Shearwaters, Skua's and Terns

2 Balearic Shearwaters with 2 Arctic Skuas

 Being tied with domestic stuff most of the day and being told by AJG that the sea passage was pretty good,  it was good to get to finally get to the fishing boats this afternoon.
15.00-16.30 when passage appeared to stop with the rain arriving.
Balearic Shearwater: 4W
Fulmar: 1W
G.C.Grebe: 2 on sea
Gannet: 87E
Turnstone: 4 on beach
Arctic Skua: 4+ off shore
Black Tern: 17W
Commic Tern: 428W
Sandwich Tern: 37W
Roseate Tern: 2W
Kittiwake: 1W
Little Gull: 1W
Swift: 4W

Balearic Shearwaters: Note the individual plumage variations!

Black Tern

Just a Golden Plover!

First thing this morning I went to the ARC to see if the Golden Plover sp was still present, but no sign of it. A good selection of waders could be seen up to 8 Common Sandpipers, 2 Green Sandpipers, 4 Greenshanks, a Ruff several Dunlin, Ringed Plovers, Little Ringed Plovers, Black-necked Grebe, a Garganey among the many other eclipse wildfowl, Marsh Harriers, a Hobby, Little Egrets and 100s of Sand Martins. 

Water rail at the Screen

 Around The Point very little of note. A couple of Willow Warblers in the lighthouse garden and a couple more in The Moat. The Patch was swathed in fog so little was seen there except the 2 Black Redstarts behind the hide.
Late morning at the ARC the Golden Plover sp. reappeared eventually flying showing a clean whitish underwing confirming it as a Eurasian  Golden Plover. I guess I was seeing what I wanted to see rather than what was actually there.

Garganey from Hanson

An hour at the fishing boats late afternoon was only good for sun bathing!  

Not Happy!

First stop this morning was the observatory where Patrick was busy processing Willow Warblers.

A plod around the point found a minimum 50 Willow warblers, 40 Common Whitethroats, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, a Redstart, a Golden Plover and flock of 19 Redshank over the obs. 

In 2 visits the ARC a good selection of waders, 16 Black-tailed Godwits, 8 Common Sandpipers, 1 Wood Sandpiper, 2 Green Sandpipers, 2 Ringed Plover, 5 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Greenshank, 7 Knot, 11 Dunlin, c10 Oystercatchers, c50 Lapwing, a Golden Plover with a Garganey and Black-necked Grebe. Also the Golden Plover sp that I am not happy with. See the poor images below.  

 I saw this bird from the Screen and it immediately struck me as being slender, long legged and with dark spangling even at the c300 mt range. I watched it for a while then went back to the car to look at a field guide. After looking at the guide I was not completely happy but started towards Hanson. The more I thought about the bird the less happy I became, so turned round and went back to the Screen. Spending the next 3hrs watching the bird. I was joined by other Dungeness regulars. In 3hrs the bird only flew 3 times when flushed by a Marsh Harrier and was watched in flight for no more than a few seconds, only showing the underwing once which did appear pale, but this was in strong sunlight and I cannot honestly say I could see its feet protruding from the tail. The undertail did have black spotting/barring. The Tertials appeared quite long but detail was very difficult to make out at the range and heat haze. When only CT and myself were left watching the bird a Golden Plover  flew in. The difference was striking as the new bird was very dumpy in comparison and basically a bog standard Golden Plover. The bird was regularly harassed by Lapwings but more often than not fought back instead of running.
Many thanks to Tony for letting me put my camera on his 600mm lense.

Knot dropping into the ARC

Another day at Dunge

First thing at The Patch of note just 2 juvenile Mediterranean Gulls. Off shore c100 each of Gannets and Common terns feeding. Behind the hide 2 Black Redstarts. In the lighthouse garden  2 Willow Warblers.

 At The ARC by the track to the pines c15 each of Willow Warblers and Common Whitethroats, c10 each of Sedge and Reed Warbler, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Garden Warbler and 10 Tree Sparrows.
On the reserve 2 Black necked Grebes, 6 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Wood Sandpipers, 10 Common Sandpipers, 1 Ruff, 1 stunning summer plumaged Grey Plover, 1 Little Gull, 1 Garganey, 4+ Marsh Harriers and 2 Egyptian Geese.

Getting a hot reception coming ashore!

