21/07/2023

Green Sandpipers

As there was absolutely nothing moving on the sea this morning it was nice that there were a few bits at the ARC today, highlights were 3 Green Sandpipers, 3 Common Sandpipers, 3 Avocets, 9 Little Ringed Plovers, 6 Ringed Plovers, 12 Dunlin a Redshank, 4 Garganey (3 fresh juveniles and the satellite tracked drake) as well as the usual Lapwing, Oystercatchers and wildfowl. The Glossy Ibis flew over the car park towards the tower and a Hobby was over the Tower pits. A Lesser Emperor dragonfly was seen by Hanson Hide per DB

Little Ringed Plovers, Ringed Plover, Dunlin and the top of a Redshanks head

Little Grebes

Gypsy Moth from last nights catch

 

This Druid will probably be the highlight of the 2023 moth trapping year in my garden. Only the 4th Kent record and 2nd Dungeness area record.

 The sea watching is still rather poor, but I'll keep plodding at it because eventually it will improve.

06.45-08.45 from the hide with RW 

Common Scoter: 13W      2E

Great-crested Grebe: 1 present

Swift: 3W

Oystercatcher: 1W

Grey Plover: 1W

Whimbrel: 1W

Curlew: 2W

Kittiwake: 9W     

Mediterranean Gull:10W 

Yellow-legged Gull: 3W juveniles

Great Black-backed Gull: 27W  

Sandwich Tern: 24W

Common Tern: 4W    

Auk sp: 1W

Gannet: 50W    14E

Sand Martin: 11W

Harbour Porpoise: 3

Grey Seal: 1 
 

Little Egret from Hanson Hide

Despite good conditions at the ARC there is very little turn over of birds there at the moment, though I am sure it will improve in the next few weeks. Still up to 10 Little ringed plovers with 1 pair still sitting on a nest, 6 Ringed Plovers, a Bar-tailed Godwit dropped in for a couple of hours and up to 3 Garganey present along with usual wildfowl.

Yesterday I took a long walk out onto Walland Marsh to check some nest boxes, I was delighted to find that they had been used by Tree Sparrows with several newly fledged young present, plenty of Skylarks were singing and c20 Yellow Wagtails were seen, though not as many as in previous years, also a few Corn Buntings also in lower than usual numbers.

Skylark

Adult male Yellow Wagtail

Juvenile Yellow Wagtail

17.07/2023

As you can see below sea watching at Dungeness is still a very slow, much patience is needed to see anything of note.

6.45-09.00 from the hide with RW & OL

Common Scoter: 3W      1E

Swift: 2 in off

Oystercatcher: 1W

Whimbrel: 1W

Kittiwake: 54W     

Mediterranean Gull: 33W 

Yellow-legged Gull: 1W juvenile  

Sandwich Tern: 19W

Common Tern: 2W 

Guillemot: 3W     

Auk sp: 1W

Gannet: 115W    3E

Arctic Skua: 1E 

Sand Martin: 7 out

Harbour Porpoise: 3

Grey Seal: 1

The power station Peregrines will soon be leaving the safety of there nest ledge

Eclipse drake Garganey at the ARC from Hanson Hide

Avian wise Dungeness is very quiet, Hobbys can be seen at the ARC and Dengemarsh, there are still a couple of Garganey present, a single Cattle Egret, 2+ Great White Egrets, several each of Little Ringed Plovers and Ringed Plovers and maybe up to 5 pairs of Common Terns, along with the usual Marsh Harriers and wildfowl. AS usual this time of year there are many 100s of Sand martins moving through the peninsula.

Bonaparte's Gull

 Today along with Owen, Colin and Richard I made the pilgrimage to Oare Marshes to see the Bonaparte's Gull that has returned again for at least its tenth year, it did not disappoint us giving us superb views. The water level on the flood was quite high but still held 100s of Black-tailed Godwits, 10s of Redshank, Avocet and Dunlin, with a few Greenshanks. Every time a shower threatened pulses of Swifts and Sand martins came through, also a Red Kite flew over. There were many Bees, dragonflies and butterflies there. As is now a tradition we finished the day with a piece of Owens delicious home made Madeira Cake.

