Dolphins!

A Frosty start to a pleasant sea watch, where the undoubted highlight was the 4 White Beaked Dolphins which spent about an hour moving slowly eastwards.
06.00-09.15 from the hide:

Brent Goose: 41 E

Greylag Goose: 3 W

Gadwall: 6 E

Teal: 4 E

Shoveller: 9 E

Tufted Duck: 1 W

Common Scoter: 222 E

Velvet Scoter: 3 E

Eider: 1 E

Red-breasted Merganser: 4 E

Red-throated Diver 2 up

Fulmar: 1 E

Gannet: 6 E

Oystercatcher: 4 

Sandwich Tern: 18 E

Swallow: 1 in

Harbour Porpoise: c12 o/s

White Beaked Dolphin: 4

As it was a sunny bank holiday, Dungeness was somewhat busy, so I stayed home after breakfast doing some gardening and sky watching, but still missed the Red Kite.

This afternoon 15.00-16.30 after a very slow start(I fell asleep) things picked up with the highlight of a flock of 6 Velvet Scoter.

Common Scoter: 5 E

Velvet Scoter: 6 E

Red-breasted Merganser: 10 E

Red-throated Diver: 12 E

Gannet: 13 E    3 W

Curlew: 20 E

Kittiwake: 1 E

Common Tern: 5 E

Sandwich Tern: c250 E

Auk sp: 4 W

 

Goldeneye!

 Black-necked Grebe, New Diggings

Driving across the causeway this morning I noticed the Black-necked Grebe close to the road, so I just had to take a few more pics of it. A bit further along the causeway something was flapping about in the middle of the road, as I got nearer I realised it was a drake Goldeneye, I pulled up blocking the road and caught the bird, I put it in the car and headed for the observatory. I met David Walker at the lighthouse, where he examined the bird, it was very thin but appeared uninjured, so we took it back to the reserve and released it on to Burrowes Pit where it swam off. 

David Walker about to release the Goldeneye on to Burrowes.

A walk around the trapping area with AJG was some what disappointing, with 2 Sparrowhawks, a Water Rail, 4 Chiffchaffs and Green Woodpecker the highlights.

Driving away from the observatory I had got as far as The Moat chatting to O.L when DW called to say an Osprey was flying over, O.L. quickly located as it headed towards the reserve.

A look at Scotney found nothing of note, the same result from Galloways. Dengemarsh held the 2 Tundra Bean Geese and a Great White Egret but no sign of the Cattle Egrets.

A couple of hours spent sitting in the sun at home sky watching saw a Common Buzzard, 2 Marsh harriers, 2 Sparrowhawks, a Peregrine and the first garden Swallow of the year.

Another walk late afternoon around Dengemarsh saw nothing of note in the keen north east wind.

An Interesting Day!

In freezing northerly wind with drizzle, this mornings sea watch ended before it began. As I opened the door to the hide AJG and PW were coming out shaking there heads. I met up with DW at the lighthouse where a couple of Chiffchaffs were seen and a Firecrest was heard, we were just moving away when a movement in the sycamore alerted us to a Ring Ouzel, which flew out to West Beach gorse to join another 3-4 Firecrests and then out to towards the trapping area.

Ring Ouzel at West Beach Gorse.

I joined MH at Boulderwall and we drove to Dengemarsh where a Sedge Warbler was singing and the Garganey had been seen, also there 2+ Great White Egrets, 3 Little Egrets and 2 Swallows.
From Dennis's hide 3 Goldeneye and c30 Shoveller. While in the visitor centre another 5 Swallows and 6 Dunlin flew through.

Goldeneye from Dennis's hide

Black-necked and Slavonian Grebe, New Diggings,

A look at the southern end of the ARC was disappointing with little of note there. Over the road on New diggings 2 small Grebes swimming around together turned out to be a Slavonian and a Black-necked Grebe. At Scotney the drake Scaup still present also 3 Brent Geese on the turf and a Little Ringed Plover on the east pit. 

Scaup Scotney.

14.40-16.20 from the point.
Teal: 2 E
Gannet: 9 E    3 W
Common Tern: 11 E in a single party.
Sandwich Tern: 14 E
Auk sp: 7 W
I only stayed that long because I noticed a trimaran capsize a mile or so off shore, called the coast guard and guided the lifeboat very badly to the stricken vessel. Apparently the 2 sailors were picked up safely and taken to hospital by helicopter.

The stricken trimaran with 2 sailors on its upturned hull can just be made out between the lifeboat and the bulk carrier.

A Small Arrival!

With a light south easterly blowing first thing this morning, our sea watch was a vast improvement than of late.

