A pleasant day at Dunge

From Hanson Hide this morning several Reed Warblers feeding young. Numbers of Lapwing and Pochard still seem to be increasing also 9 Little Egrets, a Cuckoo and a Whimbrel of note. With flying Ants on the wing large numbers of Gulls including at least 18 Med Gulls, Starlings and 3 Hobbys were having a feeding frenzy over the Tower Pools. At the southern end of the pit the Goosander still present despite the best efforts of the army appearing to try to land a Chinook there.

At the power station the only things of note were a Hummingbird Hawk Moth on the perimeter wall and another by the concrete road.

Common Blue Damselfly

On the reserve the Great White Egret still on Dengemarsh also many emerging Damselflys but little else in the thundery conditions this afternoon.

Hot morning lazy cool afternoon.

At the ARC Pit this morning there was very little change. A single Green Sandpiper from the Screen Hide and 2 LRPs, a Cuckoo and a Curlew, the 1st Summer Little Gull and Goosander at the South end with many Pochard and another 2 LRPs.

Leucistis Grey Heron

A walk from the ARC car park to Dengemarsh saw the usual Tree Sparrows at Boulderwall Farm also my first Painted Lady of the year and 2 Hobbys there. At Hookers a Bittern flew towards Christmas Dell at the same time as a the above leucistic Grey Heron. Several family parties of Bearded Tits were there and the Great White Egret was on Dengemarsh and 2 Yellow Wagtails flew over. 

At the fishing boats the Glacous Gull still present also several Juvenile Wheatears around the boats. At Jurys Gap this afternoon nothing of note but the sea was lovely after the first cold shock! Retirement you cant beat it!

At the ARC Pit today from the screen hide 1 Green Sandpiper and 1 Common Sandpiper, from  Hanson Hide 4 LRPs, 4 Dunlin, 1 juv Ringed Plover, 6+ Little Egrets and 2 Marsh Harriers.. Many Swifts, Sand Martins, House Martins and Swallows over the pit also 10+ Hobbys over the bank by the railway line 2 more LRPs at the south end along with the Goosander and 1st Summer Little Gull. 

My First Day of Retirement

2nd Summer Med Gull with young?

 At the ARC Pit this morning the highlights were 5 Black-tailed Godwits, 9+ Little Egrets, 1 Dunlin, 2 Cuckoo's, 3 Hobbys 2+ LRPs and 6 Sand Martins through. The water level at Carters Flood, Pett is high at the moment, consequently the only waders there today was 2 Avocet. A Hobby was hunting from a Hawthorn to the left of the hide until the regular Little Owl saw it off. Pett Pools hels 33 Black-tailed Godwits and an Avocet. At Rye Harbour the Gull and Tern Colonies are full of young.  On The Ternery Pool young Med Gulls were all round so appear to have had a good season.  The pair of Common Gulls appear to have been flooded out. A Turtle Dove was purring on the reserve and Skylarks appeared to be numerous.

Little and Large

The Ahhh factor!

The Squacco Heron was still showing well from the ramp but just that little tbit to distant for really good pics. While watching the Squacco the Great White Egret flew over then landed on Denge Marsh near a Little Egret showing the huge size difference. Also from the ramp the Bittern gave a fly by and was booming, a family party of Bearded Tits were pinging and flitting in the reeds along with Sedge, Reed and Cetti's Warblers, 3 plus Hobbys entertained with their aerobatics and a couple of Marsh Harriers cruised the reed beds.The Trre Sparrows have occupied the triangular box at Boulderwall Farm and Bee's appear to have ousted the Kestrels from there usual site there.  On the ARC Pit the Goosander was roosting on the islands from the Screen Hide also the 2 Green Sandpipers still there. A count of Pochard on the pit was 346. At Cockles Bridge a Corn Bunting was singing and 2 Yellow Wagtails were in the horse paddock. 

Wild day at Dunge

A wild wet morning on the viewing ramp at Hookers produced superb prolonged views of  the Squacco Heron, which eventually flew to Denge Marsh but still showing all be it more distantly. Also from the ramp the bittern was booming occasionally and the Beardies were pinging. The Great White Egret was on show distantly on Denge Marsh with a couple of Hobbys, 3 Marsh Harriers and 6 Common Terns. On the ARC Pit an exceptionally early or late Goosander and 2 Green Sandpipers from the screen hide.

Squacco in the rain

In an hour at Dunge RSPB in the rain this evening the Squacco Heron was showing at on Hookers Pit and the Great White Egret was on Denge Marsh. On the way back to the car a very bedraggled Hobby was huddled up on a fence post and hundreds of Swifts were over the pits. 

Squacco Heron

I should have been in Wales today but due to unforseen cicumstances i found my self in Worthing.  So i was unable to get to Dungeness untill late afternoon. Fortunately the Squacco Heron behaved it self and showed well on Denge Marsh all be it fairly distant for photographic purposes. Also showing there was the Great White Egret, 2 Hobbys and the Bittern was booming regularily.

White-throated Robin

A superb trip to Hartlepool Headland Friday 10th June started at Reigate, where i met Richard F at 08.45 at 12.55 we were on site, with news being the WTR had not been seen for a couple of hours, at 15.00 it was looking as though a repeat of Thursday was on the cards, (showing in the morning then disappearing for the rest of the day). RF and I were looking in shrubbery opposite the doctors garden, when a lad ran by saying it was on the bowling green, a few seconds later we were there watching it showing brilliantly for an hour in which time i took 850 shots most still to be looked at. Thankfully RF had a mate who lives near by who would put us up for the night. He kindly showed us the delights of South Gare birding all be it not at its best before a much needed nights sleep.

Saturday morning we went back to the Headland to be met by a lot of disappointed birders the curse of the Friday night flit had struck again. From the Headland we had 2 reasonably close Manx Shearwaters and a couple of Puffins along with Guillemots, Eider, Little Terns, Gannets and Fulmars. We then headed to the Moors via Saltholme Pools where 3 Spoonbills were asleep as usual. On the Moors we saw 3 families of Red Grouse, 3 Cuckoo's and Curlews. We then taken to a site where Pied Plycatchers nest in boxes provided but they had already fledged and left the site, Where do they go before turning up on the coast in August? at the same site we saw a Woodcock, Redstarts, several Spotted Flycatchers and Willow Warblers. Before heading home we went to Scaling where a pair of Little Ringed Plovers had 4 very recently hatched featherballs on legs.  

Spoonbill

Unfortunately not in focus

Returning bird?

An hour sat in the screen hide with Mark this morning was rewared with my first Green Sandpiper, 1+ Hobby, 1+ Yellow Wagtail, 4 Little Egrets, large numbers of Swifts and Martins over the pit and Mark suddenly calling Spoonbill which appeared low from the East and disappeared over Boulderwall Farm, shame i never quite got true focus on it.