16/17/11/ 2020

Sea watching at Dungeness the last couple of days has been quite poor, though not surprising considering the WSW wind that has been blowing. The Merlins continue to be seen hunting over the beach and out to sea, today they were joined by a Peregrine. Gannets continue to trickle through along with a few Auks and sea duck.

Presumed Nordic Jackdaw at Scotney yesterday but no sign today

Long-tailed duck still at scorned today

If you are lucky you may bump into 1 of the at least 3 Hen Harriers that are currently frequenting Walland Marsh, but you do have to be lucky as they can appear any where at any time. Still no sign of any wild Swans on Walland and the few wild Geese seem to have disappeared. The first Goosander of winter flew through Lade yesterday per PT, around the lakes only a handful of Goldeneye have arrived. 

Goldeneye on the ARC today

14/11/2020

1 of 2 Sooty Shearwaters past the fishing boats today

Below is the combined totals for todays sea watches from the fishing boats 07.00-10.00 & 14.00-16.00

with AJG, SP, RW, DW, CP, CT.

An excellent sea watch today with the highlight for me being the 89 Little Gulls as they have been so so scarce this Autumn.

Gannets streaming past today

The 1w Caspian Gull that made a brief appearance

Red-throated Diver

1 of the 100s of Kittiwakes past today

Early afternoon at Scotney the Long-tailed Duck was still mostly sleeping among the Pochard

 

13/11/2020

Bonnie past the fishing boats early morning

07.14-11.20 & 14.00-15.00 from the fishing boats with AJG and SP who both kindly kept the log:

Common Scoter: 26W   8E

Red-breasted Merganser: 1W

Red-throated diver: 13W

Fulmar: 1W

Manx Shearwater: 1W

Great-crested Grebe: 128W

Gannet: 1,916W

Cormorant: 2,700W

Merlin: 1 o/s

Peregrine: 1 in off the sea

Dunlin: 1W

Kittiwake: 587W

Little Gull: 6W

Mediterranean Gull: 6W

Common Gull: 107W

Sandwich Tern: 85W

Great Skua: 1W

Pomarine Skua: 2W

Arctic Skua: 1W

Guillemot: 26W

Razorbill: 407W

Auk sp: 222W    5E

Goldfinch: 21W

Harbour Porpoise: 3 present

Peregrine coming in off the sea early this morning

Submarine heading down channel this afternoon

Long-tailed Duck at Scotney late afternoon, image taken after sunset.

 Late afternoon at Scotney JD & SP found a Long-tailed Duck, also there a male and a ring tail Hen Harrier, both of which probably roosted on the ranges, 2 Peregrines, a Merlin and a Green Sandpiper were also there late afternoon.

12/11/2020

Still a few Sandwich Terns around

Todays sea watches with SM and AJG 07.20-09.20 & 14.00-15.15 from the fishing boats:

Brent Goose: 3E

Red-throated Diver: 8W      1E

Red-necked Grebe: 1E

Great-crested Grebe: 8W     11o/s

Gannet: 316W     

Cormorant: 303W out of Lade Bay

Merlin: a minimum of 3 birds hunting over the beach and sea

Turnstone: 2 on beach

Kittiwake: 354W

Black-headed Gull: 401W

Mediterranean Gull: 22W

Common Gull: 102W

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 15W

Great Skua: 1W

Guillemot: 2W

Auk sp: 762W     20E

Alba wagtail: 1W

Common Seal: 1

As I left the the beach with SM around 09.30 he spotted a Black Kite going inland over South View, DB was in his garden so had superb views, DW saw it from The Moat, JD saw it from the Long Pits, OL saw it at New Romney and CP saw it over St Marys Bay but not reported since. I believe DW got some images so hopefully he will put them on the DBO web site this evening.

Black-headed Gull TJVV still around the beach today

Cattle Egret at hay field 1

A walk around the reserve was pleasant enough in the sunshine, apart from a single Cattle Egret in the hay fields, the Glossy Ibis at Boulderwall, several Great White Egrets and a few Bearded Tits and squealing Water Rails little else was seen.

1 of the 2 1w Caspian Gulls that came into roost on Burrowes this evening.

Brambling at South View yesterday, many thanks to Dave Bunney for the access and call

 

09/11/2020

Shelduck with Brent Geese this morning

A very nice mixture of species today made for entertaining sea watching.

Todays sea watch totals for 07.15-09.00 & 13.45-16.00 with AJG who kindly kept the log, CT, SP et al.

