Woodlark, Black Brant, Yellow-browed Warblers and a stunning moth!

 Woodlark a Dungeness tick for me!

10 minutes first thing this morning from the concrete road was enough to know very little was moving off shore.

News from the trapping area that at least 2 Yellow-browed Warblers had been heard calling, prompted AJG and myself to venture out there, we had not gone far when we received a call that a Yellow-browed Warbler had found a mist net and would be on show at the observatory. While at the observatory viewing the warbler a flock of c350 Brent Geese flew over. 

AJG and myself then walked a circuit of The Point seeing on the way 4 Ring Ouzels, 3 Black Redstarts, 2 Stonechats, 3 Wheatears, 6+ Chiffchaffs, several Skylarks over, another flock of c300 Brent Geese and good numbers Swallows and House Martins. Back at the observatory a Ring Ouzel was caught in the Heligoland Trap and a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a few Robins, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs had been caught in the trapping area. A net was opened in The moat to catch House Martins, 25 of which dived into the net. Whilst the House Martins were being processed, PT who was scanning numerous Meadow Pipits  found a Woodlark in The Desert a new bird for Dungeness for me, it showed quite well but was surprisingly flighty.   

 One of at least 2 Yellow-browed Warblers in the trapping area

 After lunch I went back to the observatory where another Yellow-browed Warbler was located in The Moat, it showed well for a while before flying off into the trapping area.

Yellow-browed Warbler in The Moat

An afternoon watch from Fishing Boats 14.45- 16.15 produced:

Brent Goose: 524 W

Black Brant: 1 W   at 14.58 only the second Dungeness record.

Common Scoter: 42 W

Gannet: 35 W

Arctic Skua: 1 around

Mediterranean Gull: 10 W  2 X 1w, 5 x 2w, 3 x ad.

Little Gull: 8W

Kittiwake: 14 W

Sandwich Tern: 9 W

Auk sp: 2 W

Unfortunately I was very slow in picking up the Black Brant, by the time I had grabbed the camera and got out of my chair it was to late!

I ran the moth trap last night, the first time for a few nights and was delighted to find the stunner below in it. 

 A stunning Merveille du Jour very scarce on the peninsular.

Blair's Shoulder-Knot