Sand Wasp

After presumably paralysing the caterpillar this Sand Wasp carried and dragged it for a several yards along the footpath to Hanson hide, then dropped it while it dug out the entrance to its nest, then dragged the caterpillar down into the hole, where I guess the caterpillar will host the wasps eggs then be eaten by the young.

Many Swifts were again feeding over the ARC, the one above looks as if its crop is full

A drake Garganey sleeping on one of the exposed islands from Hanson

The Southern Marsh Orchids are still looking good in the field beside the track to Hanson Hide

Several Longhorn moths (Nemophora deegerella). were in the bushed beside the track

05/06/2023

A late Arctic Skua passing the bouy

Sea watching as expected in early June in this annoying strong NE wind has not been hugely productive, though there are are still a few Sanderling, Grey Plover, Bar-tailed Godwits, Common Terns, Arctic Terns and Sandwich Terns trickling through. A summer plumage adult male Long-tailed Duck was a surprise on the 5th. On the reserve a few waders have been dropping in, but nothing to get too excited about.

A black Tern spent the day at Burrowes on the 3rd

A gorgeous summer plumage Bar-tailed Godwit with good numbers of Redshanks have on the flood

At least 2 Lapwing chicks on Hayfield 3

 

01/06/2023

A very poor image of my first ever June Great Northern Diver today

An early start saw an entertaining sea watch.

05.45-09.45 joined by SO & RW

Teal: 4E

Shoveler: 11E

Tufted Duck: 2E

Common Scoter: 328E    2W

Great-crested Grebe: 4 present

Oystercatcher: 4E

Grey Plover: 6E

Sanderling: 82E

Dunlin: 2E

Kittiwake: 258E  31W  

Mediterranean Gull: 9E  

Sandwich Tern: 40E    

Common Tern: 248E

Arctic Tern: 42E

Guillemot: 15E    8W

Great Northern Diver: 1E

Fulmar: 3E

Manx Shearwater: 1W

Gannet: 94E    22W

Swallow: 8 in

Grey Seal: 4

Harbour Porpoise: 6+

As the NE wind continued to blow across the peninsula today it was difficult to get myself motivated. A couple of visits to Dennis's Hide saw a handful of Sanderling, Dunlin and Ringed Plover with Greenshank calling unseen, not s single Tern over Burrowes or the ARC. A few more Sanderling were on the ARC islands, also plenty of Swifts, Swallows and House Martins hawking there. There were 23 Redshank and 4 Greenshank on the hay fields per RW.

30/05/2023

A late Black-throated Diver

In general the persistent strong cold North East wind has ruined what is usually a good time of year for migrants, as for the breeding passerines I fear for their success due to the complete lack of insects to feed there young. Even the sea watching has been quite poor with just the odd highlights like the 5 Black terns that struggled East this morning.

An unusually early Clouded Yellow along the track to Hanson a couple of days ago

Crowfoot in the smaller ponds

The plus side to the winds is the speed at which the islands are appearing at the ARC, another couple of weeks and there should be plenty for the birds, alas I saw not a single Tern at the ARC or Burrowes today, there was however 100s of Swifts with smaller numbers of Swallow and House Martins hawking over the lakes with 3+ Hobbys in attendance.

Some of the Black-tailed Godwits that have been frequenting the hay fields

Common Buzzard over the garden

 

27/05/2023

Meadow Pipit on the perimeter wall early morning

A reasonably good sea watch considering the continuing force 5 North Easterly blast across the peninsula.

06.30-09.00 with OL & RW

Shelduck: 9E   single flock

Shoveler:13E.  2+2+9

Common Scoter: 17E      

Great-crested Grebe: 3 present

Oystercatcher: 1E

Knot: 8E

Sanderling: 9E

Curlew: 9E  2+2+5

Kittiwake: 54E      

Mediterranean Gull: 16E

Sandwich Tern: 24E    

Common Tern: 92E

Guillemot: 3E 

Fulmar: 3E

Gannet: 65E  

Cormorant: 14E  

Grey Seal: 2

Harbour Porpoise: 6+

Unsurprisingly with the wind blasting across the it, the ARC was quiet, on the plus side the wind and bright skies are evaporating the lake quite rapidly, already several islands are showing.

The other morning a Grass Snake was stalking Marsh frogs in the pools by the track to Hanson Hide

The Southern Marsh Orchids are starting to appear in the field by the track to Hanson

Lovely male Whinchat at Dengemarsh this afternoon with a female and 4 Yellow Wagtails

Female Whinchat

Displaying Yellow Wagtail

Avocets, Greenshank, 4 Grey Plovers, Redshanks and Lapwings on the flood today

Oystercatcher with young on the new islands at Makepiece a couple of days ago, although the young couldn't,t be seen today we think (hope) they have been moved into cover across the channel.

A Red Kite that flew over my house a couple of days ago

 Unsurprisingly in the very strong North Easterly this mornings sea watch was disappointing.

