The sea passage this morning was again virtually non existant as were migrants around the point. In the ARC Pit car park a Sedge Warbler was singing as was a Common Whitethroat, 4 Tree Sparrows were in the brambles there.

 Moving on to the reserve which was not yet open, the Long Tailed duck was in front of Dennis's Hide and 2 Swallows flew through. From Firth Hide I spotted what looked like an Iceland Gull but the light was so poor I had to move on to Makepiece Hide to get a better view. The gull was distant and looked very sickly. DW joined me and found a Yellow-legged Gull and also spotted a Garganey back in front of Firth hide. We moved back to Firth to get better views of the Garganey which eventually flew off to the other end of the pit. Unfortunately while the bird was on show the light for photography was dreadful. 

 Plodding further round the reserve a Northern Wheatear was at Christmas Dell and 2 more Garganey were on Dengemarsh as was another 2 Swallows and the Bittern Booming from the viewpoint. On the way back to the car I had another look at the 2w Iceland Gull which now looked very poorly, constantly retching as if something was stuck in its throat. By the reserve centre 2 Yellow Wagtails and a White Wagtail. Returning to the ARC car park 2 Marsh Harriers were displaying high over head. Making my way to the Screen Hide 2 Reed Warblers in the Tower Pits and another Garganey and 6 Little Egrets in front the hide. On my way to the fishing boats for an afternoon sea watch I stopped at the south end of the ARC Pit where there was 6 Yellow Wagtails and a stunning White Wagtail. The sea watch produced nothing so I went back to the reserve to have another look at the Iceland Gull. I quickly relocated it, unfortunately it was now dead.

North Easterly ruins the day

Little or no movement at sea today. Just 3 Brent Geese, a few Common Scoter and 16 Mediterranean Gulls past, with a few Sandwich Terns, Common Terns and Gannets tooing and froing off shore. Around the bushes 3 Chiffchaffs and a House martin over. At the ARC Pit from Hanson 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 6 Swallows, 2 House Martins and 2 Marsh Harriers. On a wind swept Burrowes Pit the Long Tailed Duck was the only bird of note. Scotney was an avian desert barring the Herring Gulls.
Even a scout around another Nightingale Tetrad found very little due to the cold strong North Easterly wind. 

Nightingales

Crossbill always high in the trees today

 With the forecast for Strong North Easterlies I thought I'd spend some time plodding round and checking out one of my Nightingale tetrads. As I got out of the car at Faggs Wood I could hear the first one of 9 today. Also round the wood still a few flocks of Crossbills a 26, an 8, a 4 and a 12 mainly coming into the bomb crater area. No Lesser Pecker today but several Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 6 Bullfinches, 4 Treecreepers and 4 pairs of Nuthatch including the very vocal pair in the car park, 18 singing Chiffchaffs, 3 singing Willow Warblers, 5 singing Blackcaps, 1 Woodcock and 2 Common Buzzards over the woods. A very pleasant and rewarding plod but it seems I did miss a fairly good sea watch.

Nightingale (Must learn how to use photoshop)

80 without really trying

As I arrived at the car park at The Point  at c07.30, I could see TG on his way back from the sea watch hide, which could only mean the sea was dead avian wise. A plod around the light house and bushes found 2 Wheatears, the Rubicola Stonechat, 20+ Willow Warblers, 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Blackcaps, 2 singing Black Redstarts, 4 Swallows, numerous Linnets and Mr Ashton.
On the reserve The Long-tailed Duck from Dennis's Hide, 2 Garganey on Dengemarsh. Round the trail 11+ Sedge Warbler singing, 8 Cetti's Warblers, 9 Willow warblers, 1 Chiffchaff. From the view point the Bittern was occasionally booming, 2 Bearded Tits, 2 Common Buzzards moved south and 4 Marsh Harriers were displaying. While I was there, I decided I would  list all the species I saw today on the peninsular for no particular reason. An hour and half sea watch this afternoon, saw 4 Red- throated Divers, 1 Black-throated Diver, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 2 Little Gulls, 3 Red- Breasted Mergansers, a few Common Scoter, Sandwich Terns and Gannets. Stopping at the south end of the ARC Pit on the way home 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Ringed Plovers and 2 Dunlin made today's total on the peninsular 80 without really trying.

Willow Warblers

Minimal avian passage at sea past Dungeness this morning. The highlight was a pod of c8 White Beaked Dolphins making huge splashes making there way east c1 mile out, also good numbers of Harbour Porpoises off shore.

Pale Chiffchaff ??

On the land reasonable fall of Willow Warblers c50+ around the point,also a few Chiffchaffs including the pale individual above. With them several Blackcaps, at least 2 Common Redstarts, 6 Black Redstarts, 5 Northern Wheatears and 12 Swallows.

Willow Warbler

On the reserve a Raven carrying food, more Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs, plenty of Sedge Warblers a Little Ringed Plover, 2 Swallows and 6 Marsh Harriers. Also seen by others the Ring Necked Duck, Common Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Reed Warbler and a Ring Ouzel.

Common Redstart 1 of at least 2 on The Point

Highlights of an hour and half sea watch this afternoon was 1 Black-throated diver, 1 Red-throated Diver and Kestrel in off. Also spectacular storms inland left the hills looking as though it had been snowing.

Late afternoon look at the south end of the ARC Pit found 4 Ringed Plovers, 4 Dunlin, 2 Little Ringed Plovers and a Curlew. 



