Caspians Gulls!

1w Caspian Gull X594 photographed yesterday but still present today 

Ringing data for X594 showing it was rung on the 29th May this year in Germany near the Polish border. Unfortunately does not say whether both parents were pure Caspian as there has been some queries with this birds purity.

1w Caspian Gull photographed yesterday but still present today

Little Gull!

 Manx Shearwater this morning past the fishing boats

07.30-10.00 from the fishing boats with SG, MH & AJG who kindly collated the numbers:
Brent Goose: 38 down
Gadwall: 4 down
Wigeon: 37 down/in
Common Scoter: 17 down
Red-breasted Merganser: 1 down
Red-throated Diver: 1 down
Manx Shearwater: 1 down
Gannet: 1,045 down
Oystercatcher: 1 up
Turnstone: 21 on beach
Dunlin: 19 down
Great Skua:1 down
Arctic Skua 4 down
Pomarine Skua: 1 down
Mediterranean Gull: 1 down
Kittiwake: 54 down
Little Gull: 21 down
Razorbill: 259 down
Guillemot: 64 down
Auk sp: 597 down
Swallow: 4 down
Harbour Porpoise: 2
Grey Seal: 1
A couple of hours wandering around The Desert and Long Pits in near constant drizzle looking for grounded migrants found 3 Ring Ouzels, 10+ Song Thrushes, a few each of Chiffchaff and Goldcrest but little else of note.

Juvenile Little Gull about to grab its prize

This afternoon at the fishing boats 14.00-16.30 with MH, SG, AJG, LG, MF, PT.

Brent Goose: 129 down

Common Scoter: 18 down  1 up

Red-throated Diver: 3 Down

Great-crested Grebe: 1 around

Gannet: 242 down

Dunlin: 2 down

 Bar-tailed Godwit: 2 down

Arctic Skua: 2 around

Caspian Gull: 2 x 1w around

Little Gull: 2 down    1 around

Kittiwake: 11 down

Sandwich Tern: c20 around

Guillemot: 11 down

Razorbill: 26 down

Auk sp: 32 down

Swallow: 5 down

Harbour Porpoise: 4 

Grey Seal: 1
A beautiful juvenile Little Gull put on a superb show at the fishing boats this afternoon, it's a pity that the light was so poor

Juvenile Little Gull

                                                                Juvenile Little Gull

Juvenile Little Gull

                                                                 Juvenile Little Gull

 Juvenile Little Gull and Black-headed Gull showing size comparison

 Juvenile Little Gull

 Juvenile Little Gull

 Juvenile Little Gull

                                                                 Juvenile Little Gull
On the reserve the Red-necked Grebe, Curlew Sandpiper and 2 Little Stints were all still on the ARC per PT. Also the Cattle Egret still present and the usual Great White Egrets.

Caspian Gull!

07.30-10.00 at The Point vis migging with SG & MH saw small numbers of Goldfinches, Linnets, Siskins, Redpolls, Chaffinches, Pied Wagtails, Skylarks, Wood Pigeons, Swallows and a Merlin but still no Hawfinches.

A damp walk around the trapping area found 7 Ring Ouzels, Great spotted Woodpecker, more Swallows, several each of Goldcrest and Chiffchaff, 4 Stonechats, a noticeable increase in Song Thrushes and Blackbirds.

 German ringed 1w Caspian Gull at the fishing boats

  German ringed 1w Caspian Gull at the fishing boats

  German ringed 1w Caspian Gull at the fishing boats

14.00-16.30 from the fishing boats and turning circle:

Red-necked Grebe: 1 down
Great-crested Grebe: 4 around
Gannet: 362 down
Cormorant c 60 off shore
Turnstone: 6 on beach
Yellow-legged Gull: 1 adult around
Caspian Gull: 1 1w around yellow ring X594
Little Gull: 1 adult around
Kittiwake: 17 down
Sandwich Tern: 8 around
Common Tern: 1 down
Arctic Tern: 1 down
Auk sp: 14 down

 Gannets showing well at the fishing boats today

 Red-necked Grebe past the fishing boats this afternoon

 Arctic Tern 

An Arctic Tern flew over the beach this afternoon while we were sheltering from the rain in my car, I was rather slow in getting out with the camera, so only managed a rear end shot. 

A colour ringed Herring Gull at the fishing boats, waiting for a reply on this one.

Disappointing Brian!

A drake Eider was frequenting the fishing boats just before Storm Brian arrived also a summer plumaged Black-throated Diver went west. Storm Brian hasn't so far brought anything unusual to Dungeness. Yesterday the regular Arctic Skuas and a Great Skua with a few Brent Geese, Common Scoter, 6 Grey Plover and the usual Gannets and Sandwich Terns, also a Great Northern Diver which went west before I arrived. This morning the sea was fairly quiet with c150 Gannets and 20+ Sandwich Terns milling around offshore, a single juvenile Arctic Skua and few finches around.

