Not the best weekend!

A lazy start on Saturday after a full English I went to the reserve. Not long after arriving news of a domestic disaster involving a washing machine took up most of my day and the early part of this morning.

Reg by the visitor centre

When I did get out this morning I was just settling myself in the Screen hide when a call from DW alerted me to an Ortolan Bunting found by SM and apparently seen very briefly early morning by SO. When I arrived the bird had gone missing  and after a while I wandered further down the Gully and stood with NB and CT scanning the scrub which held Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers and Blackcaps. I saw in the distance DW arrive in the company Mr Chidwick. Shortly after he arrived DW was indicating  that the bird was in front of him on the other side of the Gully, being at the far end of the Gully by the time I and NB along with CT arrived the bird had disappeared never to be seen again. (I'm sure Mr Chidwick tried to throw his scope at it lol).
With all 4 Skua's and Shearwaters being reported, I went down to the concrete road to stare at the sea and only managed 3 Arctic Skua's chasing Terns, probably the same 3 birds that have been around for several weeks. Another watch early evening in the rain saw the same Skua's with the addition of 36 Common Scoter going into Hythe bay.

Semi P reappears

 I joined AJG at The Point at 07.15, the look of boredom on his face said it all, after 15 minutes of seeing a couple of Arctic Skuas that have been around for several days beating up a couple of Sandwich Terns, we headed for the observatory. On arrival we were told a Pied flycatcher had been ringed but little else.
I made my way to the reserve centre and wandered up to Firth hide and found BP already there. From the hide 7 Ruff, a Bar-tailed Godwit, a Greenshank, 2 Common Snipe, 4 Dunlin, 2 distant Little Stints and 3 Sedge Warblers in front the hide. We were joined by a Sandwich Bay birder and The Joker We all moved to Makepiece where the birder from Sandwich Bay relocated the 2 Little Stints, I started to scope the island for the Stints and the first bird I saw was the Semipalmated Sandpiper in the company of 2 Little Stints. We quickly put the news out and the bird showed almost continually albeit distantly (so no pictures) till about 14.30 when all 3 birds disappeared. 2 Black-necked Grebes were also visible from Makepiece.
At lunch time from Plodland 6 Yellow Wagtails over, 30+ Meadow Pipits and a Hobby.
After lunch I went to Hanson where 2 Garganey, a Black-necked Grebe, 11 Black-tailed Godwits and 2 Ruff could be seen. From there back to the reserve where I learned the the Semi P had gone missing. Fortunately PT of http://ploversblog.blogspot.co.uk/ relocated it on the ARC pit from the Screen Hide. I made my way there and while there got a call from DW, who was in Firth hide that he was watching a very distant Osprey that was over The Pilot PH. As the screen hide looks directly in that direction I managed to find the Osprey being heavily mobbed, it did eventually come a little closer but appeared to move off west.
The Semi P was still present from the screen hide at 17.30 when I left.
   

Around the area!

Sea Watch from the fishing boats with AJG and DW 07.00-09.00

Gannet 64 E

Teal 5 W

Wigeon 13 E

Scoter 2 W

Ringed Plover 2 in

Dunlin 1 in

Curlew 2 E

Turnstone 4 W

Arctic Skua 14 W

Arctic tern 1 W

Common tern 6 W

Sandwich Tern 34 W

Auk Sp 4 W

Hobby 1 in

Wheatear: 1 on beach

Swallow 7 E

Sand Martin 2 E

Grey Wagtail 3 over

Meadow Pipit 3 over

At the south end of the ARC of note:

Black-necked Grebe: 2 

Ruff: 5 

Greenshank: 2 

Yellow Wagtail: 2

Sand Martin: c300 over the lake

At Galloways with MH and BP: of note

Whinchat: 9

Wheatear: 1

Stonechat: 2

The ARC from Hanson: of note

Black-necked Grebe: 2

Little Egret: 4

Hobby: 1

Black-tailed Godwit: 9

Dunlin: 2

Common Snipe: 1

Golden Plover: c50

Marsh Harrier: 1

Cetti's Warbler: 2

On  Burrowes Pit: of note

Great White Egret: 1

Little Egret: 2

Hobby: 2

Marsh Harrier: 1

Ruff: 3

Common Snipe: 2

Greenshank: 1

Bar-tailed Godwit: 1

Dunlin: 12

Ringed Plover: 4

Golden Plover: c30

One again The Midrips looked so good yet delivered little:

Culew: 3 

Dunlin: 11

Sanderling: 1

Ringed Plover: 8

Golden plover: c20 on shingle ridge

Hobby: 1

Sandwich Tern: 3

Scotney still holds the 2 Ruddy Shelduck, the Egyptian Geese along with 100s of Greylags and Canada Geese.

This afternoon From The Fishing Boats 13.45-15.45 with DW:

Common Scoter: 10W

Whimbrel: 1 in

Dunlin: 3 on beach

Ringed Plover: 1 on beach

Arctic Skua: 10W  6E

Kittiwake: 2W

Little Gull : 1 the usual bird

Guillemot: 2W

Auk sp: 7W

No Counts mad of Gannet, Sandwich Terns and commic Terns.

