07/11/2020

As a light South Easterly had been blowing all night I was hoping for a reasonable sea watch this morning. 

I started watching at 07.30 and by 07.45 I knew it was going to be a very meagre watch. A single Bonxie was the highlight, also seen were 3 lingering Sandwich Terns, a few Auks, Gannets and a few Brent Geese.

Around the bushes plenty of Goldcrests and some Firecrests, a single Swallow over, a Dartford Warbler near the lighthouse and alate Humminbird Hawkmoth but little else. At the observatory bags full of Redpolls were brought back to be processed.

A walk out to Scotney this afternoon saw of note 2 Green Sandpipers in the cut by the farm, a single adult White-fronted Goose on the sward with the Greylags and a couple of Marsh Harriers going to roost.

Redpolls in The Moat

Redpoll in the Observatory garden

One of many Firecrests around today

Dartford Warbler near the lighthouse

A late Hummingbird Hawkmoth today

 

5-6/11/2020

As yesterday was such a calm morning I decided to walk down Galloways and check out Brett's Marina for Leaf Warblers. As I walked by Lydd camp the Little Owl was in its usual cubby hole soaking up the early morning sunshine, I'd just reached the marina when I received a call from DW about a Hume's Warbler calling in the trapping area. An about was in order and made my way to the observatory. As I passed the red white gates there was another 10+ very cold sad looking migrants wrapped in silver foil surrounded by police and border force, on arrival at the observatory I got another message this time from Sam that he'd trapped a Dusky Warbler. It was duly ringed and released into The Moat where it quickly dived into cover, though was seen briefly later. I then spent a considerable time trying to see and photograph the Hume's warbler which was calling frequently, but it was a devil to see let alone photograph, as you can see from the laughable images below. A blackcap feeding on a strategically placed apple was a bonus as was a Short-eared Owl that flew over The Moat as I was leaving.

In the afternoon I walked out onto the marsh to watch Marsh Harriers coming into roost, only 2 birds came in, but on the plus side there many squealing Water Rails and a few Bearded Tits. 

Dusky Warbler

Hume's Warbler

Hume's Warbler, if only I'd presses the shutter a fraction of a second earlier 😢

Hume's Warbler 

Blackcap in the trapping area

Short-eared Owl over The Moat

This mornings stunning sun rise over Dungeness taken from my bedroom

Two Sea watches today with SM and AJG who kept the log: 

07.00-09.30 & 13.30-15.00

Brent Goose: 39W   2E

Eider: 1W

Velvet Scoter: 3W

Common Scoter: 8W    11E

Red-breasted Merganser: 1W

Red-throated Diver: 8W    6E

Great-crested Grebe: 4W

Gannet: 46W    167E

Cormorant: present n/c

Merlin: 1 present

Sparrowhawk: 1 flew out to sea

Oystercatcher:15E

Kittiwake: 127W     21E

Mediterranean Gull: 15W    9E

Sandwich tern: 3E

Great Skua: 3W

Guillemot: 7W    21E

Razorbill: 19W    5E

Grey Seal: 2

Goldfinch : 400+E

Some time spent in the trapping area looking for yesterdays Hume's Warbler drew a blank, the same with the Dusky Warbler, there was increase in Crests and a few Chiffchaffs.

The same was the case this afternoon at the ARC, where a Common Snipe was seen along with usual wildfowl but generally very quiet.

04/11/2020

Not the Sylvia I was hoping to find in the Broome, Blackcap behind Channel View

A very bright and cold start to the morning, so I only spent a few minutes looking at the sea, which was all that was needed to realise that there was nil off shore passage. A walk around the beach found an unexpected Blackcap while hoping for a Dartford Warbler, the Greenland Wheatear was still present and a juvenile Merlin was chasing Goldfinches, which were trickling over in small numbers with the odd Siskin and Redpoll. 

Greenland Wheatear still present

Bearded Tit

On the reserve the flock of 4 Glossy Ibis were still present though very mobile, also a single bird at Cooks Pool most the day. I only saw a single Cattle Egret and at least 6 Great White Egrets around Dengemarsh, also 2 Swallows through the hay fields and a flighty Water Pipit there. Bearded Tits seem to be popping up at every turn, also Cetti's Warblers but not so showy. 

Bearded Tits

A5UX a long time resident 

This afternoon saw no improvement in the sea passage, so I through out some bread which attracted 2 regular colour ringed Gulls but nothing unusual.

Black-headed Gull TJVV appears to be wintering by the fishing boats

The single Glossy Ibis going into the roost

 The ARC Egret roost in the company of JY was very disappointing with just 4 Great White Egrets, 2 Little Egrets and a single Glossy Ibis come to roost. I'm thinking there must be another roost I'll have to look for. A Black-necked grebe was on the ARC late this afternoon.

03/11/2020

An excellent sea watch this morning, unfortunately due to domestic duties I had to miss it,😢 though I did get to the afternoon watch which was very poor by comparison, though I did see another 2 Swallows and the Greenland Wheatear.

