Bar-tailed Godwit Day!

Whimbrel at Southern end of the ARC

Overcast mainly dry morning with brisk NNE wind persistent rain by 13.00.
06.00-10.00 & 12.30-15.15 from the sea watch hide: AJG,MB,DW,DS,PE,JK et al
Brent Goose: 8E
Shelduck: 2E
Shoveler: 2E
Common Scoter: 11E
Red-breasted Merganser: 6E
Red-throated Diver: 3E   2W
Great-crested Grebe: 7 around
Fulmar: 2E   2W
Gannet: 133E      265W
Oystercatcher: 9E   1W
Turnstone: 1E
Sanderling: 8E
Whimbrel: 4E
Bar-tailed Godwit: 828E
Greenshank: 1 over
Great Skua: 2E   2W
Pomarine Skua: 2E
Arctic Skua: 4E
Mediterranean Gull: 1 around
Kittiwake: 13E
Sandwich Tern: 199E
Commom/Arctic Tern: 240E  +  150 over The Patch
Little Tern: 5E  3W
Auk Sp: 4E   12W
Guillemot: 7W
Sand Martin: 1 in
Swallow: 113 in
Yellow Wagtail: 1 in
Carrion Crow: 9 in
Grey Seal first thing
Harbour Porpoise: c10
Mid morning at the ARC the first decent arrival of Swallows, House Martins and a few each of Sand Martin and Common Swift, at the south end 4+ Whimbrel and a Great White Egret.
Elsewhere 6 Spoonbills flew North through Burrowes per PB, a 2nd cal yr Caspian Gull was also on Burrowes MB et al. Wheatears could be found at various sites around the peninsular, as could Yellow Wagtails but migrants were generally scarce.

Highlight of a visit to Galloways

 Pied Flycatcher found by DW at the top of the Long Pits

I took an hour out of the sea watch to see this bird now sadly a scarce migrant on the peninsular.

An early start in anticipation of the S Easterly wind producing the birds, sadly expectations were not met.

05.15 - 15.15 OL, AJG, DS et al
Eider: 1E
Common Scoter: 483E.   10 W
Velvet Scoter: 6E
Red-breasted Merganser: 4E
Red-throated Diver: 16E   2W
Great-crested Grebe: 36 around
Fulmar: 8W
Manx Shearwater: 7E    4W
Gannet: 420W.    192E
Cormorant: 61 flew out at dawn
Oystercatcher: 6E   9W
Sanderling: 17E
Whimbrel:55E
Bar-tailed Godwit: 103E
Turnstone: 1E
Great Skua: 11E
Arctic Skua: 13E
Black-headed Gull: present n/c
Mediterranean Gull: 1W
Common Gull: present n/c
Herring Gull: present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull present n/c
Little Gull: 2E
Kittiwake: 64E
Sandwich Tern: 537E
Common/Arctic Tern: 804E
Little Tern: 4E
Guillemot: 11 around
Auk sp: 43W   18E
Swallow: 2 in
Harbour Porpoise: 4+
Brown Hare opposite Jarmans early morning
The only news from the reserve was the Cattle Egret still present and 3 Common Sandpipers on Burrowes.

07.20-08.00 from the sea watch hide with OL in strong westerly wind:
Brent Goose: 9 E
Shelduck: 1
Common Scoter: 3 E
Fulmar: 5 W
Gannet: 9 W. 6 E
Great Skua: 2 E
Mediterranean Gull: 2 W
Kittiwake: 2 W
Guillemot: 4 around
Auk: 6 W
Swallow: 1 in
Linnet: 5 in

The Patch: 08.15-08.30 with OL
Mediterranean Gull: 6 ( 2 x ad + 4 2nd cal yr)
Herring Gull: c200
GBBG: c30
LBBG: 10+
Common Gull: 20+
Common Tern: c100
Arctic Tern: c150

 Wren at Christmas Dell

With the strong westerly wind blowing across the reserve and ARC it was no surprise that they were generally quiet avian wise. The Cattle Egret was still showing distantly with the cattle at the back of Dengemarsh, a few Whimbrel could be found at various sites around the tracks, small numbers of warblers were mainly heard and small numbers of Hirundines overhead along with the odd Yellow Wagtail.