06.30-10.00 with AJG who collated the numbers:

Brent Goose: 375 E

Teal: 19 E

Shoveller: 31 E

Pintail: 2 E

Long-tailed Duck: 1 E

Common Scoter: 1027 E

Red-breasted Merganser: 5 E

Red-throated Diver: 1 E

Great-crested Grebe: c20 o/s

Fulmar: 11 around

Gannet: 24 W

Shag: 1 on sea

Turnstone: 1 on beach

Oystercatcher: 3 E

Sandwich Tern: c12 around

Razorbill: 1 on sea

Auk sp: 3 W

Harbour Porpoise: 3+

Around the peninsular there appears to have been a small arrival of migrants this morning with 20+ Firecrest, 50+ Chiffchaff, 10+ Black Redstarts, a few Meadow Pipits, Wheatears, Swallows and Sedge Warbler and 1+ Ring Ouzel.

Common Seal off Galloways.

Late afternoon the drake Garganey was in the Dengemarsh Sewer. On Hayfield 3, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Ringed Plovers, 6 Dunlin, 4 Redshank, a Snipe, a Little Egret and an Egyptian goose. Around Dengemarsh the 2 Tundra Bean Geese, 2 Great White Egrets and 3+ Marsh Harriers. The 2 Cattle Egrets were still around Brickwall Farm.

Gales and Gulls!

07.15-08.20 From the sea watch hide:  with AJG, WNW7-9 with absolutely no expectations and we weren't to be disappointed. 

Brent Goose: 35 E

Common Scoter: 5 W

Fulmar: 17 W

Gannet: 11 E  2W

Kittiwake: 1 W

As we left the car park DW called us to say he had found a good a good candidate for a Baltic Gull in the Gull roost at The Point. The bird was to far away for any decent pictures, had we tried to get closer the whole roost would have flushed. While discussing the bird we spotted yesterdays 1w Iceland Gull flying along the beach. We watched for a few minutes from the fishing boats then it flew towards The Point, while waiting for it to return 3 Sandwich Terns lingered off shore and 8 Turnstones were on the tide line.

I joined MH at the sea watch hide to try and relocate the Gull to no avail, but I did see the first Swallow of the year come in off. I joined SB in Dennis's hide where he immediately spotted probably the same Swallow over Burrowes, where also up 6 Goldeneye could be seen. 

This afternoon I joined CT and MH for a couple of hours at The Patch. The wind had now increased and it was difficult walking against it along the front of the power station, though from the shelter of the hide it was reasonably comfortable. Unfortunately the only notable bird there was a partially leucistic Common Gull.

 1W Iceland Gull at the fishing boats.

Partially leucistic Common Gull over The Patch

A Better Day!

A better day today after the abysmal weekend started at the sea watch hide 06.45-09.00

Thanks to AJG for collating the numbers.

Brent Goose: 106 E

Common Scoter: 28 E

Red-throated Diver 13 up

Gannet: 41 around

Kittiwake: 6 W

Mediterranean Gull: 10 W (8ads, 2 1w)

Sandwich Tern: 1 W

Guillemot: 2 on

Meadow Pipit: 3 in

A wander around the trapping area found c15 Chiffchaffs and 3 Common Snipe of note.

Early afternoon from Brickwall Farm, the 2 Tundra Bean Geese, 2 Cattle Egrets, 2 Great White Egrets, 2 Little Egrets, a Bittern, a Grey Heron and several Marsh Harriers. Good to see that the wardens are pumping water into Hayfield 3 which was drying out. Even with that disturbance there was another Great White and Little Egret there, also 2 Redshank, a Ringed Plover and Black-tailed Godwit.  It seems surprising that the water level in the main lakes does not appear to be dropping at all though. 

On Scotney the drake Scaup still present, also 2 Brent Geese and a Barnacle Goose were the only other notable species. 

In 20 minutes mid afternoon at The Point, 14 Guillemots and a Kittiwake flew west. While there a message that there was an Iceland Gull at The Patch got through to me despite the phone signal problems on the beach.

A few minutes later from the shelter of the hide the 1w Iceland  Gull could be seen, back on head down into the rising wind. It did move around a little until a Great Skua came through, which spooked it along with all the other gulls and was not seen again. While there the first Common Tern of the year was over The Patch and beach and a 1w Caspian Gull put in a brief appearance. 

 1w Iceland gull at The Patch

 1st Common Tern of the year at The Patch

 1w Caspian Gull at The Patch

Egrets again!

06.15 at the seawatch hide, AJG was already there and once again the sea failed to impress. Very little has been passing this week, but today there was even less! We left the hide early and looked around the bushes seeing at least 3 Firecrests along with several Chiffchaffs

An hour sky watching from the garden was enlivened when the Gulls went balistic, instead of the hoped for Kite it was just the local Raven upsetting them.

Early afternoon walk around the Hayfields was also disappointing, a single Ruff, 3 Redshank, a Curlew, A Dunlin and 2 Shelduck on Hayfield 3. When I arrived at Dengemarsh Hide I found MH and PT inside. I spent a pleasant hour watching 4+ Marsh Harriers performing and 3 Black-tailed Godwits while MH told us the same jokes he told us yesterday and the day before! 

