05/07/2021

A slow sea watch from the hide this morning:

07.20-08.20 

Common Scoter: 5E

Fulmar: 1W

Gannet: 24E      33W

Cormorant: 7W

Mediteranean Gull: 5E     10W

Sandwich Tern: 4E     2W

Grey Seal: 2

Harbour Porpoise: 3+

Not a great deal but compared to 14.45-15.30 from the fishing boats

A grand total of

Gannet: 1E

A wander around the reserve saw the usual Marsh Harriers and Egrets but no Cattle Egret, a Hobby put in a brief appearance but otherwise it was very quiet there today. A check of the ARC this afternoon saw the same eclipse wildfowl, once again no Glossy Ibis.

Egyptian Goose from Dennis's viewpoint

04/07/2021

AJG did an early morning sea watch 05.00-06.30:

Common Scoter: 8W

Gannet: 42E

Cormorant: prest n/c

Kittiwake: 2E

Mediterranean Gull: 8W

Sandwich Tern: 2W

Common Tern: 4W

Just like the sea watch the land was very quiet, the highlight for me was a Jay that flew NW over the ARC car park, I couldn't find the Glossy Ibis in its favoured spot, 100s of eclipse duck on the lake and at least 20 pairs of Common Terns on the raft, which will hopefully fare better than the Burrowes Terns whose eggs are being taken by the Herring Gulls. A Great Spotted Woodpecker flying over the lake was another sign of Autumn.

Grey Heron on the Boulderwall Fields

Apart from the Herons Boulderwall was very quiet , a Hobby dashing after some Starlings was nice.

The hay fields seemed devoid of avian life, Dengemarsh in general was poor.

5 0f the 10 Great White Egrets I saw today

Herring Gull Island at Scotney, I don't remember ever seeing this much vegetation on it.

01/07/2021

The Glossy Ibis was still at the ARC this morning

A quite gloomy morning the ARC where apart from the Glossy there was little of interest avian wise, a few pairs of Common Terns appear to be settled on the raft, the lake seems to be smothered in Mute Swans and eclipse Dabblers, the only waders were 3 Lapwings but there is few places waders could feed at the moment with water levels so high.

A Cattle Egret on the Boulderwall Fields was a nice surprise, it or another was on Hayfield 1 a little later. 10 Great White Egrets is the highest count so far this year with 8 at Boulderwall and another 2 at Dengemarsh. With the volunteers out cutting grass and brambles around the reserve I couldn't't work upon the enthusiasm to walk down to Burrowes, but second hand reports I received told of little of note there. 

Cattle Egret at the top of Cookes Pool this morning

7 of the 8 Great White Egrets on the Boulderwall Fields this morning

The nest still looks very flimsy to me

Cattle Egret in Hayfield 1, not sure if it is the same bird I saw earlier at Cookes Pool. It didn't stay long as the volunteers arrived and started trimming around the anti predator fence.
 

30/06/2021

I joined AJG who kept the log for an early morning sea watch:

06.00-08.00

Common Scoter: 17W

Gannet: 5E

Grey Heron: 1 out

Oystercatcher: 2E

Mediterranean Gull: $ feeding off shore

Sandwich Tern: 4E

Common Tern: 16 At The Patch

Commic Tern: 18E 

Black Redstart: 1 around

Black-tailed Godwit in Hayfield 1

After the sea watch I visited the ARC and walked up to The Pines, 100s of Swifts,  House and Sand Martins  were hawking over the lake along with a few Swallows and at least 1 Hobby in attendance. Today was the first time in a long while that I didn't see the Glossy Ibis though it could easily hide in the vegetation where a Water Rail was squealing.

A walk around the hay fields towards Burrowes and got another soaking when the rain came with no hides to shelter in. The highlight was a single Black-tailed Godwit on hay field 1. At least 2 Great White Egrets were around Dengemarsh, the Black Swan still present, also lots of Swifts over and 2 more Hobby's and at least 6 Ravens

 but little else of note.

