Blue Skies and Strong Winds

 At the ARC Pit from the road this morning 4 Garganey, Spotted Redshank, 2 Little Ringed Plover, the Curlew still present and a Slavonian Grebe. The Sea was very quiet in a short watch a flock of 6 Avocets went by , 15 Common Scoter and a steady stream of Gannets and Sandwich Terns with a few Common Terns. On the land birding was difficult due to the wind but my first Common Whitethroats of the year were singing and very little else. The reserve held more Common Whitethroats and at least 12 singing Sedge Warblers and 9 Cetti's Warblers were singing.  Once again the wind spoiled the birding.  

First Nightingales

A walk in Orlestone Forest this evening found my first Nightingales of the year, 3 of them a couple of hundred yards from the car park. Also seen were 4 Bullfinches, Numerous Chaffinches, 2 Nuthatches, 4 Willow Warblers, 5 Chiffchaffs, 6 Blackcaps, 2 Goldcrest, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Blue,Great and Long Tailed Tits.

Mass Hatching

Common Gull basking in the last of the evening sunshine

A pleasant stroll around Dungeness RSPB this evening found 6 Yellow Wagtails by the centre, gorging on a mass hatching of flies which were in swarms all around the reserve and 2 Little Ringed Plover on Denge Marsh. From the view point numerous Cetti's Warblers, Sedge Warblers and Reed Buntings singing, 4+ Marsh Harriers, 2 Bearded Tits and the Bittern regularily booming Brilliant!! Back at the centre a pair of Common Gulls on the roof surrounded by the flies.

Back to normal

A much quieter morning today but still some nice birds around and a pleasant walk. At The Point 2 Black Redstarts, 4 Wheatears,  3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Willow Warblers, 2 Grey Herons over and a Sparrowhawk upsetting the Gulls. At the ARC 2 Litle Ringed Plovers, A Slavonian Grebe, Little Egret, 3 Goldeneye and a Cetti's Warbler all in SW Corner. On the reserve a Wheatear, 2 Garganey, 2 Mediteranean Gulls over, 4 Sedge Warblers, 8+ Cetti's Warblers, 40+ Reed Buntings, 6 Marsh Harriers, 6 Chiffchaffs, 4 Willow Warblers, 2 Stonechats, a single Swallow and a booming Bittern.   

All at Sea

 A sea watch 08.00-10.30 produced 5 Bonxies, 62, Little Gulls, 26 Velvet Scoter, 1300 Common Scoter(estimate), 4 Black Throated Divers, 6 Red Throated Divers, 14 Eider, 12 Red breasted Mergansers, 6 Common Terns, 50+ Shovellor, 32 Teal, 10 Gadwall, 16 Tufted Duck, 4 Pochard, 8 Shelduck, 22 Wigeon, 25 Knot, 18 Curlew, Streams of Sandwich Terns, Gannets and Kittiwakes, 6 Fulmars, 2 Mediteranean Gulls, 26 Brent Geese,1 Peregrine, 2 Auks, a Swallow in off and lots more i missed.
Round the old Light House and garden the 2 Serins still present and flighty, another Swallow, 1 Black Redstart, 1 Ring Ouzel(elusive), 1 Firecrest, 2 Willow Warblers, 6+ Chiffchaffs, 1 Blackcap, 4 Wheatears and the Glaucous Gull still by the fishing boats. At the SW end of the ARC Pit 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Slavonian Grebes, 2 Marsh Harriers, 3 Goldeneye and the Curlew.

Horsham Waxwings

Seen in a quick visit to Horsham between meetings. Always a pleasure to see.  

Not One But Two Serins

 At the ARC Pit this morning from the road the 2 Little Ringed Plovers were still present and 3 Goldeneye with little else of note. On to the Light House garden area where 5+ Black Redstarts an 3+ Wheatears were present. A Half hour sea watch produced 40+ Sandwich Terns , 132 Common Scoter, 8 Shovellor, 12 Teal, 4 Red Breasted Mergansers, 4 Red Throated Divers, 64 Brent Geese,  30+ Gannets, 5 Kittiwakes and 6 Meadow Pipits in off. A walk up to and around The Moat was far from inspiring the best being a Peregrine beating up the Pigeons on the Power Station. As i walked back i saw a small group of birders scoping intently by the Experimental Station only to see the scopes go down as i arrived and told that there had been a male Serin on the path and had flown off. Fortunately Dave Walker and myself walked off after the Serin and soon relocated it on some Chickweed. It was very flighty and never allowed close approach but nearly always found patches of Chickweed on to feed which made refinding it easier each time it flew off.  After a couple of hours it went missing for twenty minutes and when i refound it there was a female with it.   

Black Redstart Fall at Dungeness

 Although it was a misty start at the point it was obvious from all the seeps and peeps as i got out the catthe car that many migrants were around. The first one i saw was a Black Redstart then another and another with a day total of 14, with 5 together in the Lighthouse Garden at one time. Also in the garden were 6 + Chiffchaffs some with black faces which i am reliably informed is Olive pollen with many more around the point, 2 Willow Warblers in the garden, 2 flyover Redpolls, 8 Siskins and a Brambling with more flyover Siskins as i walked the Point. The Gorse was alive with frantically feeding Goldcrests and 6+ Wheatears were around. A short misty sea watch produced 500+ Brent Geese, 14 Sandwich Terns, 102 Common Scoter and 2 Red Breasted Mergansers. 
 The Glaucous Gull was still at the fishing boats. At the ARC Pit The 2 Little Ringed Plover were still in residence and avery showy Curlew was with them. A Bittern flew over the path to Hansen Hide and 4+ Marsh Harriers were hunting the reed beds over the pit 6 Sand Martins and a Swallow were my first for the year

Tribute to Ray

A late afternoon visit to the ARC Pit found 2 Little-ringed Plovers, 2 Slavonian Grebes, 2 Little Egrets, 2 Marsh Harriers, 4 Goldeneye, 2 Cetti's Warblers and a mixed flock of Pied Wagtails, Meadow Pipits and Reed Buntings all from the road. In the screen hide a moving tribute to Ray Turley.

Garganey Surprise

A nice surprise in a short visit to Dunge on the way home, in the form of 7 Garganey including 4 drakes on Burrowes Pit but always very distant (unlike the ones above) and in and out of the bushes, feeding on the myriad of newly hatched flies that were being blown across the pit.