Horned Lark!

A bright fresh start to the morning persuaded me to walk along the seaward side of Lydd Ranges from Galloways to The Wicks and back. A 2 hour trudge along the beach and through the salt marsh saw just a few Gulls along the shore, while around the salt marsh 2 Oystercatchers, 4 Curlews, 2 Ringed Plovers and 5 Redshanks, not single Bunting, Finch, Lark or Pipit was seen. Needless to say I wont be repeating that walk in a hurry. 

Late morning I was in the reserve car park after looking at Burrowes from Dennis's Hide, I was contemplating visiting The Patch when GH called with an offer of a lift to Staines to see the Horned Lark, after the poor morning I'd had I wasn't going refuse. AS we travelled along the motorways the weather deteriorated, by the time we arrived it was quite unpleasant. Mounting the causeway we could see 4 birders in the distance who appeared not to be looking at anything. Eventually we found the Lark which after a while flew to the north basin and showed quite well.

 

Garden First!

 First Long-tailed Tit after 6yrs

Due to the miserable weather this morning, I spent longer than usual drinking coffee and staring out into the garden, where I saw a long overdue first for my garden, Long-tailed Tits, 3 of them coming to a fat feeder.

I joined Mark and Chris at the fishing boats around 08.30

Thanks to Mark for collating the totals.

07.15-09.00 

Common Scoter: 23 down

Red-throated Diver: 12 up

Great-crested Grebe: 10 on sea
Fulmar: 52 down
Gannet: c40 off shore feeding
Great Skua: 1 down
Caspian Gull: 1 adult down
Kittiwake: 75 down
Razorbill: 15 around
Guillemot: 100+ around

 Glaucous Gull at The Patch

At The Patch the Glaucous Gull was showing well among the usual Gulls, a few colour ringed gulls were read including 1w Great Black Backed Gull JZJ93 which has been around Dungeness for a few months now. 

Norwegian ringed JZJ93  

A visit to Lade Pits saw both the Long-tailed Ducks on Lade South though both kept to the far side of the lake.

Late afternoon on the reserve the Glaucous Gull came into roost as usual, though little else of note was seen on the lake. In the Boulderwall Fields c500 Golden Plover and 2 Great White Egrets were notable. Considering the weather conditions the birding wasn't that bad. 

Dartford Warbler!

 Due to domestic stuff I didn't get to The Patch until very late morning. I was pleased to see many Gulls over the boil and in the roost in front of the hide. After spending quite some time scanning through the Gulls over the boil and finding anything of note, I turned my attention to the roosting birds. More or less the first bird I saw at the furthest end of the roost was the regular Glaucous Gull, apart from a couple of Rainham/Pitsea ringed Herring Gulls I found nothing else of note in the first sweep, as I started the second sweep the Gulls started to get fidgety and thats when I noticed 3 photographers creeping along the beach, needless to say a few seconds later all the gulls had flushed either out to sea or over towards the reserve. A party of 43 Red-throated Divers flew up channel while I was in the hide but little else was moving. As I left the hide the photographers asked me if I had seen the Glaucous Gull!!
At the fishing boats despite deploying a quantity of bread there was no sign of the 1w Caspian Gull again, I fear it may have departed.

 Dartford Warbler

I was going to the observatory but the road was blocked by a builders lorry, so thanks to Owens tweet I had a wander through the Broom in the Kerton Road Triangle where I eventually caught up with a couple of Dartford Warblers, 3 Stonechats and a Meadow Pipit. 

 Dartford Warbler

 Dartford Warbler

 Dartford Warbler

 Dartford Warbler

Dartford Warbler

 Black-throated Diver from Dennis's Hide

Mid afternoon from Dennis's Hide in the company of RO, the Black-throated Diver was showing fairly well, the Glaucous Gull was among the Great Black Backed Gulls as was an adult Yellow-legged Gull.

1w Glaucous Gull from Dennis's Hide

The Other Side!

