PLODDINGBIRDER

Tuesday, 14 November 2023

14/11/2023

As the weather has been so atrocious lately most of my time has been spent staring out to sea watching and counting storm blown sea birds, from the relative shelter of the fishing boats and of course the sea watch hide. At the ARC all the islands are now submerged and the Willow Trail is only passable wearing wellingtons, the boardwalk is still and should remain dry, though the track to Hanson is understandably a little muddy, the entrance to the ARC carpark is flooded but passable with care.

Burrowes has become just a large lake with the few islands remaining that are usually commandeered by the Cormorants, the new islands at Makepiece are still above water, but as I expected very little appears to use them, what does is immediately flushed as soon as anybody walks by. Firth Lookout is absolutely useless in this weather. Our Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has just appointed Esther McVey minister for common sense and to put an end to wokery, perhaps she should start at the RSPB and tell them people want to sit in dry wind proof hides to birdwatch, not stand behind a slatted fence in gale force wind which drives the rain through soaking visitors and their optics.

There still seems to be 30+ Cattle Egrets around along with the 4 Glossy Ibis, I was unable to find the Whooper Swans today but hopefully they are still around, also hopefully soon to be joined by Bewick swans. There was no sign of yesterdays Slavonian Grebe looking from Dennis's but it could easily be up at Firth or Makepiece, I certainly wasn't going to walk up there and stand exposed in todays weather.

Adult Sabine's Gull, 2 of these beauties have been entertaining us.

Sabine's Gull feeding on the abundance of storm washed shellfish

They are absolutely super stunning birds

Juvenile Arctic Skua

We have been treated to some close fly pasts by a few Skuas recently

Great Skua

Juvenile Arctic Skua

100s of Little Gulls have passed The Point in the last few days

Some Little Gulls like this juvenile lingered to feed

This juvenile Arctic Tern has been lingering off The Point for over a week now

Juvenile Arctic Tern having a rest on the beach

One of several Velvet Scoters that passed The Point

A 1w Caspian Gull was feeding along the tide line

Saturday, 11 November 2023

11/11/2023

Yellowhammer and Tree Sparrow

As it was a light NW breeze this morning I gave the usual sea watch a miss, instead I took the opportunity to wander out onto Walland Marsh in the beautiful sunshine. I found 10+ Tree Sparrows and 20+ Corn Buntings, also a pair of Yellowhammers that were un expected, the fields were full of Skylarks, Lapwing and Golden Plover, alas despite the abundance of Haw berries I did not see a single Thrush of any description and very few Finches, Several each of Ravens and Common Buzzards were seen, a confiding Chiffchaff was in a lone patch of Bramble.

Tree Sparrow

Yellowhammer

Tree Sparrow

Corn Bunting

Skylark

Chiffchaff

A Short-eared Owl that came in off the the sea at the fishing boats this afternoon

An adult Sabine's Gull late afternoon at The Patch

Sabine's Gull over The Patch this afternoon

10/11/2023

An afternoon trip to Rye Harbour LNR to see the confiding Grey Phalarope. Despite the rain it performed admirably, probably because of the rain I had it all to myself for the hour I was watching.

Consuming a nice juicy worm

It took this posture on a couple of occasions when a juvenile Peregrine came over

It spent much of its time picking food from the stems of Bramble and Grasses

Thursday, 9 November 2023

09/11/2023

One of several Little Gulls at the fishing boats this morning

An uninspiring sea watch this morning in constant Rain and drizzle.

07.45-08.45 with Richard

Common Scoter: 1W

Great-crested Grebe: 8W

Kittiwake: 30W

Little Gull: 8W 1 present

Mediterranean Gull: 3W 2 present

Great Black-backed Gull: 14W

Guillemot: 8W

Razorbill: 71W

Auk sp: 140W

Red-throated Diver: 2W 1 on

Gannet: 411W

Cormorant: present

Starling: 30 in off

Goldfinch: 40 in off

Harbour Porpoise: 1

It now seems that there areas many as 45 Cattle Egrets around the peninsula. There was c1,000 Golden Plover at Scotney today along with the long staying Black-necked Grebe. The trapping area is as good as no go area due to the depth of water there.

