Waders!

After going through last nights reasonable moth catch, another Kent Black Arches probably the best, as I emptied the trap a Great-spotted Woodpecker flew noisily over the garden followed shortly by an equally noisy Green Woodpecker, then the local Herring Gulls and Jackdaws started alarming as a Peregrine flew over. I then spent half an hour at the fishing boats where barely a handful of Gannets and Sandwich terns were seen, c15 Common Terns feeding over 3+ Harbour Porpoises and a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull on the beach. 5 Lapwing flew down to The Point before turning round and heading back inland and 3 Swifts headed to France. At the observatory DW helped me out with a couple of moth IDs, he and OL also enjoyed ringing a juvenile Magpie caught in the Heligoland Trap. Another local bought a Tree Lichen Beauty to the Observatory which flew off like a rocket as he was showing it.

  Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull

 Sedge Warbler with bling

While wandering around the reserve a Sedge Warbler sporting a ring was feeding young at Christmas Dell. At Dengemarsh at least 6 fast growing Common Tern chicks on one of the rafts, 3+ Marsh Harriers over the reed beds, a Hobby and a Peregrine.

On Burrowes a flock of 45 Redshanks, 2 Ringed Plovers, a Little Ringed Plover, 3 Common Sandpipers, 4 Green Sandpipers and a Mediterranean Gull. 

 Some of the 45 Redshank in front Firth hide

 Mediterranean Gull Firth hide

 Little Owl, sheltering from the mizzle Scotney.

At Scotney several 100 Sand Martins appeared as the mizzle swept in, then disappeared just as quickly as the mizzle cleared. The 2 Spoonbills were still insitu, as were 3 Little Owls, still plenty of Yellow Wagtails and Corn Buntings to be seen and a couple of Tree Sparrows, another Peregrine, a Sparrowhawk, a Hobby and a Marsh Harrier were hunting over the fields. 

 Ruddy Shelducks ARC

Mid afternoon at The ARC from Hanson a 1st summer Little Gull, 58 Redshanks, 6 Greenshank, 4 Black-tailed Godwits, a Ruff, 5 Dunlin, 10 Little Ringed Plovers, a Green Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper, a Hobby, a Cuckoo, a Sparrowhawk , a Marsh Harrier, c100 Sand Martins and 2 Ruddy Shelduck which flew in looking tired after their long flight! 

1 of 4 Green Sandpiper at  Firth hide late afternoon

Late afternoon still 43 Redshanks and 4 Green Sandpipers in front of Firth.