12/08/2023

Wheatears are appearing just about anywhere on the peninsula, though they are easier to see on the beach, say there is no improvement to the sea watching.

Willow warblers have started arriving in reasonable numbers, this one was basking in the sun by the Long Pits, also there to be found are good numbers of Common and Lesser Whitethroats, Reed and Sedge Warblers, also a few Blackcaps and Garden Warbler, today also brought in 4 Spotted Flycatchers and a Redstart.

1 of 4 Spotted Flycatchers at the Long Pits today 

Reed Warbler at the Long Pits

Great White Egret from Hanson

Hanson Hide is still providing the most avian interest on the reserve, with daily occurrences of Great, Cattle and Little Egrets, 2 Glossy Ibis, Wood, Green and Common Sandpipers, Dunlin, Redshank, Greenshank, Golden plover, Lapwing, Ringed and Little Ringed Plover, Garganey, Mediterranean Gulls as well as all the expected species.

Redshanks from Hanson

Glossy Ibis from Hanson

Swallows gathering on the road at Dengemarsh this evening. All week 1,000s of Sand Martins have been moving South and West through the peninsula, this afternoon 43 Swifts flew south out to sea, hopefully not the last I'll see this year.

08/08/2023

Juvenile Black Tern

The mucky weather at the weekend brought in up 8 Black Terns, an Arctic tern and several Common and Sandwich Terns, disappointingly there wasn't a big arrival of waders, but Wood, Green and Common Sandpipers, Greenshanks, Redshanks, Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers, Black-tailed Godwits and Dunlin, which have all been present for sometime. Up to 4 Garganey can be found at the ARC along with 2 Glossy Ibis, 6 Golden plover dropped in today and 40 more were at Galloways with a Whinchat per CT.

There a few Swifts over the ARC and beach today(possibly the last I'll see this year) and 100s of Sand Martins.

4 Cattle Egrets came to the ARC before going to roost

Greenshanks

The last few days have also brought an arrival warblers with many Willow Warblers, Common and Lesser Whitethroats, with smaller numbers of Garden, Sedge and Reed Warblers., 2 Pied Flycatchers and a Redstart.

Lesser Whitethroat

Common Whitethroat

Lovely lemon Willow Warbler

Shag from the fishing boats 

Sea watching has remained abysmal with a Shag off the fishing boats being the highlight which will more than likely be the only one I see at Dungeness this year as it is surprisingly scarce here.

I found another Great Green Bush Cricket in Brambles by the Screen at the ARC

04/08/2023

Wood Sandpiper

Once again the ARC has been the most productive place avian wise, with 17 species of wader recorded this week, also 3 Egret species , Glossy Ibis, Garganey, Hobby, Marsh Harrier and the usual wildfowl and warblers.

Wood and Green Sandpiper

Greenshanks

The sea is gradually improving with more Terns and the occasional Shearwater and Skua, but it requires a lot of time and effort.

This Herring Gull caught a stranded Weaver Fish, delicately picking it up, then repeatedly beating it on the pebbles presumably to neutralise the stinging spines, (which I can attest to being excruciatingly painful after picking up a stranded one a few years ago) eventually it carefully positioned the fish head first to swallow it even though the spines were still attached.

Great-crested Grebe at the fishing boats

Turnstone at the fishing boats

Willow Warbler

Willow Warbler at the ARC one of a reasonable fall of them this week

Willow Warbler

Great Green Bush Cricket at the ARC today

Fire Bugs at the observatory today

02/08/2023

Little tern at the fishing boats

Sea watching today was an improvement than of late, both Balearic and Manx Shearwaters but only 2 of each, 100s of Common Terns west with smaller numbers of Sandwich Terns and Gannets, also a small number of Little Terns and singles of Roseate and Black tern for 1 lucky observer. The 100s of Swifts were a definite highlight. 

At the ARC it was Groundhog Day Wood, Green and Common Sandpiper, Greenshank, Redshank, Dunlin, and a few Little Ringed Plovers, the 2 Glossy Ibis also still present.

Some of the 100s of Swifts going out to sea today

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon

                                 Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon

Mediterranean Gull by the fishing boats this afternoon

Hummingbird Hawkmoth by the perimeter wall yesterday morning

31/07/2023

Little Tern from the Firth fence

I can only assume that there is little or no fish off of Dungeness at the moment, only 4 Porpoises seen again today where as most years in the summer up to 90 would be present, also there are no feeding flocks of Gannets, Kittiwakes, Gulls, Terns off shore, it would also explain the total lack of any Shearwaters at this end of the channel.

At Burrowes Pit today there were 8 Little Terns, 3 Sandwich Terns, 14 Common Terns, a Turnstone, a Common Sandpiper and a Ringed Plover, the Terns probably driven in by the severe weather overnight and today, also 100s of Sand Martins and c20 Swifts.

Little Terns on Burrowes

 

1 of 2 Whimbrel present at the ARC this morning

ARC totals today single each of Wigeon, Greenshank, Wood and Green Sandpiper, 5 Common Sandpipers, 2 Whimbrel, 6 Little Ringed Plovers, 4 Dunlin and Garganey among the usual wildfowl.

Wood Sandpiper from Hanson this afternoon

Wood Sandpiper bathing this afternoon

The back packing drake Garganey from Hanson this afternoon, also another drake present at the far side of the lake.

2 juvenile Garganey from Hanson this afternoon

Sparrowhawk by Hanson Hide

Tree Lichen Beauty the highlight of a meagre catch last night