24th September!

Record image of 1 of at least 5 Balearic Shearwaters past today

A day of mainly sea watching, often in very damp conditions:

06.45-09.00, 11.00-13.00, 15.00-17.30 with CP, OL, JTM, PT and DW:

Brent Goose: 4W

Shoveler: 1W

Common Scoter: 16W

Balearic Shearwater: 5W

Gannet: 845W

Ringed Plover: 2W

Great Skua: 4W    1E

Pomarine Skua: 1W adult

Arctic Skua: 32W  6+around

Yellow-legged Gull: 1 around

Sandwich Tern: 1,214W

Common Tern: 57W

Guillemot: 5W

Razorbill: 5W

Auk sp: 6W

Swallow: 186 out

Harbour Porpoise: 4+

Grey Seal: 1

A short visit to the ARC late morning saw 2 Cattle Egrets, a Great White Egret, a Greenshank, a Ruff, 15 Dunlin, a Garganey but little else of note.

This map depicts the known travels of a Mediterranean Gull red colour ringed as a Pullus (H5U2) on 18/06/2015. I saw this bird at Copt Point on 14/09/2019.

Monday 23rd

06.20-09.00 from the sea watch hide with Ol and AJG who kindly collated the numbers:
Common Scoter: 6W
Red-throated Diver: 1W
Gannet: 660W  320 feeding off shore
Cormorant: present n/c
Kittiwake: 6W
Mediterranean Gull: 23W
Great Skua: 3W
Arctic Skua: 16W   1E
Sandwich Tern: 806W
Common Tern 5W
Razorbill: 4W
Guillemot: 1W
Meadow Pipit: 7 in
Swallow: 4 out

A  distant Osprey over the New Excavations being chased by Egyptian Geese

The reserve was very quiet, the highlight being an Osprey, the Little stint was still present with 2 Common Sandpipers, also the Black-necked grebe still present.

Another sea watch this afternoon from the fishing boats 13.00-14.30 with AJG, RS & JTM

Great-crested Grebe: 1W    1 on
Balearic Shearwater: 1W
Gannet: 11W   3E
Arctic Skua: 6 around
Common Tern: 8W
Sandwich Tern: 52W
Guillemot: 1W.    2 on
Swallow: 129 out

Sunday 22/09/2019

06:20-08:30 from the sea watch hide with SO, AJG, JTM & CP

Common Scoter: 21E   7W

Eider: 4E

Red-throated diver: 1E   1W

Gannet: 188E   109W

Cormorant: present n/c

Oystercatcher: 11E

Great Skua: 6E    5W

Arctic Skua: 1E    3W

Kittiwake: 6E    1W

Mediterranean Gull: 72E    41W

Sandwich tern: 1,730W

Common Tern: 14W

Razorbill: 1E   1 on

Swallow: 104 out

Harbour Porpoise: 8+

Dolphin sp:1

Grey Seal: 1

At The ARC the now seemingly resident Great White, Cattle and Little Egret, a Ruff, 3 Common Snipe, 7 Black-tailed Godwits and the first Goldeneye of the autumn along with the commoner wildfowl.

The trapping area was again quiet with a Firecrest and Goldcrest, Common and Lesser Whitethroat and Blackcaps per JTM.

12:20-14.20 from the sea watch hide per AJG:

Gannet: 189W

Arctic Skua: 9W

Kittiwake: 7 on sea

Mediterranean Gull: 5 on sea

Sandwich Tern: 237W

Auk sp 1 up

 Little Stint and 2 Dunlin from Firth this evening

I spent most of this afternoon and early evening going through the Great Black-backed and Lesser Black-backed Gull roost by the entrance track reading colour rings. There were 15 GBBG rings and 3 LBBG rings mainly Norwegian, but also Danish, and French.
Below is the life history so far of a 15 year old Nowegian Ringed Great Black-backed Gull JH2C that was in the Gull roost by the entrance track to the visitor centre today.

Friday 20/09/2019

 Sooty Shearwater

06.30-08.30 with AJG & JTM:
Brent Goose: 8E.   32W
Teal: 6W
Wigeon: 11W
Common Scoter: 3E   12W
Great-crested Grebe: 1W
Sooty Shearwater: 2E
Gannet: 91E
Cormorant: 43 around
Knot: 1 on beach
Arctic Skua: 5W
Kittiwake: 6W
Mediterranean Gull: c20 around
Sandwich Tern: 650+ feeding and moving between Lade and Rye Bay.
Common Tern: 6 around
Guillemot: 2 on
Razorbill: 2W   1 on
Sand Martin: 17 out
Swallow: 24 out
Meadow Pipit: 14 out
Grey Wagtail: 2 out
Grey Seal: 1
Harbour Porpoise: 6+

 Sooty Shearwater

A mid morning visit to the ARC found a general clear out with no sign of the Pectoral Sandpiper, but a juvenile Ruff was present along with 2 Greenshanks, Great White, Cattle and Little Egret.

