06/10/2024

A juvenile Arctic Tern at the fishing boats this afternoon

An improvement in the sea watching but the numbers are still pitifully low.

07.30-09.30 with CP, RW & 13.30-15.45 with SM & JB

Brent Goose: 1W    1E

Teal: 16E

Common Scoter: 11W     21E

Great-crested Grebe: 1 present

Sandwich Tern: 195W 

Common Tern: 26W

Arctic Tern: 3W

Black Tern: 3W

Little Gull: 1W (juvenile)

Black-headed Gull: 24W

Mediterranean Gull: 12W          2E

Common Gull: 9W

Herring Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Arctic Skua: 10W     2E

Razorbill: 4W

Auk: 20W   15E

Red-throated Diver: 2 present     

Gannet: 512W    26E 

Cormorant: 16 present

Grey Heron: 1 out to sea

Swallow: 1,301E  out

House Martin: 197E out

Meadow Pipit: 15E

Raven: 2 over power station

Harbour Porpoise: 3

  

The diagnostic underwing of a juvenile Arctic Tern

A juvenile Black Tern at the fishing boats this afternoon

A juvenile Arctic Skua at the fishing boats this afternoon

Another juvenile Arctic Skua at the fishing boats this afternoon

A Yellow-browed Warbler was found by John Young near the Pines at the ARC this morning, I managed to hear 1 call from it but sight as it quickly melted away.

04/10/2024

Wheatears behind the fishing boats

2 sea watches today and both were very poor especially with SE breeze blowing, at least they can only improve. The Desert was quite bird this morning with lots of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps but still no sprites. Very little of note around the reserve. 

Black Redstart on the perimeter wall

Whinchat in The Desert, quite probably the last I'll see this year

Common Redstart in The Desert

Bearded Tits over  The Desert

Juvenile Arctic Skua at the fishing boats

Little Grebe from Hanson

Black-tailed Godwit on one of the rapidly disappearing islands on the ARC

02/10/2024

Brent Geese going back east this afternoon. As is usual the first groups to arrive are all adults.

The sea watching continues to be very poor.

 07.45-09.00 from the Hide & 13.15-15.00 from the boats with RW
Brent Goose: 140W     164E

Wigeon: 18W      3E
Common Scoter: 5W    7E

Great-crested Grebe: 2 present
Dunlin: 2E

Common Tern: 22E
Sandwich Tern: 8W
Kittiwake: 2W
Little Gull: 1W   1 present 
Black-headed Gull: 16W
Mediterranean Gull: 6W
Common Gull: 7W
Herring Gull: present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c
Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c  
Arctic Skua: 1W  2E 

Razorbill: 3E

Auk sp: 3E

Red-throated Diver: 1W    
Gannet: 65W   42E
Cormorant: 40W
Sand Martin: 1E
Swallow: 19E
House Martin: 5E
Raven: 4E
Grey Seal: 1
Harbour Porpoise: 2

Arctic Skua chasing a Sandwich Tern

Arctic Skua catches its prize mid air

The tables are turned

Common Tern at the fishing boats this afternoon

One of the two Black Terns on Burrowes this morning

Apart from the Black Terns there was little of note on Burrowes. There hay fields look good but this morning they're absolutely nothing there avian wise.

 Just a thought, as the fields were  allowed to completely become bone dry for at least a couple of months and no water being pumped on at all, would the drying out kill all the inverts the Ducks and waders feed on, hence no birds there now until food stocks replenished!🤷

At the ARC the Glossy Ibis , Garganey and Black-necked Grebe all still present per RW.