Whooper Swans in Lydd Fields best viewed from Dengemarsh Road opposite the waterspouts centre

The 4 Amigo's on what's left of the ARC islands from Hanson

Little Grebe from Hanson

The long staying Arctic Tern at the fishing boats this afternoon

Wednesday, 8 November 2023

08/11/2023

The long staying juvenile Sabine's Gull

A 1w Caspian Gull in the sunshine Monday

A very damp sea watch today, in force 8 South Westerly

07.45-10.15 from the fishing boats with DW, RW, DS et al

Brent Goose: 23W

Common Scoter: 18W

Great-crested Grebe: 4W

Dunlin: 1W

Kittiwake: 46W

Little Gull: 3W 2 present

Mediterranean Gull: 3 present

Great Black-backed Gull: 22W

Sandwich Tern: 1W

Arctic Tern: 1 present

Arctic Skua: 1E

Guillemot: 17W

Razorbill: 48W

Auk sp: 155W

Leach’s Petrel: 1E

Sooty Shearwater: 1W

Gannet: 1,247W 148 present

Cormorant: present

Starling: 480 in off

Elsewhere on the peninsular, up to 41 Cattle Egrets, 4 Glossy Ibis, 2 Whooper Swans, a Water Pipit, a late Whinchat, several Merlins, the usual Great and Little Egrets and a Black-necked Grebe at Scotney.

Brent Geese passing in yesterdays sunshine

The long staying Arctic Tern

This juvenile Little Gull is one of the many that have been around

Sunday, 5 November 2023

05/11/2023

A few bits from the weekend at Dungeness

Adult winter Sabine's Gull from Saturday

07.00-16.00 M.O.

Brent Goose: 10W

Wigeon: 1W

Common Scoter: 14W 4E

Great-crested Grebe: 4 present

Ringed Plover: 1 present

Turnstone: 14 present

Purple Sandpiper: 2 present

Sanderling: 5 present

Grey Phalarope: 1 flew from bay, landed on sea not seen again

Kittiwake: 800W

Little Gull: 120W

Black-headed Gull: minimum 400 in roost at Julie Jean

Mediterranean Gull: 20+ off Julie Jean

Common Gull: min 300 from the sea watch hide heading to The Point

Great Black-backed Gull: min 150 present

Lesser Black-backed Gull: min 20 present

Herring Gull: 1,000+

Caspian Gull: 2 present

Yellow-legged Gull: 1 adult in roost at Julie Jean

Sandwich Tern: 3 present

Arctic Tern: 1 present

Great Skua: 12W

Arctic Skua: 14W 2 present

Long-tailed Skua: 1W

Guillemot: 2 present

Razorbill: 20 W & E the hide

Auk sp: 60 W & E the hide

Red-throated Diver: 2W 1E

Black-throated Diver: 1W

European Storm Petrel: 2W

Leach's Petrel: 7W

Gannet: 3,000 early movement was E then W rest of day. c1,000 feeding

Cormorant: 500 present

Merlin: 1 in off at the hide

Harbour Porpoise: 2 around the bouy

Grey Seal: 1

One of the many Little Gulls from this weekend

Sanderling, Dunlin, and a Knot on the beach

Knot

Sanderling and Dunlin

Some of the 23 Cattle Egrets in the Horse Paddocks this morning

One of the usual 3 Glossy Ibis at Cook's Pool

Redpoll over the reserve today

The Greylag flock opposite my house, I'm hoping they will attract some wild geese.

Friday, 3 November 2023

03/11/2023

A peregrine Falcon just after it caught a Storm Petrel yesterday

After yesterdays unprecedented sea watch when 203 Leach's Petrels & 84 Storm Petrels were seen along with 2 Sabine's Gulls, a Grey Phalarope and 4 Purple Sandpipers of particular note were recorded I didn't expect today to be very good, I'm happy I was wrong.