14/04/2021

A long distance record image of the male Hen Harrier that came in from France this morning

The Hen Harrier was undoubtedly the highlight of an otherwise poor sea watch for mid April:

0630-0930 with AJG,RW, SM,AP

Brent Goose: 3E

Greylag Goose: 2E

Teal: 2E

Eider: 6E

Common Scoter: 64E

Red-breasted Merganser: 2E

Red-throated Diver: 19E    2W

Great-crested Grebe: 6 on

Fulmar: 1W

Grey Heron: 1 in off

Gannet: 548E

Cormorant: 112 feeding off shore first thing

Hen Harrier: 1 adult male in off

Oystercatcher: 4E

Whimbrel: 3E

Kittiwake: 2E

Mediterranean Gull: 2E

Common Tern: 2 over The Patch then flew East

Sandwich Tern: 42E

Great Skua: 1E

Guillemot: 1E

Auk sp: 72E

Swallow: 3 in off

Harbour Porpoise: 12

Common Seal: 1

The long staying 2nd cy Iceland Gull this morning

Common Seal on the beach

Boulderwall and Cockles Bridge area was very quiet with just a few Yellow Wagtails in the crop fields.

After a late breakfast I couldn't resist another look at the stunning male Pied Flycatcher at Littlestone, which fortunately showed quite well, a Jay there was a bonus first for the year for me(I don't get off the shingle much).

An hour staring at the sea this afternoon produced just a few more Scoter, Red-throated Divers, Sandwich Terns, Gannets and Auks. 

The lighthouse garden held a female Redstart  and an Acredula type Willow Warbler both of which avoided my camera, but 4+ Chiffchaffs weren't so shy.  A male Redstart was in a private garden this afternoon. The only news from the reserve was that at least 3 Garganey remain at Dengemarsh per RW. This time of year I like to wander around the reserve in the evenings ,but at the moment it is just to darn cold and uncomfortable in the brisk NE wind.

Chiffchaff at the lighthouse garden this afternoon

13/04/2020

The right hand Brent Goose appears to have a broken leg that was flapping around as the flock flew past, either that or a satellite antenna.

A heavy frost and thick fog made the short distance to The Point a very slow drive this morning, miraculously the fog cleared at the beach.  

06.00-09.30 & 14.00-16.00 with CP, AJG, PT,

Brent Goose: 332E

Greylag Goose: 2 in

Shelduck: 3W

Gadwall: 1W  settled on sea west of The Patch

Pintail: 1E drake

Common Scoter: 420E  28W

Red-breasted Merganser: 2E

Red-throated Diver: 32E

Great Northern Diver: 1E @ 08.45

Fulmar: 2E   5W

Great-crested Grebe: 4 around

Gannet: 380E

Cormorant: 43 around

Oystercatcher: 1E   3W

Grey Plover: 2E

Bar-tailed Godwit: 64E

Kittiwake: 4E   1W

Iceland Gull: 1 the regular bird at The Patch

Sandwich Tern: 230E

Common Tern: 1 over Patch then flew East

Arctic Skua: 2E

Guillemot: 10E       2 on

Razorbill: 1W

Auk sp: 104E

Harbour Porpoise: 12+

I visited Dunes Road, Littlestone today with CP to check out a Treecreeper found there by OL yesterday, also a bonus there was a male Pied Flycatcher found by OL this morning.

We managed to locate the Treecreeper and get some images which definitely rule out Short-toed Treecreeper. Treecreeper is still a good bird down here and is probably the only 1 I will see this year on the peninsular.

Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler, Long-tailed Tits, Great-spotted Woodpeckers and Song Thrushes were all seen  in Dunes Rood woods.

We also located the Pied Flycatcher, I'm afraid my images do not do it justice

12/04/2021

2nd cy Iceland Gull over The Patch

A rather poor sea watch this morning considering the date, I thought I could blame the very cold temperature, but looking at the results of the this mornings watch at Cap-gris New it would appear temperature has nothing to do with it. 

06.00-0830 with CP &AJG

Brent Goose: 39E

Common Scoter: 90E      8W

Red-breasted Merganser: 2E

Red-throated Diver: 14E

Great-crested Grebe: 6 around

Fulmar: 2E   2W

Gannet: 522E

Cormorant: 42 around

Oystercatcher: 1E

Kittiwake: 20E

Mediterranean Gull: 4E

Iceland Gull:1 (The regular bird at The Patch)

Sandwich Tern: 80E

Guillemot: 18E

Razorbill: 3E

Auk sp: 490E      14W

Wheatear 1 around

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 3

A Murder Of Crows

A single Crow was being literally hammered by the bills of 3 other Crows for approximately 20 minutes this morning, its bill was being gripped by the claws of 1 of the attackers while the others were doing their very best to kill it. After 20 minutes I thought it was dead, but incredibly it managed to escape when another Crow joined in distracting the original attackers, it flew off very shakily with chunks out of its wings and in generally very disheveled state. Amazing behaviour to watch albeit rather disturbing.

