Thrush Clean Sweep and White Stork!

As I drove to The point this morning the 3 Cattle Egrets were in there favoured Horse Paddock with a Little Egret. At the southern end of the ARC a Great White Egret was stalking its prey.

Ring Ouzels

I joined AJG and BB in the sea watch hide this morning where we could barely see the bouy in the dense fog, in an hours watching just 2 Mediterranean Gulls were noted.

A look in the lighthouse garden saw 3 Redwing, a couple of Chiffchaffs, a Blackcap and a Firecrest. Walking around The Moat we disturbed at least 10 Song Thrushes, we made our way out to the trapping area and Desert seeing more Song Thrushes, Redwings and Reed Buntings, then came across a flock of at least 36 Fieldfare and 2 Ring Ouzels, later in the morning I came across a single Mistle Thrush which made the clean sweep of all the Thrushes, probably the first time I have done this at Dungeness. A 2nd calendar year Marsh Harrier flew down to the lighthouse, circled it then flew back inland, 6+ Swallows flew north, I managed to see 3 Common Redstarts today, 2 Wheatears and a Hare.

Mistle Thrush

 A distant Common Redstart, one of 3 seen today

I was enjoying a cup of tea with Dave Bunney at his house with Owen, when the local Gulls went ballistic, the three of us dashed outside to see a White Stork loom out of the fog and drift towards the power station then back again, it spent 30 minutes circling The Point in the fog, before disappearing towards Littlestone, fortunately on one of its circuits it flew just a few feet over our heads.

15.30-16.15 with JTM at the fishing boats, visibility was severely limited by the fog:

Teal: 4E

Red-throated Diver: 1E

Great-crested Grebe: 9 on

Gannet: 19E   5W

Cormorant: c30 around

Curlew: 1E

Arctic Skua: 2E

Sandwich Tern: 6E.  4W

A late afternoon visit to Dennis's Hide saw this smart Yellow-legged Gull roosting with Great Black-backed Gulls, pity it was so far away as this image does not do it justice. 

 Also late afternoon the Common Crane was at Dengemarsh viewed from the road below the entrance to Herons Park.

 My first Herald of the year

1 of 2 Twin-spotted Quakers in the MV today

Wheatears and Arctic Skuas!

Wheatear in the Desert

As I drove past the horse paddock this morning the 3 Cattle Egrets were there. Driving along the estate road 6 Canada Geese flew over and out to sea, the first I can recall seeing at The Point.
A stiff NE breeze with fog limiting visibility to the bouy and the fog horns constantly sounding.
06.00-08.00 with AJG who did the counting:
Gannet: 97E
Mediterranean Gull:3 out
Sandwich Tern: 49E
Common Tern: 8E
Harbour Porpoise: 10+
A very meagre return for 2 hours in the cold.

 1 of 6 Wheatears seen this morning

A wander around around The Moat, Lloyds, West Beach, the Lighthouse and the Desert confirmed my suspicions that there were very few migrants around, I encountered 5 Chiffchaffs, 2 Black Redstarts, 7 Wheatears 4 of which are probably resident, 7 Stonechats, 1 Swallow flew north, a few each of Meadow Pipit and Skylark and the resident Peregrines. The nicest thing though was 3 Brown Hares chasing each other over the shingle and through the Broome.

Several pairs of Stonechats were encountered

Arctic Skua at the fishing boats this afternoon

A slightly more productive sea watch this afternoon in worse visibility than this morning.

14.15-16.30 from the fishing boats with AJG & JTM,

Brent Goose: 2E

Common Scoter: 79E

Red-throated Diver: 2E

Great-crested Grebe: 10 on

Fulmar: 1W

Gannet: 181E   17W

Cormorant: 31 on

Arctic Skua: 4E

Common Gull: 23E

Kittiwake: 8E

Sandwich Tern: 33E     16W

Wheatear: 2 in

Harbour Porpoise: 20+

Arctic Skua at the fishing boats this afternoon

In attack mode!

