Freezing Easterly

As I made my way to Dungeness on another bitterly cold morning there were 30 Waxwings in Hestia Way, Ashford. A Barn Owl  flew dangerously low across the road at Belgar farm, Lydd. A sea watch from the hide with Mike Buckland from 08.45-09.45 was slow in the penetrating cold:

Red-throated Diver: 12E       8W

Gannet: 78E

Common Scoter: 51E

Shoveler: 11E

Teal: 3E  2W

Little Gull: 2E

Kittiwake: 8E

Sandwich Tern: 12E  2W

Harbour Porpoise: 3+ off shore 

 A wander around the Lighthouse area produced 4 Black Redstarts, 3 Stonechats, 2 Meadow Pipits, a grounded Lapwing and distant views of a Peregrine.

 A very brief look around the fishing boats found 2 more Black Redstarts and 2 Skylarks.

From the causeway a Great White Egret and a Little Gull on New Diggings.
At the ARC the track to Hanson held 8+Reed Buntings and in the Willow Trail 2 Chiffchaffs with the Long-tailed Tit flock. From Hanson 4+ red head Smew and 5 Goldeneye in the briefest of scans as an icy blast came through the open flaps. By the track to the screen hide a Cetti's Warbler sung half heartedly and another Chiffchaff called. From the Screen 2 Marsh Harriers, 2 Little Gulls and 3 more Smew(1 drake). By the time I had got the pines which appeared birdless and back to the car I was frozen and had enough.
From a nice warm car across Walland a female type Merlin flashed across the road at Midley, plenty of Finches and Sparrows(both makes) at Bayland Farm and at the seed dump 12 Corn Buntings, 20+ Yellowhammers, 10+ Reed Buntings and 50+ Chaffinches.

Garden Waxwings

Mid morning 24 Waxwings were feeding in Windsor Court seen from my lounge window. I only spent a couple of hours at Dungeness today due to to domestic stuff this morning and the washing machine flooding the kitchen this afternoon.
At Scotney 40+ Dunlin on the flood with a single Redshank, 8 Ringed Plovers and few Golden Plover and Lapwings were of note.

At a windswept Dengemarsh little to be seen from the car, a few Wigeon were feeding in the fields opposite Brickwall Farm and a Marsh Harrier quartered the reed bed,  a single Corn Bunting was by the chicken shed was about the only passerine to be seen.
A short stop at the visitor centre where a Marsh Harrier was observed carrying nesting material and a Great White Egret dropped into Burrowes. Another 2 Great White Egrets were on New Diggings. A short an uneventful sea watch saw little of note, however minutes before I arrived 2 Long-tailed Ducks flew east (DW).
After clearing the kitchen and deciding to buy a new washing machine I opened the front door to see 40 Waxwings feeding on my Pyracantha and Cotoneaster hedge. Hopefully they will be back in the morning.  

  

Waxwings hanging on!

2 Waxwings still in Hestia Way early this morning seen from the car on my way to visit mum in Shoreham, West Sussex. In her garden a Robins nest with well grown young, they must have been sitting on eggs during the blizzards 10 days ago.
I see in PT's  blog HERE he is remarking how the snow has hung around the observatory in the cold weather!

There's a what behind me!

Crossbill!

Red-throated Diver with deformed bill off the sea watch hide 

 50+ Waxwings still present in Hestia Way, Ashford at 07.20 this morning as I made way to Dungeness. On arrival I spent the morning sea watching from various points. Combined totals:
Red-throated Diver: 182E
Great crested Grebe: n/c  many off shore
Fulmar: 1W
Gannet: n/c  many off shore
Brent Geese: 620E
Barnacle Geese: 3E
Common Scoter: 45E
Pintail: 4W
Red Breasted Merganser: 1E
Oystercatcher: 15E
Sparrowhawk: 4 in
Peregrine: 2 over power station
Sandwich Tern: c30 off shore
Little Gull: 4E
Kittiwake: n/c
Auks: n/c many off shore
Harbour Porpoise 2+
Grey Seal: 1

Most of the Geese were moving along the tide line

From the causeway 1 Great White Egret on the New Diggings but little else. On the ARC 5 Smew(1 drake), 4 Goldeneye were the only birds of note on yet another cold dreary day.
10+ Waxwings still present in Hestia Way Mid afternoon.

Spring?

15 the flock of Waxwings still present in Hestia Way at 07.30 this morning, on my return at 16.30 the flock had grown to 50+ birds.

The first day of spring at Dungeness was once again cold with light NE winds and visibility getting steadily worse during the day. 

