Raptors and a Pectoral Sandpiper

First thing at The Patch 19+ Black Terns, 2 juv Arctic Terns among many Common Terns and Black-headed Gulls over the boil. Along the perimeter fence 4 Wheatears, a Black Redstart, 4 Pied Wagtails and c30 Linnets.

At the south end of the ARC not a single wader but a Black-necked Grebe on the lake. From Hanson the islands were virtually devoid of avian activity after a Peregrine flew through as I made my way to the hide. 

Yellow Wagtail

 On the track to Firth Hide 4 Yellow Wagtails by the discovery pool. From Firth hide 4 Ruff, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 6 Dunlin and a Greenshank.

Green Sandpiper

 From Makepiece a Green Sandpiper foraged below the hide,  on the other side of the hide a Garganey was unusually tame, unfortunately the light was atrocious. On the islands c50 Golden Plover, a Redshank, 12 Dunlin, c150 Lapwing, the leucistic Teal, also a Little Gull and another Black-necked Grebe around the islands. 4 Willow Warblers on the plod to Dengemarsh where the 2 Great White Egrets were in the usual spot but little else. From Dennis's Hide a c500 Sand Martins moved through in a couple of minutes.  

Garganey in poor light

 An hour watching from plodland saw 2 Hobby's and 2 Sparrowhawks spiralling together over the fields, 2 Marsh Harriers hunting the ditches and 8 Yellow wagtails foraging the field edge.

Peregrine

 This afternoon I went back to the ARC, from Hanson virtually the first bird I saw was a Pectoral Sandpiper, the views were awful trying to scope through reeds that are now so tall some of the islands are completely obscured, if anything did decide to come close to the hide it would never be seen.
A few minutes after I found the bird and before the local bird watchers arrived a Peregrine appeared and spooked all the birds. As the locals arrived another Peregrine appeared and tussled with the first one, then both landed on the islands making sure the Pec would not return, just to make really sure it would not return a Marsh Harrier started cruising around and a Sparrowhawk came across the lake. Sometimes flushed birds move to the south end of the ARC, but apparently an Osprey was spiralling over the lake there unseen by us in Hanson Hide.

The reason the Pectoral Sandpiper left the ARC

Sparrowhawk after the Pec left

A short visit to Makepiece late afternoon added a Knot and 2 Little Stints to the days tally.

Flat Battery

At The Patch this morning 5+ Black Terns over the boil, 3 Arctic Skuas chasing Terns off shore, 3 Teal west and an adult Yellow-legged Gull among the roosting Gulls and Terns, also a colour ringed Gull which I think is of Belgian origin. 4 Wheatears on the power station fence.

A slow plod around the lighthouse, West beach Lloyds, station Gorse, The Desert and The Moat found just 6 Common Whitethroats, 3 Willow Warblers and a Pied Flycatcher which had been trapped in the Heligoland Trap. 

 At the ARC (south end) 5 Greenshank, 1 Common Sandpiper and a Black-necked Grebe. From Hanson 4 Curlew Sandpipers, a Little Stint, 5 Ruff, 50+ Golden Plover, 4 Dunlin, 2 Turnstone, 2 Ringed Plover, 2 Snipe and a Garganey.
The Water Rails were still performing in front the Screen Hide.

This afternoon the Wryneck was showing well at Galloway. I took some quick shots of it then slowly maneuvered my car to a few feet away lifted the camera and nothing happened. I had committed the cardinal sin of letting the battery go flat.

A Lazy Day

On my way to The Midrips I stopped at Scotney and was surprised to see 400+ Yellow Wagtails on the grassy field, but less surprised to see 1000+ Greylag and Canada Geese there.

The Midrips was disappointing again with just 1 Curlew Sandpiper, 7 Dunlin, 1 Avocet, 3 Wheatear and sprinkling of Swallows and Sand Martins.

While checking Scotney again the Yellow Wagtails had moved on but 2 Ruddy Shelduck flew in.

A quick look at Galloways saw 6+ Wheatear and 5+ Whinchat, but the Wryneck did not show for me but was seen on and off all day for others.

A few hours at home in the garden was fruitful with a new garden tick in the form of 3 Crossbills over, also a steady trickle of Yellow Wagtails, Swallows and Sand Martins over. Over newly cut fields a Hobby and 2 Marsh Harriers, but despite a text from OL and intensive scanning I was unable to pick up the Honey Buzzard he saw flying south over Littlestone towards my house.

