04/08/2022

Glossy Ibis in front of Hanson Hide

The ARC is still the best place to see birds around the reserve, Egrets and Ibis are almost constantly on view as are Garganey with careful scrutiny. Black-tailed Godwits, Common Sandpipers, Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers, Common Snipe, Redshank and Oystercatchers are usually present, though a juvenile Marsh Harrier often puts the birds up but they soon settle down, an elusive Wood Sandpiper has been present for the last couple of days. There were many Sand Martins and a kingfisher is regularly seen flashing past the hide. Yellow Wagtails are to found on the margins among the Pied Wagtails, along the Willow Trail today Sedge, Reed, Cetti's and Willow Warblers along  with Chiffchaff and Blackcap. There were good numbers of Warblers around The Point today.

I visited Burrowes again today, there plenty of Gulls and eclipse Wildfowl and many Sand Martins, but apart from a few Lapwing and Oystercatchers, a couple of Ringed Plovers wader numbers were again abysmally low, I have no idea why as the islands look good.

Little Egret in front of Hanson Hide

Garganey from Hanson Hide

1 of a party of 8 Golden Plovers that made a brief stop at the ARC

02/08/2022

Sea watching is still only producing small numbers of Gannets, Kittiwakes, Common and Sandwich Terns

with the odd Dunlin and a surprise Common Snipe. Though bird of the day was Jacobs Black Guillemot, which would have been a new bird for Dungeness for me, sadly I missed it by a few minutes. There appears to be very little feeding off shore, so presumably there is no fish in the bay which would explain why there are so few Harbour Porpoises at the moment.

The reserve is also incredibly quiet avian wise, though the usual Egrets/Ibis have been showy. Wader numbers are low with single figure counts of Redshank, Common Sandpiper, Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plovers and Black-tailed Godwits, a Wood Sandpiper dropped into the ARC this evening, also up to 6 Garganey have been present. Sand Martins are still around in large numbers with smaller numbers of Swallows and House Martins.

Cattle Egrets at Boulderwall

Black-tailed Godwits from Firth viewpoint

 

Garganey from Hanson

Glossy Ibis from Hanson

Little Egret from Hanson

Juvenile Wheatears around the fishing boats

German colour ringed juvenile Caspian Gull at the fishing boats

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls at the fishing boats

Juvenile Herring Gull with a fishing weight attached to its leg at the fishing boats

31/07/2022

Juvenile Caspian Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon, ringed on 06/06/2022 at Loschen, Germany 816KM away.

12.45-15.15 from the fishing boats joined by RW.

Common Scoter: 7W       4E

Gannet: 14W    1E

Cormorant: 9W

Mediterranean Gull: 14W (9 juveniles)

Yellow-legged Gull: 2 Juveniles  present

Caspian Gull: 1 Juvenile present

Swift: 39 out

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 2

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull chasing the Caspian Gull

Juvenile Caspian Gull

Juvenile Mediterranean Gull

Not sure what to make of this Herring Gull sp.

It has been a very slow week with barely a trickle of new waders, there was a a Wood Sandpiper from Hanson yesterday evening per CT but no sign today. The 3 Egret species and Glossy Ibis and Garganey can all be seen around the reserve with a little patience, also Bittern and Bearded Tit, but the constant winds makes things difficult. Burrowes has been very poor avian wise despite plenty of islands, Terns have been virtually non existent, though Sand Martins have been around in their 1,000s as is usual for July Swifts have been fairly numerous on their way south, Kingfishers are being seen daily at the ARC and Dengemarsh. I'm not sure how successful the Marsh Harriers have been this year as I am only seeing 1 maybe 2 juveniles around. 

