Orlestone Forest

As Dungeness would be busy today I decided to go to the woods. Driving along Brittania Lane I saw the familiar shapes of 20 Waxwings in the tops of the road side bushes, they were dropping down out of sight into a garden to feed then back up. As I pulled up to try and photograph them ,it seemed every man and his dog come out to see what I was doing. So I left them to it.
Orlestone was very wet and muddy which seemed to deter most people. The bright sunshine seemed to bring out the woodland birds, including all 3 woodpecker species. Nuthatch's and Treecreepers, Blue, Great, Coal and Long-tailed Tits, were numerous and even a few Redpolls were found.       

Kittiwake victims

Sea watching from the fishing boats this morning 08.30-10.30 produced:

Red-throated Diver: 2E  3W

Fulmar: 6W

Gannet: 595W

Brent Goose: 42E

Common Scoter:  11W  4E

Grey Plover: 1W

Knot: 31W

Dunlin: 21W

Kittiwake: 356W   Several were oiled

Little Gull: 5W

Guillemot: c150 off shore

Another anglers victim!

 On New Diggings the usual 2 Great White Egrets and on the ARC Pit 3 Smew were the highlights.
A few hundred mts from home looking very bedraggled in the heavy rain 41 Waxwings on Singleton Hill, Singleton by the roundabout.

Singleton

As I had some domestic stuff to do today I decided to spend an hour wandering around Singleton this morning. Less than 300mts from home I heard a trill and there was a Waxwing sitting high in a bush for just a few moments before disappearing into nearby gardens. At the top of the hill 4 Lesser  Redpolls  were feeding in some Birches. Near the lake a Nuthatch was calling and a Coal Tit was on a garden feeder as was Blue and Great Tits. A pleasant enough walk but not enough to change my mind about moving to the coast.

A very good and busy seawatch

Thinking that not much would be happening at The Point I had leisurely breakfast and drive down arriving at the fishing boats at 09.45 just as party of 60 Brent Geese flew east over the shore. For the next 3 hrs there was a non stop westerly passage of sea birds except the Brent geese that were mainly west. With so much going on I am sure I missed quite a few birds especially when i trying to photograph the Little Gulls. Thanks to Kevin for helping me to keep count and the spotting the Pom. Totals for 09.45-12.45 as follows:

Red-throated Diver: 128W     11E

Great Crested Grebe: n/c but many on sea

Fulmar: 4W

Gannet: 692W   Including 1 adult with a flouresent yellow mantle colour marked?

Brent Goose: 812E  (in 26 flocks)   19W

Shelduck: 6E

Wigeon:7W

Teal: 4W

Gadwall: 4W

Common Scoter: 11W

Dunlin: 79W

Sanderling: 10W

Grey Plover: 4W

Turnstone: 2W

Pomarine Skua: 1W

Auk: 1740W    (Majoity Guillemots)

Kittiwakes: 1364W

Little Gull: 28W

3w Glaucous Gull: on beach

See Here (Mick Southcott) for better images 

New Diggings held 2 Great White Egrets and 4 Goldeneye. Burrowes Pit held 6 Goldeneye, 100s of the usual wildfowl but no Sawbills. On the ARC 2 red head Smew, 4 Goldeneye, the usual wildfowl, 2 Marsh Harriers and a Great White Egret.

A Trudge in the Mud

By 10.00 I was going stir crazy, so I made my way to Orlestone Forest for a trudge in the mud but at least it was sheltered from the wind. Most the birds were seen around the car park, where a Coal Tit let me try my old 40D which considering the light and the rain did not perform to badly. On the trudge (Wellies a must) Most the common woodland species were seen, lots of Jays, Nuthatches, Long Tailed, Blue and Great Tits, several Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers, 2 Bullfinches  but still a distinct lack of Redpoll and Siskin. 1.5 hrs later the rain got worse and I gave up and went home.

Err 20

I drove through Shadoxhurst this morning but was unable to find the Waxwings this morning. Which was probably just as well, as driving across Walland a Mistle Thrush, which are usually very skittish was feeding in a Hawthorn hedge, allowed me to pull up beside it and at point blank range let down the window get my camera off the back seat press the shutter and **** ** Err 20  SHOOTING IS NOT POSSIBLE DUE TO AN ERROR TURN THE CAMERA OFF blah blah!!!!!  It would seem the 7D has some reliability problems. Back to be repaired again!!

View from the Screen Hide

At the fishing boats from The Point, plenty of Guillemots, Razorbills, Red-throated Divers, Great Crested Grebes, Kittiwakes and Gannets tooing and froing off shore. No sign of the Glaucous Gull in its usual haunts.

On New Diggings 2 Great white Egrets, 6 red head Smew and 4 Goldeneye among the usual wildfowl.

The ARC still holds several 100s each of Teal and Gadwall, smaller numbers of Wigeon, Shoveller and Pochards and Tufted Duck. The Willow Trail is now very wet (Wellies recommended) but holds  3+ Water Rail, 2+ Cetti's Warblers and a Chiffchaff with the Tits.

