Splendid Brocade!

Splendid Brocade the first one to find its way into my trap

No improvement in the sea watching today.
07.10-08.10 from the sea watch hide with CP:
Common Scoter: 31W    1E
Gannet: 10E   9W
Cormorant: 9 around
Mediterranean Gull: 3E  2 x Juv + 1st summer
Sandwich tern: 14E    2W
Common tern: c15 feeding o/s
Auk sp: 1E
Harbour porpoise: 5+

 The Great White Egrets being mobbed by Common Terns at the ARC

Also on the ARC 4 Ruff, a Wood Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper, 4 Redshank, 5 Dunlin along with all the 100s of eclipse wildfowl.

 Another new moth for my trap today was this Pale Oak Beauty

Only my 3rd Beautiful Hook-tip that has seen better days rather like me

Still in the Doldrums!

Dungeness is still very quiet going through the summer doldrums, especially as the power station is still shut down so there is no Patch for Gulls and Terns, it is I believe to come back on line next month but I wont hold my breath. Fortunately the moths are keeping me fairly busy. The first returning Willow Warbler was seen yesterday so hopefully over the next few days things will start to liven up. 

This juvenile Mediterranean Gull that was on Burrowes yesterday was ringed as a chick in Leipzig at Rehbach Gravel Pit, Germany on 11th June 2019.
This mornings sea watch was a little better than of late with the first Shearwater of the Autumn.
06.45-08.45 from the sea watch hide with AJG & CP:
Common Scoter: 2E  48W
Fulmar: 2W
Manx Shearwater: 1E
Gannet: 149W.  6E
Cormorant; 7 around
Turnstone: 1W
Whimbrel: 1W
Kittiwake: 2W
Sandwich tern: 5E    11W
Common Tern: 16W   3E
Swift: 1 out
Sand Martin: 22 out
Swallow: 8 out
Black Redstart: 2 around
Harbour Porpoise:4+
Grey Seal: 1

 Adult Spotted Redshank from Hanson this morning

At the ARC today in 3 visits a Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank, 17 Ruff, 6 Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 3 Dunlin and 2 Little Gulls of note

Little Gulls from Hanson

This afternoons sea watch was very poor but good for the sun tan!

14.00-16.00 from the fishing boats with AJG & JTM.

Common Scoter: 14W
Great-crested Grebe: 1 around
Gannet: 2W
Mediterranean Gull: 1E
Sandwich Tern: 9W
Common Tern: 3W
Guillemot: 1 around
Sand Martin: 31 out
On Burrowes this evening a 4th calendar year Great Black-backed Gull bearing a black colour ring coded 628 which I have not been able to track down, its not the usual Norwegian/Danish or a Normandy bird.

 It's been a poor year for Jersey Tigers so far, this is only my second this year

 Sussex Emeralds seem to be having a bumper year as I now into double figure numbers this year

Roseate Tern!

 Whimbrel from Firth this morning looking into the sun

Both the ARC and Burrowes were disappointing early morning in the fact that very few new waders appeared to have dropped in by last nights the thunder storms, however Sand Martins carpeted the ARC.  The Roseate Tern later in the morning was very nice

Juvenile  Green Woodpecker by the visitor centre entrance track

 Roseate Tern From Firth this morning thanks to Joe

 Roseate Tern

 Roseate Tern

 Roseate Tern

 Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon

 14.00-17.00 from the fishing boats with JTM & CP.
Common Scoter: 7E
Fulmar: 3W
Gannet: 11E    58W
Kittiwake: 3W
Yellow-legged Gull: 5 x juveniles around
Sandwich tern: 6E.    11W
Common Tern: 62W
Sand Martin: 15 out
Auk sp: 1E
Harbour Porpoise: 2+
Grey Seal: 1

 Adult Curlew Sandpiper from the Dennis's Hide picnic area this evening

The Silver Barred was definitely a nice surprise new addition to the trap list this morning 

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull!

First thing this morning at The Patch a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, a juvenile and adult Mediterranean Gull and a North Thames ringed Herring Gull F8ZT, which is regular around Dungeness with very little else. As the boil is still barely a ripple very little is attracted to it.
At the ARC it was much the same as yesterday, though lots more Swifts around.

 This juvenile Cuckoo was viewed from the reserve entrance track this morning also a Hobby over. Another Hobby was hawking over the Long Pits.

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon

14.20-16.05 from the fishing boats with JTM, AJG and CB:
Common Scoter: 11E
Fulmar: 1W
Gannet: 5E   16W
Arctic Skua: 2W
Kittiwake: 19W
Mediterranean Gull: 6W
Yellow-legged Gull: 1 juvenile around
Sandwich tern: 4E
Common Tern: 18W
Swift: 134 out
Sand Martin: 47 out
Harbour Porpoise: 1

 Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull

Fulmar past the fishing boats this afternoon

This evening Firth hide was disappointing as I was convinced the drizzle would have dropped something in, but it was not to be.

