04/12/2020

This mornings sea watch in the company of SP saw large numbers of birds but little quality. There 4 figure numbers of Gannets, Cormorants, Kittiwakes and Auks, 8 Bonxies is good for December as is several Sandwich Terns. For full details please click HERE.

C200 Greater White-fronted Geese were on the peninsular today, 120+ in the Lydd fields from Cockles Bridge and minimum of 64 at the back of Scotney. A Black-throated diver on the ARC was new today but I couldn't find yesterdays Goosander. At Scotney all the usual feral Geese including the Blue phase Snow Goose and 6 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, but I was unable to locate any Tundra Bean Geese. In the fields there several 1,000s each of Golden Plover and Lapwing, 5 Ruff, c20 Curlew and c30 each of Corn Bunting and Skylark. The Long-tailed Duck was still on its favoured lake while the female Scaup has moved to the Sussex end of the main lake.

I was pleased to spot this Black-throated Diver on the ARC as I pulled up on the causeway 

Part os a flock of c120 Greater White-fronted Geese in the field in front my house today

Marsh Harrier over field in front of my house

Long-tailed Duck at Scotney

Black and White at Cooks Pool

Great White Egret at Cooks Pool

Raven over the Water Tower

Female Greater scaup at Scotney this afternoon

The head of an adult Caspian Gull on Burrowes today

Goosander on the ARC yesterday courtesy of RW

Bramble in blossom at Dengemarsh yesterday

 

01/12/2020

A busy sea watch this morning with some interesting sightings. The highlight being 3 Greater White-fronted Geese a species rarely encountered on a sea watch here, also 3 each of December Sandwich Terns and Bonxie.

07.30-09.30 from the fishing boats with AJG, CT, OL and SP who kindly kept the log:

Brent Goose: 2W  1E

Greater White-fronted Goose: 2W    1E

Shelduck: 6W   6E

Teal: 1E

Common Scoter: 88E     4o/s

Red-breasted Merganser: 2W

Red-throated Diver: 128E      4 o/s

Great-crested Grebe: 15E      5 o/s

Gannet: 774W

Merlin: 3 hunting over the beach

Cormorant: present n/c

Oystercatcher: 5E

Lapwing: 1 in off

Turnstone: 4 on Beach

Kittiwake: 11W   298W

Black-headed Gull: 260E

Mediterranean Gull: 1E

Common Gull: 42E

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 3W

Great Skua: 3E

Guillemot: 1W      177E      1 o/s

Razorbill: 5E

Auk sp: 32W      304E    3 o/s

Pied Wagtail: 1W

Grey Seal: 1

The 3 Bewick Swans were still in the field in front my house today also at least 43 Greater White-fronted Geese there with 100s of Greylags and Canada's.

Long-tailed Duck at Scotney this afternoon

I spent this afternoon wandering around the back of Scotney, the Long-tailed Duck was still present as was the Scaup which was very unobliging by hiding at the back of the lake sleeping among the Pochards. 2 Great White Egrets were seen as were 2 Common Buzzards, a Marsh Harrier, a Raven, a Peregrine, a Green Sandpiper and the Blue phase Snow Goose in with a flock of 200+ Greylags. At least 2,000 Lapwings and a 1,000 Golden plover were in the fields but never allowed scrutiny for something else among them, although it was a sunny afternoon, the low winter sun made viewing anything difficult and photography near impossible.

