Redwings at last!

A cold drizzly half hour (09.00-09.30) at the point this morning produced only:

Mallard: 2 up

Red-throated Diver: 3 down

Gannet: 27 up 14 down

Kittiwake: 2 up

From the causeway 4 Goosander 1 drake and 4 Great White Egrets on the New Diggings, a Black-necked Grebe and another Great White Egret at the south end of the ARC.

The 2 Cattle Egrets were still insitu by the cattle shed in Dengemarsh Road.

Common Buzzard Caldecott Lane

I spent several hours wandering around the lanes on Walland Marsh today. The Bewick Swans were still in Caldecott Lane although quite distant. A Midley drying barns a flock of c40 Tree Sparrows, c30 Chaffinches a few each of Corn Bunting, Yellow Hammer, Reed Bunting and best of all a single Grey Wagtail which are scarce on the ground round here. Heading from Midley up to Brookland the hedges were alive with Thrushes. Redwing have finally arrived on the marsh, 100s of them and Fieldfare exploded from the hedges as walked the green lanes, along slightly fewer Blackbirds and Song Thrushes, with at least 20 Mistle Thrushes, 4 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, more Chaffinch and Goldfinch flocks.

This evening a small herd of Bewick Swans flew over Plodland, presumably to the lakes to roost. 

No change!

A bitterly cold day on the peninsular today. At The Point this morning out of the NE wind in the relative comfort of the car 08.00-09.15 a very quiet watch:

Brent Goose: 1 drifted up 

Shelduck: 2 up   1 down

Teal: 3 down

Common Scoter:  11 up

Red-breasted Merganser: 1 down

Red-throated Diver:  4 up     13 down

Gannet: c15 off shore

Pomarine Skua: 1 up

Kittiwkake:  6 up  2 down

Razorbill: 1 on sea

Auk sp: 9 down

On the New Diggings of note 3 Goosander, 4 Great White Egrets, an adult Yellow-legged Gull and a Kingfisher. 

2 more Great White Egrets on the ARC with usual wild fowl. In the Willow Trail 4 Chiffchaff, 4 Goldcrest with the Tit flock. Water Rails seemed to be squealing from every bit of cover around the ARC.

In Dengemarsh Road the 2 Cattle Egrets still showing well.

Cattle Egrets on the cow shed roof today.

On Walland this afternoon 21 Bewick Swans from Caldecott Lane, back on the beach just 1 Red-throated diver up in half an hour.

Great Northern Diver!

Early this morning peering through the curtains and seeing the steady rain and not being able to see the power station, I quickly slumped back into bed for another couple of hours.

Although still raining when I finally surfaced I made my way to The Point. DW was already there, as I walked over to his car he gave me that look that said I shouldn't have bothered, however as we chatted he heard a Snow Bunting calling ( it was probably over the French coast at the time) shortly I also heard it and saw it coming in off the sea, it flew over us and we could see it was a male, unfortunately it kept on flying NE towards Greatstone. As the rain started again I went back to my car seeing a few Red-throated Divers moving up and down channel, a handful each of Gannets and Kittiwakes, until a shout from DW of big diver coming, a Great Northern Diver duly appeared flying down channel. The wind picked up and the rain increased again so we decided to leave as 3 drake Eider flew past down channel.

Parking in the lay by at the south end of the ARC I scanned The New Diggings seeing the 3 red head Goosander still present a Great White Egret and on the ARC a Black-necked Grebe.

In Dengemarsh road opposite Wraxalls Aggregates the 2 Cattle Egrets were still present.

The rest of the day was spent on domestic stuff.

Dismal at Dunge!

First thing this morning in the grey half light that seemed to last all day, the 2 Cattle Egrets were still by the cow sheds by the football pitch.

When I arrived at The Point AJG was already watching.

07.15-10.15 with AJG, MH and DW. Thanks to AJG for the records.

Brent Goose: 15 down

Pintail: 3 down

Shoveler: 3 down

Teal:  14 up    69 down

Common Scoter: 5 down

Velvet Scoter: 2 up

Red-throated Diver: 7 up      15 down

Gannet: 95 up

Merlin: 1 up    2 out

Oystercatcher: 2 up

Lapwing: 1 in

Curlew: 1 up

Pomarine Skua: 1 down

Kittiwake: 25 up

Guillemot: 5 up   2 on sea

Razorbill: 2 up      4 on sea

Auk sp:  24 up    57 down

 Cattle Egret at Lydd

Early afternoon at the south end of the New Diggings 3 red head Goosander and 2 Great White Egrets. At south end of the ARC another Great White Egret.

