PLODDINGBIRDER: May 2020

Friday, 29 May 2020

Whiskered Tern!

I discovered the Whiskered Tern late on Saturday evening 23/05/2020, fortunately it hung around for another 2 days giving good but distant views from the causeway.

Wednesday, 27 May 2020

I spent the morning wandering out the back of Scotney. Skylarks, Corn and Reed Buntings, Yellow Wagtails, Linnets, Common Whitethroats were plentiful, at least 10 Tree Sparrows, several Common Buzzards, Little and Barn Owl, a few Avocets and more made for a lovely mornings stroll. A quick walk around the hay fields this evening saw the Cattle egret and the usual suspects.

Skylarks

Corn Buntings

Yellow Wagtails in the Rape

Reed Bunting in the Rape

Even the Whitethroats seem to like the Rape field

A couple of 10 or so Tree Sparrows I saw at the back of Scotney today

Common Buzard

1 of c20 Avocets on the back lake

Hawthorn at Scotney ravaged by Lackey caterpillars I think (it was still alive with new shoots appearing)

Cattle Egret in the hay fields this evening

Freyer's Pug survived the Great Tit raid

Tuesday, 26 May 2020

The Long Weekend!

The reserve entrance firmly closed

No Entry and No Parking

The boarded up Screen Hide

Fortunately I can walk or cycle to Dengemarsh, but hopefully this situation wont last for too much longer as I am wasting away, I have now lost 4 stone from 15st 9 down to 11st 9.

Cuckoo's are still chasing each other around and Bitterns are still booming, but there is a definite mid summer feel to Dengemarsh as the small birds are quite muted and busy nesting.
There has been a trickle of wader migration with 2 Curlew Sandpipers, 16 Sanderling, 4 Dunlin, a Knot, an LRP, several Ringed Plovers, a stunning Grey Plover and a gorgeous Ruff resplendent in Jet Black. 2 lovely Little Gulls spent a couple of days here, all 3 Egrets can be seen, a single Cattle Egret, 2 Great White Egrets and up to 8 Little Egrets. Common Terns are fishing in every stretch of open water. Every time you scan around Marsh Harriers and Common Buzzards are constantly in the air but very low numbers of Hobbys still. Mediterranean Gulls are still trickling overhead, usually only heard as they tend to be stratospheric.

Another flyby Cuckoo

Poor images of distant Curlew Sandpipers

1 of 2 Little Gulls present

Linnet

Ringed Plover

A young Toad in the garden

Sunday, 24 May 2020

24/05/2020

Corn bunting still singing by the flood today

Fairly quiet at Dengemarsh today, though there was a large number of Swifts moving through. The corn bunting was still singing by the flood which still holds a pair of Yellow Wagtails. A Cattle Egret seems settled in the hay fields with 3 Little Egrets for company, also a Black-tailed godwit seems to have taken up residence there. I didn't see any Lapwing or Redshank chicks today so I fear the worst. The path has been littered with Duck eggs and Wader eggs obviously stolen by Crows. All the usual Warblers can still be heard singing but much subdued, as well as Bearded Tit, Water Rail and Bittern. The Hobbys seem to have moved on, I'm guessing thats a food issue as Dragaonfly numbers are very low, though Damsels are quite abundant in sheltered spots, hopefully the coming warmer weather will bring out more Dragons and maybe even a Red-footed Falcon.

Cattle Egret around the hay fields

The Cattle Egret with its escort of 3 Little Egrets.

This Purple Heron was first seen coming out of Cooks Pool by Dave Scott early on the 07/05/2020, it remained till the 13/05/2020 but was very elusive.