Brambling at last!

With heavy rain forecast for most of the day I had a lay in and a leisurely breakfast this morning followed by some domestic stuff. Mid morning scanning the fields from upstairs window, a Ring Ouzel flew into the hedge opposite along with a couple of Song Thrushes.

Early afternoon following a text from DB I went to the south end of the ARC where the Glossy Ibis was wading around the most southerly island, also the Juvenile Little Gull was still present.

By the feeders on the reserve a male Brambling, my first of the year on the marsh (213) was feeding with few Chaffinches. 

 With the rain still falling I went to Scotney and scrutinised the Golden Plover flock, but found no Dotterel, the 2 Ruddy Shelducks were still present as was the feral Barnacle Goose flock.
Back at the ARC from Hanson apart from the usual wildfowl highlights were a Redshank, 8 Common Snipe, 2 Dunlin, a Peregrine over the track, a Water Rail Squealing and a couple of Cetti's Warblers chattering.

 Late afternoon on the reserve 5 Great White Egrets could be seen from Firth Hide, along with a Black-tailed Godwit, a Ruff, 5 Dunlin, 6 Common Snipe, a Grey Plover, a Black-necked Grebe and 4 Little Egrets as well as usual wildfowl.

Ring Ouzels!

It was no surprise to find The Point awash with Thrushes this morning, but the numbers of Ring Ouzels was a surprise. With estimates of 130+ around The Desert and Moat, another 60+ at Galloways, 50+ reported from Dengemarsh and dozens more reported from the reserve and the ARC.  

One from the Heligoland Trap

No mystery to the exact location of this bird!

Late morning a very short watch from the fishing boats as nothing apart from Brent Geese was moving.
Mid afternoon a walk around the reserve saw another surprise a late Wood Sandpiper on the flood behind Dengemarsh hide. In the bushes c20 Chiffchaffs, 5 Blackcaps and more Ring Ouzels, Redwings and Fieldfare. From Makepiece a Little Stint, a Ruff, 2 Black-tailed Godwits and 2 Black-necked Grebes. Still 6+ Great White Egrets around Burrowes. A juvenile Little Gull on the ARC and a Bittern briefly near the tower.

Glossy Ibis

Back to The Point this morning where the only similarity to Cap Gris Nez was that it was windy!

07.15-10.15: I was joined by DW.

Balearic Shearwater: 1W

Shearwater sp. : 3W

Gannet: 28E  16W

Brent Geese: 227W   48E

Common Scoter: 15E

Wigeon: 12W

Great Skua: 5W

Skua sp. : 4W

Kittiwake: 3W

Little Gull: 24W   7 off shore

Arctic Tern: 1 off shore

Sandwich Tern:  c10 off shore

Razorbill: 1 on sea

Auk sp. : 24E

Rock Pipit: 1 on beach

Common Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 2

 The ARC from Hanson held 3 Greenshank, 1 Redshank, 3 Curlew of note among the common wildfowl.

Late morning on the reserve I only visited Dennis's hide and the VC due to the rain. From Dennis's 7 Great White Egrets and 6 Little Egrets could be seen, from the VC a Little Stint, 8 Dunlin, 2 Ruff, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Grey Plover, a juvenile Little Gull and 11 Avocets that flew in and eventually settled in front of Firth, also 3 Spotted Redshanks flew through. 

Glossy Ibis in front of Firth hide

 Mid afternoon I had just started another sea watch at the fishing boats when a call from DW alerted me to a Glossy Ibis that had just flown in to Firth hide. A few minutes later I arrived had a brief view of it as it walked into cover, fortunately it soon reappeared and showed well before flying off towards Dengemarsh. Also seen there 3 Chiffchaffs, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, a Bar-tailed Godwit, 3 Knot, 2 Marsh Harriers. As we were leaving the first flocks of Fieldfare and Redwing flew over.

Avocets from Firth

What a Difference 25 miles of Sea makes!!!

Cap Gris Nez

 Myself, DW, AJG, CT and BP (AKA King Squacco) deserted Dungeness today. I picked them up at 03.00 and caught the 04.20 ferry to Calais them made the short drive to Cap Gris Nez arriving at c06.30 where the NW wind was blowing hard.

Bonxie 1 of 772 logged !!!!!

