1,000+ Mediterranean Gulls!

07.00-09.00 from the sea watch hide with SO, RW and AJG who collated the numbers:

Brent Goose: 4W

Common Scoter: 9W

Red-throated Diver: 1E

Great-crested Grebe: 1W

Gannet: c200 around

Arctic Skua: 1 around

Med Gull: 18W

Sandwich Tern: 44 around

Auk sp: 4W

Starling: 32 in

After a very mediocre sea watch we walked through The Desert to the top of Long Pits and back, on the way we saw the Wryneck briefly in the High Gorse, c15 Song Thrushes, c200 Siskins, c200 Goldfinches, a few Chaffinches and Meadow Pipits, 4 Chiffchaffs, 6 Swallows and a couple of singing Cetti's Warblers, a Firecrest was caught and processed. A morning that seem to promise so much but gave very little.

Late morning David Walker found an Asian Hornet at the lighthouse garden, the second in 2 days at Dungeness after Dave Bunney found one in his garden yesterday which was destroyed by the authorities, todays Hornet was caught and will also be destroyed by the authorities as it is an alien species that kills Honey Bees.

 Asian Hornet ( please click on any of the images to see them full size)

A very poor image of some of 1,000+ Mediterranean Gulls off the fishing boats this afternoon

13.00-16.00 from the fishing boats with AJG, RW, JTM, DW,
Brent Goose: 27W
Common Scoter: 5E
Red-breasted Merganser: 2W
Great-crested Grebe: 2 around
Gannet: 48W
Merlin: 1W
Arctic Skua: 7-14
Mediterranean Gull: 1,000+ came out of Lade bay
Kittiwake: 350+ came out of Lade bay
Sandwich Tern: 137 came out of Lade bay
Guillemot: 1 around
Auk sp: 2W
Grey Seal: 1
Harbour Porpoise: 3+
Other news 5 Ring Ouzels were by the pines at the ARC per SO. 6 Cattle Egrets are still present as are the Great White Egrets and a Black-necked Grebe.

Merlin