 Great Northern Diver, Digue Du Braek, Dunkerque

Myself, Mark and Chris had a day out on the otherside of the channel. We arrived at Digue Du Braek, Dunkerque around 08.00 in a bitingly cold NE gale only to find the entrance blocked by security guards, Mark is quite fluent in French and was able to discover that it was closed for the day for filming. We were only able to view a small section and managed to see 2 Great Northern Divers and a Slavonian Grebe being tossed around by the gale driven waves in the harbour also a Shag of note resting on a bouy, unfortunately we had no chance of catching up with any of the Snow Buntings or Crested Lark that would be further down the Braek.

 Desert Wheatear, De Panne, Belgium.

As we had more time than expected we decided to make the half hour drive over the border De Panne in Belgium where a Desert Wheatear has been in residence for the last 3 months in a beachside camper site, finding the site was relatively easy, though we did manage to walk the long way round following a Belgian birder whom we thought new where he was going. Once on site we found the bird within few minutes and had superb views of this confiding bird. As is often the case on the continent the only other birder present while we were there was the Belgian one we followed in. 

After the superb showing of the Desert Wheatear we made our back to Grand Fort Philippe where on previous visits we have seen Shorelark, Twite and Snow Buntings, we had a short walk around in the biting wind but saw only Reed Bunting and Meadow Pipits. Next stop was Oye Plage just a single Spoonbill was seen along with the common wildfowl in the pools. Parking at Casino Beach we walked out onto the beach splitting up to cover a greater area of salt marsh but our luck was out, we could not find the c30 Shorelark nor the c20 Snow Buntings that have been seen there most days this year, we did see a number of Skylarks, Linnets, Meadow Pipits, Reed Buntings and a Merlin despite the NE gale it was an excellent day out in excellent company, also saving me from another day of Gull bothering at Dungeness.  

 The regular Glaucous Gull behind The Patch hide this morning

Bitterly cold and snowy as got in the car this morning though a mile down the road at Boulderwall not a flake nor on any on The Point. I was grateful for the shelter of the hide at The Patch keeping me out of the NE wind for a couple of hours. A trickle of Red-throated Divers, Auks, Great-crested Grebes, Gannets and Kittiwakes moved up channel, while on the beach the Glaucous Gull was in the roost and around the power station along with a few more colour ringed Herring Gulls. 

A few minutes in Hanson hide was enough as the NE wind blew straight in my face there.

At Scotney from the double bends 9 Russian White-fronted Geese and 2 Tundra bean Geese with feral Greylags and Barnacles.

This afternoon on the reserve from the comfort of the VC 3 Goldeneye and the Glaucous Gull again.

5 Years ago today!

Bonaparte's Gull, Princes Park, Eastbourne 4th February 2013

 Kingfisher from Hanson early morning

3 visits to the ARC today saw Kingfisher, a Bittern, Great White Egrets, Marsh Harriers,  a Peregrine, Black-throated Diver which relocated to Burrowes this afternoon, Goldeneye, Ruff, 15+ Black-tailed Godwits, 10+ Dunlin, 4 Redshank among several 100 Lapwing & the usual wildfowl. Over the road a Slavonian Grebe was on the New Diggings. 

 Kingfisher from Hanson early morning

 Kingfisher from Hanson early morning

 Black-throated Diver over the ARC early morning

 Great White Egret from Hanson Early morning

  Great White Egret from Hanson Early morning

  Great White Egret from Hanson Early morning

  Great White Egret from Hanson Early morning

 Norwegian Ringed JH783 & JK586 on the power station

2 visits to The Patch saw little of note apart from the 1w Glaucous Gull, 2 Peregrines and some more colour ringed Gulls. At the fishing boats the 1w Caspian Gull was in the beach roost.

 Meadow Pipit on perimeter wall

A wander around the trapping area was very quiet, 2 Bullfinch and a Kestrel being the highlights.

Part of the 2,658 Cormorants on the islands on Burrowes

This afternoon as it was so quiet and the weather was deteriorating I decided to count the Cormorants on the islands on Burrowes. I counted 2,658 but more were coming in after I finished counting and gone back to the beach.  

New Month No Change!