Bonaparte's Gull

This Swallow was nesting in one of the hides at Oare Marshes, as it was in near darkness I had use 20,000 ISO to get an image, consequently its quite grainy.

11/07/2023

 

Common Scoter west past the Bouy this morning

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull feeding on Whitebait

An oddly enjoyable sea watch seeing 600+ Swift fly out to sea, a stream of Mediterranean Gulls heading west feeding along the shoreline on the abundance of Whitebait, I saw 174 but I'm sure many more slipped by underneath my scope as I was counting Swifts out at sea and looking for Shearwaters that didn't appear. 

07.00-10.30 from the hide with OL
Common Scoter: 26W
Great-crested Grebe: 1 present
Oystercatcher: 2E
Swift: 634 SW
Curlew: 1W
Whimbrel: 1W
Kittiwake: 7W     
Mediterranean Gull: 174W 
Yellow-legged Gull: 3+ present   
Sandwich Tern: 4W  
Common Tern: 1E 
Guillemot: 5E
Fulmar: 2W 
Gannet: 26W     
Sand Martin: 16 out
Harbour Porpoise: 5
Grey Seal: 2

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull

Juvenile Mediterranean Gull enjoying the Whitebait

1st summer Mediterranean Gull

2nd Summer Mediterranean Gull

1st Summer, 2nd Summer and adult Mediterranean Gull

A nice comparison between a Juvenile Mediterranean Gull (top bird) and a juvenile Black-headed Gull

The ARC was fairly quiet today with all the usual birds still present but nothing new, Cooks Pool held Cattle and Great White Egret, many Sand Martins could be seen heading south all over the reserve.

A Glossy Ibis was seen to drop into the tower pits per RW.

Little Ringed Plover still sitting tight at the ARC

Sedge Warbler from Hanson early afternoon

Cattle Egret at Cooks Pool this afternoon

Great White Egret at Cooks Pool this afternoon

Marsh Sandpiper

Marsh Sandpiper

Yesterday morning after another tedious sea watch I went to Hanson Hide, on opening the flaps I could see a small flock of Redshanks which were new in, getting myself settled I started to scan the flock with my scope an immediately spotted a smaller paler wader among them, first thought was Greenshank but immediately dismissed it due to size, which only left Marsh Sandpiper. With a little panic setting in I doubled checked the bird, size between Redshank and Wood Sandpiper, needle straight thin bill, long green grey legs, slight supercillium and blackish spots on its back making it an adult, happy with the identification I put the news out. 

Marsh Sandpiper with Redshanks

Marsh Sandpiper, Redshanks and Lapwing

Marsh Sandpiper chased by Lapwing

Marsh Sandpiper, Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit and Lapwing

Marsh Sandpiper, Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit and Lapwing

Common Sandpipers

Greenshank with juvenile Redshank

Satellite tagged eclipse drake Garganey still present

Cattle Egret at Boulderwall

05/07/2023

 

After the sea watch I joined DW at The Patch where he spotted this juvenile Yellow-legged Gull the first of the year. Also 30+ Mediterranean Gulls there and a couple 2nd year Yellow-legged Gulls.

Even by recent standards this mornings sea watch was abysmal!

07.00-08.00 from the hide 
Great-crested Grebe: 1  present

Kittiwake: 3W
Mediterranean Gull: 7W towards The Patch
Sandwich Tern:  1W    4E
Guillemot: 2W
Gannet: 18W
Cormorant: 1W    1E
Swift: 24 in    
Harbour Porpoise: None seen today again
Grey Seal: 1

1 of the Common Sandpipers at The ARC today

Yesterdays Wood Sandpiper at the ARC was still present today, along with another, 2 Common Sandpipers, a Black-tailed Godwit, 8 Dunlin. 10 Little Ringed Plovers, 7 Ringed Plovers, a Garganey and all the other usual suspects. 

A walk around the reserve late afternoon in the strong winds saw many Sand Martins around, 8 Common Terns, a Black-tailed Godwit and the usual Gulls, a Hobby flashed over Christmas Dell but I saw little else, the pool behind Dengemarsh Hide is drying up rapidly. 

Pine Hawkmoth, the highlight of a soggy moth trap this morning