Gulls in the Rain & Gales!

Ring-necked Duck early this morning

First thing this morning I went to the reserve where the Ring-necked duck was showing well on Cooks Pool also there a Great White Egret, a Little Egret, a Bittern the Cattle Egret flew over the field disappearing in a ditch, also a Marsh Harrier quartering the top end of the reed bed and a Common Buzzard motionless on a post.

Long-eared Owl behind the Dipping Pool this morning

As I walked to Firth after viewing the Long-eared Owl all the Gulls flushed probably by a Heron or Great White Egret and disappeared towards the Open Pits, so I decided to go to the fishing boats and come back to the reserve later.

09.00-09.30 from the fishing boats lots of birds but nothing moving:
                                     Up Channel                 Down Channel
Red-throated Diver:                                                    2
Great-crested Grebe:                          16 o/s      
Gannet:                                              c120 o/s
Cormorant:                                       Present n/c
Common Scoter:                3
Turnstone:                                        4 on beach
Black-headed Gull:                          Present n/c
Mediterranean Gull:           2
Herring Gull:                                   Present n/c
Lesser Black Backed Gull:              Present n/c
Great Black Backed Gull:                Present n/c
Kittiwake:                                          c150 o/s
Razorbill:                                                                      1
Goldfinch:                                           8 over
Grey Seal:     2
After my usual late breakfast I went back to the reserve, where in the rain and wind made my way to the shelter of Firth Hide with PB. Within a few minutes we located 3 Caspian Gulls and several colour ringed Gulls which were duly read and noted, DW arrived and spotted another Caspian Gull. Also there an adult Yellow-legged Gull and 2 Goldeneye. 2 more Caspian Gulls dropped after I left to look at the sea again.

Adult + 3w Caspian Gull

Adult Caspian Gull

3w Caspian Gull

2w Caspian Gull

1w Caspian Gull

Adult Yellow-legged Gull

Grey Heron in front of Firth

Late afternoon the sea was very Quiet apart from the c150 Kittiwakes and usual Gulls.

A Quieter Day

An uninspiring sea watch this morning:

08.00-09.00 from the fishing boats with NF, DW & BC.

                                 Up Channel       Down Channel

Brent Goose:                 5

Shelduck:                                                       1

Common Scoter:                                          10

Red-throated Diver:                   2 on             4

Great-crested Grebe:               15 Around

Gannet:                                  c30 Around

Turnstone:                                4 on beach

Mediterranean Gull:    2

Kittiwake:                    5

Guillemot:                                3 around

Razorbill:                     2           1 around

Goldfinch:                                2 over

Ring-necked Duck

At Boulderwall the Ring-necked Duck was still present on Cook's Pool also a Great white Egret there, the Cattle Egret was still in the fields with Cattle. With the number of cars in the car park I opted to go some where quieter. At Scotney all the usual feral Geese and wildfowl but nothing out of the ordinary. Denge Marsh Gully was unsurprisingly very quiet. 

The Grey Stonechat

Early afternoon at the Kerton Road triangle the pale Stonechat was  still insitu along with 3 Dartford Warblers and 2 Common Stonechats.

14.10-15.00 from the fishing boats was very slow, though a Great Northern Diver flew down channel and 5 Red-throated divers flew up channel, while on the c a flock of c150 Kittiwakes.

Little Egrets from Firth at sunset

Late afternoon from Firth Hide an adult Caspian Gull and 2 adult Yellow-legged Gulls, the 3 Black-tailed Godwits still present and a Redshank.

Dotterel!

 Ring-necked Duck in the early morning gloom

Still without a car this morning MH kindly picked me up. Our first stop was at Cooks Pool Boulderwall where the Ring-necked Duck was  showing nicely despite the gloomy weather. Further along the track the Cattle Egret was in its chosen field.

From the viewing ramp 5+ Bearded Tits were using the gritter, Denge Marsh was very quiet this morning, though 2 Common Snipe, a Common Buzzard and a Marsh harrier were noted.

Cattle Egret

 Bearded Tits on the gritter from the viewing ramp

From Dennis's Hide 2 Great White Egrets and a Goldeneye among the the usual wildfowl. Among the Gulls was an adult Yellow-legged Gull.

Walking up to Firth we stopped at the dipping pool where as usual I scanned the Sallows and there was the Long-eared Owl hopefully back for the rest of the winter. From Firth the 3 Black-tailed Godwits still but nothing unusual among the many Gulls.

Dotterel on the beach in the late afternoon gloom

Late this afternoon Owen Leyshon called to tell me had found a Dotterel on the shingle opposite Jarmans, the only problem I was car less, a quick call to Mark H who kindly came and picked me up, taking me to see the Dotterel of which we enjoyed great views in the late afternoon gloom. Soon after the garage called to say my car was ready. I was only without a car for 4 days but it felt as though my legs had been chopped off. I take my hat off to people who voluntarily give up the cars.

Great White Egret!

Great White Egret at Denge Marsh this morning

As my car is in the garage until tomorrow afternoon, MH picked me up this morning. Our first stop was at Cooks Pool, Boulderwall where the Ring-necked Duck was still present but distant.

