15/05/2021

Greenfinch in the garden early morning while waiting for the rain to ease

Raven silhouette over the garden

The Hobby's are still looking miserable

Whitethroat posing in the rain at Dengemarsh this morning

The damp walk around the reserve this morning was made worthwhile by finding this Cattle Egret, the first on the reserve this year. The Bitterns were again booming rather half heartedly at Dengemarsh, also lovely summer plumage adult Great White Egret, along with all the usual wildfowl and warblers. I couldn't see any Lapwing chicks this morning, but they were probably hiding and keeping dry somewhere.

Over the lakes many Hirundines but nothing unusual I could see, the only wader of note on Burrowes was a single Whimbrel.

Glossy Ibis on the ARC this afternoon

 

Friday 14/05/2021

A cold slow hours sea watch this morning saw just a few Gannets, Terns and Scoter. Next stop the hay fields which was also cold and damp, though the flock of Corn Buntings very nice to see along with the usual Yellow Wagtails. The Hobby's looked very sorry for them selves and are obviously struggling to feed. In the reeds the usual Warblers singing rather half heartedly, also the occasional Bearded Tit calling and Bittern booming. There were at least 3 Lapwing chicks in hay field, the next 2 weeks or so is likely to be very challenging for them with the host of aerial predators as well as Stoats.

There is still a flock of c24 Corn Buntings at Dengemarsh

A cold, damp dejected Hobby at the hay fields

1of 4+ Little Ringed Plovers at Scotney

A wander around Scotney was rewarding with my first Common Sandpiper of the year, nice views of hunting Hen Harrier and Little Ringed Plovers. Good numbers of Avocets can be seen but look very vulnerable to attack from Badgers and Foxes.

My first Common Sandpiper of the year at Scotney

Avocet at Scotney

1 of the many Yellow Wagtails at Scotney

Ring tail Hen Harrier at Scotney

Common Buzzard with a Rabbit

Nesting Avocets at Scotney

Common Gull does little to line its nest site unlike the Herring Gull below

An evening stroll around the reserve was pleasant, 100s of Swallows were hawking over Burrowes but no Terns appeared to be roosting. A Brown Hare gave me prolonged views as it grazed on some Broome, unfortunately the poor light did not do it justice.

Herring Gull taking over 1 of the Common Gull boxes

Brown Hare nibbling on the Broome on the reserve at dusk

13/05/2021

The highlight of a very dull sea watch was the arrival of this RIB carrying 18 refugees

07.00-09.00 with CP

Common Scoter: 33E   4W

Red-throated Diver: 1W

Great-crested Grebe: 4 around

Fulmar: 1W

Gannet: 178W     46E

Kittiwake: 13W

Sandwich Tern: 6E

Common Tern: 5E

Arctic Skua: 1W

Guillemot: 3W

Harbour Porpoise: 6+

Yesterdays Purple Heron over the Long Pits, appeared to fly out to the reserve

A walk around the reserve today heard a Bittern calling and glimpses of Bearded Tits and the usual reed bed warblers. A Greenshank with the Redshanks in the hay fields, it was good to see 4 Lapwing chicks, how many if any will survive the onslaught from the many predators is another matter. It looks as though the small colony of Black-headed Gulls at the southern end of the ARC has been raided and destroyed by Badgers. The Glossy Ibis is still making appearances on the ARC and at Cooks Pool, also a breeding plumaged Great White Egret has returned to the reserve, Cuckoo's seem to be very scarce on the reserve.

The Hobbys have been putting on superb displays around the reserve when the sun comes out

Dropping onto its prey

Common Terns are making themselves heard all around the reserve

Dunlin in front of Firth

Greenshank on the hay field

Yellow Wagtail on Dengemarsh flood

At last I've started to get a few moths in my traps

Silver Y

First Angleshades of the year

Wormwood Pug I think?