Eider past the fishing boats

Brent Goose battling through the spray from storm Brian

At the ARC from Hanson 2 Little Stints, the Red-necked Grebe, 4 Pintail and a Great White Egret were noted, a Curlew Sandpiper appeared after I left per Steve G. A nice male Ring Ouzel was in the Hawthorns near the Water Tower along with a couple of Song Thrushes, so no big arrival.

On Burrowes 12 Great Whit Egrets and 8 Little Egrets were noted, the Cattle egret was with the cattle in Boulderwall fields. 

Ring Ouzel near the water tower

14.05-15.05 from the fishing boats with RW & AJG who collated the numbers:

Brent Goose 51 down

Wigeon: 6 in

Common Scoter: 4 down   2 up

Red-throated Diver: 1 down

Gannet: 164 down

Turnstone: 21 on beach

Mediterranean Gull: 1 down

Kittiwake: 17 down

Sandwich Tern 3 down

Guillemot: 2 down

Razorbill: 4 down

Auk sp: 7 down

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 2+

adult Yellow-legged Gull

Late afternoon around the the boats a Merlin came in, 2 more Mediterranean Gulls were seen, an adult Yellow-legged Gull was around the puddles and more unusual 2 Shags quite distant off shore first spotted by Barry Wright, we watched them for a few minutes before they flew off towards Hythe. As the light faded a 1w Caspian Gull came into the puddles only to flushed by walkers.

1w Mediterranean Gull

Red-green Carpet the first for my MV

07.10-10.00 from the fishing boats:

Brent Goose: 11 down     2 up

Shelduck: 5 down

Shoveler: 1 down

Wigeon: 11 down

Pochard: 5 down

Common Scoter: 30 up   2 down

Great-crested Grebe: 1 on

Gannet: 192 down    596 up

Cormorant: 27 around

Merlin: 2 around

Turnstone: 1 around

Dunlin: 41 down

Curlew: 1 down

Great Skua: 1 down

Arctic Skua: 1 down

Mediterranean Gull: 102 down

Little Gull: 1 down

Kittiwake: 15 down

Sandwich Tern: 7 down

Razorbill: 28 down

Auk sp: 7 down

Swallow: 5 out

Wheatear: 1 around

Starling: 6 in

Harbour Porpoise: 2

During the same period behind the fishing boats Steve G & Mark H logged 6,000+ Goldfinches along with many Linnets, Redpolls and Siskins and a single Hawfinch.

As I lost my mobile phone yesterday by stupidly leaving it on the roof my car and driving off, I spent a few hours today trying to sort out a replacement. Its pathetic that I should feel almost bereft without it, hopefully a replacement will arrive soon.

 Eider at the fishing boats this afternoon

 1 of 1,000+ Gannets past the fishing boats today

Arctic Skua at the fishing boats

14.45-16.45 from the fishing boats:
Brent Goose: 41 down
Teal: 1 up
Common Scoter: 9 up   7 down
Eider: 1 drake on sea
Great-crested Grebe: 2 around
Gannet: 306 down
Turnstone: 2 around
Arctic Skua: 2 down  + the usual juvenile
Mediterranean Gull: 8 down
Kittiwake: 19 down
Sandwich Tern: 35 down
Common Tern: 1 down
Guillemot: 3 down
Razorbill: 33 down
Auk sp: 9 down
Harbour Porpoise: 2
Grey Seal: 1

Dungeness Record Egret Roost Count!

08.00-09.00 from the sea watch hide,

Common Scoter: 13 up

Gannet: 281 up

Mediterranean Gull: 39 up

Sandwich Tern: 1 down

Razorbill: 4 down

Auk sp: 7 down

Visible migration from The Moat saw c3,000 Chaffinches, c1,000 Goldfinches smaller numbers of Brambling, Redpolls, Siskin, Meadow Pipits and Swallows, a House Martin, and a handful of Skylarks moving over but still derisory numbers of Thrushes. 

Late morning a Willow Warbler and 2 Continental Coal Tits literally dropped into the Lighthouse Garden to join at least 3 Firecrests and a couple of Goldcrests. Another Continental Coal Tit dropped into The Moat. There were still at least 3 Dartford Warblers around today.

 Continental Coal Tit

 Late Willow Warbler

Brent Geese passing the fishing boats this afternoon

15.00-16.00 from the fishing boats:
Brent Goose: 23 down
Common Scoter: 2 up
Great-crested Grebe: 2 around
Gannet: 59 down
Cormorant: 7 around
Turnstone: 2 on beach
Mediterranean Gull: 14 around
Kittiwake: 9 down
Sandwich Tern: 1 down
Razorbill: 8 down
Auk sp: 3 down
Grey seal: 1
Harbour Porpoise: 2

Early evening in the company of Steve G, AKA (http://northdownsandbeyond.blogspot.co.uk/) at the ARC Egret roost where a Dungeness record breaking 20 Great White Egrets, a Cattle Egret and 26 Little egrets came into roost, a Merlin was also seen there.

