Sawbills

With yesterday being a wash out I spent most of the day watching 6 Nations Rugby (the less said about England's performance the better). Hoping that this morning would be the day migrants would be moving, I arrived at the sea watching hide full of expectations only to have my hopes dashed by the look on AJG's face. In a couple of hours watching from the hide the highlights were 3 Eider, 7 Red-breasted Mergansers, 4 Sandwich Terns and a few each of Brent Geese, Red-throated Divers, Common Scoter, Gannets, Kittiwakes and Auks.

A quick look from the south end of the ARC saw the usual Shoveler, 3 Goldeneye, a Marsh Harrier and 2 Great White Egrets on New Diggings.

On the way in to the reserve along the entrance track lots of Curlews probing for worms, still good numbers of Wigeon present and another Great White Egret.

On Burrowes from Makepiece hide, the blue flash of a Kingfisher zipping across the lake, over one the the several flocks of Coot and through the bathing Gulls, which hosted a 3rd year Yellow-legged Gull and later the the 3w Glaucous Gull which came in to bathe before going back to the beach. Among the common wildfowl present were 2+ red head Smew, 5+ Goldeneye and a red head Goosander, also present were 2 Marsh Harriers hunting over the southern bank.

By the track on the way out of the reserve a Bittern flew over the newly cleared island and another flushed from the reed bed by Boulderwall Farm.

                                                      Curlew eating worms.
A visit to a full Hanson Hide in the rain was uneventful with highlights being 5+ red head Smew, 2 of which showed well and 4 more Goldeneye. With rain now becoming persistent it was time to come home.

Eider

09.30-10.45 from the seawatch hide rain with strong SW wind.

Red-throated Diver: 132E

Red-necked Grebe: 1E

Great-crested Grebe: 100+ off shore

Gannet: 62E

Fulmar: 1E

Brent Goose: 62E  3W

Eider: 4E all ad drakes

Bonxie: 1E

Auks: 136E   26W

On the ARC Pit from Hanson very few wildfowl the best being 3 Goldeneye and a single Great White Egret.

From the causeway 2 Great White Egrets on New Diggings and another at the south end of the ARC also 5 red head Smew and a Ringed Plover.

The biggest flock of Eider I have seen in a long while.

Back at the beach this time from the fishing boats 12.15-13.30:
Red-throated Diver: 24E    7W
Great-crested Grebe: 100+ off shore
Gannet: 27E
Brent Goose:  31E
Eider: 20E    single flock  16 drake 4 duck
Kittiwake: 16 off shore
Little Gull: 1 off shore
Auks: 148W   37E   mainly Guillemots

At Scotney little of note. On windswept Walland once again no sign of the Bewick or Whooper Swans but still plenty of winter thrushes.

Buzzards

 07.20 this morning and 6 Waxwings still in their favourite Alder Tree looking stunning against the blue sky, I couldn't resist taking a couple more snaps of them.

 A quick call to AJG let me know that there was little sea passage at Dungeness this morning, so I diverted to Park Wood to see Marsh Tits and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers and failed on both accounts. However all the other usual woodland birds were seen as well as 2 Common Buzzards and a Raven Kronking over the wood. Also I noted the shoe tree has had some additions!

                                            A Shoe Tree what is that about?
Moving on to Dungeness a text about a Jack Snipe by the track to Hanson had me stop at the ARC car park, where nobody had seen it or new anyone who had. As I was there I wandered up to the tower and round the pits where 5 Common Snipe, Several Cetti's Warblers, Reed buntings and 2 Green Woodpeckers were seen. Overhead 7 Common Buzzards and a Marsh Harrier spiralled up into the stratosphere and 2 more Marsh Harriers displayed over the fishing pits and a Bittern flew over to Boulderwall. Back at the car park 30+ Tree Sparrows were in the bushes.
An hours sea watch 12.30-13.30:
Red-throated Diver: 93E  2W
Gannet: 63E
Brent Goose: 18E
Shelduck: 2E
Common Scoter: 7E  5W
Kittiwake: 17E
Auk sp: 35E  16W
3W Glaucous Gull on the beach.

                                                    Pre-Packed fresh Lamb!
 A couple of hours spent this afternoon with MH, we went to Dengemarsh Hide which was predictably quiet the highlights being 6 Barnacle Geese and 2 Marsh Harriers. From there we went round to Brickwall Farm where the the highlight was the polythene coated lambs, never seen that before.
A drive along Caldicott Lane drew a blank on Little Owl and Grey Partridge, so we made our way to the Screen hide seeing the female Red-crested Pochard on its usual lake, From the hide 2 Bitterns one of which fished in the open, a Great White Egret, 10 Smew (2 drakes), 6 Goldeneye, a Chiffchaff and 2 more Marsh Harriers.

