Mediterranean Gulls!

A short watch at The Patch this morning:

Common Scoter: 8W

Gannet: 16W    2E

Cormorant: 14 around

Mediterranean Gull: 3  (1ad + 2  3rd cal yr)

Black-headed Gull: c150    6 juveniles

Herring Gull: c200

Lesser Black Backed Gull: 5

Great Black Backed Gull: 26

Sandwich Tern: 2 o/s

Harbour Porpoise: 2+

 Dunnock collecting nesting material in front of Dennis's hide yesterday

Yesterday afternoon I spent a little time in Hanson hide with MH. At the moment just the old Cormorant Island has any exposed beach, hopefully this weather will continue for a while and help more islands to appear in time for the autumn wader passage. While we there the lake was covered in Coots, Gadwall, Mute Swans, Tufted Ducks and eclipse Pochard, the highlight was nice views of a Bittern flying across the lake. 

This afternoon 14.30-16.00 I joined MH at the fishing boats where we sat soaking up the glorious sunshine while having an unexpectedly interesting sea watch. Mediterranean Gulls are relatively common at Dungeness, 23W is very unusual especially as we only had a single Black-headed Gull go west.

Gannet: 28W   3E
Cormorant: 13 around
Dunlin: 2 in
Kittiwake: 1W
Mediterranean Gull: 23 W   ( 19 ad  + 4   3rd cal yr)
Black-headed Gull: 1W
Herring Gull: 4 on beach    ( c40  at the fish hut)
Great Black Backed Gull: 2E     (8 at the fish hut)
Sandwich Tern: 4 o/s
Harbour Porpoise: 2+
Grey Seal: 1

 2 of this afternoons Mediterranean Gulls

Late afternoon at Scotney, 5 Black-tailed Godwits over was the highlight. To visit Scotney, park just off the main road inside the entrance to Scotney farm on the strip off rough ground on the right hand side of the concrete road immediately in front of the old wheel wash.  

Evergestis limbata in the Plodland trap this morning

Although the weather has warmed up I am still getting very low numbers of moths in the MV. 

A quiet Weekend

A very quiet weekend bird wise. Yesterday I parked up at Jury's Gap and walked along The Midrips to Galloways and back in the vain hope of locating some Grey Partridges. It seemed a good idea at the time even though the wind was rather stronger than I anticipated. Avian wise it was a very poor with just 2 Wheatears seen both adults, 7 Avocets, 6 Redshanks, 2 Curlew and 4 Ringed Plovers. Meadow Pipits with beak fulls of caterpillars were frequent along the sea wall and a couple of Skylarks were seen, off shore a few Sandwich and Common Terns feeding. I'm sure had I been into wild flowers it would have been a very rewarding hike, but as my knowledge of wild flowers is very limited it was lot of effort for a very poor return.
After yesterdays disappointment I dusted of my bike and cycled down to Dengemarsh, where 3 Hobby's were hawking dragonflies, Marsh Harriers were quartering the reed beds, a few Swifts and Swallows were over the hay fields, a Bittern flew over the reed bed the first I've seen in a while and 2 Yellow Wagtails were at Springfield Bridge. Reed Buntings seem to have had a good year as there appears to be plenty of youngsters around.
Early afternoon I cycled out to Scotney then out towards the wind turbines. No sign of the Spoonbill today nor yesterday, at the back of Scotney plenty of Yellow Wagtails, Corn Buntings and Reed Buntings. A pair of Tree Sparrows were seen also a Barn Owl, Little Owl, 2 Common Buzzards, 2 Marsh Harriers, 2 Little Egrets and all the usual feral Geese.
Good to see the Gull boys (Mick & Richard) back at Dungeness today, the Yellow-legged Gulls cant be far away.
Early evening at the fishing Boats 17.40-18.40 very quiet:
Great Crested Grebe: 1 o/s
Gannet: 4E    29W
Cormorant: 3 around
Sandwich Tern:  3 o/s
Common Tern: 1 o/s

Sponbill on the Scotney causeway today

Most of my morning was taken up with domestic stuff, though I did brave the wind and drizzle to look at Scotney where the Spoonbill is still in residence along with the Cormorants and feral geese, over the lakes c150 Swifts hawking insects.

