Another good day at Dungeness!

Huge female Sparrowhawk, those claws are sharp and strong as DWs hand can testify!

First thing this morning 1,000s of House Martins and Swallows were on the move high over the peninsular. In The Moat I met DW who could here an Ortolan calling, he quickly pinned down the area it was calling from, even I with my dodgy hearing could hear it but it remained unseen, until it flew up from the back of Blackthorn flew around the observatory then down to the station where it appeared to land. Soon after that excitement a huge female Sparrowhawk found it's way into the Moat net still carrying a dead Sparrow, a Pied Flycatcher evaded the nets and Heligoland but Chiffchaffs and a Common Whitethroat didn't. A call from OL who was looking for the Ortolan around the lighthouse area with PT telling me he could see 7 distant large white Herons towards the ARC, from the top of The Moat with the aid of scopes we could see the Herons were Spoonbills. While having a cup of tea and watching another party of high Hirundines which suddenly scattered as a Merlin dived through them. Back on The Moat 9+ Kestrels could be seen, 3 Marsh Harriers, 2 Common Buzzards and a Peregrine perched on a pylon, also a couple of Tree Pipits over. The Wryneck was scoped briefly from the top of The Moat.

10.45-11.45 from the sea watch hide with AJG who collated the numbers:

Teal: 3W

Common Scoter: 2E

Gannet: 17W

Arctic Skua: 7W

Sandwich Tern: 187W

Common Tern: 13W

Black Tern: 8W

Swallow: 14 out  

Harbour Porpoise: 4+

 There were 2 Pied Flycatchers in a private garden this afternoon, many thanks to Dave Bunney for inviting me in to see and photograph them.

 2w Yellow-legged Gull at the fishing boats

Mid afternoon at the fishing boats with AJG, DS, and JTM 2 Yellow-legged Gulls put in an appearance, another 3 Arctic Skuas moved west as did 200+ Sandwich Terns, a few Gannets, a Guillemot and a Great-crested Grebe were offshore, also 2 Grey Seals and 6+ Harbour Porpoises.

1st cal yr Yellow-legged Gull being threatened by a Herring Gull at the fishing boats

Late afternoon the Ortolan was seen and photographed well by Andy and Paul, despite a few of us searching it was not seen again, though I did add a Common and Black Redstart to my day list.

On the short drive home I stopped off at Boulderwall as DW had seen 5 Cattle Egrets there earlier, after a couple of minutes of scanning the cattle 5 Cattle Egrets appeared, also a Great White Egret and Little Egret there. An excellent days birding all within a few minutes of home.