31/03/2021

Flock of Gannets flying flat on the sea though the early morning gloom, sea and sky are indinguishable

12 refugee/migrants surprising a Kayak fisherman

06:15-09:15 from The Point withAJG & CP:

Brent Goose: 53E

Shelduck: 3W

Pintail: 4E

Common Scoter: 168E   1w

Red-breasted Merganser: 9E

Red-throated Diver: 19E  6W

Great-crested Grebe: 2E   38 on

Fulmar: 4E   1W

Gannet: 351E    45W

Cormorant: 78 feeding in from of hide

Sparrowhawk: 1 in

Oystercatcher: 2E

Little Gull: 3 feeding in front of hide, then moved east

Sandwich Tern: 104E

Guillemot: 1E      2 on

Auk sp: 1E

Jackdaw: 7 out

Carrion Crow: 2 out

Harbour Seal: 44

Common Seal: 1

Nearly there

Landing right in front of us

Rib and outboard for sale, good condition only used once! 😂

Merlin over The New Diggings

As I checked The New Diggings in vain for yesterdays Black-necked Grebes a Merlin dashed over me.

A walk around Dengemarsh this afternoon with CP saw and heard of note a Little Ringed Plover that dropped into hayfield 3 briefly, 2 booming Bitterns 1 of which gave a brief flight view, several Marsh Harriers, several Sedge Warblers, Bearded Tits, the usual wildfowl, but didn't see the Garganey and Water Pipit that have been hanging around though both were seen by others, the Black Swan seems to have relocated to Dengemarsh. 

30/03/2021

1 of 2 Firecrests in the lighthouse Garden

 06.00-09.30 from The Point, thanks to CP & AJG for collating the numbers:

Brent Goose: 46E

Greylag Goose: 2 around

Shelduck: 2E

Shoveler: 19E

Common Scoter: 765E    5W

Red-breasted Merganser: 2E

Red-throated Diver: 58E    1W    1 on

Great-crestedGrebe: 14E     23 on

Fulmar: 1E    3W

Gannet: 97E   4W

Cormorant: 42E    53E

Oystercatcher: 2E

Dunlin: 4E

Merlin:  2 in

Peregrine: 1 in

Mediterranean Gull: 2 around

Iceland Gull: 1 2cy around

Glaucous Gull: 1 2cy around

Sandwich Tern: 58E

Guillemot: 1E    2 on

Razorbill: 1E

Auk sp: 2E

Carrion Crow: 2 in

Harbour Porpoise: 25

While I was having a socially distanced cup of tea with DB late morning a Swallow flew through, 10+ Wheatears were on the shingle opposite Jarmans also at least 1 Red kite was around The Point today unseen by me. Several Sedge Warblers were seen around the reserve and the drake Garganey is still insitu.

The first Yellow Wagtails turned up at Scotney today with a couple of White Wagtails.

2 cy Little Gull over the Eastern lake this afternoon

Yellow Wagtails at Scott this afternoon

Corn Bunting at Scotney this afternoon

3 very distant summer plumage Black-necked Grebes on the New Diggings this evening. Thanks to Mike Buckland for the tip off.

29/03/2021

24 of a flock of 28 Eider east past The Point this morning 

07.00 10.00 from The point thanks to AJG & CP for collating the numbers:

Brent Goose: 21E

Greylag Goose: 2W

Eider: 38E  in 2 flocks of 28 & 10

Common Scoter: 11E    20W

Red-throated Diver: 23E     2W

Great-crested Grebe: 34 around

Fulmar:3W

Gannet: 108E  

Cormorant: Present n/c

Kittiwake: 4W

Black-headed Gull: Present n/c

Common Gull: Present n/c

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 56E

Guillemot: 3W      2 on

Auk sp: 18E

 Swallow: 3 in off

Magpie: 3W along the beach

Carrion Crow: 13 in off

Goldfinch: 2 in off

Wheatear: 1 around (There were double figure numbers around the estate) per OL & DS

Black Redstart: 1 around

2 Spoonbills flew SE over the reserve per CT.

3 Sand Martins were seen at the lifeboat station per DS.

A check of the lakes late morning found no Hirundines and little else of note, another check this afternoon found the same result.

28/03/2021

Raven at DMG

07.30-10.00 from DMG

Brent Goose: 10E

Shelduck: 4E

Eider: 4E

Common Scoter: 56E

Red-breasted Merganser: 3E

Red-throated Diver: 25E     1W

Great-crested Grebe: 1E

Gannet: 69E   7W

Cormorant: 2E     45W

Ruff: 5 in off

Kittiwake: 6W

Mediterranean Gull: 2E

Sandwich Tern: 11E

Guillemot: 2E      1 on

Auk sp: 24E

Raven: 1 around

A quick walk around Dengemarsh as I had domestic stuff to do saw nothing of note, which was not surprising the way the wind was blowing across the marsh.

Glossy Ibis

Late afternoon checked out the lakes again for Hirundines but failed to find any. On the way the Glossy Ibis flew across the road infant of me, I hit the brakes and grabbed the camera that lives on the passenger seat and got a couple of flight shots, fortunately the Ibis landed on a small roadside pool allowing me to get a slightly better image of it.

An Early Grey my first macro moth of the year

27/03/2021

A female and 2 male Wheatears at the bottom of DMG this morning

A poor sea watch from the bottom of DMG this morning 06.40-08.00:

Eider: 1W 2nd cy drakę

Common Scoter: 25E    4W

Red-throated Diver: 22E       2W

Great-crested Grebe: 1E     1W

Gannet: 69E 

Cormorant: 63W       4E

Kittiwake: 7E

Black-headed Gull: Present n/c

Common Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 5E

Auk sp: 27E

Wheatear: 3 present

A wander around the reserve this morning in the company of RW was pleasant in the sunshine but little of note was seen, though a Bittern was booming by the ramp. 