Brent Goose: 374W   4E

Shelduck: 8W

Shoveler: 28W

Gadwall: 3W

Wigeon: 71W

Pintail: 46W

Teal: 47W

Scaup: 3W

Velvet Scoter: 1W

Common Scoter: 158W   86E

Red-breasted Merganser: 3W

Red-throated Diver: 9W

Great-crested Grebe: 4W   3 o/s

Gannet: 813W   9E

Cormorant: present: n/c

Oystercatcher: 4E

Bar-tailed Godwit: 1E

Knot: 1W

Dunlin: 13W

Turnstone: 3 on beach

Kittiwake: 204W         246 o/s

Little Gull: 9W

Black-headed Gull: present: n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 4W     25o/s

Common Gull: present: n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present: n/c

Herring Gull: present: n/c

Sandwich Tern: 8W

Great Skua: 9W         2 o/s

Guillemot: 1W      1o/s

Razorbill: 47W    2o/s

Auk sp: 21W      2E

Meadow Pipit: 14S

Goldfinch: 240S

Siskin: 3S

A Woodcock that flushed from under my feet in The Desert

A first of the year for me was a Woodcock I flushed during my wander around The Point and Desert, a Black redstart was showing well around the lighthouse, while overhead a few Goldfinches, Siskins, Redpolls and a Brambling were heading south. A handful of Redwing were seen with a couple of Song Thrushes, the bushes were fairly quiet with just a few Crests being seen.

Scotney was almost birdless, probably due to the army practicing for the next world war, the noise was deafening and non stop, I would imagine many £1,000s of pounds went up in smoke there today.

Black Redstart at the old Lighthouse

Polish ringed Black-headed Gull TJVV still frequenting the fishing boats this afternoon

Newly arrived migrants making their way to the police to give themselves up, at least boatloads this morning. They must be very cold after spending the night at sea on rubber dingy in such flimsy clothing.
 

08/11/2020

Red-throated Diver from the fishing boats this afternoon

This mornings sea watch from the fishing boats did not live up to expectations with light SSE wind blowing I was hoping for a busy watch, due to the appalling light conditions I feel sure missed quite a bit.

07.00-08.30 with CT, RW and AJG who kindly kept the log:

Brent Goose: 54W      8E

Shoveler: 20W

Teal: 3E

Wigeon: 3W

Common Scoter: 7E   8W

Red-throated Diver: 2W    1E

Great-crested Grebe: 2 o/s

Gannet: 116W

Cormorant: present n/c (noticeably small numbers around)

Merlin: 1 around

Oystercatcher: 10E

Kittiwake: 17W

Black-headed Gull: present n/c 

Common Gull: present n/c 

Herring Gull: present n/c 

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c 

Sandwich Tern: 2W

Guillemot: 2W

Razorbill: 8W     6 o/s

Goldfinch: c230 out

A wander around the trapping area found good numbers of Goldrests and at least 10 Firecrest, more Goldfinches over with Siskins and Redpolls, also a Great Spotted Woodpecker over. 

On the sward at Scotney all the usual feral Geese, but I could find no wild Geese.

Red-throated Diver from the fishing boats this afternoon

Pale-bellied Brent Goose past the fishing boats this afternoon

15.00-16.20 from the fishing turned into a surprisingly good sea watch after a very slow start, even when I left due the darkness birds were still moving off shore:

Brent Goose: 284W    

Pale-bellied Brent Goose: 1W

Common Scoter: 7E   4W    1 o/s

Red-throated Diver: 2W    1o/s

Great-crested Grebe: 2 o/s

Gannet: 196W

Cormorant: present n/c (noticeably small numbers around)

Merlin: 1 around

Turnstone: 1 on beach

Great Skua: 1W

Kittiwake: 164W including a flock of 90+

Little Gull: 16W a single flock

Black-headed Gull: present n/c 

Mediterranean Gull: 3W

Common Gull: 42W 

Herring Gull: present n/c 

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c 

Sandwich Tern: 21W

Guillemot: 1 o/s

Part of a flock of 90+ Kittiwakes past the boats late this afternoon

A very poor image of the flock of 16 Little Gulls past the boats late this afternoon

Sandwich Tern

 

07/11/2020

As a light South Easterly had been blowing all night I was hoping for a reasonable sea watch this morning. 

I started watching at 07.30 and by 07.45 I knew it was going to be a very meagre watch. A single Bonxie was the highlight, also seen were 3 lingering Sandwich Terns, a few Auks, Gannets and a few Brent Geese.