April Showers

Seawatch from the hide 07.45-10.30:                              From the point 14.45-16.00:
Red-throated Diver: 2E                                                    Red-throated Diver: 4E
Black-throated Diver: 3E                                                 Black-throated Diver: 4E
Gannet: 114E                                                                   Gannet: 10+ off shore
Brent Geese: 33E                                                             Little Gull: 4E
Common Scoter: 126E                                                    Common Scoter: 6E
Red-breasted Merganser: 4E                                           Sandwich Tern: 14+ off shore
Little Gull: 6E                                                                  House Martin: 1 in
Sandwich Tern: 1000+ E
Common Tern: 124E
Kittiwake: 2E
Arctic Skua: 1E
Merlin: 1 in
Swallow: 9 in

 Around the reserve good numbers of Sedge Warblers singing, Bearded Tits and booming Bittern at Hookers pit along with displaying Marsh Harriers, The Ring-necked Duck still present on Dengemarsh(not seen by me) also 2 Garganey still. LRP on Burrowes and the Long-tailed Duck.  On the the entrance 4 Hares chasing one another and 2 Swallows over. At the south end of the ARC Pit 3 Yellow Wagtails and 2 LRPs.

Dungeness

Very little on the sea in short watch this morning. Highlight was an Arctic Skua chasing a tern. A walk around the bushes and the lighthouse with BB found 1 Chiffchaff and the Rubicola Stonechat.

Next stop the south end of the ARC Pit where the Long-tailed Duck was showing relatively close and 5 Little Egrets were on New Diggings. Moving on to Hanson Hide where a Swallow flew around the pit, a fine drake Pintail was resting out on the pit, 2 Common Snipe were flushed by Marsh Harrier on the far side. While we there MH got a call about a Ring-necked Duck on Hookers Pit from the viewing mound, so we quickly decamped to MH car and were very soon watching the superb Drake Ring-necked Duck in the company of some Pochard and Tufted Duck. Also from the mound singing Sedge Warblers, 2 Bearded Tits,  2+Cetti's Warblers, 3+ Marsh Harriers and the Bittern was booming. Another look at The New Diggings revealed a summer plumaged Slavonian Grebe.

By the main track to the reserve a Fox  was sleeping and just about managed to raise its head before going back to sleep taking no notice of the passing cars.

Round the reserve 4+ Sedge Warblers and 8+ Cetti's Warblers were singing, a Swallow was over Christmas Dell and on Dengemarsh 2 Garganey were showing and several Lapwing were displaying on the new floods.

 Another sea watch from the fishing boats 15.05-16.15 was slow with Highlights of:
Manx Shearwater: 1w
Red-throated Diver: 4E
Common Scoter: 30E
Kittiwake: 27w 1E
Sandwich Tern: c12 off shore
Common Tern: 3 off shore
Harbour Porpoise: 1 off shore
Stopping at the south end of ARC on the way home where CT and BH pointed out a Yellow Wagtail and 2 Little Ringed Plovers.

2w Iceland Gull

As I arrived at the car park TG phoned to say an Iceland Gull was on the beach by The Patch which I was soon watching even though I left my binoculars in the car. It was fairly distant and with the heat haze from the beach made pictures virtually impossible. The bird was soon flushed by fisherman but was later relocated on Burrowes Pit. Very little else on the sea the highlights being 1 Common Tern at The Patch , 8 Brent Geese moving east and a Common Buzzard in.

2w Iceland Gull on Burrowes Pi

From screen the Spoonbill could be seen in its usual pose asleep also 3 Little Ringed Plovers. The Long-tailed Duck was also reported from there.

In Dengemarsh Gully all I could find was 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Meadow Pipits, 1 Wheatear and 2 Ravens over.

Am off to the midlands tomorrow for rest of the weekend for a family get together so no posts till Tuesday.

Cold and Windy! it must be Dungeness

A slow sea watch from the hide 06.45-09.45 TG me from 08.00.
Red-throated Diver: 4W
Gannet: 16W
Fulmar: 3E
Brent Geese: 41E
Common Scoter: 57E
Red-breasted Merganser: 15E
Pintail: 2E
Teal: 5E
Shoveller: 2E
Curlew: 12E
Avocet: 4E
Sanderling: 8E
Knot: 38E
Dunlin: 7E
Grey Plover: 5E
Auk sp. 4E
Sandwich Tern: 5W

Warehorn Church feeding station

 As passerines were non existent at Dungeness I spent most the day plodding around the 2 tetrads I am covering for the Nightingale Survey looking for access to likely habitat especially on private land.

One of the paths took me Warehorn Church feeding station where dozens of Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, House Sparrows, Jackdaws, Collared Doves and at least 3 Tree sparrows were all making the most of the feeders.

Crossing nearby fields 4 Mistle Thrushes, 2 Corn buntings, 4 Yellow Hammers and 2 Common Buzzards.

Faggs Wood and the surrounding woodland make up the biggest part of the 2 tetrads, last year there were lots of Nightingales in this area. Today whilst plodding around the paths of the area, Crossbills were very much in evidence with one flock of c100 birds and several smaller flocks. Also seen were all 3 Woodpeckers, 5 species of corvid, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, several Nuthatches and Treecreepers, Blue, Great, Coal and Long-tailed Tits, Goldcrests, 6 Bullfinches, 4 Redwing  and Tawny Owl heard  

Part of a flock of C100 Common Crossbill at Faggs Wood