Skua's come with the storm

Dungeness Sea Watch Hide 07.30-13.00    14.00-15.00 The Point:
Red-Throated Diver: 9E
Fulmar: 18E  7w
Manx Shearwater: 2E  1w
Brent Geese: 191E
Common Scoter: 287E  29 w
Velvet Scoter: 6E
Eider: 1 drifted E
Red-breasted Merganser: 8E
Oystercatcher: 1E
Kittiwake: 8E  3w
Arctic Skua: 18E
Great Skua: 39E
Skua sp: 1E
Gannet, Sandwich Tern and Common Tern: N/C but good numbers tooing and froing off shore
Harbour Porpoise: 2 off shore

2 Northern Wheatears by the car park. This afternoon at the ARC Pit 8 Swallows, 3 House Martins, 2 Common Whitethroats, 2 Sedge Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs, 3 Cetti's Warblers and 1 Wigeon.

2w Iceland Gull Demise

The sea passage this morning was again virtually non existant as were migrants around the point. In the ARC Pit car park a Sedge Warbler was singing as was a Common Whitethroat, 4 Tree Sparrows were in the brambles there.

 Moving on to the reserve which was not yet open, the Long Tailed duck was in front of Dennis's Hide and 2 Swallows flew through. From Firth Hide I spotted what looked like an Iceland Gull but the light was so poor I had to move on to Makepiece Hide to get a better view. The gull was distant and looked very sickly. DW joined me and found a Yellow-legged Gull and also spotted a Garganey back in front of Firth hide. We moved back to Firth to get better views of the Garganey which eventually flew off to the other end of the pit. Unfortunately while the bird was on show the light for photography was dreadful. 

 Plodding further round the reserve a Northern Wheatear was at Christmas Dell and 2 more Garganey were on Dengemarsh as was another 2 Swallows and the Bittern Booming from the viewpoint. On the way back to the car I had another look at the 2w Iceland Gull which now looked very poorly, constantly retching as if something was stuck in its throat. By the reserve centre 2 Yellow Wagtails and a White Wagtail. Returning to the ARC car park 2 Marsh Harriers were displaying high over head. Making my way to the Screen Hide 2 Reed Warblers in the Tower Pits and another Garganey and 6 Little Egrets in front the hide. On my way to the fishing boats for an afternoon sea watch I stopped at the south end of the ARC Pit where there was 6 Yellow Wagtails and a stunning White Wagtail. The sea watch produced nothing so I went back to the reserve to have another look at the Iceland Gull. I quickly relocated it, unfortunately it was now dead.

North Easterly ruins the day

Little or no movement at sea today. Just 3 Brent Geese, a few Common Scoter and 16 Mediterranean Gulls past, with a few Sandwich Terns, Common Terns and Gannets tooing and froing off shore. Around the bushes 3 Chiffchaffs and a House martin over. At the ARC Pit from Hanson 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 6 Swallows, 2 House Martins and 2 Marsh Harriers. On a wind swept Burrowes Pit the Long Tailed Duck was the only bird of note. Scotney was an avian desert barring the Herring Gulls.
Even a scout around another Nightingale Tetrad found very little due to the cold strong North Easterly wind. 

Nightingales

Crossbill always high in the trees today

 With the forecast for Strong North Easterlies I thought I'd spend some time plodding round and checking out one of my Nightingale tetrads. As I got out of the car at Faggs Wood I could hear the first one of 9 today. Also round the wood still a few flocks of Crossbills a 26, an 8, a 4 and a 12 mainly coming into the bomb crater area. No Lesser Pecker today but several Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 6 Bullfinches, 4 Treecreepers and 4 pairs of Nuthatch including the very vocal pair in the car park, 18 singing Chiffchaffs, 3 singing Willow Warblers, 5 singing Blackcaps, 1 Woodcock and 2 Common Buzzards over the woods. A very pleasant and rewarding plod but it seems I did miss a fairly good sea watch.