 17.00-18.00 at the fishing boats, c100 Commic Terns tooing and froing. A little Egret which came in off sea got a hot reception from the local gulls for the last 100 yards of its journey.

Made it!

Willow Warblers

07.00-08.00 at the fishing boats: Highlights were 2 Arctic Skuas seemingly working as a team robbing the c30 Commic Terns as they fished off shore, also 6 Turnstone on the beach. At The Patch 2 Little Gulls and a juvenile Mediterranean Gull. More interesting was a colour ringed Lesser Black Backed Gull, (blue ring white letters HVAK)

 A small arrival of Willow Warblers with 4 in the lighthouse garden, c10 in The Moat, 8 Dengemarsh Gully (MH),

 On the reserve 2 Black-necked Grebes from Dennis's Hide + 3 more Willow Warblers, from firth hide 2 Wood Sandpipers, 2 Ruff, 4 Common Sandpipers, a Greenshank, a Garganey, 2 Egyptian Geese and more Willow warblers in the bushes. On Dengemarsh the Great White Egret still and on the Tern rafts still some very young chicks.
At the ARC the Black-necked Grebe, 4 Dunlin, 4 Little Ringed Plovers, 3 Greenshank, 2 Common Sandpipers, small numbers of Sand Martins. At the pines 4+ Willow warblers.

Over the high tide at the fishing boats this afternoon off shore passage was nil! Fortunately a Common terns were fishing close in shore.

Sand Martins

An hour from the fishing boats this morning the highlights were c30 Common Terns and c10 Sandwich Terns moving back and forth fishing, further out c 40 Gannets were also fishing and attracted the attention of a passing Bonxie and 4+ Harbour Porpoises. 

At the ARC 4 Common Sandpipers, 5 Little Ringed Plovers, the Black-necked Grebe, a Hobby and 100s of Sand Martins.

Little Gull at the fishing boats

Next stop the Midrips though looking good was disappointing, with 13 Avocets, 12 Dunlin and 2 Redshanks. 

Dunlin The Midrips

Another hour or so this afternoon from the fishing boats was very similar to this morning with another distant Bonxie, a few Terns and Gannets, some Sand Martins and the usual Little Gull put in an appearance. 

 Late afternoon over the Rape fields in front of my house 1000+ Sand Martins with House Martins and Swallows and an attendant Hobby.

Garganey from Firth hide

This evening on the reserve of note 2 Wood Sandpipers, a Ruff, a Garganey, 2 Egyptian Geese, 4 Little Egrets and a Marsh Harrier from Firth Hide. From Dennis's Hide 2 Black-necked Grebes and a Little Gull.

An away day!

Friday morning I started at the fishing the boats, Ian was already diligently staring out to sea. In the short time I was with him of note a Balearic Shearwater went down channel, 2 Arctic Skuas were chasing Terns and 9 Little Terns went down.

As GH had not seen a Roller in Britain but many abroad, news that one was still present at Horsey myself, DW and GH mad our way to Norfolk arriving about 15.30. We made our way down the track to where a small group of birders were gathered only to be told that the bird had been lost. We made our further down the track where DW quickly relocated the Roller albeit very distant. After a while the bird came a little closer but not much and then flew even closer but landed behind a bush. Shortly after it suddenly appeared in flight over the track and flew south for c800mts once again landing out of sight. We made our way to the sea wall and walked to where we thought the bird was and relocated it again but still distant hunting from posts out in the field.    

 Hearing that there were 40+ Seals on the beach we made there and were delighted to see a mixture of Grey and Common Seals rolling around in the surf and resting on the beach. Interstingly none of the Common Seals looked much like the unidentified one at Dungeness!

 While watching the Seals an adult Arctic Skua flew along the beach and landing on the beach. After a couple of minutes it suddenly shot off across the beach and out to sea and attacked a Tern that it must have spotted from at least 600 yards amazing!

 After a lay in this morning I visited the ARC where a good selection of waders were on show. 4 Greenshanks, 4 Common Sandpiper, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Snipe, 6 Little Ringed Plovers, 1 Ruff, 2 Redshank, 3 Golden Plovers, 2 Ringed Plover, c10 Oystercatchers, 100+ Lapwing, the Black-necked Grebe, 3 Willow Warblers  and several each of Reed and sedge Warblers. From Dennei's Hide another Black-necked Grebe, a Wood Sandpiper and a Common Sandpiper.