Driving across the causeway at the ARC a Cuckoo flew across the road towards the reserve, also many Swifts hawking over the ARC and The New Diggings.

With the weather so poor sea watching was the only viable option, though by the time I arrived I had  already missed c500 Gannets and 20+ Manx Shearwaters.

12.45-15.45   with AJG & MH:
Manx Shearwater: 10W
Gannet: 293W      42E
Cormorant: n/c
Oystercatcher: 1W
Whimbrel: 1W
Kittiwake: 2W
Common Tern: 4 around
Sandwich Tern: 9 around
Auk sp: 2W
Swift: 69 out
Harbour Porpoise: 3+
Grey Seal: 1

18.10-19.10 from the fishing boats
Great Crested Grebe: 1 around
Gannet: 32W    26E
Oystercatcher: 2E
Arctic Skua: 1 pale phase chasing Terns
Kittiwake: 11W
Sandwich Tern: 6 around
Harbour Porpoise: 6+

Balearic Shearwaters and Swifts!

 A cool breezy SW ind this morning at The Point.
07.35-09.05

Great-crested Grebe: 2 around
Balearic Shearwater: 8W   (5 at 07.48  +  3 at 08.02)
Gannet: 51E   47W
Cormorant:  8 around
Marsh Harrier: 1 over beach then NW
Oystercatcher: 3E
Arctic Skua: 1W
Mediterranean Gull: 1W   3rd cal yr  
Black-headed Gull: 17W
Herring Gull: present n/c
Lesser Black Back Gull: 2 on beach
Great Black Backed Gull: 19W   6 around
Swift: 7 in
Sand Martin: 3S
Stock Dove: 2 on Beach
Wood pigeon: 5 on beach
Linnet: 4 on beach

 The first 5 Balearic Shearwaters (a little imagination needed)

and 3 makes 8

Where's those Shearwaters!

This afternoon I joined MH, CP & PT in the shelter of the fishing boats arriving just after 2 Manxies went through but in time to see swarms of Swifts going south.

14.30- 16.30 from The Fishing boats. With MH, CP & PT.
Manx Shearwater: 2W
Gannet: 32W     5E
Kittiwake: 1W
Common Tern: 3 o/s
Sandwich Tern: 6 o/s
Swift: 1,764 out

This evening at Scotney the Spoonbill was sheltering from the strong westerly wind below the causeway bank, as 100s of Swifts were moving towards the sea.
Looking out of my window now at 20.45 I can see many more Swifts heading south through the driving drizzle.

Leaping Shark!

Sea watch this morning from The Point on a mill pond like sea, was greatly enlivened by the fantastic sight of shark sp breaching vertically about 3-4 feet from the sea, this was the first time I have ever seen this.

07.30-08.30

Great-crested Grebe: 3 around

Gannet: 21E     134W

Cormorant: 23 around

Sandwich Tern: 2E   5W

Black-headed Gull: 17W

Herring Gull: c100 feeding around fishing boat at sea

Great Black Backed Gull: 6 around

Auk sp: 1W

Swift: 6N

Meadow Pipit: 2 on beach

Pied Wagtail: 2 on beach

Linnet: 4N

Harbour Porpoise: 6+

Grey Seal: 2

Shark sp: 1 breached vertically fully clear of the sea 4 times c500mt off shore

 Mid morning at Scotney the Spoonbill was showing well along with several Egyptian Geese, which now seem to be resident at Scotney.

Spoonbill brightens the day!

A cold strong westerly wind was blowing which didn't inspire me as I  wandered down to The Patch this morning.  

 08.05-09.10 saw a very meagre fayre:

Great-crested Grebe: 1

Gannet: 28E   6W

Cormorant: 21 around

Peregrine: 1 around

Black-headed Gull: c200

Herring Gull: c150

Lesser Black Backed Gull: 3

Great Black Backed Gull: 14

Common Tern: 1

Sandwich Tern: 3

Harbour Porpoise: 2

On Burrowes from Dennis's Hide c100 Swifts over the lake in drizzly weather, though all had gone by lunch time as weather cleared, also the eclipse drake Wigeon still there, a Hobby and 3 Ringed Plovers  but little else as the islands seem to be disappearing again.

From the ARC car park 3 more Hobby's and several Tree Sparrows of note.