Driving back across Walland I was unable to find any wild Swans. There are still plenty of winter Thrushes in the fields and the feeding station at Bayland Farm was alive with Tree Sparrow and Finches. At Midley a Barn Owl flew across the road, at Tickners Lane seed dump 16 Corn Buntings, 20+ Yellowhammers with a few Reed Buntings, also 20+ Chaffinches and to finish the day 2 more Common Buzzards. Where else in Britain can see all this and more in a day! 

Beardies

20+ Waxwings still in Hestia Way, Ashford this morning as I made my way to The Point. An hour from the sea watch hide saw 200+ Red-throated Divers moving east, along with the usual Gannets and Auks, a few Common Scoter and Wigeon and a single drake Eider flying west.

At the ARC a walk to the pines found the duck Red-crested Pochard on its usual lake, several Reed Buntings and Cetti's Warblers singing, a Bittern and 3 redhead Smew from the Screen hide (the half that wasn't full of snow). At the pines 2 Marsh Harriers displaying over the airport pits but little else.

At Boulderwall 30+ Tree Sparrows, over the fields behind c150 Golden Plover, c500 Lapwing, c100 Curlew and a myriad of Starlings put up my a marauding Merlin. Another Bittern flushed from beside the corral dived into a nearby reed bed. 

At the back of Hookers 2 more Marsh Harriers displaying, c150 Stock Doves and a lone dark bellied Brent Goose with some Greylags. In the reed bed no sign of the Penduline Tits but some Bearded Tits were compensation. Scotney was again an avian desert.

 On Walland 36 Bewick Swans and a single Whooper Swan with a few Mutes and a Black Swan. At Bayland Farm a Common Buzzard over also 2 more Marsh Harriers. In the bushes 20+ Tree Sparrows and 4 Yellowhammers with the usual finches.

Faggs Wood

 The Waxwings were still in Hesta Way this morning.

 Faggs Wood, hard to believe that in 6 weeks 20+ Nightingales will be singing here.

 As Dungeness was cut off this morning I spent a few hours in Faggs Wood car park snapping from the car. A short trip to the RMC at Kenardington let the Chelsea tractor earn its keep. Once there highlights were a Kingfisher and a pair of Bullfinches.

Out in the cold

Early this morning 40+ Waxwings were still in Hesta way, Ashford in the gloom as I made my to Dungeness. 

 An hours watch from The Point in the comfort of the car was uneventful. Very little was moving in the freezing conditions and in the snow showers visibility was very poor.

Ringed as a pullus on 05/07/2012 southern Norway

 On the beach few gulls in the roost, highlight colour JP939. The Great Black Backed Gull that is unable to close its wings properly was a having a hard time in the easterly gale, it does not seem to have the intelligence to find a sheltered spot to roost in.

 On the ARC Pit from the screen hide a fairly unique sight of 8 Great White Egrets together, sheltering from the snow and wind. With another on Lade Pit per PT breeding this year at Dungeness must be a distinct possibility. Also from the screen 10 Smew ( drakes)  and a Bittern, the duck red-crested Pochard still on its usual pit.

On a frozen Walland I was unable to find any wild Swans or Geese, a flock of 31 Ruff with Lapwings and 10 Snipe were feeding on a cut turf field.

Gulls, Divers, Auks, Pendulines and Sand Martins

At The Point a very busy sea watch this morning with 1000s of birds moving, though not much variety. Coverage was from 06.30-13.15 (AJG,DW,SC,MC)  Highlights were:

Red-throated Diver: 1,100+ E

Sandwich Tern: 35+ E

Little Gull: 36 W

Mediterranean Gull: 2 W

Auks: 5,000+ W  mainly Guillemots

3W Glaucous Gull: 1 on beach

3W Caspian Gull: 1 on beach

near adult Yellow Legged Gull: 1 on beach

                                              Caspian Gull

                                                  Glaucous Gull

                                          Yellow-legged Gull

                                                      Optimist

                                           Record of 1 of the 2 Penduline Tits
 The sea watch was cut short by a text from SB saying 2 Penduline Tits were  showing beside the track to Lydd. From the visitor centre 4 Sand Martins were hawking over Burrowes and 5 red head Smew were also there.
 A stop at the south end of the ARC found a White Wagtail (thanks Neil) also 5 Smew (2 drakes) and 2 Marsh Harriers.
Back on the reserve 2+ Great White Egrets from the entrance track and 2 more Marsh Harriers, the drake Red-crested Pochard was back on the discovery pool early afternoon.
On Walland 30+ Bewick Swans and the Whooper Swan still present this afternoon.
The Harrier roost count late this afternoon was disappointing at the reed bed I was covering, as once again no birds roosted. Water Rails were squealing and Fieldfares were going over to roost as several Marsh Harriers flew over to other roost sites as did 2 Common buzzards.  