I met MH at Hanson where we saw another Great White Egret on the Cormorant Island and another by the tower with a Little Egret, also red head Smew and 3 Goldeneye. In the bushes a couple of Chiffchaffs were calling.

At Boulderwall another Great White Egret and 2 Marsh Harriers.

From Dengemarsh Hide 2 Marsh Harriers, along with the hordes of Greylags, Canada Geese and Coot.

From Makepeace a Marsh Harrier successfully caught a Coot,and another Great White Egret was on view. A Firecrest was calling by the track to the VC from Makepeace.

 Marsh Harrier makes a Kill!

Great White Egret from Makepeace

December Gloom!

 Goosander, a terrible pic of todays bird scarce on sea watches at Dungeness.

A cold, damp, dark and dreary day started with a quick look at the 2 Cattle Egrets that seem to have taken up residence in the field opposite Wraxalls Aggregates, Dengemarsh road, Lydd. Next stop The Point where I could sea watch from the relative comfort of the car. 

08.05-10.05

Teal: 5 up
Comon Scoter: 9 down   3 up
Goosander: 1 up
Red-throated Diver: 11 up   7 down  2 on sea
Gannet: 373 up
Merlin: 1 up
Oystercatcher: 3 up
Great Skua: 1 down
Little Gull: 1 down
Sandwich Tern: 1 up
Kittiwake: 58 up
Guillemot: 2 on sea
Auk sp: 38 down    14 up
A short wander around the sea containers looking for skulking passerines found none.

Another walk along the beach from Romney Sands Caravan Park to the Varne and back, found only 2 Meadow Pipits in the dunes, on the sands large numbers of Oystercatchers.

At Scotney 2 Black-tailed Godwits were new on the sward, joining the Lapwings, Golden Plovers, 4 Redshanks, a Dunlin and 100s of grazing Wigeon. By 15.30 it was dark.

At the south end of the ARC c150 Gadwall, c70 Pochard, c50 Shoveler, 2 Great White Egrets and a Marsh Harrier.

On the New Diggings from The Causeway another 2 Great White Egrets and a little Egret.

From Hanson 3 Goldeneye, another Great White Egret and a Little Egret.

On the reserve from Dennis's Hide 4 more Great white Egrets and a Goosander.

I joined MH in Makepeace where he spotted a Red-crested Pochard, also seen 2 more Goosander, several 100s of Wigeon, c30 Pintail and 2 Marsh Harriers.

  

Back to the Murk!

 Late Swallow at Scotney!

A very murky morning started with the Cattle Egrets sitting on the roof of the cow shed viewed from my balcony, then downstairs for a full English.

At Scotney a late Swallow hawking over the main lake and a Kingfisher by the conveyor. From the layby the 2 usual feral Barnacle Geese flocks with c600 Greylags and few each of Golden Plover and Lapwing. 

 Bedraggled in the mist!

On the reserve 4 Great White Egrets on Burrowes and 2 more at Boulderwall. c500 Wigeon on Burrowes, 20+ Pintail but little else of note.

At the ARC 2 Bewick Swans resting on the lake was the highlight. In the Willow Trail 3 Chiffchaffs with the Long-tailed Tit flock.

This afternoon on the beach with Mick and Richard a 1w Caspian Gull, a 2w was seen before I arrived. In the roost an adult Yellow-legged Gull.

Long Distance Twitching!

A glorious November day and I spent most of it gardening. A tweet from SM that 2 Cattle Egrets were just 200yds away from me, had me running up the stairs and out on the balcony, I lifted the bins and there by the cattle shed were the 2 Cattle Egrets, the closest I have had them from the house. I then drove the 200 yds down the road, turned the car around and pulled up on the verge, using it as a hide one of the Egrets came very close. From the way they were eating dung flies I'm sure they will hang around a while. Thanks Stephen for the timely tweet.   

Walland!

This mornings sea watch carried on where yesterdays finished, very slow. DW and BM for an hour between 08.05-09.05.

Gadwall: 5 on sea?

Red-breasted Merganser: 1 down    1 up

Red-throated Diver: 9 down    3 up

Fulmar: 2 down

Gannet: 6 up

Merlin: 1 around

Kittiwake:  9 up  7 down

Guillemot: 2 down    1 on sea

Razorbill:  8 down    5 on sea

Auk sp: 18 down

I have changed the direction of sea passage to up channel and down channel to keep the purists happy. 