Great-crested Grebes on the ARC

14.15-16.15 from the sea watch hide with AJG:
Red-throated Diver: 1 E.  1 W
Fulmar: 3 W
Manx Shearwater: 2 W
Great Skua: 10 E
Arctic Skua: 1 E
Kittiwake: 3 E
Swift: 1 in
House Martin: 1 in
Swallow: 8 in
Harbour Porpoise: 3+

A cool morning with virtually gale force westerly wind made for a very poor watch, however a large raptor spotted moving west off shore just before 09.00 by myself and RW which we believe was a Black Kite and lost to view in Rye Bay.
07.00-09.00 with OL & RW
Common Scoter: 51 E   12 W
Velvet Scoter: 1 E
Red-throated Diver: 1 W
Great-crested Grebe: 2 around
Fulmar: 4 W
Manx Shearwater: 10W
Gannet: 73 W   59 E
Black Kite: 1 flew west off shore
Cormorant: present n/c
Great Skua: 6 E
Black-headed Gull: present n/c
Mediterranean Gull: 1 W
Herring Gull: present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull present n/c
Kittiwake: 28 W
Sandwich Tern: c50 around
Common/Arctic  Tern: c120 around
Little Tern: 3 down
Guillemot: 2 around
Auk sp: 42 W
House Martin: 1 in
Swallow: 34 in
Crow: 10 in
Harbour Porpoise: 5+
The wind made general birding very difficult, consequently still low numbers of migrants around.
The Cattle Egret is still around Dengemarsh.
13.20-15.00 this afternoon back at the sea watch hide 5 Great Skuas were the highlight of a painfully slow watch.
The Patch has been devoid of birds for the last few weeks, so it was good to see a few 100s of birds there today including c40 Common Terns.

A fresh SW 3-5 with poor visibility  06.00-08.30 with AJG, who collated the numbers also OL, RO:

Brent Goose: 17 E

Common Scoter: 35 E

Red-throated Diver: 3 E

Fulmar: 5 W

Manx Shearwater: 1 E

Gannet: 84 E

Oystercatcher: 10 W   4 E

Whimbrel: 20 E

Great Skua: 3 E

Arctic Skua: 1 E

Kittiwake: 2 W

Sandwich Tern: 64 around

Common/Arctic Tern: 24 E

Little Tern: 1 W

Swallow: 5 in

 Lesser Whitethroat

Around the reserve Greenshank, Whimbrel, Bar-tailed Godwit, Common Sandpiper, Ringed Plover & Dunlin on Burrowes with more Whimbrel by the entrance track. Still very small numbers of the common Warblers around, though Cetti's were in good voice today. c50 Swallows over Burrowes this morning, several Yellow Wagtails in hay field 1, the Cattle Egret still distant at Dengemarsh also Great White Egret there, a Cuckoo calling at the back of Hookers but little else on my wanderings there.

The fog was rolling in and out this afternoon, at 17.00 the rain set in.

13.30-17.00 joined by OL & AJG
Brent Goose: 56 E
Common Scoter: 3 E
Red-throated Diver: 4 W
Great-crested Grebe: 4 around
Fulmar: 1 W
Manx Shearwater: 22 W
Gannet: 55 W   30 E
Cormorant: present n/c
Oystercatcher: 1 E
Whimbrel: 6 E
Great Skua: 4 E
Arctic Skua: 1 W
Black-headed Gull: present n/c
Mediterranean Gull: 4 W
Herring Gull: present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull present n/c
Little Gull: 4 E
Kittiwake: 32 W
Sandwich Tern: c100 around
Common/Arctic Tern: c25 around
Little Tern: 3 E
Guillemot: 15 W
Razorbill 1 W
Auk sp:  37 W
Harbour Porpoise: 4+

Brindled Beauty, first for the Plodland trap last night

The first of the Poms!