 Distant image of Pectoral Sandpiper Right and Curlew Sandpiper left through the heavy drizzle

As there was very little avian wise at Dungeness this morning myself, AJG & JTM took a trip to the Pannel Valley at Pett. The drizzle started just before we arrived and continued for most the time we were there. On the scrape the Curlew Sandpiper was showing distantly and was soon joined by the Pectoral Sandpiper, also there 2 Greenshanks, one of which was Portuguese colour ringed individual, also several Little Ringed Plovers, a Juvenile Marsh Harrier and 10 Little Egrets of note.

 Bedraggled juvenile Marsh Harrier

 Greenshank that is part of a Portuguese colour ringing scheme

 Little Ringed Plover with young

Massive crop on the elusive Ferruginous Duck

We had a look for the Ferruginous Duck before we went up the Pannel Valley but soon gave up in the driving drizzle, on our return a couple of hours later DB and family were there and watching the duck, which was always distant and constantly disappearing behind the Reeds, so not the most satisfactory views.

 The fisherman on the beach this afternoon were reeling in Pouting virtually every cast, so the Gulls got well fed.
15.00-16.45 from the fishing boats with AJG & JTM:
Common Scoter: 4E    1W
Great-crested Grebe: 1 around
Gannet: 9W   1E
Cormorant: 7 around
Mediterranean Gull: 3W
Kittiwake: 3W
Sandwich tern: 15W
Common Tern: 36W   6 around
Guillemot: 1W
Harbour Porpoise: 2+
Grey Seal: 1

A7TT at the fishing boats this afternoon

 2nd calendar year Belgian ringed Herring Gull H908051 joined us at the fishing boats, it has been present since at least last November.

At the ARC late afternoon the first 2 Golden Plovers of the Autumn,  3 Ruff, 4 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Common & a Green Sandpiper, Greenshank, 8 Redshanks, 2 LRP, 2 Garganey all the usual wildfowl & 100s of Sand Martins.

It's been a good a year for Sussex Emeralds, though the ones that have reached my trap have all seen better days.

 Fox on the track to Hanson this morning

Birding around the peninsular has been very slow in the last couple of days. On the reserve up to 3 Ruff, 2 Greenshanks, 8 Redshanks, 6 Ringed Plover, 4 Little Ringed Plovers, 10 Dunlin, singles of Common and Green Sandpiper, 6 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 seemingly resident Little Gulls and up to 4 Garganey among the 100s each of Pochards, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Shoveler, Mallard and Coot. The Common Terns are now fledging and seem to have been fairly successful. 

As is usual on the peninsular every July 1,000s of Sand Martins are passing through, also a few Swifts and Yellow Wagtails.

The Patch is still not working so Gull numbers are very poor, though along the walk to The patch there are lots of young Meadow Pipits and House Sparrows with a some Wheatears and Black Redstarts.

Hopefully in the next couple of weeks sea watching will start to be a little more rewarding.

14.00-15.30 from the board walk with JTM and AJG who collated the numbers:

Great-crested Grebe: 1W

Gannet: 11W
Mediterranean Gull: 2E
Sandwich Tern: 5W
Common Tern: 12W
Sand Martin: 219 out

 Ringed Plover at Firth yesterday evening

 Juvenile Mediterranean Gull at Firth this evening

 The first Small Phoenix  to make it into my trap 

 Blackneck a regular visitor to the trap

A Buff Arches a regular but gorgeous visitor to my trap

Greenshanks from Hanson this morning

3 visits to Hanson this today saw 2 Greenshank, 5 Redshank, 6 Dunlin, 3 adult male Ruff, a Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Little Gulls, 4 Sandwich Terns, a Water Rail on the path and Great White Egret  of note. This evening there 100s of Sand & House Martins hawking over the lake. 

Early afternoon over the fields in front of my house 100+ Sand Martins, 30+ House Martins and 20+ Swallows all hawking an insect hatching.

The sea is still uninspiring, but hopefully will improve after some stormy weather.
14.40-16.00 from the fishing boats:
Common Scoter: 6E
Gannet: 37W
Oystercatcher: 2E
Mediterranean Gull: 1W adult
Sandwich Tern: 2E
Common Tern: 8 around
Sand Martin: 42 S
Harbour Porpoise: 4+
Grey Seal: 1
Very quiet at Firth tonight just a couple of Ringed Plovers and a Green Sandpiper of note.