Blue phase Snow Goose at Scotney this afternoon

 

30/11/2020

A brisk easterly wind and overcast skies made for a very cold and slow sea watch this morning in the company of CT and AJG who kindly kept the log:

07.15-08.45 from the fishing boats:

Shelduck2W

Wigeon: 1E

Common Scoter: 26E

Red-throated Diver: 3W   9E

Great-crested Grebe: 12 o/s

Gannet: 56 o/s

Cormorant: Present n/c

Merlin: 1 around

Turnstone: 4 on beach

Kittiwake: 11W

Black-headed Gull: Present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 1W

Common Gull: Present n/c

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: 16W

Sandwich Tern: 1W

Guillemot: 3E

Razorbill: 1E

Auk sp: 31W   12E

A walk around the reserve in the fog produced very little, apart from 3 Green Woodpeckers, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a couple of Chiffchaffs, a Firecrest, some unseen Cetti's warblers and Bearded Tits, 3 ghostly Great White Egrets and little of note on the lakes. The Glossy Ibis was present this afternoon per GP.

2 of the 3 Bewick Swans in the field in front of my house this morning

A few of the 80+ Greater White-fronted Geese in front of my house this morning

Adult Caspian Gull

This afternoon on the reserve there were at least 5 Caspian Gulls (3 adults and 2 x 1w) also 3 Yellow -legged Gulls (an adult and 2 X 3w), the light went vert quickly this afternoon in the damp murky conditions.

1w Caspian Gull

Adult Caspian Gull

Adult Caspian Gull

 

29/11/2020

Some of todays Red-throated Divers 

A cold dreary today with a stiff easterly breeze produced a surprisingly entertaining sea watch today. 

No sign of the Whooper Swans today but 47 White-fronted Geese at Cockles Bridge, later they flew onto the reserve presumably to roost. The Glossy Ibis and Cattle Egret were both reported as present today, also the long-tailed Duck and female Scaup reported present at Scotney. The usual Great White Egrets were being seen along with several Marsh Harriers and a Bittern.

Todays sea watch totals with SP, RW, CT & OL 07.25-10.55 & 13.30-14.55

I have started to play with slow motion video please click on this link Gannets

A couple of todays Eider

1 of the 100s of Kittiwakes past today

1 of at least 6 Bonxies seen today

Goldeneye a scarce bird on a Dungeness sea watch

Razorbill

Corn Buntings at the back of Scotney yesterday

Common Buzzard at Scotney

Some of the 1,000s of Golden plover at Scotney yesterday

 

26/11/2020

Sea watching over the last few days has been a little repetitive, with good numbers of Gannets, Kittiwakes and Auks, also there have still been up to 15 Sandwich Terns feeding off shore.  Quality has been provided by all Great Northern, Black-throated and Red-throated Divers, Velvet Scoters, the odd Bonxie and between 2 and 7 Merlins, though the standout star was the Puffin. 

Velvet Scoter

Adult Caspian Gull

Ob the reserve up to 8 Caspian Gulls have been coming into roost along with several Yellow-legged Gulls, though tonight very few Gulls came in, probably because it was dark so early being such a dank day.

At least 1 each of Cattle Egret and Glossy Ibis is still around the reserve, along with the usual Great White Egrets, 1 or 2 Water Pipits can still be found around the hay fields.  The Long-tailed Duck has moved to the Eastern back lake at Scotney, where with luck you can run into 1 of 3 Hen Harriers that have been around.  

3w Yellow-legged Gull

3w Caspian Gull

Adult Caspian Gull

Clearing in front of Hanson today

 

23.11/2020

07.30-08.30 on a beautiful still clear morning at the fishing boats:

Brent Goose: 2E

Shelduck: 1W

Wigeon: 2E

Velvet Scoter: 3E single party

Common Scoter: 43W   20E

Red-throated diver: 11W    16E

Gannet: 30W   95E

Oystercatcher: 6E

Turnstone: 1 on beach

Kittiwake: 5W     49E

Mediterranean gull: 1E    3 o/s

Sandwich tern: 1W

Great Skua: 1E

Guillemot: 1W    10E

Razorbill: 6E

Auk sp: 86E

Starling: 65 in

Harbour Porpoise: 2

Grey Seal 1

Sparrowhawk at the observatory

Lesser Redpoll

The 2 Whooper Swans in the field in front my house this morning completely ignoring the spray tractor.

