18/01/2023

A very chilly but bright frosty morning at the ARC found 5 Whooper Swans viewed from Hanson Hide, also 4 Goldeneye. Around the Willow trail 4 Chiffchaffs, in mixed Tit flock along with 2 Goldcrests.

                                                Chiffchaff picking food off the ice

Goldcrests

Another visit late morning to Camber to see the 1w male Scaup, which often associates with a couple of Tufted Ducks.

A couple of 100 Curlews were roosting at Camber but frequently flushed by Marsh Harriers

On Walland Marsh the 59 Bewick Swans were joined by a Black Swan

A few Redwings and Fieldfare were found around the marsh but little else

Common Buzzard in flooded field at Dengemarsh, not much else due to the constant booming of the local guardian of the countrysides gas gun.

15/01/2023

 It's no wonder I've lost my Mojo lately, walking around the reserve in the appalling weather basically seeing nothing away from Boulderwall, at least we used to be able to sit in the dry and out of the wind in the relative comfort of Firth and Makepiece Hide, but now the hides have been removed there is nowhere to view most of Burrowes Pit. Trying to view the far side of the lake from the Firth Viewpoint, or the Makepiece Viewpoint in the current weather conditions which are not unusual at Dungeness is impossible,  the screens offer little or no worthwhile shelter and in my opinion are White Elephants, I know the Makepiece screen is temporary until a new hide which is due to be installed later this year, but as far as I am aware the new hide is to be placed c30 mts further on overlooking the newly constructed islands, this sounds all good until you factor in that as the reserve has become 09.00-17.00 hrs opening meaning that on a clear day you will be staring into the sun for the majority of the day, it will also be close to the new islands which sounds good, but looking at the planned hide the front of which has large glass opening  windows to view from, I'm guessing any birds on the islands will see people moving about in the hide, let alone the noise of opening the windows consequently no birds. The island close in front of the visitor centre was  constructed so that the the Terns would nest there and be enjoyed by the public, we know how that turned out.

It's not just the reserve that is depressing and unwelcoming, Walland Marsh, where "the guardians of the countryside" have grubbed out most the hedgerows, those that are left have been flailed to sticks, then they ploughed right up to the very edges of the ditches now that this government have reversed just about all legislation.

The 59 Bewick Swans and 5 Whooper Swans are still around, as are the 2 Glossy Ibis, 5 Cattle Egrets and several Great White Egrets.

1st winter drake Scaup on the first pool west of Camber today

1w Caspian Gull at the fishing boats

5 Whoopers on The ARC 

09/01/2023

At the fishing boats today at least 5 Caspian Gulls but not a great deal else in todays WNW wind. Highlight being a Great Northern Diver that flew East at 13.00. There were 5 Whooper swan s at the southern end of the ARC this afternoon, presumably the Medley 3 have met up with the resident 2. With all the islands at the ARC now under water there was very little of interest from Hanson on the ARC. 3 Chiffchaffs were the highlight of a wander up to the pines. A wander along the front of the main Scotney lake saw the usual Lapwing, Golden Plover, Wigeon and feral geese with no sign of any wild geese.                                          

                                                    The Yellow ringed Polish Bird

                                                               2w Caspian Gull

                                                            1w Caspian Gull
 

07/01/2023

At least 2 Little Gulls past the fishing boats today

With the continuation of the appalling weather the only birding that can realistically be done is sea watching from the fishing boats, below is just the result of this mornings watch, looking at tomorrows forecast even sea watching may not be possible.

08.00-11.15 with CP, RW, GH, DW

Brent Goose: 2W       521E

Shelduck: 5W

Wigeon: 14W

Common Scoter: 6W

Great-crested Grebe: 1 present

Turnstone: 21 present

Dunlin: 120W

Kittiwake: 1,924W

Black-headed Gull: 3,000 Estimated west past the fishing boats

Little Gull: 1W  adult

Mediterranean Gull: 4W

Common Gull: 500 Estimated west past the fishing boats

Caspian Gull: minimum of 3

Great Skua: 1W

Razorbill: 1,500W

Guillemot: 200W

Red-throated Diver: 1W    1E

Fulmar: 1W

Gannet: 581W

Cormorant: 10,000W

Juvenile Little Gull

100s of Gannets past the fishing today

2,000+ Kittiwakes past the fishing boats today

2nd winter Caspian Gull

3rd winter Caspian Gull

Some of the 2,000+ Razorbills and Guillemots past the fishing boats today

The Glossy Ibis were again in the flooded Horse Paddock today

The 2 Whoopers Swans at the southern end of the ARC appear to be inseparable

05/01/2023

I spent all morning at the fishing boats with DW and OL, where 100s of Gulls were feeding on the huge quantities of shellfish washed up by the recent stormy weather. A minimum of 6 Caspian Gulls were seen as well as a single Yellow-legged Gull, 250+ Mediterranean Gulls flew west as did a single flock of 200+ Red-throated Divers, many Kittiwakes, Gannets, Auks and  the now usual several 1,000s of Cormorants. Although there was 1,000s of birds present this morning there was very little variety, just 2 Brent Geese and 8 Wigeon.

