Gales!

 The only Mediterranean Gull I saw though I probably missed some.

As I went to the fishing boats this morning a gale force westerly was blowing drizzle across The Point giving me very low expectations of a good sea watch. I was very pleasantly surprised to see a constant westerly passage of birds off shore from the relative shelter of the boats. Unfortunately I was on my own, so without a doubt I missed a whole lot more.
Brent Goose: 15E
Wigeon: 2W
Teal: 1W
Red-throated Diver: 9W
Great-crested Grebe: 124 on sea
Fulmar: 8W
Gannet: 139W
Cormorant: 1,074W
Turnstone: 36 on beach
Mediterranean Gull: 1W
Kittiwake: 492W
Black-headed Gull: c1,000W
Common Gull: c1,500W
Herring Gull: c500W
Caspian Gull: 1 regular 1w bird on beach
Glaucous Gull: 1 regular 1w bird on beach
Guillemot: 1,310W
Razorbill: 2,613W
Auk sp: 227W

 The 1w Glaucous Gull in the beach roost

On the reserve 2 Long-eared Owls were hunkered down deep in the bushes behind the Dipping Pond, from Makepiece a red head Smew was among a couple of hundred Teal sheltering at the back of the Burrowes. While in the VC in the company of MH the army let off 10 huge explosions on the ranges which flushed all the wildfowl on the reserve, among the 100s commoner wildfowl 4 Goosanders (2 drakes+2 ducks) and a Great White Egret flew across the lake. 

At Scotney there were 6 Ringed Plovers on the sward and once again very few geese though they are probably on the more sheltered back lake. The main lake was more like an Ocean with rollers swamping the Gull island, a single Goldeneye was in the centre of the lake while in the lee of the bays the Tufted Duck and Wigeon were sheltering. 

Back at the beach this afternoon 1,000s of Gulls were feeding along the shoreline but little was moving offshore. The 1w Caspian Gull was in the puddles, a short video of it can be seen HERE 

Late afternoon half an hour in Dennis's hide with MH 10+ Goldeneye, another Goosander flew through, a Great White Egret and a couple of Marsh Harriers were the highlights. 

Goldeneye from Dennis's hide 

Goosander from Dennis's hide

1w Gannet past the fishing boats yesterday afternoon.

It seems though the world and his wife has been at Dungeness this weekend. Yesterdays sunny weather meant that the Gull roosts were constantly disturbed by walkers making the 1w Glaucous Gull and the 1w Caspian Gull difficult to locate. A short visit to the beach today in the wind and rain which didn't deter the numerous fisherman taking part the Dab championship. At sea the usual Gannets, Auks and kittiwakes but nothing of note.

At the reserve 1 of the 2 Long-eared Owls was showing, both were seen early morning, from Makepiece a Smew, 3 Goldeneye and a few dabblers. With rain still falling it was time for a full English.

This afternoon during a walk around the hayfields and Dengemarsh I managed ony 5 Meadow Pipits, 3 Reed Buntings, a Marsh Harrier and a few Crows. Galloways was equally disappointing.

At the Egret roost late afternoon 22 Little and 3 Great White Egrets came in, while 3 Marsh harriers headed towards the Oppen Pits. 

  

Enough birds to keep the interest going on another windy morning at the fishing boats, which fortunately afforded some shelter from the wind and occasional drizzle.
08.10-11.00 with BM and DW.
Brent Goose: 3W    24E      
Red-breasted Merganser: 1W
Red-throated Diver: 1E   1W
Great-crested Grebe: several birds present
Fulmar: 11W
Gannet: 62W
Cormorant: present in the usual numbers
Mediterranean Gull: 7W
Caspian Gull: 1W a new bird
Kittiwake: 249W
Guillemot: 128W
Razorbill: 29W
Auk sp: 75W
Grey Seal: 1W
With little coverage due the weather the only news from the reserve was of a Slavonian Grebe and 4 Smew on Burrowes,
At a very windswept Scotney very few Geese. Just 2 Ring Plover on the sward with a few Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails. The Herring Gull island was awash but a few hatdy birds were still on it.
Back at the beach early afternoon the regular 1w Caspian Gull was showing well in the puddles and the 1w Glaucous Gull was in the roost behind the fish hut, by now the rain had set in, time for a cup of tea.

Blue Skies!

The new bay carved out by the recent storms opposite Jarmans.