1 of 2 Egyptian Geese on the newly flooded hayfield

Late afternoon/early evening I parked at Springfield Bridge and walked around the reserve. The 2 Great White Egrets were still on Dengemarsh, 2 the Egyptian Geese were on the newly flooded hayfield. From Firth hide 3 Black-necked Grebes, a Garganey, a Greenshank, a Black-tailed Godwit and 2 Common Sandpipers. All round the reserve there was a steady trickle of Sand Martins and the Marsh Harriers were much in evidence.  

Not a bad day!

At The Patch this morning 4 Black Terns in the melee of Commic Terns and Gulls. Offshore 3 Arctic Skuas chasing the Terns.

Very little of note in the bushes around The Point just 3 Wheatears, 2 common Whitethroats and a Willow Warbler.

On the ARC Pit viewed from the causeway, a Black-necked Grebe, 2 Marsh Harriers, c 60 Golden Plover, 150+ Lapwing and 150+ Sand Martins.

Whinchats 4 of 10 at Galloways 

 At Galloways with MH 10 Whinchats, 10 Wheatears, 7 Common Whitethroats, 4 Stonechats and the elusive Wryneck.

Uncooperative Wryneck

Ruff

 This evening from Firth hide 2 Ruff, 2 Common Snipe, a Greenshank, a Dunlin, 2 Common Sandpipers and a Garganey.

Garganey 1 of 3 on Burrowes this evening

Black-necked Grebes Burrowes pit

From Makepiece 2 Black-necked Grebes showing well, also 2 Garganey, my first Pintail of the Autumn, 7 Little Egrets and many Sand Martins over the pits. 

Late Wryneck

This morning from by the sea watch hide 2 Black Terns and a Greenshank were of note, a few Terns and Gannets off shore and 5+ Harbour Porpoises.

A plod around the Lighthouse, West Beach, Lloyds, Station Gorse, The Desert and southern Long Pit was not rewarding. The highlights were a single Redstart, 7 Willow warblers, 7 Common Whitethroats, a Lesser Whitethroat, 55 Sand Martins and 59 Swallows.

Common Buzzard over the garden this afternoon

 A couple of hours working in the garden this afternoon, but still had superb views of a Common Buzzard, a Sparrowhawk over and c20 Yellow Wagtails over.

 At the ARC late afternoon from Hanson 4 Greenshank, c50 Golden Plover, c150 Lapwing, a Redshank, 2 Common Snipe, a Common Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper, a Garganey and a Black-necked Grebe.

Water Rail with 1 of at least 6 chicks

 From the Screen this evening the Water Rail and her chicks showing well occasionally also 2 Marsh Harriers and a party of c200 Sand Martins that appeared to go straight through to the sea.

 I'd just got home from the ARC (19.10) when I got a call from Tony and Brenda to say they were watching a Wryneck by Galloways Road just a 2 minute drive away. Needless to say minutes later I was there trying to photograph a very jumpy Wryneck in the rapidly failing light. I did manage the worst images that I have ever taken of a Wryneck shot at 2000 iso and long range. Many thanks to Tony and Brenda for the call.

This painted pebble is in the Screen Hide, if you go there please pick it up and admire the lovely art work but please LEAVE IT in the hide when you leave.  

Another Glorious day at Dungeness

90 minutes from the seawatch hide with AJG this morning produced c300 Commic Terns, 7 Black Terns, 2 Little Gulls, 4 Wigeon and 2 Teal west. A few Gannets fishing  offshore, 2 Harbour Porpoises and the bull Grey Seal. 

Reed Warbler in The Moat

A walk AJG around The Moat, West Beach, Lloyds, The Lighthouse, The Desert and south end of the trapping area found:

Hobby: 1

Sparrowhawk: 4

Willow Warbler: 9

Chiffchaff: 1

Common Whitethroat: 9

Reed Warbler: 2

Sedge Warbler: 1

Whinchat: 3

Wheatear: 9

Spotted Flycatcher: 1

Pied Flycatcher: 3

Yellow Wagtail: 9

Swallow: 31

Sand Martin: 33

At Galloways another Pied flycatcher, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Whinchat and 3 Common Whitethroats. While there I got a text from Patrick to say he had found a Wryneck at the Long Pits, despite searching with several local it could not be relocated.

Greenshank from The Screen

 This evening at the ARC the Water rail with 2 Chicks still but elusive, 2 Ruff,1 Green Sandpiper a Black-necked Grebe and 5+ Greenshank one of which gave a superb fly by in front The Screen.
In the bushes 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Common Whitethroat, 3 Willow Warblers, 3 Reed Warblers and a Cetti's Warbler.