 From opposite Brickwall Farm the Tundra Bean Geese could be seen albeit with difficulty through the heat haze. As Galloways was open I had a look there but as usual it didn't fail to disappoint. Back at Brickwall Farm the 2 Cattle Egrets performed admirably around the farm, enticing me to take yet more pictures of them.
A late visit to Hanson  found several Chiffchaffs, 2 Firecrests, 2 Cetti's Warblers and 2+ Water Rail by the track, on the lake 5 Goldeneye and c50 Shoveller were of note.
The Egret roost tonight produced 18 Little Egrets, The Cattle Egrets and just 1 Great White Egret.

A Dead Duck!

 Brent Geese moving East from the sea watch hide this morning!

A Grim 2 hours 07.00-09.00 from the sea watch hide in rain driven by the SW wind.
Brent Goose: 151 E
Teal: 8 E
Common Scoter: 46 E
Red-breasted Mereganser: 2 W
Red-throated Diver: 2 E   2 W
Great-crested Grebe: 14 E
Fulmar: 23 E    4 W
Gannet: c10 o/s
Oystercatcher: 4 E
Sandwich Tern: 3 around
Mediterranean Gull: 1ad
Auk sp: 1 E

A sad end to this Teal, flying into the anti predator fence round Dengemarsh Flood! 

When the rain stopped at around midday 2 Chiffchaff flew across the field in front of Plodland disappearing into a neighbours garden. 

At Galloways a Wheatear by the guard house, several each of Meadow Pipit, Skylark and Reed Bunting and a pair of Stonechats by the track.

The 2 Cattle Egrets still by Brickwall Farm, the 2 Egyptian Geese opposite and a Raven over.

At Springfield Bridge a mixed flock of Reed Buntings, Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails. In Hayfield 3 a single Ruff, 8 Dunlin, 3 Curlew and 2 Shelduck. On the way back a Teal flew from Galloways across the field straight into the perimeter fence, presumably breaking its neck as it was dead when I reached it.

 Chiffchaff on the power station perimeter wall this afternoon.!

Mid afternoon at The Point a Firecrest in the Lighthouse garden(at least 17 around today per DBO) a Chiffchaff on the perimeter wall, 5 Wheatears and a Black Redstart on the shingle opposite Spion Kop.

One of five Wheatears on the shingle opposite Spion Kop!

Late afternoon at the ARC 4 Goldeneye, a red head Smew, c100 Shoveler at least 3 Marsh Harriers. Chiffchaffs and Cetti's Warblers singing in the Willow Trail.

Garden Tick!

Arriving at the car park by the power station at 07.00 I met AJG who had alraedy spent a fruitless cold hour sea watching.
We had walk around the trapping area, southern Long pit, Station Gorse, Lighthouse and West Beach. We managed c30 Chiffchaffs, c20 Meadow Pipits, c20 Chaffinches, 1 Snipe, 2 Black Redstarts and another at the observatory.
With the onset of the rain I spent most of the rest of the day doing domestic stuff.
Following late afternoon call from MH I added Egyptian Goose to the from the garden list, as 2 of them were feeding in the fields in front of Plodland.  

Brents on the move.

An uninspiring sea watch on yet another cold grey morning. 

06.30-07.30 from the sea watch hide

Brent Goose: 48 E

Common Scoter: 2 E   3W

Red-breasted Merganser: 2 E

Fulmar: 2 E

Gannet: 9 E   3 o/s

Harbour Porpoise: 10+

A quick stop at Cockles bridge saw a both Great White and Little Egret and a pair of Red-legged Partridges.

 Red-legged Partridge becoming increasingly scarce on the peninsular.

The 2 Cattle Egrets were in the usual fields around Brickwall farm, but no sign of the 2 Tundra Bean Geese, while looking for them  a flock of c150 Brent Geese flew east. Round the hayfields 17 Dunlin, 6 Ringed Plover, 6 Redshank, 2 Ruff, 3 Lapwings , 3 Curlew and Black-tailed Godwit flew over. From the Hookers viewing ramp another Great White Egret, 2 Egyptian Geese, 2+ Marsh Harriers, Bearded Tits and Cetti's Warblers

Turnstone at the fishing boats.

Another sea watch 15.00-16.00 from the fishing boats:

Common Scoter: 2 E

Eider: 3E ad drakes
Red-throated Diver: 11E  2W
Turnstone: 5 on beach
Mediterranean Gull: 1 W  ad
In the gull roost North Thames  Herring Gull G1FT.
This evening 24 Little, 5 Great White and the 2 Cattle Egrets came into roost on the reserve. While watching them c1,000 stratospheric Brent Geese moved east.