31/03/2024

I don't see many Avocets on sea sea watches at Dungeness

A couple of relatively close Red-breasted Mergansers

A much better watch than yesterday, not huge numbers but nice number of species.

06.45-10.00 with TH,JY, SO,CP from the sea watch hide.  Wind E 4  Temp 7°  

Brent Goose: 86E (4 parties)

Shelduck: 63E (4 parties)

Shoveler: 22W

Teal: 8E

Pintail: 1E

Eider: 5E

Common Scoter: 643E   18W

Red-breasted Merganser: 4W     

Great-crested Grebe: 2E   7 present 

Oystercatcher: 10E

Avocet: 1E

Dunlin: 1E

Curlew: 7E

Bar-tailed Godwit: 1E

Kittiwake: 1E      

Black-headed Gull: 6E

Little Gull: 2E (ad + 1w)

Mediterranean Gull: 5E

Common Gull: 10E

Great Black-backed Gull: 26E

Herring Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 4E

Sandwich Tern: 37E 

Common Tern: 5E

Guillemot: 21E  

Auk sp: 4E  

Red-throated Diver: 17E    4W   

Fulmar: 1W

Gannet: 24E 

Cormorant: 56 around

Peregrine: 2 out to sea together, presumed local birds hunting.

Carrion Crow 7 SW out to sea

Harbour Porpoise: 7

Grey Seal: 1

Eider passing this morning

One of four flocks of Shelduck that came through this morning

At least 1 Great Northern Diver was still on Burrowes late afternoon

10+ Little Gulls were hawing over Burrowes today, they weren't all this obliging

Another tasty morsel

Apart from a couple each of Chiffchaff and Sedge Warbler and long staying Water Pipits I found very little sign of migrant passerines on my plod around the reserve. I was hoping for an LRP at Christmas Dell, which now looks very good due to the habitat creation works done over the winter, I will be very surprised if they don't breed there and probably Garganey. I'm guessing that when the storms clear in Iberia and Southern France there will be a rush of migrants.🤞

One of the three Avocets on Hayfield 2/1

Black-tailed Godwit on Hayfield 2/1