$ of the up to 6 Glossy Ibis that have been around the ARC recently

4 Cattle and a Little Egret at the ARC

Grey Wagtail  scarce visitor to the peninsula in July

There have been many 1,000s of Sand Martins through the peninsula this month

Garden Warbler another seldom seen bird on the peninsula these days

Clouded Yellow at the ARC

This Hummingbird Hawkmoth has been a regular visitor to my garden recently

Beautiful Marbled last nights star catch

Gypsy Moth was the star recently

Pine Hawkmoth an irregular visitor to my trap

26/07/2022

This Curlew Sandpiper spent the day in front of Hanson

Also from Hanson today, 6 Dunlin, 4 Ringed Plover, 5 Little Ringed Plover, 4 Common Sandpipers, 2 Black-tailed Godwits (10 this evening per PT), single Ruff, 4 Garganey, 4 Glossy Ibis, 100s of Sand Martins and Swifts during the drizzle with smaller numbers of House Martins and Swallows,along with the usual wildfowl and Gulls. The Kingfisher was seen on several occasions.

Garganey from Hanson

Another Garganey from Hanson

1 of the 100s of Swifts

1 of 2 Cattle Egrets in the hay fields

A wander around the reserve trying unsuccessfully to dodge the the showers, from Dennis's a single Common Sandpiper among the eclipse wildfowl and Gulls, a handful of Common Terns and large numbers of Hirundines hawking in the drizzle. From Firth just 2 Dunlin on the large expanse exposed island. From the Makepiece stockade more Hiundines. Christmas Dell gave Lesser and Common Whitethroat, Reed and Sedge Warbler. Dengemarsh gave 3 Great White Egrets, a Kingfisher, more Hirundines and a handful of Common Terns.

The hayfields held 2 Cattle Egrets with at least 3 more in the Boulderwall Fields.

First Red Underwing of the year on the outside of Hanson Hide.

25/07/2022

An uninpriring sea watch this morning with singles of Fulmar and Great-crested Grebe and 18 Gannets East, 4 Kittiwakes and 17 Mediterranean Gulls flew down to The Patch, where there were 100s, of Gulls, mainly Black-headed and Herring but at least 3 Yellow-legged Gulls. A Black redstart was on the rocks behind The Patch.

9 Cattle Egrets that came into the ARC pre-roost

At least 9 Cattle Egrets are around mainly feeding in the Boulderwall Fields with the cattle and quite difficult to see. On the ARC 5 Glossy Ibis still present, 5+ each of Common Sandpiper and Little  Ringed Plover, there usually Garganey lurking among the many eclipse Gadwall and Shoveler, also the female Goldeneye is still present but very elusive turning up just about any where. 100s of Sand Martins are moving through daily, with a few Swifts today.The area in front of Firth looks excellent for waders, sadly today just a few Gulls. I am trying to come to terms with the Firth viewpoint, but on a day like today it is truly impossible to use a telescope there due to the wind shake. If the viewing windows were blocked up that may possibly help the situation as all they do is concentrate any westerly wind into a gale, as for the idea of using them to view through if the wind is in an Easterly or Northerly vector, that is quite impossible. I'm beginning to believe that someone just saw something like it in a magazine and thought it would be a great idea, then without thinking through how impractical it would be at Dungeness got the RSPB to throw money at it.  

Little Egret, ARC

Young Common Lizard on the Willow Trail boardwalk

A pair of Bordered Straws in the trap this morning along with the Jersey Tiger below. 

22/07/2022

43 Mediterranean Gulls moved East past the sea watch hide in 20 minutes this morning, along with 318 Black-headed Gulls and 3 Oystercatchers, but little else was moving. 
 

Oystercatchers

2 Curlew Sandpipers appeared at the ARC late afternoon, joining the Dunlin,  Little Ringed and Ringed Plovers. Many Black-headed Gulls have dropping into the ARC through out the day along with at least  30+ Mediterranean Gulls some bearing colour rings that were readable. 100s of Sand Martins have been hawking around the lakes today with a few House Martins and Swallows. 3 Yellow Wagtails adult and 2 juveniles were feeding on the islands with the many Pied Wagtails. I found 5 Garganey among the hordes of Gadwall on the ARC, a Bittern put in a brief appearance late morning as did a Water rail, the 4 Glossy Ibis are still present. Great, Little and Cattle Egret can all be found around the reserve along with Marsh Harriers, Common Buzzards, Hobby and Kestrel.

Curlew Sandpipers

Several Common Sandpipers around the reserve today

One of five Garganey on the ARC late afternoon

Is it a Marganey or a Gallard

The highlight of last nights poor catch a lovely Peach Blossom