2nd cy Iceland Gull in the power station compound

Lesser Black-backed Gulls thinking about nesting on the power station

Herring Gulls already nesting on the power station

At least 1 drake Garganey on the hay fields today

Fairly quiet on the reserve today, Burrowes in particular was disappointing,  a few Hirundines over the ARC and New Diggings late morning. My first Whitethroat of the year at the ARC car park singing briefly, several Willow Warblers singing there and several more around Hookers and Christmas Dell, I have now seen more Willow Warblers this spring than I saw for the whole of last spring. White Wagtails and Yellow Wagtails were on the hay fields and Boulderwall Fields along with a single Black-tailed Godwit and Ruff. The hoped for Cuckoo did not materialise but my first Reed Warbler of the year at the Corrale was compensation. At least 3 Bitterns are booming 2 on Dengemarsh and 1 on the ARC. 

09/04/2021

Todays undoubted highlight a stunning male Redstart, sadly now a scarce sight at Dungeness.

An entertaining sea watch again today:

06.15-09.30 & 16.00-17.00 with AJG, CP, PT, DW. 

Brent Goose: 97E

Canada Goose: 3W

Shoveler: 2E

Eider: 6E

Velvet Scoter: 4W

Common Scoter: 475E    33W

Red-breasted Merganser: 2E

Red-throated Diver: 43E

Fulmar: 1E

Great-crested Grebe: 4 around

Gannet: 953E         204W

Oystercatcher: 3E    18W

Kittiwake: 49E

Mediterranean Gull: 5E       2W

Sandwich Tern: 298E

Common Tern: 1E

Great Skua: 5E

Arctic Skua: 2E

Guillemot: 5E

Auk sp: 36E

Swallow: 1 in      1 out

Harbour Porpoise: 2

I saw more Willow Warblers today than the whole of last spring a shame they were all camera shy, joining the Willow Warblers were Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Wheatears and the stunning male Redstart discovered this afternoon by DW.

On the reserve the Glossy Ibis gave sporadic views on Cooks Pool in between disappearing for long periods into the ditches, 6+ Yellow Wagtails there but I saw no Blue-headed ones. At least 3 Garganey were still present on the hay fields.

1 of several Wheatears around Dungeness today

Newly arrived Chiffchaff with the tell tale black pollen at the base of its bill

Little Egrets sun bathing on the New Diggings

08/04/2021

 

A record image of 1 of the White-beaked Dolphins that moved East at Dungeness this morning

Some of the 2,000+ Gannets that flew East today

05.45-12.00 & 14.30-17.00 with AJG, CP, DW & OL

Brent Goose: 580E    1W

Shelduck: 2W

Garganey: 1E

Wigeon: 4E

Velvet Scoter: 3E

Common Scoter: 2,013E       14W

Red-breasted Merganser: 5E  1W

Red-throated Diver: 170E     2W

Great-crested Grebe: 1E     6 on

Fulmar: 2E.  1W

Gannet: 2,315E

Shag: 1E

Peregrine: 1 out to sea 

Oystercatcher: 3E

Kittiwake: 165E

Mediterranean Gull: 4E

Sandwich Tern: 625E

Great Skua: 9E

Arctic Skua: 1E

Guillemot: 8E    1W

Razorbill: 1E

Auk sp: 638E      12W

Carrion Crow: 23 in off

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 4 

White-beaked Dolphin: 3E

A distant line of Brent Geese over the Airbus ship

03/04/2021

The 2nd calendar year Iceland Gull at The Patch

Enjoying a bank holiday day out on the beach😂

Another meagre sea watch today, I can't honestly see it improving anytime soon, but I guess I'll be back there again in the morning.

 06:30-08:30 with AJG, CP, RW

Common Scoter: 45E

Red-breasted Merganser: 3E 1 drake

Red-throated Diver: 16E     5W

Fulmar: 4E

Great-crested Grebe: 5E        36 on

Gannet: 231E

Cormorant: 106E    37W

Oystercatcher: 7E

Ruff: 1E

Kittiwake: 1E

Iceland Gull: 1 (regular bird at The Patch)

Sandwich Tern: 129E

Guillemot: 3E       1 on

Auk sp: 17E    9W

Alba Wagtail: 1 in

Harbour Porpoise: 6

Garganey on hay field 1this afternoon

Up to 18 Garganey have been on Dengemarsh for the last 3 days, though I only saw 6 today. The Bitterns have been quite vocal despite weather, as have Bearded Tits, Cetti's and Sedge Warblers. A mixed flock of

Swallows and Sand Martins numbering c50 birds were at seaward end of the New Diggings today, also odd Swallows dotted around the reserve. The Glossy Ibis was at Cooks Pool again today, also at least 6 White Wagtails there with the usual Curlew and wildfowl. Burrowes was very poor avian wise being blasted by the NE wind, in sheltered fields the odd Ruff could be found along with some Yellow Wagtails and at least 10 White Wagtails around the hay fields. At Springfield a Blue-headed Yellow Wagtail which was presumably the big same bird I saw briefly late yesterday afternoon, it showed a little better today but was still quite distant.