Early afternoon at Scotney found a Spoonbill on the causeway between the 2 eastern lakes, still present at 17.00. At the back of the lakes at least 5 sitting Avocets, also the usual Yellow Wagtails and Corn Buntings, an Oystercatcher took offence to me walking along the path as its young was hidden several metres away. Around the barns a Little Owl was in its usual spot, also a Tree Sparrow was notable there. The farmers are already cutting the grass for silage so no doubt many Skylarks and Meadow Pipits nest will be destroyed. 

 Another sea watch from the fishing boats this afternoon in the company of MH was very slow. Though it gave us the chance to ponder the folly of Brexit
14.00-15.30
Gannet: 18E   2W
Cormorant: 6 around
Kittiwake: 2W
Common Tern: 6W     6E
Sandwich Tern: 14W
Harbour Porpoise: 1+
Grey Seal: 1

Good to be back!

After being in West Sussex for most of the last 3 weeks, it was good to be back out in the fresh air of Dungeness even nursing a hangover.
09.10-10.10 at The Patch
Gannet:  26W       2E
Cormorant: 16 on beach
Mediterranean Gull: 2  1st summer + 3rd cal yr
Black-headed Gull: c150
Herring Gull: c150
Great Black backed Gull: 7
Lesser Black backed Gull: 3
Common Tern: 3
Swift: 2 in
Harbour Porpoise: 3+
Grey Seal: 1

Late morning at Scotney a Little Owl at the barns also 2 Yellow Wagtails. I didn't get round the back as rain storm forced me back to the shelter of the car.

Early afternoon at Dengemarsh c50 House Martins and a few Swifts and Swallows over the lake, 5+ Hobby's and the usual Marsh Harriers. No sign of the Cattle Egret in the hay fields though several could hide in the tall vegetation of hay field 3. A Yellow Wagtail at Springfield Bridge and another by the Go Cart entrance.

Another sea watch from fishing boats late afternoon was also very quiet.

16.00-17.00 

Gannet: 7W   4E

Cormorant: 5 on sea

Kittiwake: 1 feeding o/s

Sandwich Tern: 4 feeding o/s

Harbour Porpoise: 4+

    

Balearic Shearwater

I managed to get just over an hour sea watching late afternoon today from The Point:

16.50-18.00
Common Scoter: 1E
Great Crested Grebe: 2 o/s
Balearic Shearwater: 1W
Gannet: 31W   14E
Cormorant: 6 o/s
Arctic Skua: 1E  DP
Sandwich Tern: 12 feeding o/s
Common Tern: 67 feeding o/s
Guillemot: 3W
Auk sp: 6W
Swift: 43 in
Grey Seal: 1
Harbour Porpoise: 4+

I've not been able to get out birding much lately due to family illness. The Plodland MV has been fairly busy lately with 1,000's of Plutella Xylostella and a first for trap in the form of a Toadflax Brocade.

 Toadflax Brocade

 Spectacle

 Eyed Hawk Moth

 Barred Red

Ghost Moth from the Shoreham trap.

As I have been spending a lot of time in Shoreham, West Sussex, I have been running the MV there. Plenty of Plutella Xylostella there as well. 

Old Haunts

Due to domestic issues I have spent the last few days in West Sussex, which gave me the opportunity to re-visit some of the sites I used to go to when I was a Shoreham resident. Ambersham Common, Iping Common and  Lavington Common were all visited,  Dartford Warblers, Tree Pipits, Woodlarks, Crossbill, Siskin, Redpoll, Stonechats, Nightjars, Hobby's, Red Kite and countless Common Buzzards were seen with relative ease, surrounding woodland was fairly quiet but I did manage a single Marsh Tit.

A morning spent at The Burgh was superb with at least 5 Red Kites possibly up to 10 and numerous Common Buzzards, Corn Buntings, Yellowhammers, Common Whitethroats and numerous Chaffinches. I only saw 1 Grey Partridge but heard several more and I'm sure many more were unseen in the crop fields, also screaming parties of Swifts and many Swallows hawking over the fields, from a photographic point of view it was a pity that the skies were grey while I was there.    

 Nightjar. Almost dark very high ISO

 Red Kites at The Burgh

 Corn Bunting

Orange Tip