On my way to the beach 2 Cuckoo's and 2 Marsh Harriers flew over the causeway, a Great White Egret and 2 Little Egrets were at the south end of the ARC.
0630-12.00. AJG,RW,OL,DW,SM,JTM et al
Brent Goose: 154 up
Eider: 4 up
Common Scoter: 520 up    18 down
Red-breasted Merganser: 1 up
Red-throated Diver: 9 up.    3 down
Black-throated Diver: 2 up
Great-crested Grebe:  4 around
Fulmar:5 up   3 down
Manx Shearwater: 2 up.    1 down (possibly same bird)
Gannet: 96 up
Cormorant: present n/c
Oystercatcher: 85 up
Whimbrel: 117 up
Common Snipe: 1 up
Great Skua: 14 up + 5 before I arrived
Pomarine Skua: 5 up
Arctic Skua: 18 up  + 15 before I arrived
Black-headed Gull: present n/c
Mediterranean Gull: 2 up
Herring Gull: present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull present n/c
Little Gull: 32 up
Kittiwake: 14 up
Sandwich Tern: 368 up
Common/Arctic Tern: 45 up
Arctic Tern: 5 up
Little Tern: 6 up
Guillemot: 9 around
Auk sp: 14 up
Swallow: 2 in
Crow: 11 out/up
Harbour Porpoise:8+

The Wryneck that was found at the Long Pits this morning was very elusive while I was there.

The first 3 Garganey of the year on the reserve were found today by RW, also the first Hobby per DB, though generally common migrants were quite scarce today around the peninsular. 

Whimbrel flying the wrong way at the fishing boats this afternoon

This afternoon at the fishing boats15.30-18.00 with AS:
Common Scoter: 27 up
Red-throated Diver: 16 up
Great-crested Grebe: 3 around
Fulmar: 2 up

Manx Shearwater: 1 up   1 down
Gannet: 29 up
Cormorant: present n/c
Whimbrel: 53 up
Great Skua: 9 up

Pomarine Skua: 2 up  (1 @ 16.14, 1 @ 17.01)
Arctic Skua: 6 up
Black-headed Gull: present n/c
Herring Gull: present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull present n/c
Kittiwake: 8 up
Sandwich Tern: c25 around
Common/Arctic Tern: 12 up
Guillemot: 9 around
Auk sp: 31 up

House Martin: 1 in . my first of the year

Swallow: 10 in
Harbour Porpoise: 5+ around

There were at least another 5 Great Skuas, 6 Arctic Skuas and a Velvet Scoter between 13.00-15.30 per AJG.

Lesser Whitethroat from yesterday

07.00-09.00 & 13.45-16.45 AJG,RW,SO et al:

Brent Goose: 6 up

Shoveler: 2 up

Common Scoter: 55 up

Red-breasted Merganser: 16 up

Red-throated Diver: 9 up.  1 down

Great-crested Grebe: 8 around

Fulmar: 12 up.  1 down

Manx Shearwater: 4 up

Gannet: 262 up

Cormorant: present n/c

Oystercatcher: 27 up

Curlew: 2 up 

Whimbrel: 126 up

Bar-tailed Godwit: 1 up

Great Skua: 13 up

Arctic Skua: 11 up

Black-headed Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull present n/c

Little Gull: 20 up

Kittiwake: 22 up

Sandwich Tern: 188 up

Common/Arctic Tern: 329 up
Little Tern: 2 up

Guillemot: 17 around:

Auk sp: 4 up

Swallow: 6 in

Crow: 4 down

Harbour Porpoise: c20 around

 Sandwich Tern at The fishing boats this afternoon

A late morning sky watch from the garden produced a distant Red Kite, a Marsh Harrier, 2 Common Buzzards, a Sparrowhawk, a Kestrel, several Skylarks singing over the fields and the first 2 Yellow Wagtails of the year in the field. There is still a distinct lack of Hirundines around. 

At Dengemarsh this evening 2 Cuckoo's were the highlight while failing to find yesterdays Cattle Egret that was reported as still being present this afternoon.

Red Kites!

 Red Kites over The Point

06.26-08.25 & 13.00-17.00                                           
Brent Goose: 31 up
Shelduck: 5 up
Tufted Duck: 2 down
Eider: 4 up
Common Scoter: 128 up                                 
Red-throated Diver: 13 up   3 down                   
Great-crested Grebe: 12 around
Fulmar: 4 up    3 down                     
Manx Shearwater: 3 down
Gannet: 155 up                                                   
Cormorant: present n/c
Oystercatcher: 80 up                                       
Whimbrel: 5 up
Great Skua:   5 up                                             
Arctic Skua: 4 up                                               
Black-headed Gull: present n/c
Mediterranean Gull: 4 up                                         
Herring Gull: present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull present n/c
Little Gull: 32 up
Kittiwake: 7 up               
Sandwich Tern: 88 up                                     
Common/Arctic Tern: 8 up
Arctic Tern:                                                       
Guillemot:   29 around                                   
Auk sp:      4 up
Swallow: 1 in
Linnet: 7 in
Harbour Porpoise: 40+ around
In the trapping area 6+ Lesser Whitethroats, several each of Common Whitethroat, Blackcap and Willow Warbler also a Nightingale there.