Nightingale (Must learn how to use photoshop)

80 without really trying

As I arrived at the car park at The Point  at c07.30, I could see TG on his way back from the sea watch hide, which could only mean the sea was dead avian wise. A plod around the light house and bushes found 2 Wheatears, the Rubicola Stonechat, 20+ Willow Warblers, 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Blackcaps, 2 singing Black Redstarts, 4 Swallows, numerous Linnets and Mr Ashton.
On the reserve The Long-tailed Duck from Dennis's Hide, 2 Garganey on Dengemarsh. Round the trail 11+ Sedge Warbler singing, 8 Cetti's Warblers, 9 Willow warblers, 1 Chiffchaff. From the view point the Bittern was occasionally booming, 2 Bearded Tits, 2 Common Buzzards moved south and 4 Marsh Harriers were displaying. While I was there, I decided I would  list all the species I saw today on the peninsular for no particular reason. An hour and half sea watch this afternoon, saw 4 Red- throated Divers, 1 Black-throated Diver, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 2 Little Gulls, 3 Red- Breasted Mergansers, a few Common Scoter, Sandwich Terns and Gannets. Stopping at the south end of the ARC Pit on the way home 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Ringed Plovers and 2 Dunlin made today's total on the peninsular 80 without really trying.

Willow Warblers

Minimal avian passage at sea past Dungeness this morning. The highlight was a pod of c8 White Beaked Dolphins making huge splashes making there way east c1 mile out, also good numbers of Harbour Porpoises off shore.

Pale Chiffchaff ??

On the land reasonable fall of Willow Warblers c50+ around the point,also a few Chiffchaffs including the pale individual above. With them several Blackcaps, at least 2 Common Redstarts, 6 Black Redstarts, 5 Northern Wheatears and 12 Swallows.

Willow Warbler

On the reserve a Raven carrying food, more Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs, plenty of Sedge Warblers a Little Ringed Plover, 2 Swallows and 6 Marsh Harriers. Also seen by others the Ring Necked Duck, Common Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Reed Warbler and a Ring Ouzel.

Common Redstart 1 of at least 2 on The Point

Highlights of an hour and half sea watch this afternoon was 1 Black-throated diver, 1 Red-throated Diver and Kestrel in off. Also spectacular storms inland left the hills looking as though it had been snowing.

Late afternoon look at the south end of the ARC Pit found 4 Ringed Plovers, 4 Dunlin, 2 Little Ringed Plovers and a Curlew. 



April Showers

Seawatch from the hide 07.45-10.30:                              From the point 14.45-16.00:
Red-throated Diver: 2E                                                    Red-throated Diver: 4E
Black-throated Diver: 3E                                                 Black-throated Diver: 4E
Gannet: 114E                                                                   Gannet: 10+ off shore
Brent Geese: 33E                                                             Little Gull: 4E
Common Scoter: 126E                                                    Common Scoter: 6E
Red-breasted Merganser: 4E                                           Sandwich Tern: 14+ off shore
Little Gull: 6E                                                                  House Martin: 1 in
Sandwich Tern: 1000+ E
Common Tern: 124E
Kittiwake: 2E
Arctic Skua: 1E
Merlin: 1 in
Swallow: 9 in

 Around the reserve good numbers of Sedge Warblers singing, Bearded Tits and booming Bittern at Hookers pit along with displaying Marsh Harriers, The Ring-necked Duck still present on Dengemarsh(not seen by me) also 2 Garganey still. LRP on Burrowes and the Long-tailed Duck.  On the the entrance 4 Hares chasing one another and 2 Swallows over. At the south end of the ARC Pit 3 Yellow Wagtails and 2 LRPs.

Dungeness

Very little on the sea in short watch this morning. Highlight was an Arctic Skua chasing a tern. A walk around the bushes and the lighthouse with BB found 1 Chiffchaff and the Rubicola Stonechat.