At Scotney 3 more Black Swans have joined the many 100s of feral Geese

Cinnabar Caterpillars at Galloway's, where Meadow Pipits and Stonechats seem to have had good breeding success but I saw no Wheatears there.

A Ruddy Carpet was a new moth for me in the trap yesterday

 

 

28/06/2021

Sea fog rolling up the bund  between the sea watch hide and Patch hide this morning

Another very dull and damp morning at Dungeness, on the up side the moth trap was bulging though not a great deal of quality in it, a Shore Wainscot which is just about annual in my trap, 98 Xylostellas and 6 Privet Hawk Moths among the among the many usual suspects.

As the sun came out this afternoon I thought I'd have look at Dengemarsh for the Norfolk Hawker that was seen on Saturday, a Mediterranean Gull was on the new flood at Springfield Bridge caused by yesterday afternoons and evenings biblical down pour. After an hours searching I spotted a likely candidate being harassed by an Emperor Dragonfly, fortunately the Hawker landed quite close to me showing off its green eyes.

Mediterranean Gull in the flooded field at Dengemarsh this afternoon 

Norfolk Hawker at Dengemarsh this afternoon

                                          Norfolk Hawker at Dengemarsh this afternoon

Male Four-spotted Chaser at Dengemarsh this afternoon

1of 6 Privet Hawk Moths in the trap this morning

Shore Wainscot, just about annual in my trap

 

27/06/2021

 A thoroughly miserable day with constant rain or drizzle with very low cloud all day. A male Marsh Harrier quartering the Rape field in front the house was my highlight, though a lovely male Pied Wagtail collecting food from the garden was a close second as it is a bird I have very rarely seen actually in the garden. The only news was a single Common Sandpiper on Burrowes per PT who was brave enough to walk round the reserve getting a soaking for his trouble. If the hides were open at Dungeness RSPB as seems to be the case every where else I would have ventured down to the reserve to observe the avian comings and going's. 

The image above shows the known history of orange colour ringed  Lesser Black-backed Gull that was in the Gull roost by the entrance track to the VC on Friday 25/06/202. It appears to spend most winters in Malaga Harbour.

26/06/2021

I joined SO and AJG who kindly collated the numbers at the sea watch hide this morning: 

06.00-07.30

Common Scoter: 36E         8W

Fulmar: 3W

Gannet: 51E

Cormorant: c20 around

Kittiwake: 1E

Black-headed Gull: c220 at The Patch including first juvenile of the year.

Mediterranean  Gull: 3E     2 at The Patch

Great Black Backed Gull: c30 at The Patch

Herring Gull: c100 at The Patch

Sandwich Tern: 14W    6E

Common Tern: 16E      12+ feeding offshore

Guillemot: 1W

After the sea watch we had a wander around the reserve, there was very little song to be heard today so hopefully all the warblers, finches etc are settled down to nesting. No change on Burrowes still 30+ pairs of Common Terns and the resident Herring, LesserBlack-backed and Common Gulls nesting, also 8 Sandwich Terns were flying around making plenty of noise. The wildfowl is all looking very scruffy as they go into eclipse, the only waders we saw were a handful of Lapwing and an Oystercatcher. At Dengemarsh this afternoon 2 Hobby's, 3 Ravens, Yellow Wagtails and Corn Buntings.

This afternoon at the ARC the Glossy Ibis still present on its favourite island, the usual male Marsh Harrier hunting the Coot but little else of note. 

Plenty of Linnets around the reserve, a very under rated bird.

Adding to a very fragile nest at Hookers today

2 of at least 6 Great White Egrets at Boulderwall this morning

Single Pyramid Orchid hideen among the brambles under the pines at the ARC

The moth trap catch continues to be poor. 5 of these Elephant Hawkmoth were as good as got today

25/06/2021

07.15-08.15 from the hide:

Common Scoter: 7E

Gannet: 3E  4W

Cormorant: 6W

Mediterranean Gull: 1E    1W

Common Tern: 1W

Auk sp: 1E

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 4+

Large mixed very distant feeding flock of c200 GBBG, HG, BHG.