Around the bushes plenty of Goldcrests and some Firecrests, a single Swallow over, a Dartford Warbler near the lighthouse and alate Humminbird Hawkmoth but little else. At the observatory bags full of Redpolls were brought back to be processed.

A walk out to Scotney this afternoon saw of note 2 Green Sandpipers in the cut by the farm, a single adult White-fronted Goose on the sward with the Greylags and a couple of Marsh Harriers going to roost.

Redpolls in The Moat

Redpoll in the Observatory garden

One of many Firecrests around today

Dartford Warbler near the lighthouse

A late Hummingbird Hawkmoth today

 

5-6/11/2020

As yesterday was such a calm morning I decided to walk down Galloways and check out Brett's Marina for Leaf Warblers. As I walked by Lydd camp the Little Owl was in its usual cubby hole soaking up the early morning sunshine, I'd just reached the marina when I received a call from DW about a Hume's Warbler calling in the trapping area. An about was in order and made my way to the observatory. As I passed the red white gates there was another 10+ very cold sad looking migrants wrapped in silver foil surrounded by police and border force, on arrival at the observatory I got another message this time from Sam that he'd trapped a Dusky Warbler. It was duly ringed and released into The Moat where it quickly dived into cover, though was seen briefly later. I then spent a considerable time trying to see and photograph the Hume's warbler which was calling frequently, but it was a devil to see let alone photograph, as you can see from the laughable images below. A blackcap feeding on a strategically placed apple was a bonus as was a Short-eared Owl that flew over The Moat as I was leaving.

In the afternoon I walked out onto the marsh to watch Marsh Harriers coming into roost, only 2 birds came in, but on the plus side there many squealing Water Rails and a few Bearded Tits. 

Dusky Warbler

Hume's Warbler

Hume's Warbler, if only I'd presses the shutter a fraction of a second earlier 😢

Hume's Warbler 

Blackcap in the trapping area

Short-eared Owl over The Moat

This mornings stunning sun rise over Dungeness taken from my bedroom

Two Sea watches today with SM and AJG who kept the log: 

07.00-09.30 & 13.30-15.00

Brent Goose: 39W   2E

Eider: 1W

Velvet Scoter: 3W

Common Scoter: 8W    11E

Red-breasted Merganser: 1W

Red-throated Diver: 8W    6E

Great-crested Grebe: 4W

Gannet: 46W    167E

Cormorant: present n/c

Merlin: 1 present

Sparrowhawk: 1 flew out to sea

Oystercatcher:15E

Kittiwake: 127W     21E

Mediterranean Gull: 15W    9E

Sandwich tern: 3E

Great Skua: 3W

Guillemot: 7W    21E

Razorbill: 19W    5E

Grey Seal: 2

Goldfinch : 400+E

Some time spent in the trapping area looking for yesterdays Hume's Warbler drew a blank, the same with the Dusky Warbler, there was increase in Crests and a few Chiffchaffs.

The same was the case this afternoon at the ARC, where a Common Snipe was seen along with usual wildfowl but generally very quiet.

04/11/2020

Not the Sylvia I was hoping to find in the Broome, Blackcap behind Channel View

A very bright and cold start to the morning, so I only spent a few minutes looking at the sea, which was all that was needed to realise that there was nil off shore passage. A walk around the beach found an unexpected Blackcap while hoping for a Dartford Warbler, the Greenland Wheatear was still present and a juvenile Merlin was chasing Goldfinches, which were trickling over in small numbers with the odd Siskin and Redpoll. 

Greenland Wheatear still present

Bearded Tit

On the reserve the flock of 4 Glossy Ibis were still present though very mobile, also a single bird at Cooks Pool most the day. I only saw a single Cattle Egret and at least 6 Great White Egrets around Dengemarsh, also 2 Swallows through the hay fields and a flighty Water Pipit there. Bearded Tits seem to be popping up at every turn, also Cetti's Warblers but not so showy. 

Bearded Tits

A5UX a long time resident 

This afternoon saw no improvement in the sea passage, so I through out some bread which attracted 2 regular colour ringed Gulls but nothing unusual.

Black-headed Gull TJVV appears to be wintering by the fishing boats

The single Glossy Ibis going into the roost

 The ARC Egret roost in the company of JY was very disappointing with just 4 Great White Egrets, 2 Little Egrets and a single Glossy Ibis come to roost. I'm thinking there must be another roost I'll have to look for. A Black-necked grebe was on the ARC late this afternoon.