Catch Up!

As the weather has been so good albeit with the naggingly cold North East wind I have been out walking, cycling and birding dawn till dusk, consequently when i do get home I am very tired. I tried a couple of times to do  blog but fell asleep at the computer. Todays change in the weather has allowed me to try and catch up on some of my back log of images and moths, though I was still dawn till lunchtime today. I have had a few comments about me suppressing birds at Dungeness during the lock down, which I fully admit I have done at the request of the RSPB, even though all the birds could be seen from the public footpaths. The main problem was and still is that the reserve car parks are closed. Now that the lock down has been loosened parking is available in Dengemarsh Road at Springfield Bridge, but it is still a long walk to and across the causeway to view Burrowes though the views are very distant as you will see from some of the images below. It is a walk that I have been doing on a daily basis usually at least twice a day, I estimate that I have been walking in the region of 8-15 miles a day since March. I was and am fortunate that I can walk out of the door from my home in Lydd, across the road into the fields and down to Dengemarsh and not meet anyone, it has been great for my health, another plus was that I filled my car with diesel when I came home from Egypt in March and haven't needed to since. 

Waders have been a feature this week with at least 2 lovely Grey Plovers around

A Pectoral Sandpiper was a nice surprise find on the evening of the 29th May

Curlews, Bar-tailed Godwits, a Knot and  Redshanks, also a flock of 15 Ringed Plovers flew through.

2 Little Stints were another nice find on the evening of the 31st May

Up to 80 Oystercatchers have been roosting on Burrowes

With no sea watching this spring I was delighted with this Little Tern also on 31st May

Hobbys have been few this year,  I'm guessing probably due to the lack of Dragonflys

Bearded Tits can still be seen but not quite as showy as they were in early spring

Marsh Harriers are permanent feature in the skies over Dungeness 

Several Cuckoo's were still chasing each other around this morning

Beautiful Yellow Wagtails at Dengemarsh and Bitterns are still booming there today

This Song Thrush was a surprise at Dengemarsh

Common Blue Damselfly(I think)

Across the causeway 1,000s of Common Blue Damselflys

A newly emerged Black-tailed Skimmer

Privet Hawk Moth is now a daily find in my MV

Yesterday I cycled to North Point for my annual visit to see the Lizard Orchids and Bee Orchids, also there some Pyramid Orchids there.

Lizard Orchids

Bee Orchids