07.00-08.15 with RW

Common Scoter: 11E    14W  

Great-crested Grebe: 2 present

Oystercatcher: 1E

Kittiwake: 6E      

Mediterranean Gull: 2 around

Sandwich Tern: 2E    

Common Tern: 24E

Auk sp: 2E  

Fulmar: 1W

Manx Shearwater: 1E

Gannet: 14E    18W

Swallow: 4 in

Swift: 1 in

Grey Seal: 2

Harbour Porpoise: 5+

Four-spotted Chaser

After the sea watch I went to the ARC, the wind was howling across the track to Hanson but I still managed to hear the Bearded Tits. In the hide the cold wind again howled through the open flaps, the islands that are gradually being exposed held some resting Tufted Ducks and dabblers but no waders yet. The Willow Trail was less exposed allowing 100s of Damselflys to rest on the reeds and boardwalk, also several Four-spotted Chasers. Getting back to the car I received a message from DW that 2 Red Kites were over The Point heading in the general direction of Dengemarsh. I drove down the track to Dennis's Hide which gives a good all round view and quickly spotted the Kites over the Open Pits, they were circling quite high but moving towards me, one of the birds started to lose height over Burrowes and wasn't much more than roof top height as it passed over the VC and Dennis's hide, both birds then melted away to the North West.

Red Kite over Dennis Hide this morning

Greenshank on the flood behind Christmas dell this afternoon

2 Avocet dropped into the flood behind Dengemarsh Hide late afternoon

Common Sandpiper on the small island to the left of Firth. 

Burrowes held 3 Common Sandpipers, 2 Turnstones, 7 Ringed Plovers and 3 Grey Plovers late afternoon.

22/05/2023

This mornings sea watch was unexpectedly rewarding with a small passage of Terns including a White-winged Black Tern, the watch was only terminated by a message that Dave Bunney had a Bee-eater flying around his house unseen, I managed to get there in time to hear it calling a couple of times but no sight. Again this afternoon the sea watch was interesting with a few more Terns including 16 Little Terns which have been in very short supply at Dungeness this year. 

 07.45-09.10 with OL & 14.30-16.00 with RW

Brent Goose: 2E

Common Scoter: 57E      15W

Great-crested Grebe: 9W    3 present

Oystercatcher 2E

Kittiwake: 28W      114E

Black-headed Gull: Present

Mediterranean Gull: 4 present

Common Gull: present

Sandwich Tern: 40E     4W

Little Tern: 16E

Common Tern: 63E

Arctic Tern: 22E

Commic Tern: 242E

White-winged Black Tern: 1E

Guillemot: 2E

Auk sp: 10E     4W

Fulmar: 2W

Gannet: 103E    60W 

Cormorant: present

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 8+

Brown Argus at the ARC today

Bird wise the ARC was very quiet although JY saw Spotted Flycatcher in the carpark. The reserve was apparently equally quiet with a flock of 5 Greenshanks per JY the highlight.

First Idea ferugalis of the year in the new 40w attinic

Poplar Hawk Moth on the fence beside the trap

21/05/2023

38 Black-tailed Godwits on the flood behind Dengemarsh Hide, a good count for Dungeness

 

Black-tailed Godwits dropping in Saturday evening,  also 3 Avocet and a Whimbrel unsurprisingly they were all gone Sunday morning.

As the strong cool northerlies continue birding around the peninsula is not productive, the Purple Heron showed a couple of times yesterday but I din't believe it has been seen today, Bitterns are still booming, Bearded Tits, Cetti's Sedge and Reed Warblers can all be seen and heard with patience, Lesser Whitethroats seem to out number Common Whitethroats, top to 6 Hobbys have seen, quite low numbers for here. A single drake Garganey has been frequenting the hay fields but very elusive, also a Cattle Egret has returned. On Burrowes 3 Common Sandpipers and the odd Turnstone. The ARC has been disappointing but it looks as though this dry windy weather will reveal islands in the next couple of weeks, highlight there for me were a pair of Bearded Tits by Hanson Hide.

Several Swifts have been hawking over the reserve the last few days

Nice to see the Herring Gulls have their own security cameras😆

18/05/2023

Todays sea watch highlight 2 drake Eider

 08.00-09.00 with RW

Eider: 2E both drakes

Common Scoter: 53E

Great-crested Grebe: 3 present

Oystercatcher: 1E     1W

Kittiwake: 4E

Sandwich Tern: 12E

Common Tern: c15 feeding c1 mile off shore

Auk sp: 1E

Gannet: 18E   

Cormorant: 11 present

Peregrine: 1 in off the sea

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 6+

Todays Purple Heron was definitely not a showy bird

Apart from the Purple Heron, a Greenshank flew over Dengemarsh, an adult Cattle Egret was on the Boulderwall Fields, a Garganey was still on the Hay Fields and a few Swifts were seen but little else of note. Yesterdays Black-winged Stilts departed over night and have probably relocated to Worth Marshes.