After yesterdays marathon sea watch I was feeling lazy this morning and had a lay in, fortunately AJG get up and kindly sent me his sea watch numbers.
06.00-07.45 from the sea watch hide:
Brent Goose: 4E
Teal: 5E
Shoveler:3E
Wigeon: 6E
Common Scoter: 109E
Velvet Scoter: 1E
Red-throated Diver: 6E
Fulmar: 2E
Gannet: 81E
Peregrine: 1 hunting offshore
Whimbrel: 1 in
Little Gull: 1E
Kittiwake:1E
Sandwich Tern: 223E
Common Tern 13E
Auk sp: 1E

Stonechat still unringed

I had a wander from the observatory to the lighthouse, along to the lifeboat station and back through The Desert. 2 Peregrines and a Raven were seen around the power station and singing male Black Redstart on the perimeter fence. At Lloyds and West Beach just the usual Linnets, Dunnocks, Pied Wagtails and House Sparrows. In the lighthouse garden 2 Chiffchaffs were the highlight. Along the beach 2 Stonechats one ringed, 4 Wheatears only one ringed, which was surprising as Jacques has been targeting Wheatears and Stonechats very successfully, also several Meadow Pipits and Singing Skylarks. Coming back through The Desert was very quiet except for the number of dogs running around all over flushing just about everything, though I did come across a very confiding female Wheatear there. 

 Pair of Wheatears with no rings

Another Wheatear with no ring

Meadow Pipit on the beach

 Yet another Wheatear in the Desert unringed

1 of at least 6 Yellow Wagtails at Scotney

A breezy walk out to Scotney Farm saw 6+ Yellow Wagtails in their usual field, nearby 7+ Tree Sparrows and 2 Corn Buntings. The water level on the back lakes are very high with very little wader habitat, what islands that are visible seem to be occupied by Herring Gulls, Greylag Geese and Egyptian Geese.

Late afternoon on the reserve the Red-necked Grebe and Little Gull were still on Burrowes, but kept to the far side of the lake out of camera range, the 3 Cattle Egrets were in the Horse paddock, while from my driveway I could just about make out the Common Crane.

Record Breaking Day at Dungeness!

As a stiff South Easterly was blowing this morning the sea watch hide was full by 06.30, all watchers were well rewarded as the birds streamed past.

Eider passing the hide this morning

Some of the 1,300+ Gannets passed Dungeness today

06.00-16.30 with AJG,OL, JTM, DW, JC et al
Brent Goose: 19E
Greylag Goose: 2W
Teal: 22E
Shoveler:28E
Common Scoter : 2,394E
Velvet Scoter: 8E
Eider: 14E
Red-breasted Merganser: 13E
Red-throated Diver: 108E.  6W
Black-throated Diver: 1E. 
Great-crested Grebe: 36 on
Fulmar: 36E       12W
Manx Shearwater: 6E    5W
Gannet: 1,384E
Cormorant: present n/c
Oystercatcher: 4E
Avocet: 11E
Dunlin: 2E
Knot: 5E
Sanderling: 1E
Curlew: 9E
Whimbrel: 1E (first of the year)
Great Skua: 12E
Arctic Skua: 19E
Little Gull: 36E
Mediterranean Gull: 2E
Kittiwake: 109E
Sandwich Tern: 2,296E (Apparently a spring record total per DW, probably more this evening, old record 1,747)
Common Tern: 418E
Little Tern: 1E (first of the year)
Guillemot: 10E   3W
Auk sp: 22E    31W

 1 of the distant Manx Shearwaters past today

 9 of the 11 Avocets past today

 Late afternoon on the reserve a lovely Red-necked Grebe was showing distantly on Burrowes, also a summer plumage Little Gull dropped in. The Common Crane was at Dengemarsh and the 3 Cattle egrets were in there favoured horse paddock.

An Excellent Sea Watch!

