Sunday 07/06/2020

This morning at Dengemarsh 100s of Swifts were hawking over the marshes with a few House Martins. A wander across the fields with AJG saw Yellow Wagtails that were collecting food for young as was a Corn Bunting, but there was no sign of last evenings Rose-coloured Starling. We then went along the public footpath across the reserve and found Bearded Tits, Reed Buntings the usual Warblers, Cuckoos and Marsh Harriers, a booming Bittern with Swifts sweeping low overhead the whole time. Out across the causeway which was again carpeted in Common Blue Damselflys, plenty of Common Terns could be seen on Burrowes but little else of note was seen there. Along Galloways a Hobby was noted.

Some of the 100s possibly 1,000s of Swifts that were feeding across the peninsular this morning

After a late breakfast following a call from OL I went back to Dengemarsh where a superb Swallowtail Butterfly had been found (by Ray O'Reilly I think).

Swallowtail

This afternoon I joined Graham Parry for some filthy twitching into the East Sussex, where we saw the stunning summer plumaged Snow Bunting that has spent the last couple of days on the sea wall at Pett opposite the pools. A beautiful bird but was being flushed frequently by the many walkers on the sea wall, on a number of occasions it very nearly became a road casualty as it flew low across the the road in front of cars.

Gorgeous summer plumaged male Snow Bunting

On our way home we visited Castle Water where a Black-winged Stilt was feeding in the shallows.

Saturday 06/06/2010

Lydd Camp Little Owl

With a gale force westerly blowing this morning I decided on a very local walk around Brett's Marina. As I walked down Galloways Road Swifts were pouring through North East, while the local House Martins and Swallows were hawking along the sheltered lee of the camp. At the watch towers 2 Little Owls, both in favourite roosting places, also Pied Wagtails and a Green Woodpecker there. At Brett's lots of fishermen, surprisingly all socially distanced, unlike the huddle of Egyptian Geese 2 adults and 5 young. Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers along with Blackcap and Garden Warbler all still singing albeit rather half heartedly. During the lock down I could hear them all from home but now the water sports and go carts are back to normal volumes not a chance. 2 Cuckoo's were chasing around, the abundant Reed Buntings, Chaffinches and Goldfinches were all present, as were a few Greenfinches. Over the lake a couple of Common Terns with a few Black-headed Gull and Common Gulls. Nearby the pair of Hobby's appeared to change nest duties, not that there are many Dragonflys at the moment. A Marsh Harrier went out onto the ranges as did a Sparrowhawk and 2 Common Buzzards were soaring high overhead. 2 Yellow wagtails were at the dung heap. As I type this 2 Grey Herons flew out to the Heronry and many Jackdaws, Rooks, Crows and Herring Gulls are tumbling about making light of the strong winds. 

Lydd Camp Little Owl

I'd just started my dinner when I received a call from DW about a Rose-coloured Starling by Brickwall Farm, Dengemarsh, where I had been walking this morning! I quickly ate my meal and drove the few 100 yds down the road to see the bird, which was fortunately showing at the back of the field as I pulled up. Each time the flock flew up it was being harassed by a Jackdaw for some reason, which may be why the flock split up and we lost the bird, though we think it may have roosted in the bushes around the farm. I managed some poor distant images but hopefully DW managed better.

Spot the Pinky

Young Starlings have no manners!

Swift Day!

Another relatively quiet day, but just like yesterday evening the peninsular was covered in 100s probably 1,000s of Swifts. As the light was slightly better today I couldn't resist trying to photograph them. There also good numbers of House martins and Swallows around which in turn attracted some Hobbys.

At least 2 Bitterns still booming today and 3 Egret species present, all the usual reed bed species were seen and heard despite the weathers best efforts, even the Cuckoo's are still calling and chasing one another. From the causeway a few Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwits, Dunlin, Knot, Ringed Plovers, Redshanks, Oystercatchers, Lapwing and a Turnstone, but no young waders seen. There seems to be at least 9 Lesser Black-backed Gull pairs among the Herring Gulls who have hatched there first 3 young. Most the duck that are present are going into eclipse.

I had just got home this evening when DW found a female Red-footed Falcon and a female Montagu's Harrier at Galloways, despite it only taking me a couple of minutes to get there both birds were gone when I arrived.

Swifts

Changing colour in the ever changing light

Fanning its tail in a tight turn to line up on an insect

Showing what it thought of my efforts!

Hunting Hobbys

Common Tern in a twisting dive

Catch Up!

As the weather has been so good albeit with the naggingly cold North East wind I have been out walking, cycling and birding dawn till dusk, consequently when i do get home I am very tired. I tried a couple of times to do  blog but fell asleep at the computer. Todays change in the weather has allowed me to try and catch up on some of my back log of images and moths, though I was still dawn till lunchtime today. I have had a few comments about me suppressing birds at Dungeness during the lock down, which I fully admit I have done at the request of the RSPB, even though all the birds could be seen from the public footpaths. The main problem was and still is that the reserve car parks are closed. Now that the lock down has been loosened parking is available in Dengemarsh Road at Springfield Bridge, but it is still a long walk to and across the causeway to view Burrowes though the views are very distant as you will see from some of the images below. It is a walk that I have been doing on a daily basis usually at least twice a day, I estimate that I have been walking in the region of 8-15 miles a day since March. I was and am fortunate that I can walk out of the door from my home in Lydd, across the road into the fields and down to Dengemarsh and not meet anyone, it has been great for my health, another plus was that I filled my car with diesel when I came home from Egypt in March and haven't needed to since. 

Waders have been a feature this week with at least 2 lovely Grey Plovers around

A Pectoral Sandpiper was a nice surprise find on the evening of the 29th May

Curlews, Bar-tailed Godwits, a Knot and  Redshanks, also a flock of 15 Ringed Plovers flew through.

2 Little Stints were another nice find on the evening of the 31st May

Up to 80 Oystercatchers have been roosting on Burrowes

With no sea watching this spring I was delighted with this Little Tern also on 31st May

Hobbys have been few this year,  I'm guessing probably due to the lack of Dragonflys

Bearded Tits can still be seen but not quite as showy as they were in early spring

Marsh Harriers are permanent feature in the skies over Dungeness 

Several Cuckoo's were still chasing each other around this morning

Beautiful Yellow Wagtails at Dengemarsh and Bitterns are still booming there today

This Song Thrush was a surprise at Dengemarsh

Common Blue Damselfly(I think)

Across the causeway 1,000s of Common Blue Damselflys

A newly emerged Black-tailed Skimmer

Privet Hawk Moth is now a daily find in my MV

Yesterday I cycled to North Point for my annual visit to see the Lizard Orchids and Bee Orchids, also there some Pyramid Orchids there.

Lizard Orchids

Bee Orchids