27-28/09/2024

A superb 1w Caspian Gull, its Persil white head gleaming at the fishing boats yesterday afternoon

A typically aggressive bird

This is a second bird that flew straight through

2 short but very slow sea watched from the fishing boats this morning:

07.30-08.30 & 10.15-11.15

Brent Goose: 1E

Common Scoter: 1E

Great-crested Grebe: 3 present

Oystercatcher: 18E

Arctic Tern: 1 present

Sandwich Tern: c20 present  

Kittiwake: 1W      

Black-headed Gull: 31W

Mediterranean Gull: 2W

Common Gull: 3W

Herring Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Arctic Skua: 3 present  

Red-throated Diver: 2 present

Gannet: 36W       

Cormorant: present n/c

Hobby: 1 in off

Swallow: 16 out

Meadow Pipit: 6 in

Wheatear 2 behind boats

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 6

An  Arctic Tern in the early morning sunlight at the fishing boats today

A juvenile Sandwich Tern at the fishing boats this morning

A Wheatear at the back of the fishing boats, 1 of 16 seen today most being at the back of Scotney Pits

My first Redwing of the autumn this morning courtesy of Dungeness Bird Observatory

My first Song Thrush of the Autumn this morning, how times have changed for this once common garden bird.

I cycled out to Scotney where there were still 20+ Yellow Wagtails out the back this afternoon. Sadly no Corn Buntings or Tree Sparrows were seen, they have probably moved to their winter foraging areas. There was mobile flock of c200 Golden Plover with at least 3 Ruff with them, several Ravens were making a nuisance of themselves flushing all they could, including the hordes of feral Greylag, Canada and Egyptian Geese. 

Every bit of scrub at the back of Scotney seemed hold at least 1 Chiffchff

The Spoonbill on the East back pit, a poor image but superb compared to efforts of the Osprey that was flying around The Point late morning of about half an hour.