Some of the 17 Red Kites that were over The Point this morning

Reports of Red Kites at Lydd and Scotney had us scanning from the top of The Moat where we managed to locate 5 distantly around the water tower at the ARC. As MH had found a Cattle Egret at Dengemarsh I decided to drive round to see it, as drove along the the estate road I looked out to see and saw a number of Red Kites just off shore, pulling over quickly more Kites appeared until there were 17 together over The Point being joined by a Common Buzzard and Sparrowhawk.

When I got to Dengemarsh I joined KP at Springfield Bridge where we saw the Cattle Egret seemingly fly off towards Scotney, apparently it did return later.

Not My Day!

I started off missing all 4 Continenal Coal Tits, while looking for them I missed the only Black-throated Diver of the day, I then missed a Red Kite that had all the Gulls going ballistic but it was on the other side of the power station to me, I missed the 3 Hawfinches that dropped into the reserve briefly, I missed the Goshawk that was circling around the Water Tower then I missed the 18 Manx Shearwaters that feeding of the fishing boats this afternoon because I was at the sea watch hide. On the plus side I did record my highest ever count of Harbour Porpoises, a brilliant 57, OL looked round into Lade Bay and found a magnificent 88!

Newly arrived Wheatear behind the sea watch hide

07.30-08.00, 09.25-13.30, 15.00-17.00 from the sea watch hide with OL,MH & SG
Brent Goose: 1 up
Shelduck: 2 up
Gadwall: 1 up
Common Scoter: 184 up
Red-breasted Merganser: 3 up
Red-throated Diver: 10 up. 1 down
Black-throated Diver: 1 up per OL
Great-crested Grebe: 14 around
Fulmar: 1 down
Manx Shearwater: 18 feeding off the fishing boats per MH & SG
Gannet: 47 up
Cormorant: present n/c
Marsh Harrier: 3 in    1 per MH & SG
Oystercatcher: 1 up
Whimbrel: 64 up.
Great Skua: 2 up
Arctic Skua: 12 up
Black-headed Gull: present n/c
Mediterranean Gull: 1 up
Herring Gull: present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull present n/c
Little Gull: 116 up  All beween 15.10-16.20
Kittiwake: 17 up
Sandwich Tern: 271 up
Common/Arctic Tern: 169 up
Arctic Tern: 32 up
Auk sp: 2 up
House Martin: 1 in
Wheatear: 1 behind hide
Harbour Porpoise: 57+ around

Serin!

A quick stop in the dark at the southern end of the ARC on the way to the sea watch hide heard a Cuckoo, Cetti's Warblers, Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs but not the hoped for Nightingale.
05.30-08.30 with CP from the sea watch hide                               
Brent Goose: 21 up
Shelduck: 20 up  2 down
Eider: 1 down
Common Scoter: 288 up                         
Red-breasted Merganser: 1 up
Red-throated Diver: 12 up                           
Great-crested Grebe: 11 around
Fulmar: 4 up
Gannet: 136 up                                           
Cormorant: present n/c
Peregrine: 1 around
Oystercatcher: 5 up  4 down                         
Whimbrel: 1 up                                             
Knot: 1 up
Great Skua: 3 up                                             
Arctic Skua: 8 up                                             
Black-headed Gull: present n/c
Mediterranean Gull:                                         
Herring Gull: present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull present n/c
Little Gull: 2 up                                               
Kittiwake: 3 up
Sandwich Tern: 679 up                                   
Common Tern: 185 up                                     
Little Tern: 3 up                                                 
Auk sp:
Swallow: 1 in
Crow: 1 in
Harbour Porpoise: 20+
AS I walked back to the car from the hide a Serin flew over and spent a couple of minutes flying around The Point before departing.
The rest of the morning was taken up with domestic stuff.
14.00-17.00 at the fishing boats basking in the glorious sunshine with very few birds passing but lots of chat and laughter in the company of SG,MH,OL & PT.
Red-throated Diver: 2 up
Gannet: 16 up
Oystercatcher: 22 up
Whimbrel: 14 up
Great Skua: 2 up
Arctic Skua: 2 up
Mediterranean Gull: 2 up
Little Gull: 2 up
Sandwich Tern: 85 up
Common Tern: 13 up
Little Tern: 2 up
Harbour Porpoise: 20+