As southerly winds were forecast for the day I spent most the day in the sea watching hide with a virtually constant up channel movement of birds.
06.15-10.30 & 10.45-11.45 & 13.00-17.00 with AJG,MH,DW,CP,L & PH et al:
Brent Goose: 440E
Shelduck: 3E  1W
Shoveler: 3E
Pintail: 2E
Common Scoter: 649E    31W
Velvet Scoter: 8E
Eider: 23E
Red-breasted Merganser: 15E
Red-throated Diver: 209E
Black-throated Diver: 1E
Great-crested Grebe: 61 around the fishing boats per MH
Fulmar: 19E    2W
Manx Shearwater: 4E    20W
Gannet: 375E
Cormorant: n/c
Shag: 1W     1E
Merlin: 1W past the fishing boats per MH
Oystercatcher: 1E
Curlew: 16E
Great Skua: 15E
Arctic Skua: 13E
Little Gull: 3E
Mediterranean Gull: 1E
Kittiwake: 322E
Sandwich Tern: 876E
Common Tern: 1E
Guillemot: 5E
Auk sp: 2E
Guillemot: 12E  2W
Auk sp: 78E     14W
Harbou Porpoise: 6+

 Presumably yesterdays Shag going back east

A brief visit to Scotney logged my first Yellow Wagtail of the year, but little else there in the strong wind.

A safe resting place for this Herring Gull at Scotney 

Shag & a Red-necked Grebe!

A late arrival on The point this morning due to a tremendous hail storm that blanketed the fields and roads early this morning. When I stopped on the causeway c100 Sand Martins, 6+ Swallows and at least 2 House Martins were hawking over the New Diggings and the ARC. 

Adult Shag past the boardwalk this morning a scarce species at Dungeness

Brent Geese passing the Bouy this morning

09.45-11.15 & 13.45-15.00 joined by JTM, MH, OL, RW & DS.
Brent Goose: 206E
Common Scoter: 20E   14W
Red-throated Diver: 19E   1W
Great-crested Grebe: 9 around
Red-necked Grebe: 1 came from the west and dropped onto to the sea (Scarce at Dungeness)
Fulmar: 1W
Gannet: 33E
Cormorant: 14W
Shag: 1 adult west (A scarce and difficult species to see at Dungeness)
Great Skua: 2E
Mediterranean Gull: 7E
Sandwich Tern: 39E
Guillemot: 1W
Auk sp: 4W
Harbour Porpoise: 10+

Ringed Plover behind the fishing boats

A walk along the beach from the fishing boats to the Lifeboat station and back saw 2 Ringed Plovers, 7 Wheatears on of which was singing and being territorial, 10+ Meadow Pipits, 2 Stonechats and several Linnets. 2 Chiffchaffs were at Channel View.

A singing Wheatear not liking an interloper behind the beach

This one was by the lighthouse a few days ago

Common Crane in the Boulderwall Fields this afternoon & at least 2 Cattle Egrets nearby.

Late afternoon while scoping the Crane from my garden it flew from Boulderwall Fields to the fields behind Hookers. 2 Marsh Harriers were having a tussle with a Common Buzzard and a Raven flew over cronking hotly pursued by Carrion Crows.

First Manx of the year!

Common Crane on Boulderwall Fields

Most of the day was spent at the beach watching a steady up channel movement of sea birds.
06.30-15.00 from the sea watch hide with AJG & OL who helped with the numbers:
Greylag Goose: 2E
Brent Goose: 3,326E
Shelduck: 6E   1W
Common Scoter: 906E
Red-breasted Merganser: 13E
Red-throated Diver: 248E
Great-crested Grebe: 15 around
Fulmar: 11E
Manx Shearwater: 1E
Gannet: 610E
Cormorant: c20 around
Golden Plover: 4 in
Oystercatcher: 1E
Sanderling: 1E
Great Skua: 5E
Arctic Skua: 5E
Little Gull: 10E
Mediterranean Gull: 3E
Kittiwake: 68E
Sandwich Tern: 72E    27W
Common Tern: 6E
Guillemot: 61E
Auk sp: 7E
Swallow: 3 in
Meadow Pipit: 20 in
Harbour Porpoise: 4+
I did take time out from sea watching to have another look at the Common Crane that is on Boulderwall Fields, also the 3 Cattle Egrets, 2+Sedge Warblers and 2 Willow Warblers. There were a few Swallows and Sand Martins over the ARC. A Short-eared Owl came ashore at the fishing boats per DB.

