20/11/2021

First year Red-breasted Flycatcher trapped at Dungeness Observatory today

After release it was still showing on/off in the Sallows around The Moat but very difficult to photograph in the poor light and drizzle.

The 2 Glossy Ibis and at least 5 Cattle and 2 Great Egrets were in the Boulderwall Fields. The other hi light was a Puffin that flew west past the fishing boats this afternoon, unfortunately I was to busy failing to get good images of the Flycatcher.

Yesterday at least 8 Black Redstarts around The Point, most in front the power station

Black Redstart

Who's a pretty boy

A couple of Merlins from yesterday around the power station

There seems to be good numbers of Pied Wagtails around The Point lately

Last night was the last throw of the dice this year as far as my nothing is concerned, so this Palpita vitrealis was nice finale.

17/11/2021

 A cool NW wind was never going to make a good sea watch, though it was busier than I expected.07.55 - 08.55  from the sea watch hide:

Common Scoter: 7E

Red-throated Diver: 1E    2W  

Great-crested Grebe: 4 on

Gannet: 475W      43E

Cormorant: present n/c

Peregrine: 1 in off

Kittiwake: 166W

Black-headed Gull: present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 1W

Common Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Guillemot: 12W       6 on

Razorbill: 97W    

Auk sp: 886W     27E

Starling: 3,840 in off

Grey seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 1

A wander around The Point and Desert found little of note, a flock of 11 Skylarks behind the fishing boats, a Black Redstart among the containers with another at Southview were the highlights. 

This Marsh Harrier was hunting the field in front my house late morning

Early afternoon saw the 2 Glossy Ibis showing well at Cooks Pool, the young female below is now starting to get her glossy feathers.

On Burrowes Pit this afternoon at least 3 Caspian Gulls, (1w + 3W + adult) also 3w Yellow-legged Gull.

16/11/2021

Another very still morning so unsurprisingly the sea was again flat calm, but a few birds off shore.   

8.10 - 09.10 from the sea watch hide:

Teal: 14W

Wigeon: 3E

Common Scoter: 4E

Red-throated Diver: 4E      1W     2 on

Great-crested Grebe: 11 on

Gannet: 248E      17W

Cormorant: present n/c

Kittiwake: 65E       7W

Black-headed Gull: present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 2W

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: 2W

Great Skua: 2W

Guillemot: 21E     8W     3 on

Razorbill: 102E  9W  15 on

Auk sp: 453E       82W

Black Redstart: 2 behind hide

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 2

During my walk around the trapping area I managed very brief views of the Siberian Chiffchaff and also saw a couple of European Chiffchaffs, a couple of Brambling over, several each of Redpoll and Siskin, also a few Blackbirds, Redwing and Song Thrushes were flushed, alas no sign of the 2 Long-eared Owls that SP flushed from the area whilst putting up the nets early morning.

On seeing the right hand bird I immediately thought it was a Caspian Gull, then changed my mind to Yellow-legged Gull but now I'm swinging back to Caspian and still not sure.

My first sighting of Polish ringed Black-headed Gull TJVV this winter at the fishing boats, first seen last winter hopefully it will hang around again.

Hastings Life Boat loaded with refugees and towing there RIB

Coming past the fishing boats

Transferred the refugees to the Dungeness boats 

Coming to shore at Dungeness

Late afternoon I rushed a Jack Snipe at the ARC. 14 Cattle Egrets, 9 Great White Egrets and 6 Little Egrets roosted at the ARC per PT, also the 2 Glossy Ibis were at Cooks Pool this afternoon also per PT.

15/11/2021

This 1st calendar year Caspian Gull dropped onto the beach by me this morning briefly before moving off West

08.05-09.35 from the boats:

Brent Goose: 3W  2E

Shelduck: 15W 

Teal: 1W

Common Scoter: 5W

Red-throated Diver: 1W    2E  2on

Great-crested Grebe: 4W      9 on

Gannet: 869W      37E

Cormorant: present n/c

Kittiwake: 112W

Little Gull: 5W

Black-headed Gull: present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 16W

Common Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Caspian Gull: 1 1cal yr on beach briefly then flew West

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 6W

Guillemot: 2W       11 on

Razorbill: 14W     6 on

Auk sp: 97W

Starling: 50 in off

Grey seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 1

Red-throated Diver at the fishing boats

A check of the Scotney Pits found all the usual feral geese but loo scarcer species among them.

