20/03/2021

07.30-09.00 from Dengemarsh Gully:

Brent Goose: 14E

Teal: 3E

Common Scoter: 16E

Red-throated Diver: 105E      8W

Great-crested Grebe: 6E      4 on

Fulmar: 1E

Gannet: 169E

Cormorant: present n/c

Ringed Plover: 2 around

Kittiwake: 22E

Sandwich tern: 2E

Guillemot: 3E

Razorbill: 1E

Auk sp: 103E

Black Redstart: 2 present

Stonechat: 2 present

Raven: 1 present

Harbour Porpoise: 4

Female Black Redstart in the Gully

Lovely male Black Redstart in the Gully

Corn Bunting Dengemarsh

Highlights around Dengemarsh were 8 Corn Buntings and Cetti's Warblers, lots of singing Reed Buntings, a couple of Bearded Tits, 10 Ruff, along with the usual Raptors and wildfowl. 

Reed Bunting

Explains why my feeders are emptying quickly

Another interesting white winger in the roost on Burrowes on 17/03/2021

15/03/2021

Brent Geese past the bottom of Dengemarsh Gully this morning

08.00-09.15 from DMG:

Brent Goose: 251 in 8 parties

Canada Goose: 1E a first for me I think

Shoveler: 1W drake

Eider: 1W 2nd cy drakę

Red-throated Diver: 6E

Black-throated Diver: 1E

Great-crested Grebe: 24 on

Fulmar: 1W

Gannet: 3W   31E

Cormorant: 114W   4E

Sandwich Tern: 9E

Guillemot: 8E     4 on

Auk sp: 22E   71W

Merlin: 1 in off carrying prey.

Merlin arriving off the sea carrying prey

Part of a flock of c300 Golden Plover roosting in Lydd Fields

A late morning walk around Lydd fields found a flock of c300 Golden Plover which seemed to ignore a pair of hunting Marsh Harriers and Common Buzzards, plenty of Skylarks, Reed Buntings, Meadow Pipits   and a single Corn Bunting. The Black Swan revealed itself to be a young bird due to the dark tipped wing

feathers. Once again there was no sign of any of the Russian White-fronted Geese.

The Black Swan in the Lydd Fields is a young bird

Lots of Skylarks in the Lydd Fields today

Distant images of this afternoons Kumlien's Gull on Burrowes

13/03/2021

DMG early this morning

A 2hr sea watch from DMG this morning in bright conditions, though I seemed to spend more time cleaning the spray from the optics than watching.

07:00-09:00

Brent Goose: 36E

Eider: 1 2cy drake  drifted East

Red-throated Diver: 3E

Fulmar: 22W       2E

Gannet: 27E       3W

Cormorant: 56E      9W

Knot: 18W

Kittiwake: 29E

Auk sp: 28E     7W

A beast of 2nd cy Glaucous Gull

Millions of Starfish, Clams, Sea Mice etc, has been washed up all around the Dungeness coastline

A blizzard of Gulls feeding on the copious amounts of washed up shellfish

 

12/03/2021

This mornings sea watch from Dengemarsh Marsh Gully
07.30-09.00
Brent Goose: 157E. 3 very high parties
Common Scoter: 4E
Red-breasted Merganser: 2E
Red-throated Diver: 5E      4W       1 on
Great-crested Grebe: 4E     2W
Fulmar: 4W
Gannet: 53E  22W
Cormorant: Present n/c
Dunlin: 8W
Kittiwake: 19E      3W
Mediterranean Gull: 2E
Guillemot: 2E
Auk sp: 27E    13W
Merlin: 1

This Dunnock has been around the garden all winter, not the prettiest of birds

Enjoying the a brief spell of sunshine today

10/03/2021

The now resident Black Swan in the field opposite my house, this image taken yesterday but present today.

I did a 90 minute sea watch this morning from the bottom of Dengemarsh Gully.

07:30-09:00

Brent Goose: 1,488E   in 41 parties
Shoveler: 6E
Pintail: 4E
Common Scoter: 17E
Great-crested Grebe: 3W     4E
Red-throated Diver: 33E    6W
Fulmar: 1E
Gannet: 212E       17W
Cormorant: present n/c
Dunlin: 4E
Merlin: 1W
Kittiwake: 24E
Mediterranean Gull: 1E
Razorbill: 11E    2W
Guillemot: 23E   4W
Auk sp: 174E         26W

                                A swirl of Golden Plover the Lydd Field yesterday

A large female Peregrine in the Lydd Fields

08/03/2021

As there was virtually no wind early this morning I decided against a sea watch, fortunately AJG did watch and kindly sent me his totals. 06:30-08:30

Brent Goose: 3E

Common Scoter: 210E

Red-throated Diver: 252E

Great-crested Grebe: 6E

Gannet: 464E

Oystercatcher: 4E

Sandwich Tern: 11E

Guillemot: 36 on

Auk sp: 247E

GlossyIbis at Cook's Pool this morning

A long walk around the ARC back across the causeway then all around the reserve produced of note my first booming Bittern of the year, nice views of the seemingly resident Glossy Ibis, 6 Goldeneye, c100 White-fronts, 4 Chiffchaffs, a Firecrest, several Bearded Tits and the usual Marsh Harriers, Egrets and Wildfowl.