I had just got home when I received an excited call from RW who was watching a White-tailed Eagle over 

the Water Tower, I quickly ran outside grabbed my scope from the car and managed to spot the Eagle near the Sound Mirrors, probably about 2 mile range so the view was not brilliant. That is now the second WTE I have seen from my garden.😀

Adult male Marsh Harrier chasing off a sub adult male from its nest territory

Another walk around the hay fields this afternoon saw 4 Marsh Harriers, with the interlopers being quickly chased off by the resident pair, also there were 2 Bitterns booming. 4 Corn Buntings were in the rough field with many Reed Buntings and a few Linnets. There were 8 Ruff on the floods but no sign of the Garganey among the Teal. A Great White Egret flew over.

1 of 8 Ruff on the hay fields this afternoon

 

25/03/2021

 06.30-0745 from the bottom of DMG:

Brent Goose: 10E

Common Scoter: 31E

Red-throated Diver: 37E    3W     2 on

Great-crested Grebe: 1E   1W   2 on

Gannet: 94E    2W

Cormorant: 18E  42W

Peregrine: 1 in

Kittiwake: 7E

Mediterranean Gull: 2E

Sandwich Tern: 17E      2W

Auk sp: 42E

Black Redstart: 1 around

Garganey on the far bank at Dengemarsh this morning

2 Black-tailed Godwits in hayfield 2 this morning also a Water Pipit in the hay fields

I joined OL in a stroll around the reserve this morning where the highlight was the first drake Garganey of the year at Dungeness albeit distant, as was just about everything else today. A Bittern was booming from Hookers and Bearded Tits were heard at several locations around the reserve. In the hay fields 2 Black-tailed Godwits with the Teal flock, also a nice Water Pipit that we only saw in flight. Marsh Harriers, Common Buzzards, Egrets, Ruff, Dunlin, Peregrine and Cetti's Warblers were all seen.

While having lunch I got news from DS of a Red Kite coming my way, I quickly walked out to the front of the house and spotted the Kite over the water tower drifting NE. 

1 of at least 2 White Wagtails by Cooks Pool this afternoon

A single Russian White-fronted Goose with Greylags at Scotney this afternoon

Little Ringed Plover with a Dunlin at Scotney this afternoon

A distant Little Gull on the ARC this afternoon

24/03/2021

Smart Eider

07.30-10.15 from DMG:

Brent Goose: 448E   (21 flocks) at every distance and height

Teal: 6E

Tufted Duck: 3E  (drake followed later by another drake and duck)

Eider: 4E  (the regular 2cy drake followed later by 2 ad drake and a duck: 

Common Scoter: 165E        18W

Red-throated Diver: 62E     7W      6 on

Great-crested Grebe: 1E    1W            7 on

Fulmar: 2E     1W

Gannet: 68E

Cormorant: c200 around

Dunlin: 5W

Kittiwake: 11E

Little Gull: 25E

Mediterranean Gull: 6E

Sandwich Tern: 16E

Guillemot: 4E   1 on

Auk sp: 55E

The rest of my day was taken up with domestic stuff.

Along the beach

Just offshore

Distant

Stratospheric

 

23/03/2021

Wheatear in DMG this morning

Due to fog sea watching early morning was out of the question, visibility  was only about 100mts. When it started to lift I went to DMG, where a smart male Wheatear was new in, at least 1 Black Redstart still there along with a smart Rubicola Stonechat, a Raven, 3 Chiffchaffs, a few Linnets, Great Tits, Dunnocks and Wrens. A brief look at the sea saw just a single party of 3 Red-throated Divers going East and the usual Cormorants. 

Black Redstart in DMG this morning

A wander around the reserve saw a Kingfisher of note and basically the same as yesterday with the addition of my first Peacock butterfly of the year.

Peacock by the VC late morning

Another horrible steel fence going up beside the track down to DMG, paid for by the tax payer.

 

22/03/2021

 

Chiffchaff that came in off the sea, immediately started fly catching from the DMG sluice outfall, fortunately avoiding the attention of the resident Merlin.

Resident Merlin patrolling the shoreline at DMG

Sea Watch this morning from the bottom of the DMG 07.30-09.00

Brent Goose: 213E

Teal: 6E

Common Scoter: 16E      11W

Red-throated Diver: 52E      9W       5 on

Great-crested Grebe: 17 on

Fulmar: 2E

Gannet: 84E     7W

Cormorant: c250 feeding offshore

Merlin: 1 around

Peregrine: 1 around

Oystercatcher: 17E

Kittiwake: 28E

Sandwich tern: 6E

Guillemot: 1 on

Auk sp: 10E

Chiffchaff: 1 in off

Black Redstart: 2 around

Raven: 1 around

Brent Geese passing DMG

Raven taking food back to nest at DMG

1 of at least 4 Chiffchaffs in DMG this morning 

Peregrine over DMG

A 3 hour circular walk around the reserve this afternoon saw several Marsh Harriers, Great and Little Egrets, Ruff and Redshank and Ringed Plover, as well as all the usual ducks including 6 Pintail and the feral Geese, many Reed Buntings and Cetti's Warblers, 3 Chiffchaffs and Bearded Tits calling from deep in a reed bed. On Burrowes the few islands were stacked with Gulls but I could only find a single 2nd cy Caspian Gull of any note. Still no Sand Martin, LRP or Garganey for me.

Great Egret at the hay fields

3 of 8 Ruff on the hay fields this afternoon

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