Greenshanks dropping into the ARC

 A quick visit to the fishing boats early afternoon saw the usual 1st summer Little gull and 2 strange guys throwing  porridge into the sea to feed the fish!
This evening at the ARC most the waders had disappeared but an eclipse Garganey was showing from the screen, also a male Marsh Harrier being repeatedly attacked by a Peregrine.

A spectacular show! A pity it was to distant for the camera.

Garden Watch

20 minutes at the fishing boats this morning was enough. Only a handful each of Gannets and Common Terns on a flat calm sea.

Very few birds trapped or seen at the observatory despite other south coast sites seeing reasonable numbers of migrants.

 While sitting in Firth hide with BP (AKA King Squacco), a Sparrowhawk flew past and almost leisurely plucked a Pied Wagtail from the air. Soon after a Marsh Harrier flew past the hide only feet from us, it was so close you could almost touch it as it glided past. A shame we were looking directly into the sun. Also from Firth a Wood Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpipers and a Black-necked Grebe with another from Dennis's hide. By the track to Makepiece  2 Clouded Yellows. The Great White Egret still on Dengemarsh per BP.

At the ARC 6 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Common Sandpipers and 3 Golden Plovers among the Lapwings were of note. From the screen an eclipse Garganey among the 100s of other wildfowl.
This afternoon I spent a couple of hours sitting in the front garden sky watching over the Rape fields 2 Common Buzzards, 3 Marsh Harriers, 2 Little Egrets, a Hobby chasing the 100s of Sand Martins, House Martins and Swallows that were hawking over the fields, also a couple of Yellow Wagtails were of note. Probably the most unusual sighting was a White Admiral that flew over the garden and headed off over the fields towards the ARC Pit. 

Slow on the sea

07.45-08.45 from the fishing boats not the most riveting sea watch:

Great Crested Grebe: 7 off shore

Gannet: 375 E

Common Scoter: 26E  4W

Arctic Skua: 2E

Kittiwake: 3E

Common Tern: 7W  3E

Sandwich Tern: 1E

Sand Martin: 12 out

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: c4

 On Burrowes of note 2 Black-necked Grebes among the many Coot and Eclipse duck, 2 Common Sandpipers, 2 Little Gulls, 2 Egyptian Geese, 2 Whimbrel over and a Wood sandpiper that dropped in briefly. Also there a female Tufted duck trying to impersonate a Scaup.

 At the ARC highlights were 2 Common Sandpipers, 4 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Common Snipe, an eclipse Garganey among all the other eclipse wildfowl,  200+ Sand Martins a Marsh Harrier and several Willow Warblers.

 A sea watch late afternoon from the fishing boats was no improvement on this morning with an adult Mediterranean Gull, a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, a Whimbrel and a few Common Terns fishing.

Early evening from Springfield Bridge the Great White Egret and a Hobby.

Dungeness Swallowtail

When I arrived at the fishing boats at 07.20 AJG was already there looking bored. He'd had an early flush of 300 Common Terns but not much else. In the next hour the highlights were Shearwater sp. so far out that ID was impossible and a Marsh Harrier coasting eastwards.

A visit to the ARC the highlights were 2 Garganey, 2 Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper, a Little Ringed Plover, a Black-tailed Godwit and a Hobby. Along the track to Hanson 4+ Willow Warblers in the bushes. 

Swallowtail by Dennis's Hide (Photograph courtesy of Steve Broyd the finder)

 A wander around the reserve found a few more Willow Warblers along with Cetti's, Reed and Sedge Warblers and Whitethroats. Along the tracks numerous butterflys, Painted Ladies, Red Admirals, Peacocks, a couple of Clouded Yellows, Brown Argus and many more. The Great white Egret was on show at Dengemarsh and still Common Tern chicks being fed on the rafts. As we made our way along the return trail we got news of Swallowtail Butterfly at Dennis's hide found by Steve Broyd. On arrival the butterfly had disappeared, after about an hour looking around the area seeing a Little Gull and 2 Black-necked Grebes on Burrowes, also 2 Peregrines high over the lakes, a group of us were standing by the visitor centre when the Swallowtail flew across the car park and disappeared over the bank by the centre, as far as I know not to be seen again. Many thanks to Steve Broyd for letting me use his image of the butterfly.  

At the ARC this evening the 2 Garganey on show from the Screen Hide along with 3 Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper and a Black-necked Grebe.