26/07/2021

My first Arctic Skua of the autumn going east at The point

A wander around at The Point saw my first Arctic Skua of the Autumn, 6, Mediterranean Gulls, c20 each of Sandwich and Common Terns, a Grey Seal and a Black Redstart, also of note 4 Clouded Yellows.  There were 145 Mediterranean gulls at The Varne early morning per AJG) 

Sandwich Tern at The Point

Wood Pigeon on the shore line 

The ARC was again full of eclipse wildfowl, c200 Coot, 300+ Pochard per JY, 200+ Gadwall with Shoveler, Teal, Mallard and Tufted duck, 56 Mute Swans, 2 Great White Egrets, 30+ Common Terns, plus the usual Cormorants and Gulls but no quality. A small pulses of Sand Martins went through also 6 Swifts. A search of the bushes found no returning Willow Warblers or indeed any other returning migrants, though there were some Common and Lesser Whitethroats , Sedge and Reed Warblers all local breeders.

Corn Bunting Dengemarsh

Dengemarsh this evening saw the usual Corn Buntings and Yellow Wagtails, several pulses of Sand Martins went through west. On hay field 1 the first Wigeon I've seen since May, a single Ruff, 4 Common Snipe and 2 Great White Egrets flew over. Burrowes was predictably disappointing with such high water levels and no where for waders to feed. There is a small patch in front of Firth hide, but even if you walk carefully onto the view point everything in front flushes, let alone an excited child running up to the rope, so no chance of seeing anything there, making the viewpoint a White Elephant.  

Wigeon, Hay field 1

Ruff, Hay field 1

Toad by Scott look out

Small Purple-barred

The moth trap yielded a Small Purple-barred, which is a scarce moth on the peninsular, this one was only the 9th Dungeness record, the 8th also in my trap on the same date in 2019.

A tatty Sussex Emerald that made into my trap yesterday

 

23/07/2021

AJG did an early morning sea watch and kindly sent me his sightings.

05.30-07.30

Common Scoter: 17E

Gannet: 16E

Cormorant: present n/c

Oystercatcher: 3E

Mediterranean  Gull: 36E

Sandwich Tern: 17E

Common Tern:  24E

Yellow Wagtail: 1E

Grey Seal: 1

Juvenile Black Redstart  on the perimeter fence

As I was chatting to JTM by the red and white gates at about 08.30 we heard a whirring of wings just overhead like a game bird, by the time I/we got a view of the bird it seemed to disappear into the Gorse at West Beach, we can only think that it was a Quail, despite looking we could not refind it. 

Grey Seal close in shore 

Meadow Pipit still feeding young in the Power Station this morning

The Screen Hide now open, but with the rest of back removed, so in todays force 6 NE wind as soon as I opened a flap the wind just blasted in my face making viewing very uncomfortable and difficult, it was easier and better viewing to stand on the bank, I would imagine that wind speed any more than a zephyr from any direction  will be uncomfortable.

I went to Dennis's Hide this afternoon, as I walked I was assaulted by the wind roaring through all the open flaps, my first thought was that the RSPB had fixed them all open, but I guess they had just been left open by visitors, while closing them I heard a rustle behind me, on turning found I saw an adult Herring Gull crawling under the seats on its side. I was able to catch it easily getting the usual scars from its powerful beak, once I had it under control I could it had swallowed a fishing hook, the line and more fishing hooks were wrapped tightly around its leg and body. I took it to the VC where a member of staff cut the line with scissors off its leg while I held the bird, unfortunately we could only cut the line just inside its beak leaving the hook presumably in its gut, but at least it could now walk, I took it to the lake and released onto the water where it shook its self and flew off, probably to die but maybe it can survive with hook inside it.

The only notable bird I saw was a Common Sandpiper on the Tern Raft, a Greenshank was seen on the hay fields this morning by PT.

Palpita vitrealis was last nights highlight in the MV 

A pristine Delicate 

21/07/2021

I met AJG just as he was finishing his early morning sea watch, his list did not inspire me to carry on.

05.15 - 07.50

Common Scoter: 8E

Gannet: 1E

Cormorant: present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 5W

Sandwich Tern: 7E

Common Tern: 5E

As you can see not inspiring.

We walked along to The Patch where the usual Herring Gulls, Greater and Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Black-headed Gulls were loafing around. The highlight was 3 young Black Redstarts from a second brood and a juvenile Wheatear on the perimeter wall.

On the reserve 4 Great White Egrets on Boulderwall Fields seen from the car. It was far to hot to walk around the reserve with no shelter from the sun as the hides have still not been opened. Maybe they lost the padlock key and the screwdriver, even the Screen Hide is still all boarded up, little wonder few people are going to the reserve.

Juvenile Black Redstarts

Juvenile Wheatear

A moulting Meadow Pipit by the car park

Lunar Hornet Moth in the trapping area this morning. thanks to OL for the lure.

Lunar Hornet Moth

Six-belted Clearwing at the ARC this afternoon

15 Orange-tipped Clearwings around the pheromone lure yesterday

Orange-tailed Clearwing yesterday on Folkstone Downs

19/07/2021

Emperor Dragonfly resting on the Power station perimeter wall early morning

An hours sea watch early this morning was again very slow, just a few each of Common Scoter, Gannets, Common and Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls of any note. AJG watched for another 90 minutes with the same results. The anglers were once again reeling in plenty of Mackerel.

Another string of Mackerel being hauled in

In the trapping area a singing Blackcap among the few resident birds. I borrowed OLs Lunar Hornet Clearwing pheromone with excellent results.