Common Tern

A slow but very pleasant sea watch basking in the glorious afternoon sunshine.
13.00-16.00 from the fishing boats with AJG & JTM
Brent Goose: 3E
Common Scoter: 22E
Gannet: 105E
Turnstone: 1 around
Knot: 1 around
Great Skua: 1E   1W
Arctic Skua: 3 around
Kittiwake: 3E
Mediterranean Gull:  c20 around
Sandwich Tern: c350 mainly into Lade bay
Common Tern: 8 around
Razorbill: 1 on
Auk sp: 1W
Swallow: 14 out
Common Seal: 1
Grey Seal: 2
Harbour Porpoise: 10+

Stunning early morning sky scape of Dungeness yesterday morning 

Jacques with 1 of the many Mackerel he caught yesterday and very tasty they were too

19/09/2019

06.15-07.30 with AJG who kindly collated the numbers
Shelduck: 4W
Scoter: 8W
Gannet: 50+ around
Arctic Skua: 2 around
Mediterranean Gull: 1W
Sandwich Tern: c2,350 west into Rye Bay. Then c500 returned east into Lade Bay
Auk sp:  1up

The Desert, The Moat and Trapping area held very few Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Common Whitethroats and nothing notable was seen.
As Burrowes was being disturbed today by essential clearance work, I decided to walk out the back of Scotney, apart from several 100s of Swallows, a few Yellow Wagtails, 2 Wheatears and 2 Corn Buntings very little was seen here.

14.00-17.00 from the fishing boats with AJG, JTM & DW.
Brent Goose: 7W  first of the autumn
Common Scoter: 5E   39W
Red-throated diver: 1E  first of the autumn
Great-crested Grebe: 1E
Sooty Shearwater: 1E   first of the year!
Gannet: c30 feeding off shore
Cormorant: 16 around
Great Skua: 1E
Arctic Skua: 6+ around
Kittiwake: 6E
Mediterranean Gull: c20 around
Sandwich Tern: c50 around
Common Tern: c30 around
Razorbill: 5E    1 on    1W
Grey Seal: 1
Harbour Porpoise: 6+

Tuesday 18/09/2019

Willow Warbler at the observatory this morning maybe the last of the year for me!

Before I arrived at the observatory a Little Owl was seen perched on the Heligoland trap before flying around The Moat. I joined AJG in a circuit of The Moat but couldn't re-find the Little Owl. We made our way into The Desert where a ring tail Hen Harrier flew close and low North West past us disappearing towards the ARC the first record for The Point this year as far as I know, unfortunately I'd left my camera at the observatory,  the rest of the walk was uneventful seeing a few each of Common and Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and just 2 Wheatears.

This Cattle Egret seems to be almost permanently be on the nearest island to Hanson hide

Heavily cropped image of the Pectoral Sandpiper from Hanson this morning

At the ARC as we approached Hanson hide the Coastguard Helicopter flew over flushing all the birds including the newly arrived Spoonbill which afforded me a view of its backside as it disappeared and didn't return with the rest of the birds. The Pectoral Sandpiper was still present with a Common Sandpiper,  4 Ruff, 2 Greenshank, 4 Dunlin, 234 Golden Plover(AJG) a Ringed Plover and all 3 Egret species, I could only find a single Garganey today among the usual wildfowl.

Jacques proudly displaying the Bass he caught, before returning it back to the sea as it was undersize

 Mackerel making the sea boil at the fishing boats this afternoon

Common Tern

15.00-17.00 from the fishing boats with JTM, RW, CP and PT.

Common Scoter: 1E

Gannet: c20 feeding off shore

Dunlin: 9W      2E

Arctic Skua: 2 around

Mediterranean Gull: 10+feeding off shore

Sandwich Tern: c20 feeding off shore

Common Tern: c20 feeding off shore

Guillemot: 3E

Razorbill: 2E

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 4+

 Fishing Common Tern

Pectoral Sandpiper!

 A walk around The Desert, Trapping area and Long Pits found of note plenty of Chiffchaff and Blackcaps, smaller numbers of Common and Lesser Whitethroat, a single Spotted Flycatcher, 4 Wheatears, 9 Stonechats, 6+ Reed Buntings and 2 Great-spotted Woodpeckers. A Peregrine was on the pylons.

Pectoral Sandpiper from Hanson (Heavily cropped image)

News from CT of Pectoral Sandpiper at the ARC was very welcome, I was soon there watching it feed but always distant. Also there Greenshank, 4 Ruff the usual flock of Golden Plover, 5 Black-tailed godwits, 2 Bat-tailed Godwits, 6 Garganey and the usual wildfowl.