 By 07.00 we had got our selves in position and settled on a ledge near the bottom of the cliffs(not  for the faint hearted) with expectations running high. The first 20 minutes saw little activity and I was wondering if we had made the choice, then a few minutes later WOW! the flood gates opened, streams of Skua's. Our totals for 07.00-15.30 are listed below.

Manxie

Little Gull 1 of 2,440 logged !!!!!

Red-throated Diver: 15
Great crested Grebe: 1
Sooty Shearwater: 5  another 5 from the return ferry.
Manx Shearwater: 3
Balearic Shearwater: 23
Leaches Petrel: 3     another 2 from the return ferry
Gannet: c1,500
Brent Geese: 1630
Wigeon: 12
Teal: 8
Common Scoter: 584
Red-breasted Merganser: 4
Peregrine: 1
Oystercatcher: 2
Bar-tailed Godwit: 1
Curlew: 12
Pomarine Skua: 2
Long-tailed Skua: 4
Arctic Skua: 117    another 6 from return ferry
Great Skua: 772   another 20 from he return ferry   Amazing!!!!
Little Gull: 2,440  another 50+ from the return ferry
Sabines Gull: 1
Kittiwake: 40
Common Tern: 2
Arctic Tern: 4
Sandwich Tern: 12
Auk sp: 26

A brilliant days sea watching just c25miles from Dungeness as the Bonxie flys!!!!

Dotterel

With little movement on the sea myself and AJG covered from the observatory to north end of the Long Pits and back. Pick of the bunch was a Ring Ouzel also 14 Siskin, 4 Brambling, 8 Reed Buntings, 7 Swallows, 3 Blackcaps and 27 Chiffchaffs a very meagre return.

On the ARC the usual wild fowl and little else. While on Burrowes 2 Little Stints, 5 Great White Egrets and 5 Black-necked Grebes were the highlights.

A very poor image of the Scotney  Dotterel

With the colder weather coming I was tidying the garden when a text from PT Plovers Blog  alerted me to a Dotterel with the Golden Plover at Scotney GP, a couple of minutes later I was watching it. It was still present when I left at 16.15. Also there the feral Barnacle Goose flock with the 4 of the Heinz 57 that accompany them, a Ruff and 4 Yellow Wagtails.
Going to Cap Gris Nez tomorrow as strong North Westerlies forecast for tonight and tomorrow. 

A foggy start

A foggy morning on The Point precluded any chance of a sea watch. In the lighthouse garden 6+ Chiffchaffs and 2+ Blackcaps flitting around. By the station a Wheatear basked in a briefly before the fog closed in again. A wander around The Desert found c15 Chiffchaffs another Blackcap, c20 Swallows 2 House Martins and a Greylag Goose over.

Wheatear basking in a brief moment of early morning sun.

 Early afternoon at the ARC from Hanson a Great White Egret, 3 Greenshank, 4 Dunlin, c20 Golden Plover and the usual wildfowl. Also in the newly cut reeds in front the hide a Water Rail and a Cetti's Warbler.

3 of the 5 Black-necked Grebes from Scott Hide

 On the reserve another 4 Great White Egrets from Dennis's hide and 3 Black-tailed Godwits. From Firth a Ruff, 2 more Black-tailed Godwits and a Grey Plover of note. From Scott Hide 5 Black-necked Grebes, a Water Rail and Cetti's Warbler. Along the tracks, Christmas Dell and Hookers another c30 Chiffchaffs, 2 Blackcaps, 7 Yellow Wagtails, a Stonechat, a mixed Tit flock containing 10+ Long-tailed Tits and 2 Marsh Harriers.

Common Tern

Late afternoon at the fishing boats was disappointing, a distant Arctic Skua, a Common Tern, a few Sandwich Terns and a Little Gull.

ChiffchaffsY

Didn't make the sea watch this morning, but apparently I missed very little. In the lighthouse garden 6+ Chiffchaffs and 2 Blackcaps. Trapping in The moat caught at least 40+ Chiffchaffs, a Garden Warbler some Blackcaps and a Redstart. A wander around The Desert found a few more Chiffchaffs, 100+ Meadow Pipits and a few Hirundines trickling out.

At the ARC from Hanson 14 Dunlin, 4 Common Snipe, 100+ Golden Plover 150+ Lapwing a marsh harrier and the usual Wildfowl. The Willow Trail and Track to The Pines held another 40+ Chiffchaffs, a Firecrest, 10+ Blackcaps, 4+ Cetti's Warblers calling along with a Water Rail, 2 Marsh Harriers over and a Common Buzzard of note.