Plastic Ducks

Domestic stuff this morning meant a late start at The Point and missing a good passage off shore the highlights being: 31 Little Gulls, 820 Brent Geese, 2 Velvet Scoter, a drake Goosander and 300+ Red-throated Divers all per AJG.
Meeting AJG and DW at the car park and being told the passage had dried up was not what I wanted to hear, but I made my way to the beach any way. As I walked up the shingle bank a flock of c1200 Brent Geese went by with more coming in the distance. My totals as follows:

Red-throated Diver: n/c   estimate 60+ W
Brent Geese: 1780E
Common Scoter: 10E
Wigeon: 30E
Pintail: 1E
Oystercatcher: 19E
Mediterranean Gull: 1E
Pied wagtail: 2 in
Meadow Pipit: 4 in
Goldcrest:  On power station wall
Chiffchaff: On power station wall
Black Redstart: On power station wall

2 Great White Egrets were on New Diggings from the causeway and a red head Smew was at the south end of the ARC. The duck Red-crested Pochard was still on its usual lake. I gave Hanson a miss as the car park was packed.
A short visit to the reserve where DW found a Caspian Gull which flew off before I arrived. The drake Red-crested Pochard was trying its hardest not to look like a migrant, by spending the last 2 days on the children's discovery pool next to the visitor centre following a Coot around.
Opposite the Midley drying barns I was surprised to see 34 Bewick Swans and a Whooper Swan still present. At the north end of the marsh 100s of Fieldfares in the fields.
At Galloways this afternoon a Barn Owl and the male Hen Harrier per MH.

Waxwing Surprise

 A thoroughly miserable day started at the sea watch hide where AJG had already done 90 minutes.
Totals 06.20-08.50:
Red-throated Diver: 278E    33W
Fulmar: 2E
Gannet: 526E
Brent Goose:  56E
Common Scoter: 8E
Curlew:   8E
Bar-tailed Godwit:   3E
Oystercatcher:   11E
Little Gull: 8E
Mediterranean Gull: 1E
Kittiwake: c50E
Auk sp:  92E
In the roost by the fish shop North Thames colour ringed Herring Gull  TY3.T

Herring Gull  TY3.T

At the ARC 6+ Smew(1 drake), 2+ Marsh Harriers, several Water Rails squealing 1 showing briefly, 1 Great White Egret in front the screen hide, 4+ Chiffchaffs and the Red-crested Pochard the only birds of note in the horrible weather. The Red-crested Pochard can usually be found on on the first lake on the left as walk from the car park to the screen hide. 

 Across Walland  I was unable to locate any wild swans, but still plenty of Buntings and finches at the Tickners Lane seed dump.

 As I drove along Hesta Way a few hundred yards from home, I saw the unmistakable silhouettes of a party of 15 Waxwings. As I tried to get one or two record images of them, in the terrible light and now persistent rain, another 11 flew in. I gave up after a few minutes due to the light and rain. when I left they happily tucking into some Cotoneaster berries.

False Start

After yesterdays reasonable sea passage I parked at the power station full of expectation. As I left the car hopes of another good passage were dashed at the sight of AJG coming from the beach shaking his head. I watched for an hour with DW but the passage was very thin, the highlight being 2 Sandwich Terns and 2+ Harbour Porpoises.

 The camera does not do justice to the fantastic aerial display of several thousand Starlings over Boulderwall Farm being attacked by a Sparrowhawk(bottom centre).

 I spent several hours in Hanson hide and around the Tower Pits. Despite dawn to mid afternoon coverage of the reed bed by Hanson there was no sign of yesterdays Penduline Tit. A couple of Bitterns were seen and up to 10 Smew, also in the Willow Trail a Firecrest, 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Goldcrests and several Long-tailed Tits, Water Rails and Cetti's Warblers.
The Tower Pits produced the Red-crested Pochard, another bittern, 2+ Marsh Harriers and a Great white Egret over. New Diggings held 2 each of Great White and Little Egrets.

Another Bittern flew along beside the entrance track and disappeared into a tiny reed strip of reeds beside the road. Despite intensive scrutiny it could not be seen, however a few minutes after every one left it jumped out and moved to a bigger bed.

From Dengemarsh Road yet another Bittern, Great White Egret and 2 Marsh Harriers. By the chicken sheds 3 Corn Buntings(the first I have seen here this year) 1 of which was singing. As Galloways was open I had a drive down to the sea but there was little to see apart from a male Stonechat.

On Walland at Midley still 31 Bewick Swans and a Whooper Swan. The bushes opposite the feeders were alive with Tree and House Sparrows, Greenfinches and Chaffinches. The Tickners Lane seed dump was still attracting Corn and Reed Buntings, Yellowhammers and Finches.