6 Garganey

 1 of 2 Spotted Flycatchers at The Pines

 1 of 2 Spotted Flycatchers at The Pines

1 of 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker behind the screen hide

These 2 B-2 monsters flew over Dungeness while I was in Hanson Hide, awesome machines

This image tells you all you need to know about this afternoons sea watch, at least Jacques and Owen were catching Mackerel.

 As I walked to Firth Hide just before dusk I flushed 6 Great White Egrets and 4 Little Egrets from the Dipping Pool. When i got into the hide DW had a 1st calendar year Caspian Gull X86C lined up for me, but it soon departed.

1st calendar year Caspian Gull X86C at Firth this evening

Monday 16/09/2019

At Burrowes first thing this morning 2 Water Rail running around the Dipping Pool 2 more at Christmas Dell, a Black-necked Grebe and Great White Egret from Makepiece and 1,000s of Hirundines over the whole reserve from ground level to stratospheric.

Over the road at the ARC in 2 visits another Black-necked Grebe, a Curlew Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper, a Greenshank, 4 Ruff, 531 Lapwing, 229 Golden Plover, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 7 Bar-tailed Godwits, a flock of c30 Knot over, 5 Garganey, 2 Black Terns, a Little Gull, 7 Water Rail and all the usual wildfowl. 

House martins at the Water Tower

Chiffchaff at the The Pines 1 of many around today, also 2 Spotted Flycatchers there.

The sea boiling with Whitebait being chased by Mackerel at the fishing boats this afternoon

13.15-15.30 from the fishing boats:
Common Scoter: 56W
Gannet: c30 around
Turnstone: 3 around
Knot: 35E
Dunlin: 14E
Arctic Skua: 6+ around
Kittiwake: 4 around
Mediterranean Gull: c20 around  all 1st cal year birds
Little Tern: 1 around
Sandwich Tern: c200 around
Common Tern: c30 around
Razorbill: 1W
Harbour Porpoise: 6+

1 of the marauding Arctic Skuas at the fishing boats this afternoon

Turnstones at the fishing boats

Sunday 15/09/19

1 of a remarkable 3 Sparrowhawks trapped this morning all 1st year males

At The Point this morning Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps were the bulk of the birds trapped and processed, Goldcrest, Common Whitethroat and Reed Warbler also trapped, however the Sparrowhawks were the stars. 3 Ravens flew in from the East, while high overhead many Hirundines mainly stratospheric, among them a single Common Swift, around the scrub 2 Wheatears, 3+ Black Redstarts and 2 Whinchat of note.

At the ARC all 3 Egret species, 3+ Garganey, 4 Black and 7 Bar-tailed Godwits,  2 Dunlin, 3 Greenshanks, 2 Redshanks, 2 Common Sandpipers, Black Tern, Little Gull, Water Rail, Marsh Harriers and a Hobby and the usual wildfowl.

13.30-15.00 from the fishing boats with RW, SO, JTM and AJG who kindly collated the numbers:

Teal: 1E 

Common Scoter: 11E

Gannet: 147W

Great Skua: 2E

Arctic Skua: 6E

Sandwich Tern: 298W

Common Tern: 3W

Razorbill: 1 Around

Swallow: 486 out

Sand Martin: 68 out

Harbour Porpoise: 4+

 2nd Calendar year Caspian Gull at Firth Hide this afternoon

This evening from Firth hide 2 more 1st calendar year Caspian Gulls among the very few Gulls that came into roost tonight. 

 Convolvulous Hawkmoth in the trap this morning my 3rd of the year

 XEVU 1st cal year Caspian Gull seen from on 13/09/19

Ringing details of XEVU 

Friday the 13th!

Probably the best sea watch of the Autumn so far.
06:15-09:00 with AJG who kindly collated the numbers:
Manx Shearwater: 1W
Fulmar: 1W
Gannet: 425W
Great Skua: 4W
Arctic skua: 34W   2E
Sandwich Tern: 1330W
Common Tern: 146W
Kittiwake: 37W
Mediterranean Gull: 1W
Guillemot: 2E
The ARC once again held more or less the same birds as the last few days. All 3 Egrets species, Black Tern, Garganey, also the usual waders and wildfowl.

Yellow Wagtail opposite my garden 1 of c20 in the field

Young Great Black-backed gull with a small Thornback Ray at the fishing boats

13.00-15.00 from the fishing boats with AJG:
Common Scoter: 1E
Manx Shearwater: !E
Gannet: 46W
Great Skua: 1E
Arctic Skua: 2W
Kittiwake: 5W
Mediterranean Gull: 1E 1st cal bird
Yellow-legged Gull: 1 1st cal
Sandwich Tern: 76W
Common Tern: 6W
Auk sp: 1W
Harbour Porpoise: 4+
Grey Seal: 1

Adult Great black-backed Gull showing the youngsters how to swallow a flatfish at the fishing boats

 XEVU presumed Caspian Gull from Firth this afternoon

Whimbrel from Firth this afternoon