Nightingales

I arrived at Orlestone Forest at 04.15 in the dark this morning to do the first offical visit for the Nightingale survey. As I opened the car door Nightingales could be heard along with a couple of Tawny Owls. I made my way to the furthest end of my tetrads slipping and tripping in the mud and streams that were the clean dry footpaths a week ago. As dawn broke the forest came alive with bird song Mistle and Song Thrushes, Blackbirds, Robins, Wrens, Blackcaps, Nuthatches, Green Woodpeckers, a Cuckoo called from the top of conifer in the growing light and most importantly Nightingales. I arrived back at the car at 07.15 after covering the first tetrad having located 18 singing Nightingales. The second tetrads habitat is not nearly as good for Nightingales but I was still very disappointed not to find any Nightingales. I will have to go back for another go round it at dawn another day.
At Dungeness a seawatch from the hide 09.30-12.00 was not very productive:
Red-throated Diver: 1E
Black-throated Diver: 1E
Manx Shearwatewr: 1W
Fulmar: 1W
Gannet: 22E  7W
Brent Geese: 5E
Common Scoter: 182E
Guillemot: 1 off shore
Mediterranean Gull 1st W: 1W
Bonxie: 1E
Arctic Skua: 3E
Common Tern: 200-300 off shore
The only other birds of note were 8 Whimbrel by the reserve entrance track.

A Disappointing Day at Dunge

I made the choice today having a lay in, with the last 2 mornings bringing excellent sea watches, it could not happen again today, and it didn't. When I arrived at the hide the occupants informed in no uncertain terms that there was sea passage today.  Just a few distant Bonxies and a couple of Divers and the Terns and Gannets tooing and froing off shore. 

At least the Wheatears like the anti predator fence!

A plod around the reserve found little of note. A northern Wheatear at Christmas Dell, a Green Sandpiper and a Common Tern on Dengemarsh, a few Swallows and the obligatory Marsh Harriers.
On the ARC Pit from Hanson the Long-tailed Duck, 2 Little Ringed Plovers and little else. At the south end 2 more LRPs, 2 Yellow Wagtails and a Common Snipe.
Another hours sea watch from the fishing boats produced just a few Terns and Gannets.
A look at Scotney on the way found nothing of note.   

Bonxie day record for Dungeness

A superb day long sea watch mainly from the hide 06.30-17.00:

Red-throated Diver: 7E
Black-throated Diver: 24E
Diver sp.: 2E
Fulmar: 28E 22w
Manx Shearwater: 65w
Gannet: 814E   381w
Brent Geese: 108E
Eider: 6E
Common Scoter: 428E
Whimbrel: 7E
Arctic Skua: 53E
Great Skua: 267E   A day record for Dungeness
Mediterranean Gull: 3E
Kittiwake: 27E  5w
Sandwich Tern: N/C  Several hundred off shore and past
Common Tern: N/C  several hundred off shore and past
Auk sp.: 8+

Bonxies

Bonxie

Arctic Skua

Black-throated Divers

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.