An evening stroll around Dungeness RSPB found 15 Yellow Wagtails by the visitor centre, numerous Reed Warblers, Sedge Warblers, Cetti's Warblers, Whitethroats, Reed Buntings singing, 1 Slavonian Grebe on Burrowes Pit, 32 Whimbrel around the reserve, a flock of 13 Greenshanks over, 2 Stonechats, 4 Marsh Harriers, a Little Ringed Plover, 1 Cuckoo, only 2 Swallows, 2 Bearded Tits all accompanied by the booming Bittern. 

Another quiet morning

Very quiet again at Dunge early morning today but kept amused for the 2 hours i watched by 6+ Harbour Porpoises that were off shore the whole time. Bird wise  1 Bonxie, 35 Common Scoter, 1 Fulmar, 1 Kittiwake, 12 Eider, the first BLACK TERN of the year  at The Patch, 6 Guillemot, 18 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Red Throated Diver, 1 Whimbrel and the usual Common,Sandwich Terns and Gannets back and forth off shore, 2 Peregrines were tussling overhead and a Black Redstart on the power station fence. In the lighthouse garden a pair of Linnets were busy building there nest.  

A Blank Sea

 A Little Owl on the derelict building half a mile before Lydd Golf Club on my way to Dungeness this morning. Ithe sea was blank this morning with virtually no migration at all. The story was the same on the land around the point, so i went to the Midrips where 12 Avocets were paired up for breeding as were 8 Redshank and 12 Lapwing, 37 Shelduck, a lone drake Pintail, 2 Gadwall, 4 Brent Geese, 2 Marsh Harriers, 6 Meditteranean Gulls (5 ads & 2w), 2 Swallows through, 6 Northern Wheatears, a stunning Yellow Wagtail, several Skylarks and Meadow Pipits displaying, 4 Great Crested Grebes off shore with 3 Red-breasted Mergansers and a Kestrel posing on the wires at Jury's Gap. I spent the afternoon at Dungeness RSPB where the reed beds and bushes were alive with singing  Cetti's Warblers, Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers, Reed Buntings, 3 Bearded Tits and a Bittern Booming every few minutes. Also there 2 female type Goldeneye, 2 Greenshanks (my first this year), 6 Yellow Wagtails (all males) 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 4 Marsh Harriers and 2 ad Med Gulls over. This evening there is a Nightingale singing a few hunder yards from my home in the community wood. 

Warblers Galore

Spent a couple of hours at Stodmarsh this morning. No sign of the Wood Warbler but plenty of Blackcaps, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs. The Reed beds and  pathside bushes were full of Cetti's Warblers, Reed Warblers and Sedge Warblers. A pair of Marsh Harriers gave a brilliant display from the Lampen Wall.
This evening i spent a couple of hours in and around Orlestone Forest with estimated 15+ Nightingales singing around the forest also seen 6 Bullfinches and plenty more Blackcaps, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs.

More of the same

Only 2 Garganey at the ARC Pit first thing this morning with 2 Little Ringed Plovers and the Curlew. The sea was very quiet just a few Common Scoter and a light passage of Common Terns and 3 Harbour Porpoises? off shore. On the land migrants were very sparse with just 4 Swallows, 2 Sand Martins and 2 Northern Wheatears. A Peregrine was around the power station briefly. Of interest a Crimson Rosella was in one the gardens and even that escaped my lens. 

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.