Wheatear at The Midrips

At The Midrips this evening 18 Avocets, 7 Whimbrel, 54 Shelduck and 2 Wheatears were the highlights.

Excellent Sea Watch!

Some of the 15 Eider past The Point today

Another excellent days sea watching being joined at various times through the day by CB,DW,JTM,SM,BB, SG, MH et al
Brent Goose: 168 up
Shelduck: 2 up
Shoveler: 2 up
Teal: 2 up
Garganey: 4 up
Eider: 15 up
Common Scoter: 711 up
Velvet Scoter: 8 up
Red-breasted Merganser: 7 up
Red-throated Diver: 80 up
Black-throated diver: 4 up
Great-crested Grebe: 32 around
Fulmar:19 up.  3 down
Manx Shearwater: 11 up   27 down
Gannet: 229 up
Cormorant: present n/c
Merlin: 1 up/in
Oystercatcher: 5 up
Grey Plover: 2 up
Sanderling: 1up
Dunlin: 1 up
Whimbrel: 141 up
Bar-tailed Godwit: 65 up
Great Skua: 82 up
Arctic Skua: 28 up
Black-headed Gull: present n/c
Mediterranean Gull:
Common Gull: present n/c
Herring Gull: present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull present n/c
Little Gull: 125 up
Kittiwake: 33 up  18 down
Sandwich Tern: 891 up
Common/Commic Tern: 831
Arctic Tern: 62 up
Guillemot: 3 up
Auk sp: 42 up     17 down
Swallow: 4 in
Harbour Porpoise: 8+
Dolphin sp: 4+ 
From the various reports I received today it would appear that there was very little new on the land today.

Eider past the sea watch hide

06.30-10.00 & 12.45-17.00 from the sea watch hide:                                               
Brent Goose: 75 up
Shelduck: 2 down
Eider: 5 up
Common Scoter: 537 up                                   
Red-breasted Merganser: 1 up
Red-throated Diver: 44 up.  1 down                 
Great-crested Grebe: 10 around
Fulmar: 7 up    2 down                                       
Manx Shearwater: 1 up
Gannet: 274up                                               
Cormorant: present n/c
Oystercatcher: 6 up
Great Skua: 22up                                               
Arctic Skua: 8 up                                                 
Black-headed Gull: present n/c
Mediterranean Gull: 5 up
Common Gull: present n/c
Herring Gull: present n/c
Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull present n/c
Little Gull: 9 up                                               
Kittiwake: 23 up       5 down
Sandwich Tern: 151 up                                         
Common Tern: 36 up                                           
Guillemot: 1 on
Auk sp: 9 up                                                       
Swallow: 6 in                                                       
Crow: 9 in
Linnet 11 in
Harbour Porpoise: c20 around
A walk around Scotney late morning saw 2 Yellow Wagtails by the farm, the usual Little Owl, the Mallard still sitting on its nest on the hay bales, 4 Corn Buntings, 5 Avocets on the back lakes but very little else.
On the peninsular still only small numbers of the common migrants.

All at Sea!