Common Crane!

Herring Gull with a Tennis ball at the fishing boats

A day of strong North Easterly winds blasting across the peninsular :
06.40-08.40 &14.40-16.00
Brent Goose: 22E
Teal: 4E
Wigeon: 4E
Shoveler: 4E
Common Scoter: 54E   15W
Red-breasted Merganser: 11E
Red-throated Diver: 40E.  3 on
Great-crested Grebe: 16 on
Fulmar: 4E
Gannet: 281E
Cormorant: 9 around
Oystercatcher: 3E
Curlew: 1E
Kittiwake: 24E
Sandwich tern: 160E
Common tern: 2E
Guillemot: 20E
Auk sp: 22E
Harbour Porpoise: 8+
Grey Seal: 1

Great Black-backed Gull JR204 ringed on 28.06 2018 at Abalholmen, Mandal, Vest-Agder, Norway

Another awful image of a Water Pipit

A single Water Pipit was in the hay field behind Xmas Dell this morning, 3 Bearded Tits were in the adjacent ditches along with several Reed Buntings. A Swallow was seen from the entrance track.

A walk from the new lighthouse to the lifeboat and back produced of note 12 Wheatears but little else in the strong winds. 2 more Wheatears were in the NE corner of The Desert. At a very windswept Scotney the feral Barnacle Goose flock is still present, but the sward has dried out so no waders seen.

Common Crane on the Boulderwall Fields

This evening a Common Crane flew into the Boulderwall Fields giving distant views into the setting sun, but also allowed me to add it to the from the garden year list. The 3 Cattle Egrets were on Cooks Pool this evening.

First Common Terns of the Year!

 A strong and quite cool NE wind made sea watching the best option today, producing my first Common terns of the year. The only other news on the peninsular was that 2 Cattle Egrets were at Cooks Pool per EH.

Common Terns past the fishing boats this afternoon

06.45-11.00 & 15.00-16.15
Brent Goose: 483E
Teal: 6E
Garganey: 1E
Pintail: 2E
Shoveler: 3E
Common Scoter: 507E   8W
Eider: 1W female
Red-breasted Merganser: 6E
Red-throated Diver: 12E   1 on
Great-crested Grebe: 7 on
Fulmar: 2E
Gannet: 285E.   22W
Cormorant: Present n/c
Oystercatcher: 5E
Curlew: 1E
Kittiwake: 21E     7W
Sandwich Tern: 90E
Common Tern: 5E
Guillemot: 36E  3 on
Carrion Crow: 2 in

Brent Geese past the fishing boats this afternoon

2nd cal year Great Black-backed Gull 15W ringed as a pullus in Normandy

Herring Gull W4VT today which I last saw on the beach on 04/03/2019

First Good Spring Sea Watch of theYear!

1 of 7 Guillemots on the sea today

Most the day was spent sea watching. There was a little interest on the land with a few Firecrests Black Redstarts, Wheatears and Chiffchaffs, while on the reserve at least 1 Water Pipit still and a Garganey, I heard no news on the Cattle Egrets and the Whooper Swans appear to have gone.
05.45-07.30 & 8.45-12.45 & 13.30-16.00 with AJG, SO, OL, RW & JTM:
Brent Goose: 678E
Shelduck: 4E
Teal: 6E
Gadwall: 3E
Wigeon: 26E
Garganey: 14E
Common Scoter: 1,006E     2W
Velvet Scoter: 1E
Red-breasted Merganser: 17E
Red-throated Diver: 42E
Black-throated Diver: 1E
Great-crested Grebe: 11 around
Fulmar: 4E
Gannet: 218E
Cormorant: c40 around
Oystercatcher: 16E   4W
Ringed Plover: 1 around
Curlew: 1E
Little Gull: 21E
Mediterranean Gull: 3E
Common Gull: 143E
Kittiwake: 30E
Sandwich Tern: 132E
Guillemot: 7 around
Harbour Porpoise 15+

 The above 2nd calendar year male in The Moat had not yet been trapped by Jacques, unlike the adult male below.