The Goosander was still on the westernmost pit at Camber today

Yellow ringed 1st cal year Caspian Gull unfortunately it resolutely refused to move to shallow water so all I managed to get was P:8** making it a Polish bird.

Most of the afternoon was spent in Dennis's hide looking at Gulls, 3 Caspian and a a Yellow-legged Gull was found, once again the Starling murmuration was excellent.

2w Caspian Gull

1w Caspian Gull

Adult Caspian and Adult Yellow-legged Gull on Burrowes yesterday afternoon

12/11/2021

A couple of the Little Gulls passing the fishing boats this morning

 06.50-09.00 with SP & AJ

Brent Goose: 1E

Common Scoter: 4W   2E

Red-throated diver: 1W   2E

Great-crested Grebe: 3W   2E    2 on

Gannet: 319W

Oystercatcher: 7W     1E

Kittiwake: 270W

Little Gull: 6W

Mediterranean Gull: 12W

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: 19W

Arctic Skua: 1W

Guillemot: 131W

Auk sp: 71W

Razorbill: 526W     52E

Starling: 3,921 in off the sea

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 2

A visit to Dennis's hide late morning saw very little of note. OL had done a circuit of the reserve and seen 9 Cattle egrets and a Water Pipit on the hay fields. The 2 2 Ibis were lurking at the top end of Cooks Pool.

Sooty Shearwater passing the fishing boats this afternoon

13.45-16.00 from the fishing boats 

Red-throated Diver: 3W

Great-crested Grebe: 2W     2 on

Sooty Shearwater: 1W

Gannet: 618W

Cormorant: 94 around

Kittiwake: 591W

Little Gull: 4W

Black-headed Gull: c6,000W

Mediterranean Gull: 51W

Common Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Lesser black-backed Gull: 3 on beach

Sandwich Tern: 72W

Guillemot: 41W

Razorbill: 68W

Auk sp: 52W

Harbour Porpoise: 2+

11/11/2021

The Whooper Swan roosting on the ARC yesterday morning

One of several Lesser Redpolls trapped at the observatory this morning

The Whooper Swan has now moved to the Mute Swan herd in Swamp Road, Old Romney because it was disturbed by the spraying tractor of local Lydd guardian of the countryside. 

 Today was very quiet with little moving overhead or offshore, on the reserve singles of Black-necked Grebe and Goldeneye, 44 Dunlin, 14 Grey Plover, 4 Black-tailed Godwits, c500 Golden Plover, c400 Lapwing, c450 Oystercatchers came to roost, 3 Caspian Gulls came in this afternoon(2 x 1w + an adult), 2 adult Yellow-legged Gulls and the c25,000 Starling murmuration was attacked by a Merlin, Peregrine and Sparrowhawk, the usual Egrets were still present.

09/11/2021

AJG did the early morning sea watch and kindly sent me his numbers, whilst I wandered around seeing not much at all and getting a soaking for my trouble. 😂

07:00-08:45  

Brent Goose: 2W

Common Scoter: 19W

Red-breasted Merganser: 1W

Red-throated Diver: 1W

Gannet: 689W

Cormorant: present n/c

Kittiwake: 92W

Mediterranean Gull: 11W

Black-headed Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: 49W

Great Skua: 3W

Auk sp: 124W

I have been checking the Mute Swan herd daily, so it was nice to find a Whooper Swan had joined them today, though normally there are 2 of them, hopefully the other one is still on its way, but I fear the worst.

JR567 was ringed as a pullus in Langøya, Trysfjorden, Søgne, Vest-Agder, Norway on 04/07/2018

The Ibis was posing again today

A small bird came in off the sea this afternoon at the fishing boats, bringing back memories of Acadian Flycatcher, until it showed itself among the fishing boxes. 