ZA5Z & X2NT at the fishing boats this afternoon

When I woke at 05.30 the peninsular was again shrouded in fog, so I had a lay in till 07.00 to find the fog all gone, and message from OL saying the sea passage was good.
07.45-11.00, 14.00-17.00, 18.30-19.30
These totals are my own sightings , for full days totals click on DBO Web Site
Brent Goose: 1,020 up
Shelduck: 11 up
Shoveler: 1 up
Eider: 2 up
Common Scoter: 3,216 up
Red-breasted Merganser: 16 up
Red-throated Diver: 101 up   2 down
Black-throated Diver: 3 up
Great-crested Grebe: 14 around
Fulmar: 4 up  1 down
Gannet: 419 up
Cormorant: 19 up
Peregrine: 1 around
Oystercatcher: 5 up
Whimbrel: 1 up
Avocet: 2 down
Great Skua: 4 up
Arctic Skua: 30 up
Black-headed Gull: present n/c
Mediterranean Gull: 1 up
Common Gull: present n/c
Herring Gull: present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull present n/c
Little Gull: 70 up
Kittiwake: 72 up
Sandwich Tern: 179 up
Common Tern: 93 up
Guillemot: 9 up
Auk sp: 39 up
Swallow: 3 out  1 in
Harbour Porpoise: 10+
Talking to locals it appears that there was very little new on the peninsula today.

Fog lifts at last briefly!

 Harbour Porpoises

Another morning waking up to find the Peninsular cloaked in fog, at least it did clear today for a couple of hours this afternoon before rolling back in.

14.00-16.30 from the fishing boats with LH,PH,RW,DW,JTM & GH.
Brent Goose: 80 up
Shoveler: 1 up
Common Scoter: 205 up
Red-breasted Merganser: 2 up
Red-throated Diver: 31 up   1 on    1 down
Great Northern Diver: 1 on
Fulmar: 1 up     1 down
Gannet: 39 up      11 down
Oystercatcher: 34 up
Curlew: 1 up
Great Skua: 2 up
Arctic Skua: 3 up
Mediterranean Gull: 1 up
Kittiwake: 2 up
Sandwich Tern: 68 up   19 down
Common Tern: 14 up
Guillemot: 2 on
Harbour Porpoise: 15 +

Highlights of the last couple of days have been few and far between due to the peninsular being constantly shrouded in fog, which also made sea watching impossible, a Short-eared Owl was a welcome though brief sight, a Spoonbill that graced Dengemarsh for a couple hours and a very few common migrants in the bushes. 7+ Bramblings at the feeding station in the trapping area and few Firecrests and Black Redstarts around the lighthouse.

Short-toed Treecreeper!

07.15-08.30 when the fog rolled in with OL & DS
Brent Goose: 44 up
Greylag Goose: 2 out
Shelduck: 1 up
Shoveler: 5 up
Garganey: 2 up
Common Scoter: 317 up
Red-breasted Merganser:  26 up
Red-throated Diver: 8 up.  1 on
Great-crested Grebe: 5 around
Fulmar: 8 up
Manx Shearwater: 1 up
Gannet: 84 up
Cormorant: present n/c
Oystercatcher: 6 up
Whimbrel: 1 up
Dunlin: 12 up
Arctic Skua: 1 up
Black-headed Gull: present n/c
Mediterranean Gull: 2 up
Common Gull: present n/c
Herring Gull: present n/c
Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull present n/c
Kittiwake: 4 up
Sandwich Tern: 48 up
Common Tern: 11 up
Guillemot: 1 on
Auk sp: 3 up
Carrion Crow: 1 in

Blackcap in the lighthouse garden 

After abandoning the sea watch I went to The Patch, I had just got myself settled in the hide scrutinising the few Gulls that were roosting there, when Mark H called on the radio saying he had seen a Treecreeper sp briefly in the lighthouse garden.
Arriving on site shortly after, I then with DW, OL and JTM spent the next 8 hrs there seeing the bird 5 times for a total of less than 20 seconds (DW spent another 2 hrs after I left). The bird was calling fairly frequently and seemed to be a Short-toed Treecreeper, but we wanted to get better views and images of the bird. The bird was still present at dusk.

 Short-toed Treecreeper

 Also in the lighthouse garden 2 Firecrests, several Chiffchaffs, 2+ Black Redstarts, Song Thrush and a Blackcap, a Rock Pipit and several Redpolls and Siskins flew over, also a Peregrine and Marsh Harrier over.

 Firecrest

Great White Egret at the southern end of the ARC also an Avocet there

Fog Bound!

 07.15 abandoned at 08.30 due to fog from the sea watch hide with OL:
Shelduck: 1 up
Shoveler: 2 up
Garganey: 1 up
Common Scoter: 4 up
Velvet Scoter: 2 up
Red-throated Diver: 11 up
Gannet: 57 up
Oystercatcher: 2 up   6 down
Kittiwake: 2 up
Sandwich tern: 38 up
Swallow: 1 up

Brambling in the trapping area

A walk around the area saw and heard several each of Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers and Blackcaps, 4 Black Redstarts, 2 Firecrests, 2 Goldcrests, 2 Brambling, a female Bullfinch but it was generally quiet in the dense fog that lasted all morning.