Not much of a return for the time, at least it was dry in the hide.

A quick look around the fishing boats found 2 young Wheatears, then the rain started again.

At the ARC the Glossy Ibis was still on its favourite island gorging Medicinal Leeches,. On the Tern raft, there appears to be about 10 pairs of Common Terns but could be more or less as the visibility was poor. a family of Water Rails disappeared quickly into the reed bed in front the screen hide as hunting Marsh Harrier came over, hopefully I'll get my camera back from repair next week as my spare one is very slow to focus and the quality leaves a lot to be desired.

At Boulderwall 2 Great White Egrets were the highlights. A colour ringed (D9CT) Lesser Black-backed Gull was in the roost by the entrance track just before the VC. On Burrowes c30 pairs of Common Terns appear to be nesting on an island, unfortunately a Herring Gull is raising 3 chicks on the same island, so I'm guessing when the Terns hatch none will fledge as the Herring Gulls will have them as a live buffet.

The only waders I could see there was a Redshank and a single Lapwing. PT had a Green Sandpiper in the hay fields.

At Boulderwall 2 Great White Egrets were the highlights. A colour ringed (D9CT) Lesser Black-backed Gull was in the roost by the entrance track just before the VC. On Burrowes c30 pairs of Common Terns appear to be nesting on an island, unfortunately a Herring Gull is raising 3 chicks on the same island, so I'm guessing when the Terns hatch none will fledge as the Herring Gulls will use them 

The seemingly ever present Glossy Ibis yesterday still there today.

Poor image of Six Belted Clearwing at Dungeness yesterday

A rather attractive Grasshopper sp at Dungeness yesterday.

23/06/2021

AJG did an early morning sea watch 06.00-07.30:

Common Scoter: 6W

Gannet: 11E

Great White Egret: 1 out to sea

Kittiwake: 2W

Common Tern: 34E (one flock of 23)

Swallow: 1 in off the sea

A little better than of late which shows how poor the sea has been.

With my car in for service all day and having builders in I only walked down the track by the football club

and watched from home. Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers were all heard, a Cuckoo is still calling from nearby, a male Marsh Harrier hunted the ditches, the Yellow Wagtails were busy feeding young, likewise the resident Meadow Pipits, the local Common Buzzards appeared to be taking food into Lydd Wood. 2 Grey Herons circled over the fields gaining height until nearly lost to sight them drifted South East.

Apparently the Glossy Ibis was still at the ARC today, 20 Mediterranean Gulls were at The Patch, a male Hen Harrier was seen at Galloway's per DS, the highlight for Burrowes was a Brent Goose per OL, yesterday's highlight was a winter plumage Knot.

Meadow Pipit with a juicy Grasshopper for its young

Painted Lady basking on the track

An unknown caterpillar c75mm long

20/06/2021

Sedge Warbler

A walk around the reserve in the morning in the company of AJG unsurprisingly failed to find the Rosy Starling as it has been very elusive. A party of 8 Green Sandpipers were on the hay fields and still present in the evening when I repeated the walk. A family party of Bearded Tits again showed well by the pumps, Marsh Harriers were busy hunting and at least 5 Great White Egrets are present, Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers  seem to be abundant as does Reed Buntings, the Bittern however appears to have stopped booming and is very elusive, inly being seen in flight by the lucky few. The Glossy Ibis is still on its usual island on the ARC, where the usual summer build up of Pochard and Gadwall is occurring. The Hooded Crow deserted Greatstone and turned up at Dengemarsh and then in Lydd.

1 of a party of 8 Green Sandpipers on the hay fields

Hooded Crow by the dung heap at Dengemarsh