Blue Snow Goose new in at Scotney today

Blue Snow Goose new in at Scotney today

A long walk around Scotney also found a ring tail Hen Harrier, 4 Green Sandpipers, 3 Tree Sparrows, 5 Corn Buntings, Little Owl and the usual wildfowl. Apparently the Long-tailed Duck is on the back lakes and I managed to walk past it! 1,000s of Lapwing and Golden Plover out the back, also a few Curlew 3+ Ruff, Peregrine, Merlin, Common Buzzards and Marsh Harriers and several Cetti's Warblers.

Late afternoon on the reserve the Glossy Ibis still present at Cooks Pool, 5+ Caspian Gulls came into roost including a yellow ringed Polish 2w bird.

 

The weekend

2 Sea watches today 07.15-09.50 & 13.30-15.15 thanks to AJG, SP & RW for keeping the logs:

Brent Goose: 1w   3E

Wigeon: 7E

Velvet Scoter: 1E

Common Scoter: 63W   8E

Goosander: 1E

Red-breasted Merganser: 3E

Red-throated Diver: 22W     14E       5 on

Black-throated Diver: 1W

Great Northern Diver: 1W

Great-crested Grebe: 26 around

Fulmar: 1W

Gannet: 762W

Cormorant: 1066 moving between Lade Bay & Rye bay

Peregrine: 2 over beach

Merlin: 7+ all in off the sea most carrying prey

Oystercatcher: 2E

Turnstone: 19 around

Kittiwake: 398W

Mediterranean Gull: 2W   4 around

Sandwich Tern: 6W     1E

Great Skua: 4W

Guillemot: 30W      11on

Razorbill: 69W     21on

Puffin: 1W

Auk sp: 200+ W

Grey Seal: 1

Common Seal: 1 

Harbour Porpoise: 1

Merlin coming in with prey

Merlin with a Linnet

Merlin

1 of at least 5 Red-throated Divers off shore

Whooper Swans On the ARC yesterday

The Whooper Swans have now moved to the Mute Swan Herd in the field in front my house, unfortunately it seems the farmer is going to spray that field, so they are likely to be moved on. A female Scaup was reported at Scotney on the first lake west of the caravan park, in a late afternoon visit I could not find it, but I will try again tomorrow in better light. 

 

20/11/2020

With a flat calm sea this mornings watch in the company of AJG was unsurprisingly a slow one, with just a few Gannets and usual fare. After an hour of tedium we walked around The Point hoping to find some lurking scarcity, but without success. We met OL who told us about a Pallas's Warbler that JD had found in the trapping area. Normally I wouldn't try for anything in the trapping area but it was a pleasant morning and I was at loose end, within seconds of arriving in the area it was seen we could hear it calling and very soon saw it, we saw at least 4 Firecrests, several Goldcrests and a Woodcock, Siskins and Redpolls were going over. 

Vocal Pallas's Warbler in the trapping area

Skylark behind the fishing boats

Goldeneye at Scotney but I couldn't find the Long-tailed Duck

I had a walk along the front of Scotney to Jury's Gap which to be honest was disappointing, I was unable to locate the Long-tailed Duck, though a fine drake Goldeneye is fairly unusual at this site, a brief view of hunting ring tail Hen Harrier along the back of the lake was probably the highlight of a long walk. I couldn't have been further from the car when JD messaged that 2 Whooper Swans had arrived on the ARC, but they were still present when I arrived nearly 2 hours later.

Stonechat at Scotney

Newly arrived Whooper Swans on the ARC this afternoon

The Glossy Ibis still around Cooks Pool

On the reserve The Glossy Ibis was in it's usual spot and a Cattle Egret was nearby, on Burrowes a flock of 5 Ruff were flying around and as the light faded the Gulls came pouring in, among them at least 5 Caspian Gulls, 2 adult and 3 x 1w birds, I probably missed a few more.  

Adult & 1w Caspian Gull (images takes at 4000 iso)