Yellow Wagtail

Mid afternoon at the fishing boats found the usual 2 Arctic Skua's chasing Sandwich Terns.
Late afternoon on the reserve still at least 5 Great White Egrets, 4 Black Necked Grebes, a Curlew Sandpiper, 4 Little Stints, 2 Ruff, a Black-tailed Godwit and rising numbers of wildfowl. In the bushes at least another 10 Chiffchaffs calling along with another 3 Cetti's Warblers and a party of 7 Yellow Wagtails in the cattle field adjacent to Dengemarsh hide. No sign of the Glossy Ibis while I was there.

Ouzels

One of 3 seen near the water tower

 A wander around the Water Tower this morning found 3 Ring Ouzels, 6 Continental Song Thrushes, c30 Blackcaps, 2 Common Whitethroats, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers and 2 Green Woodpeckers.
On the ARC pit seemingly an overnight clear out leaving just c20 Dunlin, c50 Golden Plover and the usual wildfowl.

Colour ringed Great black backed Gull JP579

Late this afternoon by the entrance track to the reserve just a few gulls in the roost but a new for me colour ringed Great black backed Gull JP579 also Lesser Black Backed Gull SHB.
No sign of the dark backed pink legged gull!

Still quiet on the sea!

Highlights of this mornings watch from the concrete with AJG, DW and MH were: 211 Common Scoter, 1 Merlin out, 5 Arctic Skuas, 46 Sandwich Terns, 2600+ Swallows out and 50+ Meadow Pipits out.

On the ARC from Hanson 3 Little Stints, 2 Curlew Sandpipers, 1 Pectoral Sandpiper, 2 Ruff, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Greenshank, 12 Dunlin, 2 Common Snipe and 2 Ringed Plovers plus the usual wildfowl. Still many Sand Martins over the lake.

On the reserve still 6 Great White Egrets and 4 Black-necked Grebes per (BP). Along the entrance track 4 Wheatears and an adult Yellow-legged Gull.

Highlights from another sea watch this afternoon from the fishing boats with MH, PT, CT and BH are as follows: 

Balearic Shearwater: 4 West

Arctic Skua: 2 off shore

Black Tern: 1 off shore

Little Gull: 1 off shore

Mediterranean Gull: 2 off shore

Swallows: 250+ out

Gulls

Arriving at the end of the concrete road at 07.15 AJG was already there but looking inland and not at the sea. 100s of Swallows, Meadow Pipits and Linnets with smaller numbers of House Martins, Reed Buntings, Pied Wagtails, Gold and Greenfinches were streaming out to sea a brilliant spectacle.

Great White Egrets on Burrowes 

 On the reserve all 6 great white Egrets were showing on Burrowes pit along with 11 Little Egrets, 5 Black-necked Grebes, a Little Stint, a Curlew Sandpiper, 3 Black Tailed Godwits, 50+ Golden Plover, 11 Dunlin, 2 Ruff, a Marsh Harrier and all the usual wildfowl.

Black Necked Grebe on Burrowes

 A wander around The Pines failed to locate any of the 5 Ring Ouzels seen earlier(BP)  but 10+ Blackcaps were some compensation. From the Screen 7 Dunlin, 2 Little stints, 5 Greenshank and a Pectoral Sandpiper were the highlights before the rain arrived.

Dark backed  pink legged Lesser Black Backed gull?

 As I drove down the entrance track to the reserve early this evening DW was parked up scanning the Gull roost. I pulled up beside him and he indicated a colour ringed Lesser Black Backed Gull also a dark backed Lesser Black Backed Gull? with pink legs which looked interesting. As we were scanning more gulls came in including an adult Yellow-legged Gull and a colour ringed 2w Caspian Gull. Once again reading the ring was difficult due to the range it appeared to be VKKK. I moved my car to a better position as did DW, just as he was about to photograph the bird my car alarm went off horn and sirens blasting out, in my panic I could not find the smart key and by the time I did all the Gulls were gone leaving a less than impressed DW!

Yellow ringed 2W Caspian Gull appeared to be VKKK but not definite.

Lesser Black Backed Gull SHB possibly a Felixstowe bird