Firecrests!

First thing this morning as I came out the door this Swallow was flying round in front the house.

Firecrest 1 of an amazing 78 seen by me today!

An excellent morning spent plodding around the bushes at The Point and in the Desert also the very north end of the Long Pits. My personal total of Firecrests was an amazing 61, if only my hearing was as good as DW then I'm sure it would have been 100+. For the cumulative total of Firecrests seen in the DOB recording area see http://www.dungenessbirdobs.org.uk/ also seen were 37 Chiffchaffs, 2 Willow Warblers, a Continental Coal Tit, 4+ Wheatears, 4+ Black Redstarts, a Cetti's Warbler and a Sparrowhawk.

Black Redstart at Lloyds

1 of at least 37 Chiffchaffs in the recording area

Singing Wheatear opposite Jarmans

Small Tortoiseshell at the Long Pits

Partial Summer Plumage Slavonian Grebe

On the New Diggings 2 partial summer plumage Slavonian Grebes and a Black-necked Grebe. Nearby on the Boulderwall Pools a drake and duck Smew.

Bearded Tit ARC

A walk from the ARC car park to the pines saw another 2 Firecrests, 5 Chiffchaffs, a Swallow, 2 Bearded Tits which flew over the track and 2 more Black Redstarts around the water tower.

A distant Tundra Bean Goose 

Dengemarsh Gully and the road side gorse was positively jumping with birds, at least 15 more Firecrests, 40+ Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler, a Blackcap, 2 Wheatears, a Raven and 2 Marsh Harriers. The Tundra Bean Geese was trying to distance itself from the Greylags in the fields opposite the chicken sheds.

Galloways was very disappointing with just a single Chiffchaff, a Sparrowhawk, 2 Stonechats and a Red-legged Partridge.

Possibly a victim of storm Katie.

Late afternoon at Scotney a Black-necked grebe on the main lake, 3 Brent Geese on the sward, along with 2 Redshank, a Curlew, 6 Oystercatchers, 7 Ringed Plovers and 23 Wigeon. By the cycle track fence the remains of a Barn Owl which may have been a victim of storm Katie by being blown into the fence.