Norfolk Hawker along the track to Hanson Hide
Barn Owl on the reserve
It is looking as though no Terns will nest at Dungeness for the first time in my memory. The Sandwich Terns declined and left a few years ago, in my opinion probably due to the fishing practices in Lade Bay and Rye Bay, where the bottom trawling decimated the Sand Eel population that the Terns relied on to feed young, though I am no scientist. The Common Terns I guess have got wise to the fact that the Herring Gulls and Lesser Black-backed Gulls have been allowed to predate all the young Terns in the last few years, hopefully they will find somewhere they can succeed in rearing young or at least somewhere with more sympathetic management. The Lapwings and Redshank chicks seem to be suffering again from predation, they seem to be around for a few days and then disappear, certainly before they could fly off. Personally I suspect the Marsh Harriers are the main culprits, although I have only witnessed a Harrier taking a Lapwing chick on one occasion, they are excellent hunters and amazingly agile.
Reed and Sedge Warbler numbers seem to me be lower than last year, but Reed Warblers are still arriving. On the bright side Bearded Tits seem to be doing very well, at least 2 young Bitterns have been seen together and there are probably 2 pairs of Kingfishers on the reserve.
The Ring-necked Duck can usually be found from Hanson Hide, mostly sleeping on the island with the Pochards.
There are plenty of Hobby's to be seen on the reserve
Honey Rabbit on the reserve
Grey Heron on the hay fields with a large Marsh Frog which it swallowed whole
Posing Linnet ARC
Ring-necked Duck at the ARC from Hanson Hide
Pochard coming into the ARC
No comments:
Post a Comment