This afternoon I walked out to the back of Scotney where there were 7 species of Geese, the Little Owl hiding in the pallets, 2 Ravens, 2 Great Egrets and at least 4 Marsh Harriers. I constantly scanned the lakes here and on the reserve but saw no Sand Martins. Despite no visit to the sea I managed to rack up a respectable 77 species.

Goldeneye from the New Diggings causeway

The Russian White-front flock at the back of Dengemarsh still today

Grey Heron at Hookers

Raven at Scotney

Greenfinch with Scaly Feet on my feeder at lunchtime

 

07/03/2021

Not unexpectedly there was no change in the DMG this morning. The vegetation lining the sluice was covered in ice and the bitter NE wind whistled down the Gully. A brief sea watch there saw a handful of Red-throated Divers hiding for Lade Bay but little else moving.

Whitefronts, Greylags, Pintail, Wigeon, Shoveler, Gadwall, Teal, Coot and Black-headed Gulls at the back of Dengemarsh, but no Garganey.😢 There were at least 4 Great Egrets around the reserve, 4 Goldeneye on Burrowes and 3 Ruff with a few Common Snipe on the hay fields, along with the usual patrolling Marsh Harriers and watchful Common Buzzards.

There were still at least 6 Corn Buntings at Springfield Bridge among the many Reed Buntings

Russian White-fronted Geese from the garden today, I will certainly miss seeing them when they leave in the very near future. The Black Swan seems to be resident in the field now and ignoring the local farmers arm waving.
 

06/03/2021

Freezing sea watch from the beach at the Botton of Dengemarsh Gully this morning

The track down to DMG is now worse than I have ever seen it, so if you have a low slung vehicle avoid it.  

08:00-09:15

Eider: 1E drake (probably same bird as yesterday)

Common Scoter: 2W

Red-breasted Merganser: 2E

Great-crested Grebe: 4E     1W        1 on

Red-throated Diver: 56E    4W   2 on

Gannet: 157E

Cormorant: present n/c

Oystercatcher: 5E    1W

Kittiwake: 71E

Sandwich Tern: 7E (single flock)

Guillemot: 54E

Razorbill: 17E

Auk sp: 929E    4W

Harbour Porpoise: 2 

A flock of c40 Linnets were flitting around the DMG, along with a calling unseen Cetti's Warbler a pair of Stonechats, a few Robins, Dunnocks, Wrens, Great Tits and a local Raven flew over.

I'm now getting up to 6 Greenfinches coming to my garden feeders but at least 1 has scaly feet.

A long walk around the Galloway's and Brett's this afternoon was pleasant but few birds were seen. A couple of Marsh Harriers moving between Lydd Fields and the ranges, a Great White Egret sheltering from the wind at Brett's and c100 Russian White-fronted Geese still in the fields, with Greylags, Canada's and Egyptians.
 

05/03/2021

08:00-09:00 from the end of a bitterly cold Dengemarsh Gully:

Wigeon: 2E

Pintail: 2E

Common Scoter: 1E

Eider: 1W Adult drake

Red-throated Diver: 34E    1W     1 on

Great-crested Grebe: 1W     3 on

Gannet: 293E     14W

Cormorant: present n/c

Kittiwake: 64E

Guillemot: 8E       5on

Auk sp: 159E   43W      7 on

Harbour Porpoise: 2 

2 Great White Egrets were feeding in the Gully and the Rubicola Stonechats was still present, but little else.

There were still c100 Russian White-fronted Geese around the Lydd Fields today

 A walk around the reserve saw of note an adult Yellow-legged Gull roosting on Burrowes, but I missed the Iceland Gull that was seen by OL. Good numbers of Teal on the hay fields and Wigeon on Dengemarsh and Boulderwall but despite careful scrutiny I couldn't find a Garganey. The usual Egrets and Marsh Harriers were seen, plenty of calling Cetti's Warblers but I was unable to find the Glossy ibis.

04/03/2021

1 of several flocks of Brent Geese past the bottom of Dengemarsh Gully today

A couple of watches from the bottom of the DMG today produced a few flocks of Brent Geese, a flock of 126 Red-throated Divers but little else, though I did miss a Great Northern Diver that flew East just before I arrived. A search of DMG didn't turn up any Bluethroats or much else for that matter, though the local Ravens were quite active so presumably feeding young on the power station.

At Scotney a flock of 10 Avocet were the highlight, also 20 Ringed Plover, 4 Dunlin, 6 Curlew, 8 Oystercatcher and 8 Redshanks along with the usual feral Geese, 3 Marsh Harriers and 2 Great White Egrets.

The only passerine of interest in DMG was this Rubicola Stonechat

There are still c100 Russian White-fronted Geese around the Lydd Fields/Dengemarsh area today.

The Black Swan is still inset in the field in front of my house