Next stop Denge Marsh hide as the rain became more persistent, there we saw Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, 4 Great White Egrets 1 of which landed right in front of us, 17 Great Crested Grebes were present plus the usual wildfowl, while in the bushes a Cetti's Warbler was making it's self heard.

From Firth hide 100s of Gulls, I had just found an adult Caspian Gull when all the Gulls and 100s of Lapwings took flight for apparently no reason, the 3 Black-tailed Godwits were still there as was a female Goosander. The rest of my day was taken up with domestic stuff.

 1w Caspian Gull by the fishing boats this morning

07.55-09.30 from the fishing boats with DW.

                             Up Channel    Down Channel
Brent Goose:                  9
Mallard:                                                      2
Wigeon:                     250                           1
Teal:                             18                           7
Common Scoter:            6                         14
Velvet Scoter:                                              2
Red-throated Diver:       4    + 1on
Great-crested Grebe:      7+ around
Gannet:                        present n/c
Cormorant:                  present n/c
Merlin:                           1 in
Sanderling:                   12
Turnstone:                      5 around
Great Skua:                    1 around
Mediterranean Gull:     20+ around
Herring Gull:                many around
Caspian Gull:                 1w around
Lesser Black Backed Gull:   several present
Great Black Backed Gull:  many present
Kittiwake:                   150+ around
Guillemot:                      4+ around
Skylark:                          5 in
Rock Pipit:                     1 in
Meadow Pipit:                2 in
Goldfinch:                      1+ in
Grey Seal:                       2

X6LT North Thames Herring Gull at this afternoons offerings

While no Caspian Gulls were attracted by Mick and Richards Gull Banquet, there was however c150 each of Mediterranean Gulls and Kittiwakes off shore, also many distant Gannets and a juvenile Pomarine Skua marauding off shore. 

News from the reserve that the Ring-necked Duck is still present along with the Cattle Egret and the usual Great White Egrets, a Dartford Warbler was seen in front of Firth per BB. The grey Stonechat is still present in the Kerton Road Triangle along with the Dartford Warblers and a couple of Common Stonechats.  

Gulls!

1w Iceland Gull

07.40-10.20  from the fishing boats with MB, DW & GH.
                                  Up Channel        Down Channel

Brent Goose:                                                 78
Shelduck:                                                      41
Mallard:                                                          3
Teal:                                                                1
Tufted Duck:                                                 5
Common Scoter:           14                              8
R.B. Merganser:                                            12
Red-throated Diver:                                      10
Great Northern Diver:                                 1
Gannet:                                                     c350
Cormorant:                   c250 around
Oystercatcher:                                                1
Dunlin:                                                           5
Sanderling:                                                     3
Turnstone:                      3 around
Curlew:                                                           3
Great Skua:                    1 around
Black-headed Gull:     Many present
Common Gull:           present N/C
Mediterranean Gull:    c35 Around
Herring Gull:               Many present
Caspian Gull:                 3+ around
Great-black-backed Gull: many present
Little Gull:                                                      7
Kittiwake:                  c45 around          +     33
1w Iceland Gull:              1 out to sea
Guillemot:                        7 on sea                62
Razorbill:                          2 on sea               47
Auk sp:                             9                          19
Skylark:                             1 in
Starling:                        470 in

Shortly after MB joined me at the fishing boats he spotted a white winged some distance out to sea which we both thought was a 1w Glaucous Gull, we both took some images of it, though I got all my settings wrong as you can see from the above image and most of my images were out of focus. This afternoon when I looked at the images on my computer the bill and structure looked all wrong for 1w Glaucous but right for 1w Iceland Gull. I called MB who checked his images and realised that it was a 1w Iceland Gull. The bird was a fair way out and the light conditions were awful, that's my excuse for getting it wrong. 

Great Northern Diver

 1w Caspian Gull

 1w Caspian Gull

 Adult Caspian Gull

1w Caspian Gull

2w Mediterranean Gull

Red-throated Diver at the fishing boats early morning

08.00-09.00 from the fishing boats:

                                    Up Channel           Down Channel
Red-throated Diver:      1                  1 on           1
Great-crested Grebe:     7 around
Gannet:                                                              17
Cormorant:                287 around
Turnstone:                     2 on beach
Mediterranean Gull:      9 around
Kittiwake:                  136 around
Guillemot:                      3                  4 on          1
Razorbill:                                           1 on          1
Auk sp:                           4                                 13      
Starling:                      110 in
Harbour Porpoise:          2+
Yet another plod around the sea containers and fishing boats up to the Lifeboat Station and back  found just 1 Skylark and 2 Wrens.

Red-throated Diver at the fishing boats early morning

At Boulderwall the Ring-necked Duck and Cattle Egret were showing, also a Great White and |Little Egret, Bittern, Grey Heron, Common Buzzard and 2+ Marsh Harriers there.

 Ring-necked Duck at Boulderwall. If it stays hopefully I will get better images.

 Snow Buntings at Littlestone Esplanade

A visit to Littlestone saw the 5 Snow Buntings, a Rock Pipit, several Meadow Pipits and Skylarks, also a couple of Stonechats. On the shore Sanderling, Dunlin, Grey Plover, Turnstone's and Oystercatchers.