Next stop the south end of the ARC Pit where the Long-tailed Duck was showing relatively close and 5 Little Egrets were on New Diggings. Moving on to Hanson Hide where a Swallow flew around the pit, a fine drake Pintail was resting out on the pit, 2 Common Snipe were flushed by Marsh Harrier on the far side. While we there MH got a call about a Ring-necked Duck on Hookers Pit from the viewing mound, so we quickly decamped to MH car and were very soon watching the superb Drake Ring-necked Duck in the company of some Pochard and Tufted Duck. Also from the mound singing Sedge Warblers, 2 Bearded Tits,  2+Cetti's Warblers, 3+ Marsh Harriers and the Bittern was booming. Another look at The New Diggings revealed a summer plumaged Slavonian Grebe.

By the main track to the reserve a Fox  was sleeping and just about managed to raise its head before going back to sleep taking no notice of the passing cars.

Round the reserve 4+ Sedge Warblers and 8+ Cetti's Warblers were singing, a Swallow was over Christmas Dell and on Dengemarsh 2 Garganey were showing and several Lapwing were displaying on the new floods.

 Another sea watch from the fishing boats 15.05-16.15 was slow with Highlights of:
Manx Shearwater: 1w
Red-throated Diver: 4E
Common Scoter: 30E
Kittiwake: 27w 1E
Sandwich Tern: c12 off shore
Common Tern: 3 off shore
Harbour Porpoise: 1 off shore
Stopping at the south end of ARC on the way home where CT and BH pointed out a Yellow Wagtail and 2 Little Ringed Plovers.

2w Iceland Gull

As I arrived at the car park TG phoned to say an Iceland Gull was on the beach by The Patch which I was soon watching even though I left my binoculars in the car. It was fairly distant and with the heat haze from the beach made pictures virtually impossible. The bird was soon flushed by fisherman but was later relocated on Burrowes Pit. Very little else on the sea the highlights being 1 Common Tern at The Patch , 8 Brent Geese moving east and a Common Buzzard in.

2w Iceland Gull on Burrowes Pi

From screen the Spoonbill could be seen in its usual pose asleep also 3 Little Ringed Plovers. The Long-tailed Duck was also reported from there.

In Dengemarsh Gully all I could find was 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Meadow Pipits, 1 Wheatear and 2 Ravens over.

Am off to the midlands tomorrow for rest of the weekend for a family get together so no posts till Tuesday.

Cold and Windy! it must be Dungeness

A slow sea watch from the hide 06.45-09.45 TG me from 08.00.
Red-throated Diver: 4W
Gannet: 16W
Fulmar: 3E
Brent Geese: 41E
Common Scoter: 57E
Red-breasted Merganser: 15E
Pintail: 2E
Teal: 5E
Shoveller: 2E
Curlew: 12E
Avocet: 4E
Sanderling: 8E
Knot: 38E
Dunlin: 7E
Grey Plover: 5E
Auk sp. 4E
Sandwich Tern: 5W

Warehorn Church feeding station

 As passerines were non existent at Dungeness I spent most the day plodding around the 2 tetrads I am covering for the Nightingale Survey looking for access to likely habitat especially on private land.

One of the paths took me Warehorn Church feeding station where dozens of Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, House Sparrows, Jackdaws, Collared Doves and at least 3 Tree sparrows were all making the most of the feeders.

Crossing nearby fields 4 Mistle Thrushes, 2 Corn buntings, 4 Yellow Hammers and 2 Common Buzzards.

Faggs Wood and the surrounding woodland make up the biggest part of the 2 tetrads, last year there were lots of Nightingales in this area. Today whilst plodding around the paths of the area, Crossbills were very much in evidence with one flock of c100 birds and several smaller flocks. Also seen were all 3 Woodpeckers, 5 species of corvid, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, several Nuthatches and Treecreepers, Blue, Great, Coal and Long-tailed Tits, Goldcrests, 6 Bullfinches, 4 Redwing  and Tawny Owl heard  

Part of a flock of C100 Common Crossbill at Faggs Wood