 1w Glaucous Gull at The Patch

An hour at The Patch this morning, where I had the Glaucous Gull all to myself as it flew around the power station and hide and roosting on the beach, it was still present when I left. Not many other Gulls there and only 2 Norwegian colour rings. Off shore the usual small numbers of Gannets, Red-throated Divers, Kittiwakes and Auks. A Peregrine was again sitting on a rail above last years eyrie.

 1w Glaucous Gull at The Patch

1w Glaucous Gull at The Patch

Norwegian ringed JZJ93 thats been around since late autumn

 2 of 5 Stonechats

Around The Point 5 Stonechats but no sign of any Dartford Warblers or much else, though a Fox was very tame .

Fox by the Brittannia

The 1w Caspian Gull looking stunning in the bright late morning sunshine

At the fishing boats the 1w Caspian Gull was again showing well to all comers though little else was to be seen there.

By the time I reached Dennis's Hide the Glaucous Gull had relocated to Burrowes roosting among the Great Black-backed Gulls, also there the Black-throated Diver.

A visit to the ARC found the Black-throated Diver had relocated there, 2 Great White Egrets could be seen also a Bittern and the usual wildfowl.

The 1w Caspian Gull spent the whole hour I was at the fishing boats cruising in front on the boats

10.00-11.00 from the fishing boats after the rain had stopped:
Brent Goose: 56 up
Red-throated Diver: 5 up    3 down
Fulmar: 6 down
Gannet: 69 down
Cormorant: minimum 1,000 down
Turnstone: 1 on beach
Caspian Gull: regular 1w bird
Kittiwake: 185 down
Guillemot: 532 down
Razorbill: 274 down
A wander around the trapping area saw very little but a Peregrine and 2 Marsh Harriers were notable.
At The Patch nothing of note over the boil or on the beach, just 3 colour ringed birds. A Peregrine was sitting on the rails above last years eyrie.
Another visit to the fishing boats saw much the same as earlier.

 Albino Egyptian Goose

 Albino Egyptian Goose

At the southern end of the ARC an albino Egyptian Goose was the highlight. At Boulderwall the usual Tree Sparrows and a Bittern showed well in the ditch by the track.

On Burrowes the 1w Glaucous Gull was roosting among the Great Black Backed Gulls, 3 Goldeneye were on the lake, the Black-throated Diver was reported on Burrowes. 2 Smew and another Bittern were at Christmas Dell and a Great White Egret flew through.

The 2 Tundra Bean Geese were seen again today on Scotney by RO. 

More of The Same!

1 of many Gannets around today

08.00-10.00 from the fishing boats with RW:

Brent Goose: 4 down
Common Scoter: 15 down.  15 up
Red-throated Diver: 23 down.   9 up
Great-crested Grebe: 6 on sea
Fulmar: 1 down.     1 up
Gannet: 121 down
Cormorant: 1,000+ around
Turnstone: 9 around
Great Skua: 1 down
Caspian Gull: regular 1w bird around
Kittiwake: 171 down
Guillemot: 1,320 down
Razorbill: 880 down
Auk sp: 430 down
2 visits to The Patch produced more of the above and a few colour rings. 14 Meadow Pipits, 5 Pied Wagtails and 2 Linnets were around the sewage plant.
At Scotney the 2 Tundra bean geese were sleeping among the Greylags.

My daily dose of Caspian Gull

This afternoon at the fishing boats was much the same as this morning

Red-throated Diver: 9 down.  6 on
Great-crested Grebes: c250 off shore
Gannets: c150 feeding offshore
The regular 1w Caspian Gull
Kittiwakes: c50 feeding offshore
Guillemotsc200 feeding off shore
The reserve was fairly quiet though the 1w Glaucous Gull put in an appearance on Burrowes.
Late afternoon at the ARC I joined young Jack Headley in Hanson hide, where a Great White Egret and a few Little Egrets flew through to roost, 200+ Wigeon were on the lake, also a couple of Goldeneye, by the hide a Chiffchaff and a couple of Goldcrests. The Black-throated Diver was seen earlier but not while I was there and the Bewick Swans let me down by not coming into roost despite waiting till dark.
Elsewhere a Slavonian Grebe was on the New Diggings and 3 Smew including the drake were at Christmas Dell.