Yellow Wagtails

First thing this morning I walked the track from Lydd to Hookers and then had a wander around Galloways. Yellow Wagtails were quite numerous but other migrants were few and far between with only 4 Whinchats, 5 Wheatears, 7 Common Whitethroats, 2 Reed Warblers and 2 Willow Warblers.

A visit to The Midrips found 10 Avocet, 1 Greenshank, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Common Whitethroat, 6+ Wheatears, c100 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Peregrines, a few each of Sand Martin and Swallow and 2 Clouded Yellows.

At 1000+ Greylag Geese, 100+ Canada Geese, more Yellow Wagtails and the 2 Ruddy Shelduck still present.

Water rail

 A couple of hours spent at the ARC this evening saw 2 Marsh Harrier, 4 Little Egret, 3 Ruff, 6+ Greenshank, a Knot, 2 Redshank, 2 Snipe, 3 Ringed Plovers, a Common Sandpiper, a Garganey among the other dabblers, 2 Black-necked Grebes and in front the Screen a Water rail with 2 fluffy black chicks and Reed and Sedge Warblers.

Water Rail Chick

Pied Flycatchers

In several stops today at the south end of the ARC 5 Greenshanks, 2 Dunlin, a Common Sandpiper, a Black-necked Grebe and 3 Little Egrets.

Greenshanks at south end of the ARC

 At The Patch 6+ Black Terns (100+ recorded early morning past) 1 Little Gull, 20+ Commic Terns, a distant dark phase Arctic Skua and 3 Balearic Shearwaters west (c15 recorded today).
Another hour from the fishing boats this afternoon saw only 1 pale phase Arctic Skua of note.
From Hanson just 1 Whimbrel and 2 Ringed Plovers though a couple of Marsh Harriers had spooked just about everything.

Pied Flycatcher Galloways

 My totals of passerine migrants for The Point, ARC, The reserve including walking the track from Hookers to Lydd, Galloways, Dengemarsh and Scotney today:
Willow Warblers: 25+
Chiffchaff: 2
Common Whitethroat: 25+
Lesser Whitethroat: 2
Garden Warbler: 3
Whinchat: 14 (25+ reported)
Stonechat: 2
Pied Flycatcher: 3
Redstart: 1
Yellow Wagtail: 80+
Sand Martin: 100s
A call from DW doing his WEBs  about 2 presumably escaped Ruddy Shelducks at Scotney at the back of the lake immediately west of concrete road to Bretts.

Pied Flycatcher Dengemarsh

 Returning to Galloways this evening with no one around the Pied Flycatchers were very obliging for the camera.

Pied Flycatcher Galloways

Sand Martins over the garden

Migrants in the rain

An hour at the fishing boats in the rain was uninspiring. A few Terns and Gannets feeding off shore, the only birds moving were 22 Teal and 2 Wigeon west.

At the south end of the ARC 2 Black-necked Grebes and 2 Little Egrets, from Hanson another Black-necked Grebe, 1 Greenshank, 1 Green Sandpiper,1 Common Sandpiper and a few Sand Martins over the pit. Round the hide and in the bushes by the track to the pines in a short let up in the rain c20 Common Whitethoats, c15 Willow Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 4 Sedge Warblers, 6 Reed Warblers, 3 Cetti's Warblers and 6+ Yellow Wagtails.

 In a morning and afternoon visit to Galloways and Dengemarsh 2 Common Redstarts, 4 Whinchats, 6 Wheatears, c 30 Common Whitethroats, 2 Stonechats, 4 Yellow Wagtails, a few Swallows. Also a Pied flycatcher per Neil Burt.

 Late morning round the observatory, Lloyds, West Beach and the Lighthouse 2 Pied Flycatchers (my first of the year), the juvenile Cuckoo still by the Heligoland trap, 9 Willow Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs and 6 Common Whitethroats.

Thin Fare

Very little of note on the sea this morning, the same dark phase Arctic Skua that has been around for some time chasing a few Terns that were moving up channel along with a few Gannets.

A walk up to the north end of the Long Pits including The Moat, Lloyds, West Beach and The Lighthouse found 34 Willow Warblers, 25 Common Whitethroats, 8 Reed Warblers, 3 Lesser Whitethroats, a Whinchat, the Cuckoo for its fourth day and 6 Swallows.

Another sea watch this evening from the fishing boats was poor, with just a few Terns, Gannets, 20+ Common Scoter and the same Arctic Skua,  especially as Tony and Brenda had seen 11 Balearic Shearwaters from there earlier.
After the sea watch I went back to the ARC where the only waders were a single Greenshank and 4 Oystercatchers. Not a single Lapwing or Golden Plover. 3 Green Sandpipers flew over towards the reserve and the Black-necked Grebe could be seen.