Dungeness!

The sun at around 09.00 toady at Dungeness

07.35-08.35 from the fishing boats:
Great-crested Grebe: 4 around
Gannet: 251 down
Grey Heron: 1 out
Arctic Skua: 1 around
Mediterranean Gull: 4 around
Kittiwake: 2 down
Sandwich Tern: 5 around
Common Tern: 1 around
Guillemot: 9 down
Razorbill: 15 Down
Auk sp: 61 down
Swallow: 28 out

Redpolls in The Moat

A generally quiet day around Dungeness today, but still some nice birds to see with a little perseverance. Around The Point Redpolls, Siskins, Reed Buntings and a Rock Pipit overhead early morning, around the bushes a minimum of 6 Firecrests, plenty of Goldcrests, at least 3 Dartford Warblers, 4+ Black Redstarts, Stonechats and a Merlin all of note.

On the reserve 17 Great White Egrets, a Cattle Egret, a Little Stint and the usual wildfowl.

On the ARC late afternoon I couldn't find the Red-necked Grebe but it may well still be around. In the Willow Trail several Water Rails were squealing, Cetti's Warblers were very vocal, lots of Goldcrests flitting around and a couple more Firecrests. 

 Firecrest 

                                                                           Firecrest   

                                                                          Firecrest 

 Goldcrest

1 of at least 3 Dartford Warblers around today

At least 8 Stonechats around today

Long-tailed Shrike in Belgium!

 A very slow sea watch this morning was brought to an abrupt end by a call from DW asking if I wanted to join him LG and GH on a twitch to Het Zwin, Knocke, Belgium to see a Long-tailed Shrike. Needless to say I didn't need to be asked twice. We left around 10.30 A.M. and about 2.0 PM arrived on site, after driving past a field with 4 White Storks. The Shrike was showing almost immediately though mostly a little to distant for good images, but gave excellent scope views.
It was an excellent trip and big thank you to Gill for doing the driving and finding the Fritterie on the way home.
It's brilliant that we can see birds in France, Belgium and Holland with less hassle than going to Norfolk and Yorkshire and on superb clean roads, unlike our pot holed, litter strewn, over crowded road system.

 Long-tailed Shrike

Radde's Warbler!

 Wheatear

A pleasant stroll around The point and Desert this morning with a few birds moving overhead, c300 Goldfinches, 20+ Siskin, 10+ Redpoll, 38 Swallows moved over, in and around the bushes a few Goldcrests, Chiffchaffs and Reed Buntings, 7 Stonechats, 3 Wheatears and a Marsh Harrier.

Mid morning news of a Radde's Warbler found by Dave Bunney in his garden which was very elusive and rarely showed long enough or kept still enough to get good images of. Many thanks to Dave Bunney and his family for putting the news out and being so welcoming.

 Radde's Warbler

Late afternoon a Red-backed Shrike was reported on the reserve near the boardwalk. The bird was still present when I arrived c200 mts out from the boardwalk so no images.
This evening a Cattle Egret was a surprise coming into the Egret roost with 16 Great White Egrets and 24 Little Egrets, also there a Merlin, a Peregrine and c500 Oystercatchers flew into Burrowes to roost.   

Dartford Warblers!

A gloomy hour 07.30-08.30 this morning at the sea watch hide with AJG & S.O:
Brent Goose: 14 down
Common Scoter:  3 up
Red-breasted Merganser: 2 down
Sooty Shearwater: 2 down
Gannet: 700+ down
Great Skua: 1 down
Mediterranean Gull: 2 around
Sandwich Tern: 14 around
Razorbill: 15 down
Guillemot: 3 down
Auk sp: 4 down   3 up
I spent the rest of the morning walking around the point and desert with Sean O seeing a few each of Goldcrests and Chiffchaffs, 3 Wheatears, c250 Goldfinches over along with flyover Siskins and Redpolls, around midday by the station gorse we found 2 Dartford Warblers in the company of 4 Stonechats. As the the weather was so gloomy I had left my camera in my car, by the time I had fetched it both the Dartford Warblers had melted away into the Broome.
This afternoon 14.00-16.00 from the fishing boats:
 Great-crested Grebe: 3 around
Gannet: 464 down
Turnstone: 6 around
Great Skua: 4 down
Arctic Skua: 3 around
Mediterranean Gull: 5 around
Kittiwake: 14 down
Sandwich tern: c10 around
Common Tern: 1 around
Harbour Porpoise: 5
Grey Seal: 1
Late afternoon at Galloways 4 Stonechats were the only notable birds.