Arctic Skua from the fishing boats

Deja Vu!

Yesterday morning in the rain, I was in Firth hide when a small wader appeared in front of me. I fired off a few quick shots in the gloom and it flew to a distant island then disappeared. I thought it was probably a Stint but had some suspicions about it. After a while the rain stopped, the bird had not reappeared so I went sea watching and  completely forgot about it.

When I got home in the evening I downloaded the days pictures to my laptop while I ate my dinner.

After dinner I started looking at the pictures. As the first one opened I uttered an expletive and quickly sent a couple of shots to DW and phoned him to let him know they were coming. He shortly called me back and was calm and more or less speechless, but my ears were definitely burning with what he wanted to call me.  

This morning I went to Firth Hide as soon as the gate opened finding 2 of the locals already there. They had seen a Stint on a distant island but had lost it in the poor light. Fortunately I relocated the bird quite quickly and put the news out that there was a Semipalmated Sandpiper there. 

The bird showed quite well on and off all day but never really close and was quite mobile.

Semipalmated Sandpiper with Dunlin

 Other birds seen from Firth were 5 Ruff, 8+ Ringed Plover, 14+ Dunlin, a Greenshank, 50+ Golden Plover, 5 Common Snipe, a Black Tern, a Black-necked Grebe, 2+Hobbys, 2 Marsh Harriers, 8 Little Egrets and a Great White Egret. Also 2 Spoonbills flew west OL,DW.

Semipalmated Sandpiper alighting

 The south end of the ARC held a Little Stint and another Black-necked Grebe, from Hanson 10 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Ruff and 2 Garganey of note.

Palmations visible

The following Limerick is courtesy of The Joker!

There once was a birder named Plod
Found a wader that seemed very odd
His claimed Little Stint
That had made his eyes glint
Was a Semi P- the clever old sod!

Dungeness Tick

Sea watching from the hide this morning was very slow: 2 Arctic Skuas chasing Terns,1+ Black and 2 Arctic Terns over The Patch and 3 Common Scoter east.

Little change to the birds on the ARC and reserve.

Scotney still hosts 2 Ruddy Shelduck and 14 Egyptian Geese at the Kent end.

Scotney, Burrowes, The ARC and New Diggings all held 200+ Sand Martins.

 From the fishing boats this afternoon with DW,PT,RS: 16+ Arctic Skuas, 2 Arctic Terns, a Little Gull and a few Sandwich and Common Terns. Also a Sanderling flew west but bird of the day was a Purple Sandpiper that flew past us and landed on the beach and posed for the camera during a squall. It eventually flew back east past us. This is a very scarce bird at Dungeness and the first I have seen there.

The one that got away!

4 Grey Herons flew south at 08.00 approx

08.30-09.30 very slow this morning:

Fulmar: 1W

Common Scoter: 3E

Arctic Skua: 1W

Bonxie: 1w

Little Gull: 1 at The Patch

Black Tern: 3 at the Patch

Sand Martin : 35 S

Tree Pipit: 1 S my first of the year!

Wheatear: 2 on beach

At the South end of the ARC just the Black-necked Grebe of note.

Midday from Hanson 3 Curlew and 4 Dunlin among the Lapwing and Golden Plover.

Little Gull

 14.00-15.30 from the fishing boats:
Common Scoter: 8E
Wigeon: 2E
Redshank: 2W
Knot: 8W
Grey Plover: 1W
Turnstone: 12 on beach
Commic Tern: 22W
Sandwich Tern: 158W
Little Gull: 2W
Arctic Skua: 6W
Grey Seal and 3+Harbour Porpoises off shore

Common Tern

3 Harbour Porpoises

This evening on the reserve 12 Dunlin, 2 Redshank, 3 Ruff, 6 Ringed Plover, 1 Little Ringed Plover and 1 Common Sandpiper.
While I was in Makepiece with BM an unseen presumed large raptor put up everything all over the reserve. c200 Sand Martins balled up high over Burrowes, most the duck and waders on Burrowes took flight, c200 Greylag Geese with same number of duck were flushed from Dengemarsh along with a Great White Egret at the same time. Despite both of us leaving the hide and scanning all round the culprit could not be seen. Probably another missed Osprey!   

Geese and Yellow Wagtails

From the sea watch hide this morning 3 distant Balearic Shearwaters W, c6 Arctic Skuas W, a Bonxie W, 12 Common Scoter E, 2 Fulmars W, most of the time there was at least 3 Arctic Skuas molesting the Terns.

After I left at least 8 more Balearics Shearwaters were seen including a flock of 6 with another 5 from the fishing boats per PH.(Thanks from the info)

At The Patch 3+ Black Terns and at least 2 Arctic Terns among the other Gulls and Terns over the boil.

A Great White Egret was on new diggings also a Red-crested Pochard.