After yesterdays Gull glut, this morning there was barely a Gull to be seen, so I took the oppotunity for an early morning visit to Hookers. On the way 2 Black-necked Grebes were at the south end of the New diggings, at Boulderwall 6+ Tree Sparrows and a Great White Egret, from the viewing ramp several Bearded Tits, 2 Marsh Harriers, another Great White Egret, a Bittern, Cetti's Warblers were very vocal as was several Water Rails, 100s of Lapwing and Golden Plovers were constantly spooked by the Harriers and a Common Buzzard.

A wander up to The Pines with MH saw of note 3+ Chiffchaffs, a party of Long-tailed Tits, 4 Common Snipe, a fly over Bittern and 2 more Marsh Harriers.

At Scotney on the grass 2 Curlew, 6 Ringed Plovers which I think are the first of the year at this site, also 100+ Greylags and 40 Barnacle Geese but little else.

This afternoon I tracked down the 1w Glaucous Gull to the shore line by the Lifeboat Station, which was the only bit of beach without wall to wall fisherman bought out by the nice weather. The weather also brings out the arty photographers, beach combers and walkers all of which flush the Gulls from pillar to post. The Glaucous Gull was the only Gull on the beach, but was still flushed by someone collecting shells, who got to within a few feet of it and still didn't see the it, he then asked me what I was photographing!
From Springfield Bridge this afternoon of note a Bittern, Great White Egret and more Marsh Harriers.

50,000+ Gulls!!

Blizzard of Gulls

When I left home this morning I wasn't expecting to be out all day. Gale force winds with drizzle in the air didn't bode well. I arrived at the fishing boats to be met by a veritable blizzard of Gulls moving West. 

Mediterranean Gull

08.45-12.45 & 13.45-16.00 with MH and DW, joined this afternoon by OL.

Brent Goose: 43E

Gadwall: 3W

Teal: 1W

Wigeon: 75W

Red-throated Diver: 2W  1 on sea

Fulmar: 25W

Gannet: 137W

Cormorant: 594W

Turnstone: 6 on beach

Sanderling: 1W

Great Skua: 1W

Black-headed Gull: 38,000+W

Common Gull: 9,000+W

Mediterranean Gull: 7W

Herring Gull: 3,500W

Yellow-legged Gull: 2W

Caspian Gull: 1 the regular 1w bird on the beach

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 37W

Great Black-backed Gull: 500+W

Kittiwake: 3,816W

Glaucous Gull: 1 the regular 1w bird on the beach

Guillemot: 207W

Razorbill: 184W

Auk sp: 92W

Grey Seal: 2 present

Common Seal: 1 present

A superb sea watch from the relative shelter of the fishing boats.

Great Skua

Mediterranean Gull

Siberian Rubythroat!

Sunday morning, on the news that the Siberian Rubythroat was still present a few miles north of Amsterdam, I booked a place on the 06.20 Chunnel train for Monday. Monday morning DW,GH,TG and myself caught the train to Calais, then we drove to Hoogwoud motorway all the way arriving at 11.30. It's really only the equivalent of driving to Spurn Point from Dungeness only on far superior roads. News was not good as the Rubythroat had not been seen for an hour! We waited at the entrance to the alley where it was being seen every 15 minutes on Sunday! After about an hour some birders had wandered off allowing us to have pole position on the area where the Rubythroat usually performed, we stuck it out as a couple of Dutch photographers assured us the bird will show there. It suddenly flew across the path into a hedge giving the briefest of views. 45 minutes later 1 of the local photographers who was laying down, could see it working its way towards log he had baited with meal worms, then it hopped out flashing its stunning crimson throat causing the many cameras to whirr into overdrive, also making us very happy we had pole position. Over the next hour it performed several times for us allowing us excellent photographic opportunities.
Many thanks are due to the residents for there patience with the birders and the helpfulness of the Dutch birders on site, all who speak fluent English making me feel very ashamed that I don't speak a word of Dutch.
Leaving site we dashed up to the coast where we saw 3 Red-breasted Geese with flock of c1,000 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and 3+ Light-bellied Brent Geese. Also 1,000s each of White-fronted Geese and Greylag Geese, 100s of Egyptian Geese a few Barnacle Geese, 10+ Great White Egrets. a Bittern, 5 Scaup, 4 Smew, a Goosander, a Black-necked Grebe and a Kingfisher, but missed the Bufflehead and Lesser Scaup as the light went.

Gulling!

As I drove across the causeway this morning a Black-necked Grebe was at the northern end of the New Diggings. Meeting up with SO at the observatory we walked out into the trapping area where we came across a Common Snipe, a Woodcock, 4 Long-tailed Tits with Blue and Great Tits, a pleasant walk but little else of note seen. 