Blue-headed Yellow Wagtail at Springfield Bridge

01/04/2021

Gannets in the early morning gloom

Brent Geese passing this morning

06:15-09:15 with CP, PT & joined by DW 

Brent Goose: 75E

Shelduck: 4E

Shoveler: 4E

Common Scoter: 29E    12W

Red-throated Diver: 5E    1W

Great-crested Grebe: 5E  2W    3 on

Fulmar: 1E    1W

Gannet: 451E    80W

Cormorant: 127 feeding off shore first thing

Oystercatcher: 3E

Kittiwake: 1E

Little Gull: 2E

Common Tern: 2E

Mediterranean Gull: 1E

Sandwich Tern: 54E

Guillemot: 2E      1 on

Razorbill: 3E

Auk sp: 3E     13W

Peregrine: 1 around

Swallow: 2 inWheatear: 4 in off

Rock Pipit: 1 in off

Alba Wagtail: 4 in off

Linnet: 9E

Goldfinch 1 in off

Harbour Porpoise: 16+

This Rock Pipit came in off the sea and landed more or less at our feet

1 of 4 Wheatears that came in while I was sea watching

Red Fox by the sea watch hide

Greenfinches in my garden

This afternoon I went to the reserve and joined DW at the Bee mound at the VC, where I showed him my total ignorance of Bees, fortunately he knew what we were looking at. On Burrowes I got a long awaited year tick a Bar-tailed Godwit, I know they are in Lade Bay, I just haven't got round to going there with lock down. As 10 Garganey had been reported at Dungeness by bird news services, I thought ought to try and find them, I had no location but surmised the hay fields or Dengemarsh would be favourite. I drove to Springfield Bridge and made my way round the hay fields drawing a blank, when I scanned the far bank of Dengemarsh I spotted a couple of Garganey but was unable to keep my optics steady in the blasting NE wind. I found some shelter from the wind at the side of the hide, after 30 or so minutes of constant scanning along the bank I got a count of 12 Garganey 8 of them drakes, they were very mobile and weren't to happy about the Black Swan sailing past them. I believe that these birds represent the largest spring flock I have seen in the UK.

There are 9 Garganey in the above image

31/03/2021

Flock of Gannets flying flat on the sea though the early morning gloom, sea and sky are indinguishable

12 refugee/migrants surprising a Kayak fisherman

06:15-09:15 from The Point withAJG & CP:

Brent Goose: 53E

Shelduck: 3W

Pintail: 4E

Common Scoter: 168E   1w

Red-breasted Merganser: 9E

Red-throated Diver: 19E  6W

Great-crested Grebe: 2E   38 on

Fulmar: 4E   1W

Gannet: 351E    45W

Cormorant: 78 feeding in from of hide

Sparrowhawk: 1 in

Oystercatcher: 2E

Little Gull: 3 feeding in front of hide, then moved east

Sandwich Tern: 104E

Guillemot: 1E      2 on

Auk sp: 1E

Jackdaw: 7 out

Carrion Crow: 2 out

Harbour Seal: 44

Common Seal: 1

Nearly there

Landing right in front of us

Rib and outboard for sale, good condition only used once! 😂

Merlin over The New Diggings

As I checked The New Diggings in vain for yesterdays Black-necked Grebes a Merlin dashed over me.

A walk around Dengemarsh this afternoon with CP saw and heard of note a Little Ringed Plover that dropped into hayfield 3 briefly, 2 booming Bitterns 1 of which gave a brief flight view, several Marsh Harriers, several Sedge Warblers, Bearded Tits, the usual wildfowl, but didn't see the Garganey and Water Pipit that have been hanging around though both were seen by others, the Black Swan seems to have relocated to Dengemarsh. 

30/03/2021

1 of 2 Firecrests in the lighthouse Garden

 06.00-09.30 from The Point, thanks to CP & AJG for collating the numbers:

Brent Goose: 46E

Greylag Goose: 2 around

Shelduck: 2E

Shoveler: 19E

Common Scoter: 765E    5W

Red-breasted Merganser: 2E

Red-throated Diver: 58E    1W    1 on

Great-crestedGrebe: 14E     23 on

Fulmar: 1E    3W

Gannet: 97E   4W

Cormorant: 42E    53E

Oystercatcher: 2E

Dunlin: 4E

Merlin:  2 in

Peregrine: 1 in

Mediterranean Gull: 2 around

Iceland Gull: 1 2cy around

Glaucous Gull: 1 2cy around

Sandwich Tern: 58E

Guillemot: 1E    2 on

Razorbill: 1E

Auk sp: 2E

Carrion Crow: 2 in

Harbour Porpoise: 25

While I was having a socially distanced cup of tea with DB late morning a Swallow flew through, 10+ Wheatears were on the shingle opposite Jarmans also at least 1 Red kite was around The Point today unseen by me. Several Sedge Warblers were seen around the reserve and the drake Garganey is still insitu.

The first Yellow Wagtails turned up at Scotney today with a couple of White Wagtails.

2 cy Little Gull over the Eastern lake this afternoon

Yellow Wagtails at Scott this afternoon

Corn Bunting at Scotney this afternoon

3 very distant summer plumage Black-necked Grebes on the New Diggings this evening. Thanks to Mike Buckland for the tip off.