 I spent the rest of the day on Walland Marsh plodding along the Green Lanes, where Fieldfare seemed to be in every Hawthorn along with smaller numbers of Blackbirds and Song Thrushes, but just 4 Redwing. I came across several flocks of Chaffinches and Goldfinches, also Corn Buntings, Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings, Tree Sparrows but no Brambling. Several Marsh Harriers were seen, 2 Common Buzzards and 2 Sparrowhawks. In the Kale field immediately south of Old Romney the single Bewick Swan has been joined by 4 more all adults.
Late afternoon at one of the Harrier roosts, 2 Marsh Harriers roosted but no Hen Harriers.

Whoops! an expensive repair 

Snow Bunting!

07.45-08.45 from near the fishing boats: 

Common Scoter: 3 W

Red-breasted Merganser: 1 W

Red-throated Diver: 9 W

Gannet: 11 W

Kittiwake: 4 W

Auk sp: 17 W

Not the most inspiring hours watch, though I have had many poorer ones at Widewater.

A wander along the beach and around the sea containers found only a couple of Pied Wagtails, a glance out to sea saw a smart drake Eider fly by close inshore.

 The superb male Snow Bunting at Greatstone today!

When I left The Point I decided I'd have a walk along the Greatstone Dunes to The Varne and back to see if any Snow Buntings had settled in the dunes. Parking opposite Romney Sands Caravan Park I met OL, after a brief chat I set off NE along the beach. As the tide was out any waders were just dots on the horizon, after walking about a mile seeing just a couple of Pied Wagtails and a couple of Meadow Pipits I spotted a superb male Snow Bunting. It was promptly flushed by lady with a Scottie dog, fortunately it flew around and landed in more or less the same spot. The lady and her Scottie dog walked to a few feet from it, sat down, then started to read a magazine totally unaware the Bunting was only few feet away. She was completely perplexed by my photographing it.  

On the reserve at least 8 Great White Egrets, the 3 red head Goosander an adult Yellow-legged Gull but little else of note.
At Scotney I walked the cycle path the length of the main lake, the 2 feral flocks of Barnacle Geese still present along with 100s each of Lapwing, Golden Plover and Wigeon, 16 Dunlin, 8 Redshank, 7 Little Egrets and a couple of Marsh Harriers of note.

Great White Egrets!

Looking out at another Gloomy but windless day while eating a full English, I decided I'd have long wander around the fields at the back of Scotney GP. I even left the camera at home as the light was poor.
I checked out the main lake first which was covered in the common wildfowl but I could see nothing unusual. Checking the flood from the lay by there was no sign of yesterdays Little Stint or the Dunlin just 5 Redshank in the flood. On the turf 100s of Lapwing and Golden Plover, as well as 100s of grazing Wigeon and 2 flocks of feral Barnacle Geese.
Parking at the entrance to Scotney Farm, as I walked up the road 2 Kingfishers flashed across it and by the conveyor belt a Green Sandpiper flushed from the ditch, which also held 4 Little Egrets.
In the farmyard a mixed flock of 60+ Chaffinches and House Sparrows were feeding on spilt seed but no Bramblings. On the pit behind Scotney main pit 4 more Little Egrets, 36 Shelduck, 100+ Shoveler, 150+ Mallard which seemed strange with amount of shooting here abouts, also 2 Avocet.
In the set aside strips and fields a superb flock of 120+ Corn Buntings, c40 Skylarks and large flocks of Goldfinches and Linnets, with a few Greenfinches also 8 Egyptian Geese including the leucistic individual. As I wandered further out I saw more Corn Buntings, a flock of 100+ Tree Sparrows, also many Meadow Pipits and Reed Buntings but not a single Yellowhammer. In the bushes a few Blackbirds, Song Thrushes, Robins 3 Fieldfare and 6 Stonechats. Surprisingly I saw few raptors, a single Common Buzzard, 3 Marsh Harriers and a single Sparrowhawk terrorising the Pied Wagtails in the farm yard. With the amount of passerines in the fields it looks ideal for a Hen Harrier or 2, though considering the parlous state of the British breeding population its not surprising none were present. It makes me angry just thinking about the rogue game keepers and estate owners, I could go into a ranting diatribe but there are plenty more bloggers out there who can do it far more eloquently than I ever could.
This afternoon on the reserve I met DB and family who spotted an adult Caspian Gull on Burrowes also 3 Goosander. Between us we counted a minimum of 11 Great White Egrets before I checked the ARC, where from the screen there was another feeding in its usual spot making a minimum of 12 at Dungeness today. A Cattle Egret was also still present per PB and MH.