No change at the ARC still all the eclipse wildfowl enjoying the high water levels. The Common Terns on the raft seem to be doing ok.

This afternoon on Romney Marsh a couple of Red-tipped Clearwings came to my pheromone lure 

18/07/2021

Male Lesser Emperor resting on the power station perimeter wall this morning courtesy of Owen

Half abhor looking at the sea this mornings a few Mediterranean Gulls a long way off shore, a couple of Gannets, a Sandwich Tern, a few Common Terns and some Harbour Porpoises, not much to get excited about. The beach was packed with fisherman hauling in many Mackerel, one chap pulled in 7 in one cast.

A quick look at the ARC saw the usual wild fowl including large numbers of eclipse Pochard, Gadwall and a Great White Egret.

A tatty Gem was about the only quality in the moth trap this morning

A Plumed Fan-foot a regular visitor my trap 

The visitor centre car park this afternoon at 15.30 this afternoon. This image tells me there is something wrong withe reserve, that at 15.30 on a glorious holiday Sunday afternoon there are so few visitors. 100s of thousands of people drive past the entrance to the reserve each year to go to the beach where they can walk for free and get a meal. Now that Rye Harbour has opened its new centre where the public can get a meal, have a walk and yes see lots of birds, so no surprise that the RSPB car park is all but empty.

A single Ruff at Firth and 2 Common Sandpipers roosting on the Tern raft at Dennis's were the highlight of a complete circuit of the reserve this afternoon, pulses of Sand Martins were moving SW as is usual this time of year, c250 Lapwing were roosting on the shingle with c40 Oystercatchers, also a familiar sight this time of year. Burrowes was mainly silent though without the screech of dozens of Common Terns, some may have moved over to the ARC, but it is still a sad sight to see no nesting Terns on Burrowes when there used to be several 100s of pairs.

Marsh Frog in the ditch by Lydd FC

 

My first juvenile Sandwich Tern of the year at The Patch this morning, quite possibly a French bird as the nearest colony is at One-Plage, sad to think there used to be 100s of pairs nesting on the reserve on islands in Burrowes Pit in the not too distant past. Just a single Mediterranean Gull among the Black-headed Gulls on the beach and nothing passing offshore.  PT dis a circuit of the reserve today and only 3 fresh  juvenile Marsh Harriers of note to report.

Painted Lady on the Lavender in my garden

Laingmaid's Yellow Underwing with a Herald and Elephant Hawkmoth 

 

15/07/2021

AJG did an early morning sea watch this morning 06.00-08.00

Common Scoter: 8E

Gannet: 7W

Whimbrel: 1W

Mediterranean  Gull: 3W

Sandwich Tern: 8W

Common Tern: 21W

Rather poor return for the effort of getting up early, though this watch is not as bad as some of the watches of late. AJG did another 2 hour watch this afternoon the highlight being a single  Bonxie that flew East.

With the sea watching being so poor and being battered by the winds and soaked in the rain due to lack of shelter on the reserve, I lost my mojo, so I've been spending time getting domestic stuff done, decorating etc. I did venture to the reserve the other evening going in from Springfield Bridge, straight away my heart sunk as I realised they had put the tractor mower in Dengemarsh Flood taking out at least 1 Yellow Wagtails nest and probably several Meadow Pipits nests, you'd think the RSPB would know better, not content with the flood they also did the hayfields. I didn't see any any Lapwing chicks fledge in the hay fields due to predation and not helped by the weather, also I didn't see any Redshank chicks, then I find all the Common Terns were allowed to be predated by the Herring Gulls through lack of a little management. I'm not advocating killing the Herring Gulls, just move them on as soon as they attempt to nest on some of the islands and Tern rafts. What is the point of encouraging the Terns to nest in the knowledge that they will lose their breeding season due to a couple of pairs of Herring Gulls that will happily nest elsewhere. 

Stoat in Dengemarsh Flood

Red Fox in the ARC car park

It would seem that the Glossy Ibis has left, though I'm hoping that it may be feeding in a secluded ditch or fishing lake. The pair of Hobby's are still around Dengemarsh as are a few Great White Egrets and a single Cattle Egret, a few Green Sandpipers have been around the hay fields but little else of note. The first young Willow Warbler of the autumn was in in a private garden this morning.

At Scotney the 100s of feral geese are still in residence, 2 Avocets were roosting on Herring Gull Island.

This female Sparrowhawk took out a young Starling and devoured it in my neighbours garden

The pair of Yellow Wagtails in the fields opposite my house managed to raise 2 young despite the nest being sprayed with God knows what by the farmer twice.

Peach Blossom only the second one that has found its way into my trap

 A very fresh Gem

A Manx Shearwater heading west past the sea watch hide

The overnight gale persisted all day today giving a reasonable sea watch until by 10.00 all passage appeared to have dried up.

07.00-10.00 with PT & CP

Common Scoter: 24E

Fulmar: 17E    2W

Manx Shearwater: 10E     2W

Gannet: 157E     151W

Cormorant: 2W

Kittiwake: 6E

Sandwich Tern: 1E

Common Tern: 2W

Great Skua: 3E

Auk sp: 12E

Swift: 9E  (a single flock out at sea)

A Manx Shearwater heading east past the sea watch hide

As the gale blew all day I didn't bother with the reserve, with no hides open there is no shelter to watch from, also to shelter from the showers, the viewpoints are nothing short of wind tunnels giving you no chance of keeping optics steady enough to view.