14.00-16.00 with SP

Common Scoter: 18W    12E

Red-throated Diver: 5W      1 on

Great-crested Grebe: 2 around

Gannet: 310W

Cormorant: 86 around

Turnstone: 2 around

Kittiwake: 109W

Little Gull: 1W

Black-headed Gull: 69W

Mediterranean Gull: 1 around

Common Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 2 around

Sandwich Tern: 8 feeding off shore

Guillemot: 2 6W    2 on

Razorbill: 10W     1 on

Auk sp: 24W       13E

Robin: 1 in off 

Grey Seal: 1

Red-throated Diver at the fishing boats this afternoon

1 of 8 Sandwich Terns feeding off the fishing boats this afternoon

I checked the Egret roost at the ARC this evening where 16 Cattle, 7 Great and 4 Little Egrets, along with the 2 Glossy Ibis came in to the roost.

08/11/2021

Brambling

A walk around The Desert and trapping area this morning saw but mostly heard several each of Brambling, Siskin and Redpoll, fortunately some found there way into the nets for closer admiration, 4 Swallow flew south along the Long Pits and 2 Bearded Tits flew North, as did a couple of Fieldfare, at least 2 Jays and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were present in the trapping area, along with a few thrushes and Chiffchaffs. A Lapland Bunting flew north at the beach per OL. On the reserve the Glossy Ibis, and all the Egrets are still present and showing well, This evening I think maybe 20 Cattle Egrets flew over my car as drove I out along the reserve entrance track.

Brambling

Very distant Black-necked Grebe at Scotney this morning

Green Sandpipers at Scotney today

Yestrerdays Black Brant. Sadly I was unable to locate it today even though the Brent flock was still present.

The Glossy Ibis are still showing well by the entrance track

This evenings Starling murmuration

 

06/11/2021

An uninspiring sea watch done by AJG & RW who kindly sent me there numbers:

07.00-08.45 

Brent Goose; 6W    1 around

Shelduck: 4W

Common Scoter: 2E

Red-throated Diver: 3E   2 on

Great-crested Grebe: 3W. 2 on

Gannet: 233W

Cormorant: present 92W

Kittiwake: 24W

Black-headed Gull: present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 1W

Herring Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Guillemot: 3W

Razorbill: 3E

Auk sp: 61W

Pied Wagtail: 3 around

Siskin: 3 in

Linnet: 24W

After the last couple of mornings with reasonable numbers of Thrushes, Finches and Starlings flying over , todays walk around the trapping area was very disappointing, barely a Thrush to be seen, just a handful of Siskin and Redpolls over and no Brambling for me today or any more Woodcocks.

This female Kestrel seems to be a regular around the reserve centre car park

One of the many Gannets passing the fishing boats this afternoon

13.45-15.15 with RW, OL and SP,

Brent Goose: 8W    1E

Common Scoter: 2W

Red-throated Diver: 1W    1 on

Great-crested Grebe: 5 around

Gannet: 158W         12E

Cormorant: 187 out of Lade Bay

Kittiwake: 2W        11E

Mediterranean Gull: 1W     1W

Yellow-legged Gull: 1 around (2w bird)

Sandwich tern: 9W

Guillemot: 9W       3 on

Razorbill: 14W  2 on

Auk sp: 15W    12E

Harbour Porpoise: 2

Late afternoon myself RW and SP went to Dennis's Hide for the Gull and Starling roost, we were not disappointed. We found at least 5 Yellow-legged Gulls, an adult Caspian Gull and 16 Cattle Egrets flew through Burrowes to roost, but to me these overshadowed by the Starlings. A conservative estimate by us thought at least 50,000 Starlings came to the Open Pit roost, where their murmurations was a fantastic sight. I don't know why the RSPB don't advertise it as I'm sure many people would like to witness one natures finest spectacles. The following link shows only some of the birds involved in the murmuration Starling Murmuration at Dungeness

Razorbills passing West at the fishing boats this afternoon

Razorbill at the fishing boats this afternoon

A few Sandwich terns still hanging around at the fishing boats

This Great Black-backed Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon was ringed as a pullus at Masseholmen Skjernøysund, Mandal, Vest-Agder, Noway on 25/06/2021

This Goldcrest yesterday was my first and only one of the Autumn so far

Dont you just hate it when this happens! 😂