15/07/2022

1 of 6 Avocets present on the ARC was colour ringed probably in a French colony, hopefully I will receive details in due course.

A trickle of waders coming through the lakes this week as well as the usual July Hirundines. There are still at least 4 probably 5 Glossy Ibis present around Dungeness, 4+ Cattle Egrets, 3+ Great White Egrets, the usual Marsh Harriers and Bearded Tits. A Red Kite over Burrowes much to the annoyance of the Gulls. There is very little sign of passerine migration, also very little movement of sea birds yet.

First juvenile Mediterranean Gull of the year at the ARC

3 of the 4 Garganey present on the ARC

Probably the reason for the predation of the Avocets and Oystercatchers nests at the ARC

Immature Red Kite over Burrowes Pit this week

 

Todays Pectoral Sandpiper spent the day on one of the distant islands

4 Cattle Egrets came into the ARC this evening pre roost

Colour ringed Black-headed Gull XJ3N probably from Eastern Germany, I look forward to hearing from the ringer.

11/07/2022

An early morning Common Buzzard over the garden while I was checking the moth trap, also a steady trickle of Sand Martins over.

 
A look around the fields in front of my house found just 2 pairs of Yellow Wagtails feeding young (5 last year), a single pair of Corn Buntings down from 2 last year. Very few insects seen or heard, though not surprising the number of times the local guardian of the countryside sprays the fields, which also probably explains the very low numbers of Reed Buntings, Reed Warblers and Sedge Warblers in the ditches.

A Mediterranean feel to the birds on the ARC, with a trickle of south bound northern breeding waders in Mediterranean weather conditions.

Little Egrets and Glossy Ibis

Cattle Egrets

09/07/2022

I've been busy with domestic stuff for the last week, also rather lazy hence no updates. Waders have started to appear on the ARC and Burrowes. Curlew, Wood, Green and Common Sandpipers, Greenshank, Redshanks, Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers and Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Avocets are still present but both nests were predated. Up to 5 Glossy Ibis, 2 Cattle Egrets and Great White Egrets are present, Hobby's can be seen around the reserve as well as newly fledged Marsh Harriers. The wildfowl highlight has been an eclipse drake Red-crested Pochard, also large numbers of Common Pochard and Gadwall can be seen on the ARC. The warblers are much quieter now but are all still present. Sand Martins have started to appear in numbers as well as Swifts. Sea watching has been very slow so far but hopefully will pick up and not be to badly affected by the Avian Flu.

Curlew Sandpiper from Hanson Hide at the ARC

2 Cattle Egrets that came into the ARC late yesterday evening 

Bee-eater on the wires behind Dave Bunneys house. Only managed the 1 image before it flew off out to sea

The eclipse drake Red-crested Pochard reappeared this afternoon, though it probably was just sitting unseen in the bay.

My 3rd Sussex Emerald this year, unusually for my trap a nice pristine Moth

This week so far!

 

2 Ruff made an appearance for one evening only, the above bird has one of its feet missing , but seems to feed well enough.

Since the excitement of the Caspian Tern it has been fairly quiet at Dungeness. Sea watching has seen a few Common Scoter, Gannets, Sandwich and Common Terns and the odd Guillemot. Another of the same Serin put in another appearance around The Point, Black Redstarts can be found around the power station along with Stonechats but generally quiet around The point. On the reserve heaven knows why  Dennis's Hide is still shut even though the Bees nest was removed last week, at this rate I can see Dennis's Hide going the same way as Firth, Scott and Makepiece Hides. Fortunately at the moment here is very little of any note to be seen on Burrowes, the hay fields are now bone dry so very little avian life to be seen there either. At the moment the only place to see birds is at the ARC now that the islands are rapidly appearing. The first returning LRPs, Ruff and Garganey along with 4 Glossy Ibis, Great, Little and Cattle Egrets, Avocets, Black-tailed Godwits, wildfowl etc.

Garganey from Hanson

This female Pochard has just this single chick surviving from its brood

Swallow gleaming in the sunshine at the ARC car park

Caspian Tern a superb Dungeness tick for me!

Caspian Tern at the ARC viewed from Hanson Hide

I had been sitting in Hanson Hide with Rob & Andrew Edwards yesterday morning, then left to get some breakfast, I had just made a coffee when Rob messaged me to say a Caspian Tern was now in front of Hanson Hide, I jumped back into the car in my bare feet, fortunately I had some footwear in the back of the car, I made some calls as I drove to the ARC, on entering the hide a few minutes later I was relieved to see the Tern still sitting in front the hide. A bird I have much wanted to see at Dungeness. Many thanks to Rob and Andrew for spotting and messaging me so promptly.

 

Glossy Ibis enjoying the abundance of Medicinal Leeches in the ARC

Cattle Egrets from Hanson

ARC

The ARC is probably the best place to see birds on the reserve at the moment, The 4 Glossy Ibis and the 3 Egret species, Bittern, Marsh Harriers, Hobby's, Common Buzzards, Black-tailed Godwit, Avocet, are all regular there along with the wetland warblers and usual wildfowl and Grebes with the occasional Black-necked Grebe..

Around The Point a few Black Redstarts, Wheatears and Stonechats. I was lucky yesterday jamming in on a Serin flying around courtesy of Dave Bunney. The sea is still very quiet though not unexpected for this time of year.

Common Buzzard getting the Herring Gull treatment over my garden while I was going through the moth trap.

My local Robin serenading me while doing the moth trap.

The hay fields have now mainly dried out so that there is very little avian interest to be seen there 

Norfolk Hawker at Dengemarsh

The only image I managed of a brief encounter with a Lesser Emperor dragonfly at Dengemarsh

A Cherry Bark Tortrix new moth for the garden, although common throughout England there is very little of its food plant on the peninsular

Scott adelphella seems to becoming regular in my garden