In 2 Visits to the ARC of note 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Greenshank, 3 Dunlin, a Ringed Plover, 4 Yellow Wagtails and c100 Sand Martins.

At Scotney 10 Tree Sparrows, c20 Yellow Wagtails and 4 Corn Buntings around the farm, on the lake 2 Ruddy Shelduck and 16 Egptian Geese among c1000 Greylag and Canada Geese.

From Plodland of note 2 Marsh Harriers, a Hobby and Sparrowhawk flushing 10+ Yellow Wagtails from the field.  

Garganey

 This evening from Firth hide the light was superb to view the 2 Ruff, a Greenshank, 4 Common Snipe, a Garganey, Lapwing on the near islands. The other side of the lake 4 Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plover and a Sanderling. From Makepiece the Little Stint was distant as ever also a Common Sandpiper from there. By the track back to the centre a Wheatear posed.
This afternoon 2 Yellow-legged Gulls near the fishing boats per MS.

Greenshank

Lapwing

Ruff

Wheatear

Waders

This morning from the sea watch hide  4 Black Terns and a Little Gull could be seen over The Patch. Off shore a small eastward movement of Gannets, 2 Arctic Skuas chasing a few Terns,  a summer plumaged Red-throated Diver feeding by the buoy was my first of the autumn and a Wheatear on the perimeter wall. Also 2 Fulmars east flew over the power station and the old lighthouse.

Round Lloyds and The Moat 3 Black Redstarts, 1+ Whinchat, 2 Wheatears, 2 Yellow Wagtails and 6+ Common Whitethroats. 

In 2 visits to the ARC from Hanson 4 Garganey and a Pintail among the commoner wildfowl, 3 Ruff, 3 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Ringed Plovers, 6 Common Snipe, a Common Sandpiper,10+ Dunlin, a Greenshank, 3 Redshanks, 3 Curlew, 50+ Golden Plover and 150+Lapwing. In front the hide a very vocal Cetti's Warblers and 2+ Reed Warblers.
A sea watch from the the car at the fishing boats during the rain saw 3 Arctic Skuas chasing Terns and little else mainly because I fell asleep!

On the reserve in an afternoon and an evening visit from Firth and Makepiece 4 Ruff, 9 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Little Stints, 10+ Dunlin, 14 Curlew Sandpipers made an all to brief visit, 2 Common Sandpipers, 7 Common Snipe, 8 Ringed Plovers, 40+ Golden Plover, 50+ Lapwing, 2 Garganey and c100 Sand Martins.

Much the same!

I went to Galloways first thing this morning , seeing of note 6+ Whinchat, 7+ Wheatear, 15+ Common Whitethroat, 10+ Yellow Wagtails over and a Spotted Flycatcher. 

Next stop The Midrips which promises much but yields little, today was no exception with 58 Golden Plover roosting on the shingle ridges, 22 Dunlin, 14 Ringed Plover, 1 Greenshank, 1 Curlew, 4 Redshank, 6 Oystercatchers, 7 Shelduck, 6 Yellow Wagtails and 2 Wheatears. RN had a Wood Sandpiper there later in the morning.   

 A stop off at Scotney on the way back found the 2 Ruddy Shelducks and 30+ Yellow Wagtails of note.

 Next stop the reserve where of note 2 Little Stints, 2 Curlew Sandpipers, 4 Ruff, 10 Black-tailed Godwit, a Common Sandpiper, a Little Gull, a Black-necked Grebe and 5 Common Buzards could be seen from the reserve centre.

Migrant hawker

 Back on the reserve this afternoon a Lesser Emporer at New Excavations, pity it wasn't as obliging as the above Migrant Hawker. At the ARC from Screen hide the Water rails still showing and a Greenshank.
At Hanson some of the reeds have been cut in front the hide to open up the viewing, but viewing is still difficult to the left of the hide.

A pleasant evening in Firth Hide

At The Patch this morning 12 Black Terns and 1 Little Gull were the highlights.

In the bushes around The Point a few Common Whitethroats, Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers.

At the ARC a single Black-necked Grebe at the south end, from Hanson apart from 2 Garganey, very little of note to be seen peering through the reeds.

An hour sky watching from Plodland at lunchtime was very disappointing with not a single raptor just of note 5 Yellow Wagtails.

Late afternoon at the fishing boats once the sea fog had receded found a flat calm sea, 6 Commic Terns and a Little Gull were foraging off shore and 3 Turnstone on the beach.

In 2 visits(morning and evening) to the reserve  2 Great White Egrets, 2 Black-necked Grebes, 2 Garganey, a Little Gull, a Black Tern, 3 Little Stints, 11 Black-tailed Godwits, 4 Ruff, 16 Dunlin, 5 Ringed Plover, a Knot, a Redshank, 6 Common Snipe, a Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper, a Whimbrel over, 50+ Golden Plover and 100+ Lapwing. Most of these were seen from Firth hide this evening.  

Little Gull, Black Tern and Ruff from Firth Hide