11/05/2-21

One of yesterdays very distant Pomarine Skuas

3 of the 4 Mute Swans that flew East this morning, rarer than Poms on a sea watch

 06.00-11.00 with CP

Mute Swan: 4E

Brent Goose: 13E

Garganey: 1E

Mallard: 3E

Teal: 5E

Velvet Scoter: 2E

Common Scoter: 274E   25

Red-breasted Merganser: 1E

Red-throated Diver: 2E    2W

Black-throated Diver: 2E

Fulmar: 2E    2W

Great-crested Grebe: 5 around

Gannet: 459E     55W

Cormorant: 56 around

Oystercatcher: 1E

Kittiwake: 23E    6W

Sandwich Tern: 108E

Little Tern: 2E

Common Tern: 132E

Commic Tern: 327E

Arctic Tern: 142E 

Great Skua: 2E

Pomarine Skua: 1E @ 09.52

Arctic Skua: 5E

Guillemot: 5E

Auk sp: 8E   2W

Swallow: 17 in

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 16+ under recorded.

One of the many Harbour Porpoises off shore lately

Female Yellow Wagtail collecting nest material at Dengemarsh this evening

1 of several Hobby's around Dengemarsh this evening

The Dengemarsh Black Swan is becoming quite tame

Brown Hare at Dengemarsh over the weekend

Whimbrel at Dengemarsh over the weekend

Lesser Whitethroat at Dengemarsh over the weekend

Wheatear at Dengemarsh over the weekend

07/05/2021

A poor 2 hour watch this morning!

06.00-08.00

Greylag Goose: 2 in off

Common Scoter: 14E

Great-crested Grebe: 4 around

Fulmar: 1E  1W

Gannet: 72E    38W

Cormorant: 47 off shore

Hobby: 1 in

Oystercatcher: 2E

Kittiwake: 5E   1W

Mediterranean Gull: 1E  1st summer

Little Tern: 2E

Common Tern: c200 around The Patch

Commic: 45E

Arctic Skua: 1E

Auk sp: 31E.  4W

Swift: 1 in

Harbour Porpoise: 6+

Grey Seal: 1

As I had to visit Canterbury Hospital this morningI thought I'd go to Grove ferry afterwards, when I left the hospital I only got as far as the roundabout by the city walls before I'd had enough of the traffic and headed straight back to Dungeness, I feel sorry for anyone who regularly use that Road.

As I made my way back to Dungeness I received news of a Wood Warbler the top of the Long pits. On arrival a Grasshopper Warbler was singing there and did so on and off for most of the afternoon, the Wood Warbler was singing but was now very showy. In the lighthouse garden a Pied Flycatcher and a Spotted Flycatcher and a Garden Warbler, as the garden is so overgrown viewing was difficult.

Pied Flycatcher

Spotted Flycatcher

I went back to the top end of the Long Pits where the Wood warbler was still showing and the Grasshopper Warbler was still reeling, being joined by another Spotted flycatcher and a couple more Garden Warblers. 

Despite my best efforts I completely messed up the image of the superb Wood Warbler😅 

06/05/2021

One of this mornings Pomarine Skuas

 0630-12.00 with AJG, CP, PT, RB et al

Brent Goose: 1E

Greylag Goose: 2 in

Common Scoter: 113E    7W

Red-throated diver: 4E

Black-throated diver: 3E

Great-crested Grebe: 4 around

Fulmar: 1E  1W

Gannet: 83E     21W

Cormorant: present n/c

Oystercatcher: 1E

Whimbrel: 8E

Bar-tailed Godwit: 8E

Dunlin: 2E

Kittiwake: 11E

Sandwich tern: 57E

Common Tern: 156E

Commic Tern: 37E

Pomarine Skua: 3E

Arctic Skua: 2E

Auk sp: 2E    6W

Swallow: 4 out

Black Redstart: 1 male

Harbour Porpoise: 4

Grey Seal: 1

Common Seal: 1

Male Black Redstart collecting food for its young at the back of the sea watch hide this morning

At The Patch this afternoon 192 Common Terns resting on the beach and feeding over the boil,  also 3 Mediterranean Gulls (2 X 1st summers & a 2nd summer). 2 Great and an Arctic Skua passed offshore with a few Gannets and Common Scoter.

Dengemarsh at Sun set

An evening visit to the reserve when the wind had dropped out completely was very pleasant, with Sedge and Reed Warblers singing all round, a Bittern booming and Water Rails squealing, several Yellow Wagtails flitting around and Corn and Reed Buntings jangling and wheezing, Redshank doing what Redshanks do best, alarming all around the hay fields as I made my way to Burrowes. Where c100 Oystercatchers were roosting on the islands and 4 Hobby's were hawking along the back edge of the lake and over the Open Pits.