Sea watching from the Fishing Boats 08.40-09.50 & 14.45-15.05: The Patch c10.30-c11.15

Red throated Diver: 6E  2W                      Little Gull: 6E                   

Fulmar:  1W                                            Kittiwake: 8E

Gannet:  137E                                          Mediterranean Gull: 1E

Brent Goose:  219E                                 3w Glaucous Gull: 1 on beach 

Canada Geese: 4 on sea                            Meadow Pipit: 6 in

Shelduck: 1E                                            Rook: 5 out

Common Scoter: 3W                                Jackdaw: 5 out

Teal: 3E                                                   Harbour Porpoise: 8+

Merlin: 2 in

Dunlin: 18E

Curlew: 7E

Oystercatcher: 12E

Ring Plover: 2 on beach

Just for Steve Gale 1 of 2 at Dungeness today

 Highlight today was the first 2 Wheatears of the year on the beach. The settling beds at the power station held 1 Black Redstart, 3 Meadow Pipits, 3 Pied Wagtails and a Grey Wagtail which I missed (grounded Grey Wagtails are scarce at Dungeness).
Burrowes Pit was very quiet with a red head Smew and 4 Goldeneye the pick of the bunch.
New diggings held the usual Great White Egret and duck Red Crested Pochard was still present. From the causeway 3 Smew (1 drake) could be seen on the ARC and a Marsh Harrier over the road but little else of note.
From Hanson another Marsh Harrier, 3+ Goldeneye, another red head Smew and 2 Peregrines stooping over the lake.

            A couple of record shots taken from the car this afternoon while blocking the road!

Out and about

 15 Waxwings still at 07.20 this morning in Hestia Way J/of Forum Way, Ashford just a few hundred yards from home. They were coming down to feed in the low Cotoneasters on the corner and are tolerant of close approach provided you stay in the car,  5 were still there late afternoon.

14 of the 15 present this morning

There was little sign of off shore migration this morning at a still bitterly cold Dungeness with just a few Brent Geese  Red-throated Divers and Gannets seen. A single Sandwich Tern at The Patch among the usual gulls  and 2 Ravens at the power station. Still no Wheatears at Dungeness.
On New Diggings a single Great White Egret. At the south end of the ARC Pit 5 Smew(1 drake) among the dwindling numbers of Tufted Duck, Pochard, Shoveler and Teal.
A quick look at Burrowes Pit from Dennis's hide was disappointing as it was from the visitor centre.
A wander up to the Tower and around the pits found 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Marsh Harriers, 2 Bitterns flew over the track, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 2 + Cetti's Warblers singing and the seemingly resident duck Red Crested Pochard. From the the Screen 6 more red head Smew, 2 more Bitterns and a Great White Egret. In the Willow Trail a Firecrest still with Long-tailed Tit flock and a single Chiffchaff, also a Marsh Harrier over. (SB had a Hawfinch fly over the track to Hanson earlier this morning).
A trip out onto Walland Marsh with MH this afternoon where we spent a while at the seed dump in Tickners Lane. While there 30+ Yellowhammers, 50+ Chaffinches, 10+ Reed Buntings, a Corn Bunting and some winter thrushes came to feed but no sign of the Brambling.
The Bayland Farm feeding station held the usual Tree Sparrows and finches, close by a Black Swan was with some Mute Swans was the only wildfowl interest now that the Bewicks, Whoopers and Geese have left. A slow drive along |Caldicott Lane looking for Owls and Grey Partridge drew a blank, but we did manage 2 Red-legged Partridges.  

Gulls

With a light SE wind this morning hopes for some off shore migration were high. At 08.00 I approached the sea watching hide just as AJG came out shaking his head. The next hour was one of the slowest sea watches I have had at Dungeness:
Red-throated Diver: 10E   35W
Great Crested Grebe: c300 off shore
Gannet: c15 feeding off shore
Brent Geese: 21E
Common Scoter: 34E
Sandwich Tern: 2E   1W
Auk: 16 W
Harbour Porpoise: 1+

1w Caspian Gull

As I could see 100s of Gulls at The Patch I made my to the hide seeing a Black Redstart on the power station perimeter wall on the way. DW was already in the hide and immediately pointed out a 1w Caspian Gull and 1 of 5 Yellow-legged Gulls present. In the next hour a few more Brent and RT Divers went through while we tried to get the codes off a number of colour ringed Gulls.

2w Yellow Legged Gull

As I drove across the causeway 2 Great White Egrets could be seen on the New Diggings. Walking along the track to Hanson a Marsh Harrier flew over , a Cetti's Warbler sung from a reed bed and Water Rail squealed. From the hide a near summer plumaged Black-necked Grebe (my first of the year) was with a flock of Shoveller and Teal all of which were picking insects off the lake surface. Also there 6 red head Smew, 6+ Goldeneye, 2 Bitterns flew across the lake and a Kingfisher made a couple of passes in front the hide.

Over the road on the reserve the fields by the entrance track still hold good numbers of Curlew, Wigeon and Lapwings. On Burrowes 1 Great White Egret, 4 more red head Smew and 6+Goldeneye were of note.

Back at the ARC the duck Red Crested Pochard flew into its usual lake, a Great spotted Woodpecker was by the track to The Screen hide, where 2 Great White Egrets showed well also a drake Smew was seen and 2 Chiffchaffs were calling in the Sallows behind the hide.

Back at The Point another hour sea watching with MH 15.00-16.00 saw:

Red-throated Diver: 57E  8W

Sandwich Tern:  8E  2W

Guillemot: 6W

A few each of Gannet and Kittiwake feeding off shore.

The Tickners Lane Seed Dump held 24 Yellowhammers, 5 Corn Buntings, 12 Reed Buntings and 20+ Chaffinches. Still many winter thrushes on the marsh.  

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!