31/08/2021

A dire, but the only image I managed of a very elusive Wryneck at the SE corner of the trapping area today.

AJG did an early watch 06.20-07.20 and kindly sent me the numbers:

Common Scoter: 82W

Gannet: 42E

Cormorant: 5 present

Oystercatcher: 18E

Mediterranean Gull: 1E

Sandwich Tern: 18E

Common Tern: 3E

Arctic Skua: 3W

On my walk to the The Patch first thing this morning 2 Wheatears were on the perimeter wall, also a c15 Linnets feeing in the Kale. At The Patch barely a bubble could be seen, so very few Gulls, a single juvenile Mediterranean Gull among c200 Black-headed Gulls and 2 Sandwich Terns roosting on the beach, little else was noted there.

Noted around The Desert and edges of the trapping area the elusive Wryneck, 16 Wheatears, 3 Whinchats, 14 Stonechats, 10 Yellow Wagtails, 9 Common Whitethroats, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Willow Warblers, 2 Sparrowhawks, 2 Ringed Plover and a single Turnstone flew over, 2 elusive Pied Flycatchers were in The Moat but I only saw 1.

A party of 11 Black-tailed Godwits on Burrowes from Dennis's hide, just for Pete.😂

On the reserve from Dennis's Hide (I can't face going further on the reserve at the moment as it is far to depressing) 11 Black-tailed Godwits, a Little Stint and many Sand Martins of note. Apparently further up Burrowes a Black Tern and a Ruff could be seen per PB. 2 Cattle Egrets, a Great White Egret and several Little Egrets around the Boulderwall Fields, also a Whinchat by the entrance track.

1 of 2 cattle Egrets at the top end of Cooks Pool this morning

This afternoon at Dengemarsh Gully 2 Whinchats, 6 Yellow Wagtails, a Wheatear and a Raven were noted.

At Galloway's 10 Whinchats, a Wheatear, numerous Stonechats and a few Common Whitethroats and Yellow Wagtails.

An Osprey was high over Lade Bay this afternoon per DS.

A couple of the 10 Whinchats at Galloway's this afternoon

Juvenile Stonechat at Galloway's this afternoon

 

29/08/2021

Saturdays Wryneck at Galloway's, gave prolonged scope views late afternoon/early evening, but not really close enough for the camera.

Common Whitethroat warming itself early this morning

AJG did an early sea watch 05.50-06.50 and kindly sent me his numbers :

Common Scoter: 2E

Gannet: 55E

Oystercatcher: 5W      3E

Kittiwake: 2W

Sandwich Tern: 15E

Great Skua: 2E

Arctic Skua: 1E

There were 4 Hummingbird Hawkmoths basking on the perimeter wall this morning

A chilly start made a fairly unproductive wander around The Desert this morning,  highlights, were 13 Wheatears, 2 Whinchats, 4 Willow Warblers, several Stonechats, Yellow Wagtails, Common and Lesser Whitethroats, lots of Meadow Pipits, Swallows and Sand Martins, a Sparrowhawk, a Kestrel and a juvenile Cuckoo.

Sparrowhawk over The Desert this morning

The highlight of our walk around the area this morning was this juvenile Cuckoo

This afternoons sea watch:

14.00-16.00 from the fishing boats with AJG, RW, OL.

Common Scoter: 4E     1W

Fulmar: 1W

Sooty Shearwater: 1E

Gannet: 51E   

Cormorant: 2E        4W

Dunlin: 7E

Turnstone: 4W

Kittiwake: 3E

Mediterranean Gull: 8E    all juveniles

Sandwich tern: 141E   18W

Common Tern: 11E

Arctic Skua: 7E     2 x LP, 5 X DP,

Sand Martin: 20 out

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 3

A little Stint, an Avocet, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Common Sandpiper and a Golden plover were seen on Burrowes today per NB. It would seem the island scrub clearance is now starting to make a difference to wader numbers using the reserve, so hopefully it won't be so depressing walking round. Several people I spoke to today were compiling about the lack of shelter from the wind, especially at the Firth Viewpoint which funnels the wind, making the use of a scope near on impossible.

3 Cattle Egrets and a Little Egret at the Eastern end of the ARC this afternoon

Cattle Egret over the ARC

Also at the ARC were 3 Garganey and at least 1 Black-necked Grebe among the 100s of Coot and eclipse wildfowl, also at least 1 Great White Egret there making the set.

Glossy Ibis still present at the ARC

The concrete man at Dengemarsh Gully was the only thing of interest that I saw at there this evening

 

27/08/2021

Common Whitethroat in The Desert

Apparently there was nothing moving off shore this morning, per a disgruntled Brian. A sprinkle of migrants around the peninsular today included 3 Pied Flycatchers, a Spotted Flycatcher, a Redstart, a smattering of Yellow Wagtails, Whinchats, Wheatears, Willow Warblers, Reed Warblers, Lesser and Common Whitethroats. While I was watching a Pied Flycatcher at the lighthouse all the Gulls at the power station started alarming, my usual panic ensued trying to spot the cause of the commotion, eventually spotting an Osprey heading out to sea. I must remember to look around the Gulls rather than at them. News from the ARC was that the Glossy Ibis was still present today as was at least 2 Black-necked Grebes.

On Burrowes viewed from Dennis's Hide late afternoon 3 Black Terns, a Garganey, a Dunlin, a Common Snipe and c100 Lapwing. As a result of most of the the visible islands on Burrowes having had the vegetation removed yesterday, they are now looking much better for attracting waders. 

