Scandinavian Rock Pipits

 The sea and The Point were dead this morning, even the Glaucous Gull eluded me. I pulled up behind Dave Walkers car on the road at the ARC Pit and could see he was trying photograph something. Soon i was watching and trying photograph 3 Scandinavian Rock Pipits which was surprisingly difficult to do as they were in the short dense scrub. Also seen from the car was a Slavonian Grebe and a couple of Goldeneye. From Hansen Hide a red head Smew and a pair of Goldeneye were performing close to the hide  and a Bittern flew in.       

 A Foggy start with a fairly brisk North Easterly breeze meant looking for grounded migrants which consisted of a single Wheatear and 2 Redwings also at the point 3 Stonechats. With the fog lifting on the sea there 57 Red Throated divers east, 6 West, a Black Throated Diver, 2 Sandwich Terns, 6 Common Scoter and a Porpoise. At the ARC Pit from the road 9 Dunlin, a Curlew, 2 Smew, 1 White Wagtail and 2 Marsh Harriers. In the Willow Trail 6 Goldcrests 3 Cetti's Warblers, 8 Chaffinches,2 Chiffchaffs, 6 Reed Buntings and Peacock butterfly. Between the carpark and the Water Tower 16 Reed Buntings, 2 Green Woodpeckers and little else.
Around the reserve 6+ Marsh Harriers, breif flight view of a Bittern and 4 Bearded Tits at Hookers showing well. The Firecrest still at Christmas Dell but little else of note.

A Few Spring Arrivals and a stunning Black Redstart

A dull damp start at Dunge this morning started with an hour and half sea watch which produced 356 Brent Geese, 12 Pintail, 8 R.T.Divers, 1 B.T Diver, 6 Diver sp, 46 Common Scoter, 1 Fulmar , 3 Kittiwake, 6 Auks sp, 50+ Gannets  and a Sparrowhawk in. Behind the seawatching hide a Meadow Pipit(ringed) sang from the wire. In the scrub 4 Stonechats new in and in the lighthouse garden a Firecrest. The Glaucous Gull was in its usual spot on the beach. On the ARC Pit from the road 2 Slavonian Grebes starting to  get there summer plumage. From Hansen hide 5 red head Smew, 1 of which was very confiding fishing in amongst the reeds so close that i could not focus on it, along with a drake Pochard. Also present 12 Goldeneye, 4 of our American friends and 2 Marsh Harriers. As i walked up towards the screen hide a Bittern was flushed by a Harrier and flew into the reeds on the fishing lakes. In the bushes near the Water Tower a Firecrest was singing and whilst unsuccessfully trying to photograph it a stunning male Black Redstart appeared and was far more obliging. In the same bushes were 2 singing Chiffchaffs and 6 Reed Buntings. No sign of any Bewick Swans on Walland  presumably on there way to Russia. 

March Hope

Not the hoped for Alba

The forcast was good for migrants but no one told the birds. The seawatch was more of the same 200+ Brent Geese, 100+ Common Scoter, 11 Mallard, 22 Teal, 2 Red-Breasted Mergansers, 12 Red Throated Divers, 3 Kittiwake, 14 Auks, the 1w Glaucous Gull, a female Wheatear on the beach near the lighthouse, a Perigrine round the power station and 2 Merlins along the beach. On the ARC from the road 5 Red Head Smew, 8 Goldeneye and a Ruddy Duck. Down Denge Marsh road 2 Ravens tucking into a dead lamb and a Stonechat. A walk round the reserve with very high water levels at least 9 different Cetti's Warblers, a flighty Firecrest at Christmas Dell, 4 Marsh Harriers and 30+ Reed Buntings.

Brilliant Sunny afternoon at Dungeness

Started the afternoon at the fishing boats where the Glaucous Gull was still on the beach and a large female Peregrine flew over, on the sea still large numbers of Great-crested Grebes but little else. At the SE end of the Arc pit a Curlew was posing on the shore out on the pit 2 Avocets were bobbing about the  whole length of the pit. From Hansen hide the Penduline Tit had been reported. It eventually appeared in the busses beside the hide and then flew into the Phragmites and was frustratingly elusive until it came out onto the Bullrushes infront of the hide where it showed quite well for 20 or so minutes before disappearing into the Willow Trail. Also from the hide a young drake Smew moulting, 16 Goldeneye, 3 Marsh Harriers, a Green Woodpecker and the 2 Avocets took from the water and flew towards the reserve calling. I was told of a Wheatear on the approach road to the reserve which was easy to find in its spring finery. Back at the Hansen Hide a Red Head Smew was very confiding.    

Moulting to adult drake

A confiding duck

First of the year

Pett Whitefronts

In a short early afternoon stop at Pett Levels i came across 5 Greater Whitefronted Geese with Greylags, also present on the levels were 400+ Wigeon, 100+ Teal, 300+ Curlew, 2 Marsh Harriers and 2 Common Buzzards. The sea was surprisingly choppy and all i could find was 50 + Great-crested Grebes.

More of the same

This mornings hour long sea watch from the shelter of the fishing boats was a little more productive than yesterday with 30+ Red-throated Divers, 13 Brent Geese, 16, Common Scoter, 100+ Auks, a constant stream of Gannets and a few Kittiwakes all moving east also the 1w Glaucous gave a fly by. At the ARC Pit on the mossy turf near to the path to Hansen Hide 20+ Pied Wagtails, 14 Reed Buntings and 3 Rock Pipits at least one of which was (Littoralis). From the hide 4 Smew(1 drake), 12 Goldeneye, 3 + Marsh Harriers and 2 Pintail the first for a while. Many of the dabblers appear to have moved away from this pit presumably due to high water levels. I could not find a single Gadwall. On the Willow trail 4+ Cetti's Warblers and 2 Chiffchaffs.  

Stubby Tail

 At a cold overcast Dungeness this morning a short desperate sea watch produced just a few Gannets and a couple of Red-throated Divers. At least stubby tail was still posing as was Great Black Backed Gull.
At the ARC pit just 5 Smew and 3 Marsh Harriers around with the high light being 2 fly over Ravens. Scotney was very quiet and on Walland the Bewick Swan herd has diminished to 56+ and the Tree Sparrows were still showing well by the feeders. 
   

Bitter Reculver

 By juggling a couple of meetings i managed to be able spend my lunch hour-ish at Reculver. The car park was virtually empty and when i got out of the car i realised why. The NE wind was bitter, it was high tide and spray was coming over the car park wall . Walking along the sea wall there were a dozen Sanderling, 6 Ringed Plover, 2 Grey Plover and 20+ Turnstone roosting on the beach but nothing moving on the sea apart from a lone Brent Goose. On the beach mound by Coldharbour Lagoon i located the 3 Shorelark which did there utmost not to be photographed and when they did allow a shot or 2 they stood facing the wind with there backs to me. The walk back produced a lone Marsh Harrier over the fields. 

Blean Woods

A beautiful morning to wander around Blean Woods produced 5 Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, 4 seen and 1 heard though all kept to the tree tops. Also seen 6 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 2 Green Woodpeckers heard, 2 Nuthatch, 2 Treecreepers, 2 Marsh Tits many Blue,Great and Coal tits, 14 Redwing, 1 Tawny Owl calling, only 2 Siskin and no Redpolls but still a brilliant mornings birding,