14/11/2026

Short-eared Owl

Last night I was lucky enough to be able to see the Short-eared Owl that was caught and ringed by the Dungeness Bird Observatory ringing team, many thanks to them for the priveledge. I also saw a Barn Owl as I drove across the causeway.

Short-eared Owl

 

Some of the 17 Cattle Egrets at Cockles Bridge early this morning

Common Buzzard over The Wigwams

I joined Richard for a wander around trapping area and The Desert, it has to said that avian wise it was very quiet and this Common Buzzard was the dubious highlight.

Goosander

After breakfast I cycled to Jury's Gap, stopping at the caravan park lake to have yet another look at the Ring-necked Duck and 2 Scaup there, on the lake opposite I spotted a female Goosander that immediately  took off, leaving me to get a record flight shot of this increasingly rare visitor to the peninsula. On the island in the lake there were 2 Green Sandpipers, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Ruff, 3 Redshank, 3 Turnstone, a Common Snipe, 17 Dunlin, a Ringed Plover and 30+ Lapwing.

A long walk along the sea wall from Jury's Gap to Galloways in the hope of finding Snow Buntings, Shorelarks and Lapland Buntings, it goes without saying I drew a blank on those species, the best I could muster was 2 Black Redstarts, 6 Stonechats and c150 Common Scoter offshore, the highlight though was a single Swallow coasting East.

Pallas's Warbler

This afternoon Jacob found a Pallas's Warbler in the Old Lighthouse Garden, these were the best images I managed to obtain usual excuses very mobile bird, in very tricky light conditions, blah blah.......

Pallas's Warbler

Pallas's Warbler