Whinchat in The Desert

Willow warbler in the lighthouse garden

Pied Flycatcher in the lighthouse garden

The 2 Pied Flycatchers at the top of the Long Pits were very camera shy, but one of them was very vocal calling virtually non stop.

Hobby still at its loft nest site this afternoon, still feeding at least 2 young.

As there wind has been from the North for so long I was very surprised to find not just 1 but Beautiful Marbled in the trap yesterday morning
 

25/08/2021

An early walk around the ranges opposite Brett's Marina found 2 Whinchats of note and not a lot else.

AJG sea watched from 06.00-07.00

Common Scoter:6W

Gannet: 81E

Sandwich Tern: 25W

Common Tern: 1W 

Great Skua: 1E

Common Buzzard over the garden this morning

As I had work being done in the house today I was unable to go far, I did manage a walk down Culver Lane where the stubble fields full of Yellow wagtails, Linnets and Meadow Pipits with a procession Swallow, Sand and House Martins going through. At the bottom of the lane I found the remains of a juvenile Marsh Harrier, no foul play suspected probably just not strong enough to make it on its own.

A Juvenile Marsh Harrier in the field opposite my house, cause of death unknown.

RW & JY did the trapping area, highlights were 4 Whinchats, a Pied Flycatcher and good numbers of Yellow Wagtails.

14.00-15.00 from the fishing boats with RW, JTM & PT

Gannet: 6E

Common Sandpiper: 1 landed briefly then carried on west

Kittiwake: 1W

Mediterranean Gull: 5E all juvenile/1w

Sandwich Tern: c15 around

Common Tern: 2 around

Arctic Skua: 4 offshore

Wheatear: 1 on beach

A check of the ARC from the causeway saw 2 Black Terns. The Glossy Ibis was still present per RW who also a leucitic Pintail there.

This evening at Dengemarsh a Hobby still feeding young.

A Coronet, the first my trap for 3 years

 

24/08/2021

07.40-08.20 from by the sea watch hide:

Teal: 4W

Common Scoter: 3W

Gannet: 42W    34E

Cormorant: 9 around

Mediterranean Gull: 32 juveniles at The Patch

Sandwich Tern: 15W    9E

Common Tern: 3E

Harbour Porpoise: 3+

Hummingbird Hawkmoth on the perimeter wall

A very uninspiring watch, with the wind set to stay NE for the next week at least, I can't see things improving.

Juvenile Yellow Wagtail, part of a flock of c60 in The Desert this morning

A wander around The Desert saw a flock of c60 Yellow Wagtails, c30 Meadow Pipits, 4 Whinchats, 4 Stonechats, 5 Wheatears, a single Whimbrel over, 12 Common Whitethroats, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, Green and Great-spotted Woodpecker and 2 Sparrowhawks  of note, there was also a trickle of Sand Martins and Swallows over. There is now a large flock of Starlings building so maybe that will attract one their cousins.  Also in the area a nice patch of Autumn Lady's-tresses.

One of 4 Whinchats in The Desert this morning

Autumn Lady's-tresses in the trapping area today

At the ARC I managed to see 3 of the 4 Black-necked Grebes seen by Jonny T, Great White Egret but couldn't find the Glossy Ibis.

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon

14.00-14.30 at the fishing boats:

Gannet: 3E

Mediterranean Gull: 2E both juveniles

Little Gull: 1 juvenile feeding offshore

Yellow-legged Gull: 1 juvenile cam to bread

Sand Martin: 4 out

Wheatear: 1 around the boats

A new species for my trap, Celypha rufana a rare micro on the peninsular

 

23/08/2021

2 Pied Flycatchers at the top of the Long Pits this afternoon, one of which was calling constantly. There was another in a private garden along with a Common Redstart.

40+ Willow Warblers around this morning in my wander around the trapping area, also c60 Common Whitethroats, a couple of Lesser Whitethroats, a 2 Whinchats, 5 Wheatears, a trickle of Sand Martins and Swallows overhead, singles of Whimbrel and Ringed Plover, 3+ Sparrowhawks and a great spotted Woodpecker of note.

A visit to the sea first thing was predictably disappointing, a few each of Gannet and Sandwich tern milling around, 5 juvenile Mediterranean Gulls at The Patch was the highlight.

I did get to see male and female Southern migrant Hawkers and a female Lesser Emporer courtesy of DW at the observatory, also a Spotted Flycatcher in The Moat.

One of two Whinchats in the Desert this morning

Wheatear at Dengemarsh

Grey Heron Dengemarsh

Arctic Skuas at the fishing boats from the weekend

Dog's Tooth a rare visitor to my trap

Rosy Footman always a pleasure to find one of these in the trap

Another Gypsy Moth, a good year for them.

    

 

20/08/2021

Ready made Tern Islands being towed past Dungeness yesterday afternoon

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull at The Patch this morning

I joined DW at The Patch this morning where there was 60+ Mediterranean Gulls feeding off shore, also a couple of Yellow-legged Gulls. A small number of Gannets were off shore with a few Sandwich terns and the Kittiwake and Common Tern, very quiet for this time of year.

This afternoons sea watch was even quieter apart from 620 Sand Martins that went out to sea. 

Juvenile Mediterranean Gull at The Patch this morning

3TJ6 a French colour ringed juvenile Mediterranean Gull at The Patch this morning

Glossy Ibis at The ARC today, also a Black-necked Grebe there with apparently 3 there this evening per GP. At Lade Sands the Little Stint present for its 4th day. The Long Pits and trapping area were very quiet. Galloway's was virtually an avian free zone.

Although White Spot is a quite common moth just a couple of Kilometres away on the shingle, this was my first and probably only one of the year in the trap this morning. 

My second Peach blossom of the year, a beautiful moth