1w Little Gull

The sea was quiet this morning from the at the fishing boats this morning, apart from the 1w Little Gull. At the sea watch hide a few Auks, Red-throated Divers and the Little Gull again. On the perimeter fence a female Black Redstart was fly catching with a couple of Pied Wagtails.

 Mick and Richard getting up close to the 1w Glaucous and 1w Caspian Gull this afternoon!

13.45-15.30 From the fishing boats:

Brent Goose: 43E

Red-throated Diver: 3W

Great-crested Grebe: present

Gannet: 96W

Cormorant: present

Black-headed Gull: 1500+ W

Kittiwake: 84W

Caspian Gull: regular 1w bird present throughout

Glaucous Gull: regular 1w bird present throughout

Guillemot: 14W

Razorbill: 336W

Auk sp: 134W

A short video of the 1w Glaucous Gull can be seen HERE . A video of the 1w Glaucous Gull with the 1w Caspian Gull can be seen HERE 

 1w Glaucous Gull

1w Glaucous Gull and the 1w Caspian Gull.

Rained Off!

 Not wanting to get out of bed this morning meant I missed a couple of thousand Razorbills heading west, but I was still in time to see c1,500, along with a few Guillemots, Gannets, Kittiwakes, 5 Fulmars and a single Pintail all moving west, not forgetting the 1w Glaucous Gull ghosting past for it's daily photo shoot. About 09.40 the rain arrived, leaving the beach the 1w Caspian gull was by the fish hut, as I drove home past the south end of the New Diggings 2 Black-necked Grebes could be seen.

08.00-10.00 & 13.45-15.15 from the fishing boats, Thanks to BM & MH for collating the numbers.

Brent Goose: 67E

Shelduck: 1W

Teal: 2W

Wigeon: 2W

Common Scoter: 1W

Red-throated Diver: 26E   1W

Great-crested Grebe: Present

Fulmar: 1W   1E

Gannet: 81W

Cormorant: a flock of 235 feeding on a shoal this afternoon

Oystercatcher: 2W

Great Skua: 1 around this afternoon

Little Gull: 1W

Mediterranean Gull: 2W

Kittiwake: 47W

Glaucous Gull: the 1w around

Caspian Gull: the 1w around

Guillemot: 41W

Razorbill: 1,446W

Auk sp: 261W

On the New Diggings of note 2 Black-necked Grebes also 2 more on the ARC with 2 Great White Egrets and 7 Goldeneye there along with several 100s of Gadwall and Teal.

Surprisingly little of note on Burrowes, no Smew or Goosander, even the Long-eared Owl has gone missing. 

At Scotney another 2 Black-necked Grebes at the Kent end. A walk around the back of the farm saw 100s each of Wigeon, Shoveler and Teal also c30 Pintail and 5 Little Egrets but little else of note. 

The Tundra Bean Goose was seen from the double bends at Scotney and the Dartford Warbler was still in the Kerton Road triangle.

 1w Glaucous Gull

 Some of the 1400 Razorbills past the fishing boats today

 The stunning 1w Caspian Gull

I'm hoping it's not fishing line hanging from it's bill!

Calm and Quiet!

2 still, sunny days in a row are rare at Dungeness, with sea flat calm there was nothing moving off shore, there was a few Guillemots and Razorbills bobbing about with a few Red-throated Divers, some Gannets way out, a Red-breasted Merganser and of course the 1w Caspian gull and 1w Glaucous Gull.
I made the effort to walk around the Long Pits in search of a Woodcock and failed, however I did find 2 Jack Snipe, 10 Common Snipe and 2 Cetti's Warblers.
At the back of Scotney a Spotted Redshank was on the back lake island, also 24 White-fronted Geese and the Tundra Bean Goose. The fields were very quiet with just 3 Skylarks, 3 Stonechats and a few Meadow pipits being seen. In Scotney Farm the first Lambs of the year.

Scotney Farms first lambs of the year.

Driving past Belgar farm a Barn Owl appeared, by the time I stopped the car, the above image was the only one I managed.

At the Kerton Road triangle the Dartford Warbler was chasing around with 3 Stonechats at lunchtime today. At the south end of the New Diggings a Slavonian Grebe and 2 Black-necked Grebes. At the ARC 2 Bitterns walking on the ice, 3 Great White Egrets, 3 Marsh Harriers, 2 Common Snipe, 4 Cetti's Warblers and all the usual wild fowl.

1 of 2 Bitterns wandering about on the ice.