This afternoon I visited West Hythe with MH to see the Whooper Swan. It is in the field immediately north of the railway line in Botolph's Bridge Road.

A wild, wet and bitterly cold morning at Dungeness with a decent movement of Gannets.

08.00-11.00 with MH From The Point and fishing Boats:
                                Up Channel    Down Channel
Brent Goose                 22                    82
Gadwall:                                                7
Wigeon:                                                 5
Teal:                                                       5
Common Scoter:          12
Red-throated Diver:       3         1 on      1
Great-crested Grebe:   36 around
Fulmar:                          1
Gannet:                       815  + c150 feeding off shore
Cormorant:                                        c200
Oystercatcher:               1
Ringed Plover:              1
Dunlin:                          3                    12
Turnstone:                     3 around
Mediterranean Gull:      8
Kittiwake:                   14
Guillemot:                   24                     3
Razorbill:                      3                     2
Auk sp:                        18                     6
Skylark:                         2

Just another Day at Dungeness!

 Long-tailed Ducks, despite ample opportunity to get good images this A.M. I failed miserably

08.00-10.00 from the fishing boats with MH, DW & PT

                               Up Channel            Down Channel
Brent Goose:              55                           341
Shelduck:                    28
Mallard:                        3                            12
Gadwall:                                                       8        
Pintail:                                                          1
Shoveler:                                                      3
Wigeon:                     44   +7 in                127
Teal:                           22  + 4 in                136
Common Scoter:          3                             23
Long-tailed Duck:                                      2
Goldeneye:                  1                              7
R.B.Merganser:                                            5
Red-throated Diver:    2    + 1 on                 3
Great-crested Grebe:  7 on                           3
Gannet:                    c25 around
Cormorant:              Many present
Little Egret:                 3 in
Oystercatcher:             1
Golden Plover:         19 in
Turnstone:                   3 on beach
Dunlin:                      12
Great Skua:                1
Black-headed Gull:  Many present
Common Gull:       present
Mediterranean Gull:  c5 around
Herring Gull:          Many present
Great Black Backed Gull:    Present
Lesser Black Backed Gull:   A few present
Little Gull:                  1 Juvenile
Kittiwake:                  7                         5
Guillemot:                 8     6 on
Razorbill:                   4     3 on
Auk sp:                      12                       18
Skylark:                      1 in
Starling:               5,240 in
Grey Seal:                       1
Harbour Porpoise:           2

 A short visit to the reserve for warm up with some hot chocolate saw the usual Egrets, also a couple of Spoonbills and 2 Bewick Swans which flew north over Firth Hide the first of this winter.

 Spoonbills from firth

 Bewick Swans over Firth

 Spoonbill from Firth

 The Stonechat

I spent most of the day around the Kerton Road Triangle trying to obtain good shots of The Stonechat, it was loosely associating with a couple of Common Stonechats, also at least 3 Dartford Warblers there

The Ring-necked Ducked discovered at Boulderwall by MH late afternoon.

All at Sea!

With heavy Rain and strong Northerly winds this morning I was pleasantly surprised by the number of birds moving off shore today.
08.00-11.00 from The Point with DW.
                                           Up Channel       Down Channel
Brent Goose:                          9                               112
Shelduck:                             17
Wigeon:                                23                               17
Teal:                                       1                                58
Gadwall:                                4
Common Scoter:                                                      62
Long-tailed Duck:                                                    3
Red-Breasted Merganser:      1                                  1
Great-crested Grebe:             3 around
Red-throated Diver:              5   + 1 on
Gannet:                              331                                 36
Heron:                                    2 in
Merlin:                                   1 in
Turnstone:                              3 on beach
Dunlin:                                  7
Bar-tailed Godwit:                1
Great Skua:                           2
Pomarine Skua:                                                       3
Kittiwake:                            11
Mediterranean Gull:          127
Guillemot:                           35                                   3
Razorbill:                              7                                   1
Auk Sp:                               12                                   7
Starling:                            278 in
Chaffinch:                           20  in
Grey Seal:                             1+
Harbour Porpoise:                1+

2 Spoonbills among the Egrets from Dennis's Hide late morning

Goosanders past the fishing boats this afternoon

13.25-16.00 from the fishing boats joined by RW & MH
                                    Up Channel      Down channel
Brent Goose:                      96                    70
Shelduck:                             3
Wigeon:                               4                     13
Teal:                                     2
Mallard:                               1
Goldeneye:                          2
Common Scoter:                23                      7
Eider:                                                           1
Red-breasted merganser:                             1
Goosander:    1 + 8             9
Great-crested Grebe:            7 around
Red-throated Diver:             5
Gannet:                             223                   43
Dunlin:                               16
Knot:                                   23
Turnstone:                            4 around
Lapwing:                            18 out
Great Skua:                                                  1
Kittiwake:                           42
Mediterranean Gull:           17
Guillemot:                          17
Starling:                              12 in
Grey Seal:                             2
Harbour Porpoise:                 2+

Truly awful heavily cropped image of the Long-tailed Ducks