Water levels on Burrowes Pit are also very high, with nowhere for the Gulls to roost it was no surprise that no Gulls were present. From Dennis's Hide 2 red head Smew and a Great White Egret, from Makepiece 6 Goosanders (1 drake), 2 Smew (1 drake), 100s of usual wildfowl, 30+ Pintail and 2 Marsh Harriers.

Late afternoon from the Screen Hide 2 Great White Egrets, 3 Marsh Harriers, a Bearded Tit called and 6 Goosander flew in, presumably the Burrowes birds. On Walland still 40+ Bewick Swans.

Shadoxhurst Waxwings

Part of a flock of 45 in the Willow behind the pub.

After picking the Chelsea Tractor up from the garage this morning, (New discs and pads all round ouch!!!!) The other half wanted us to play Father Christmas delivering presents and cards. Driving  up Woodchurch road I spotted the unmistakable silhouette of Waxwings, which were swaying in the near gale force wind at the top of the Willow Tree at the back of the Kings Head pub. After apologising to the driver behind me I counted them, then took a record shot and made a note to come back when the weather and light improves.    

At least its stopped raining

After yesterdays wash out, it was good to get out into today's gloom. Across the marsh 39 Bewick Swans and small numbers of winter thrushes. New Diggings held 6 red head Smew, 4 Goldeneye and a Great white Egret. On the ARC with water levels not surprisingly still rising, 100s each of Gadwall, Teal, Wigeon and Shoveller with smaller numbers of Pochard, Tufted Duck, 6 Goldeneye, a single red head Smew and a Great white Egret. A walk to The Pines found 2 Chiffchaffs and 3 Goldcrests in the Tit flock, 2 Marsh Harriers over and c100 Golden Plover flew over.  The RSPB have now kindly put 3 strategically placed perches in front of Hanson Hide (probably to stop me whinging), which I am sure will soon be giving great views of Kingfishers and more. 

Great White Egret ARC from the screen 

On Burrowes Pit 1 Goosander, 2 Smew (1 drake) and 6 Goldeneye of note among the 100s of common wild fowl. As I was leaving a party of 5 red head Smew flew over the car park.

Blue Sky

What a difference a day makes. Blue sky, mild and plenty of birds on the sea. 100+ Red-throated divers on the sea and up and down off shore, 100s of Guillemots and some Razorbills on the sea and moving mainly west, numerous Great Crested Grebes on the sea, c60 Gannets off shore, 200+ Common Scoter (Juvenile/females) west, 12 Brent Geese E 7W, and a mixed flock of c100 Sanderling and Dunlin. The Glaucous Gull was bullying the Herring Gulls on the wooden tower.

  

 On the New Diggings 2 Great White Egrets, 4 red head Smew, 4 Goldeneye and again I could not find the Black-throated Diver. On the ARC 15 Tree Sparrows in the car park, several hundred dabblers at the south end (Gadwall, Teal, Wigeon, Shovellor, Mallard and 4 Pintail.) also c100 each of Pochard and Tufted Duck, 6 Goldeneye and a red head Smew. From Hanson another red head Smew a fly by Great White Egret but little else of note. The Willow Trail still holds a Chiffchaff and 2 Goldcrests in the Long-tailed Tit flock and 2+ Cetti's Warblers  by the trail.

A stroll along the sea wall at The Midrips was very disappointing avian wise, with just 14 Redshank, 21 Shelduck, 6 Mute Swans and a few Mallard on the pools, The only bop being a Kestrel, though on the sands Oystercatchers were in 3 figures probably due to the disturbance at Camber from the Kite surfers tearing up and down.
The Scotney complex still holds the c90 feral Barnacle Geese flock with its attendant dark bellied Brent Goose, c1000 Lapwing, c1000 Wigeon also 2 Marsh Harriers over the bunds.
On Walland at Tickners Lane the Yellowhammers had increased to 14 with 4 Reed Buntings and c 40 Chaffinches, also 2 Common Buzzards over.

What a miserable day

A thoroughly miserable morning at The Point with heavy rain and strong winds blowing plenty of Gannets inshore to join the Guillemots and Red-throated Divers and Great crested Grebes. Needless to say I did not stop long. Another casualty of a fisherman's carelessness was a 1st year Great Black Backed Gull with its leg tied up with line, but still managing to beat off rivals for the fish head.

Still 2 Great White Egrets and a red head Smew on a very rough New Diggings, but I was unable to locate the Black-throated Diver.
With rain still coming down I went to the reserve centre for a hot chocolate. Viewing from the centre was all but impossible through windows which being lashed by the rain.
Scotney held the feral Barnacle Flock with a dark bellied Brent Goose that has been tagging along with them for a few days now, several hundred Wigeon, a few Lapwing and Golden Plover.
On a rain and windswept Walland 50+ Bewick Swans could be seen but little else of note.