The 2 Whooper Swans were at the southern end of the ARC early morning and the 2 Cattle egrets and 2 Glossy Ibis were in the paddocks early afternoon. The sward at Scotney held 1many Lapwing, Golden Plover and Wigeon but little else. 8 Cattle Egrets roosted this evening per CT and the Bewick Swans and Whooper Swans were reported still present on Walland today.

Polish ringed Caspian Gull P:YL8

Great Black-backed Gull J37EU that I have now recorded every January since 2021

A near summer plumaged Mediterranean Gull which was 1 of c250 that flew past the fishing boats

3rd calendar year Caspian Gull

Gulls feasting on the abundance of shellfish washed up by the stormy weather

03/01/2023

Early morning the 2 Cattle Egrets and Glossy Ibis were in the horse paddocks as I drove past on my way to The Point, where at the sea watch hide there was plenty of activity off shore but no real movement. 100s of Auks and Kittiwakes were feeding along with smaller numbers of Gannets and Red-throated Divers and the 100s of Gulls.

Whooper Swans at the southern end of the ARC in this mornings brief sunshine

A  walk around the ARC added Chiffchaff and Goldcrest to the new year list, Cetti's Warblers were very vocal as were some Water Rails. On the lake with all the new islands now underwater many feral Geese presumably flushed onto the lake by the shooters, also many Wigeon with Gadwall, Shoveler, Teal, Pochard and Tufted Duck, also at least 4 Goldeneye but sadly no Smew or Goosander which are definitely a thing of the past.

Some of the White-Fronted Geese on the sward at Scotney late morning

Scotney was brimming with birds 1,000+ each of Lapwing, Golden Plover and Wigeon and at least 7 Ruff. Among the feral Geese some Greater White-fronted Geese, a couple Marsh Harriers and a Raven flew over but nothing unusual.

Some Ruff among the Lapwing, Golden Plover and Greylags on the sward at Scotney late morning

 A wander around a grim wet and windy Dengemarsh this afternoon  found it to be an avian Desert, the water levels are now higher there than I can remember. I was told that the Bewick Swans and Whooper Swans were still into on Walland Marsh today.

02/01/2023

Dartford Warblers at Scotney

A nice day weather wise for a change prompted me to have a wander around the Sussex end of Scotney this morning. The first surprise was flushing 9 Song Thrushes and several Blackbirds from the scrub as I walked up the western track, in the fields numerous Meadow Pipits with several singing Skylarks and at least 2 Marsh harriers quartering the ditches. Around and in the sand pit several Reed Buntings, Stonechats, Cetti's Warblers, Shelducks, 2 Ravens, a Great White Egret and 2 Dartford Warblers, disappointingly I did not see or hear a single Green Sandpiper which is usually guaranteed here, 1,000+ each of Golden Plover and Lapwing were wheeling around probably being displaced by raptors, a low flock of low flying Geese that dis appeared below a bund looked like Greater White-fronted Geese, a short while later when I was scanning the Sward at the from of the lakes I spied a party of Whitefronts among the many feral Greylags and Canada Geese, also 12 Barnacle Geese, 4 Brent Geese, several Curlews and 1,000+ Wigeon there. 

Greater White-fronted Geese at Scotney

A glance into the Horse Paddocks as I drove past to the beach saw the 2 Glossy Ibis and 2 Cattle Egrets there. 

From the fishing boats 100s of Kittiwakes with smaller numbers of Gannets feeding distantly off shore, reasonable numbers of Red-throated Divers, Guillemots, Razorbills, Great-crested Grebes were feeding and tooing and froing, along with the 1,000s of Cormorants, a couple of Mediterranean Gulls and the highlight a Black-throated Diver which flew West.

Out on Walland 53 Bewick Swans can usually be found in the Hawthorn Corner area, 3 Whooper Swans are usually in the field by Midley Cottages, 2 more Whoopers can usually be found at the south end of the ARC or in the fields at Cockles Bridge. I was going to look for the Green-winged Teal this afternoon but the reserve shut early as there was a problem with the water supply there, why this would necessitate the closure of the reserve I cannot fathom, 

Mediterranean Gull at the Fishing Boats

Some of the 53 Bewick Swans on Walland Marsh

2 Whooper swans at Cockles Bridge