Early afternoon a very elusive Ring Ouzel in an otherwise empty Dengemarsh Gully, Galloways was open to today, apart from a couple of pairs of Stonechats there was little there to be seen.

Early evening on the reserve A Little Ringed Plover, a Green Sandpiper and 2 Mediterranean gulls on Burrowes also a Peregrine and Raven over.

Little-ringed Plover

Green Sandpiper

Hawfinch at Last!

At last I have finally caught up with a Hawfinch at Dungeness. With Hawfinches being seen in large numbers all around the country this winter there will probably never be a better chance in my lifetime to see on at Dungeness, so I was very excited to get a call from Owen to say that one was flying around the top end of the Long Pits, at the time Owen called me I had just arrived at the observatory having been watching The Patch, I quickly got back in the car, as I drew up a couple minutes later I could see the bird perched high in bush with 8 Fieldfare. As I stopped it flew off before I could get out the car back to the top end again. I met Owen who saw roughly where it went, a couple of minutes later it flew over me and landed deep in the bushes allowing me take a quick snap before it flew out the back. Also seen around there were 14 Redwing, 16 Fieldfare, 2 Brambling, 5 Song Thrushes, Blackcaps, Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs and 2 Swallows. Many thanks to Owen for the quick call.

Rubbish image of my first Hawfinch at Dungeness 

 juvenile Glaucous Gull at The Patch

Visibility at The Patch today was very poor, the few Gulls that were there were on the beach did include the Glaucous Gull and a Yellow-legged Gull along with several colour ringed ones which were all readable, so not too bad there in 2 visits. Behind the hide my first female Wheatear of the year, a Black Redstart, a Chiffchaff and a Willow Warbler.

3w Yellow-legged Gull at The Patch

female Wheatear at The Patch

 Brambling in the trapping area

Firecrest in the lighthouse garden

There were still several Firecrests around today, with at least 3 in the lighthouse garden along with a couple of Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap.

Black-winged Stilt at Rye Harbour this afternoon

With the weather deteriorating this afternoon I went to Rye Harbour with JTM & RW to see the newly arrived Black-winged Stilts. The Stilts were still present though rather distant, also there Mediterranean Gulls seemingly calling all around, numerous Avocets and Sandwich Terns, a Knot, Black-tailed Godwits, 14 Brent Geese, 3 Whimbrel over, even another Brambling of note. On Flat Beach a male Peregrine was tearing what looked like a Black-headed Gull apart being totally ignored by the 100s of other birds around them.

Scotney & Woodlark in The Desert!

A some what damp and quiet morning at The Point, the conditions seemed good for migrants but they were sadly lacking apart from a few Firecrests and Chiffchaffs. The smart male Black Redstart was still opposite the lifeboat station

 Black-headed & Mediterranean Gulls on the sward

A brief visit to Scotney this morning found 4+ Mediterranean Gulls on the sward with 10 Brent Geese, the feral flock of Barnacle Geese and a couple of Curlews.

 Yellow Wagtail

Another visit to Scotney and the fields at the back of the farm this afternoon in brighter conditions, found 2 Black Redstarts still around the farm along with the Little Owl and Mallard still on its nest on the hay bales. A party of 22 Yellow Wagtails just beyond the cottage brightened up a dull day, also 4 Corn Buntings and 6 Pied Wagtails there.

On the back lake 6 Avocet but no LRP, a Marsh Harrier and a Common Buzzard flew over.

A bathing Yellow Wagtail

 c100 Linnets and a Corn Bunting

Out towards the wind turbines plenty of Skylarks singing more Corn Buntings a flock of c100 Linnets and at least 8 Tree Sparrows. In a tiny patch of Sallows a Firecrest (a first for me out there) also a Chiffchaff and a belligerent Mute Swan on its nest. 

 Firecrest

 Tree Sparrows 

 Woodlark

Late afternoon/early evening I managed to catch up with the Woodlark that Jacques found, a scarce bird at Dungeness.