This afternoon JD discovered 4 Glossy Ibis at Dengemarsh, presumably the same birds that have been roaming around. Just after sunset thy flew off strongly towards the ARC presumably to go to roost in the Egret Roost where the resident pair of Glosssy's roost. Hopefully with the weather quieting down in the next few days the birding will improve.

Greenland Wheatear behind the fishing boats this afternoon

4 Glossy Ibis at Dengemarsh late afternoon

 

02/11/2020

2 Sea watches today, the morning one (07.00-10.30) in drizzle and strong SW winds, the afternoon watch (14.00-15.00) in bright sunshine and strong SW winds and much cooler.

From the fishing boats with AJG, SP & DW.

Common Scoter: 9W  3E

Red-throated Diver: 1W      1 o/s

Great Northern Diver: 1W

Gannet: 304W

Cormorant: 352W

Merlin: 2 off shore hunting finches

Turnstone: 24 on beach

Kittiwake: 5W

Black-headed Gull: Present N/C

Common Gull: Present N/C

Great Black-backed Gull: 

Herring Gull: Present N/C

Lesser Black-backed Gull: Present N/C

Sandwich Tern: 15W

Arctic Skua: 1W

Guillemot: 8W

Razorbill: 14W

Auk sp: 32W

Goldfinch: 1027W

Siskin: 6W

At the ARC a Black-necked Grebe was viewable from the causeway. A wander up to the pines and dow the railway line found very little, apart from a few Water rails and Cetti's warblers calling unseen.

Unsurprisingly at Scotney in the wind very little on the sward, just a handful of Golden Plover and a Ruff of any note, the usual feral Geese but no wild Geese.

1 of the many Lapwings around the hay fields

A wander around a very wind swept the hay fields found no sign of the Eastern Yellow Wagtail or the Water pipits.

Great White Egret over the hay fields

Polish ringed Black-headed Gull TJVV now a resident around the fishing boats

Swallow over Littlestone Golf Course

A late afternoon visit to Littlestone Golf Course found a party of 9 Swallows, possibly the last I'll see this year, no sign of any of the recent goodies there including Short-eared Owls. A new  Thames rung Herring Gull for me was on the beach, along with a a Sandwich tern and c40 Sanderling.

Herring Gull N2GT on Littlestone beach late this afternoon

Sandwich tern on Littlestone Beach late this afternoon

Lovely Sanderlings on Littlestone Beach late afternoon.

 

31/10/2020

A non stop stream of Gannets West past the fishing boats this morning

Sooty Shearwater

A really enjoyable sea watch today that was terminated by heavy rain at 11.50 and the fact that I was very cold as I stupidly did not put my winter coat on. Had I not been such a wimp todays totals would have been much higher especially the Gannets. Apparently todays Total is probably a Dungeness record so I am rather annoyed with myself for wimping out. The Ring Tail  Hen Harrier coming in off the sea was a definite highlight for me as they are now sadly so scarce on the peninsular.  

06.30-11.50 from the fishing boats with AJG who kept kindly kept the log, SP, RW, PE, CP et al

Brent Goose: 6W

Common Scoter: 24W   12E

Great-crested Grebe: 2 o/s

Red-throated Diver: 10W

Sooty Shearwater: 2W

Manx Shearwater: 1W

Gannet: 4,858W

Cormorant: present n/c

Merlin: 2 present including an adult male

Hen Harrier: 1 N (a rare sight at Dungeness these days as this came in off the sea)

Sanderling: 1W

Purple Sandpiper: 1W

Kittiwake: 483W

Black-headed Gull: present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 5W

Common Gull: present n/c

Great Black: backed Gull: 118W

Herring Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 40W

Great Skua: 24W

Pomarine Skua: 2W

Arctic Skua: 7W

Skua sp: 1W

Guillemot: 31W

Razorbill: 167W

Auk sp: 472W

Puffin: 1W

Skylark: 6W

Swallow: 1W    2N

Starling: 901 in

Alba Wagtail: 1W

Linnet: 125W

Crossbill: 2W

Goldfinch: 2,172W

Siskin: 55W

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 2

Great Skua

3 of a flock of 5 Great Skuas

Arctic Skua

A distant Manx Shearwater

1 of at least 2 Merlins hunting Goldfinches coming in

Sandwich Tern

1 of the many Kittiwakes

Another brief 1w Caspian Gull

Teaser not from today!!

 

29/10/2020

This Black-throated Diver was the highlight of this mornings sea watch, my first of the year.

Another very wet dark and dismal day at Dungeness. Sea watching this morning brightened up by the Black-throated Diver, otherwise it was the usual Gannets, Sandwich Terns, Auks, Gulls and 3 Merlins hunting. Another very short sea watch this afternoon saw very little. There doesn't seem to be much improvement in the weather for tomorrows birding.

1st calendar year Great Black-backed Gull JU581 ringed in Norway, its short life history is below.

Black-headed Gull and adult Mediterranean Gull

2nd cal year Mediterranean Gull