There were at least 30 Common Snipe in front of Christmas Dell Hide

01/10/2024

This Wheatear was still behind the fishing boats this morning

A very poor sea watch for the 1st October!
07.45-08.45 with RW from the fishing boats
Brent Goose: 8W
Common Scoter: 2E
Great-crested Grebe: 2 present
Common Tern: 1W
Sandwich Tern: 6W
Little Gull: 2W 
Black-headed Gull: 15W
Mediterranean Gull: 3W
Common Gull: 4W
Herring Gull: present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c
Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c
Red-throated Diver: 1W         
Gannet: 34W    c40 present
Cormorant: 33 present
Merlin: 1 in off
Swallow: 12  out
House Martin: 14
Wheatear: 1 present
Grey Seal: 1
Harbour Porpoise: 2

Glossy Ibis at the ARC showing well from Hanson 

There are still good numbers of Shoveler and Gadwall present on what is left of the islands, the bushes held numerous Chiffchaffs, Cetti's Warblers were in good voice this morning around the ARC, a Raven flew over as did a few Golden Plover.

On Burrowes plenty of Lapwing, 2 Black Terns and a Common Tern and 100s of Hirundines. 23 Common Snipe were at Christmas Dell making use of the new islands.

At least 1 Garganey still present this morning

The Great-crested Grey is still feeding its demanding offspring

A lovely pristine Painted Lady by the track to Hanson 

Little Owl

Early afternoon I cycled down to the sandpit which is now rapidly filling with water and was devoid of waders. As I cycled past the Little Owls home it was out posing for me again, so again I took its photo.

Cycling past the main lake 2 Spoonbills flew by bringing me a sudden halt to snap them in flight, I watched them fly on the lake and land on the Herring Gull island. On my way back they had moved again to the eastern causeway. At the back of Scotney Farm 2 Green Sandpipers and 3 Wheatears were the highlights.

Spoonbills

Spoonbills on Herring Gull Island

Spoonbill feeding by the eastern causeway with the other roosting nearby with unsavoury company

A Damp Squib! 30/09/2024

Just 6 Arctic Skuas were seen today

3 Balearic Shearwaters in the misty rainy gloom this morning

The strong SSE wind combined with rain and mist promised to be a super days sea watching, but in reality it was more of a damp squib. Conditions were right for the birds but they obviously didn't think so. We all got rather wet and back ache from standing at the fishing boats most of the day for relatively poor reward.

 07.00-15.00with CP, SG, JY, RW, OL, TW

Brent Goose: 51W

Teal: 7W

Common Scoter: 25W     12E

Red-breasted Merganser: 2W

Great-crested Grebe: 2 present

Knot: 1W

Dunlin: 2W

Turnstone: 1 present

Little Tern: 2W

Black Tern: 3W

Common Tern: 42W

Sandwich Tern: 312 

Little Gull: 1E 

Kittiwake: 31W  

Black-headed Gull: 18W

Mediterranean Gull: 7W

Common Gull: 7W

Herring Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Arctic Skua: 4W     2E

Pomarine Skua: 1E juvenile

Great Skua: 1E 

Razorbill: 4W

Guillemot: 2W

Red-throated Diver: 1W       1 present

Fulmar: 1E

Sooty Shearwater: 1E

Balearic Shearwater: 21W       

Gannet: 136W   

Grey Heron: 1 in off

Merlin: 1 in off

Swallow: 361  out

Grey Seal: 2

Harbour Porpoise: 4+

One of todays Common Terns taken through a mixture of rain, mist and sea spray most of which seemed to be on the camera lense.

29/09/2024

Red-throated Diver passing the fishing boats soon after sunrise

Some of the Brent Geese flew along the beach over us

I must be getting old, by 10.00 o'clock I was very cold, so left the beach to have a hot breakfast, this afternoon by 16.00 I was again cold and this time went home for a roast dinner.😊

 07.00-10.00 & 13.15-16.30 with SG, JY, TH, RW, SM, CT, DW, OL, RO et al

Brent Goose: 2E     176W

Shelduck: 6W

Shoveler: 9W

Wigeon: 2W

Pintail: 1W

Teal: 2W

Common Scoter: 41W     6E

Great-crested Grebe: 4 present

Oystercatcher: 2W   1E

Ringed Plover: 1W

Curlew: 1W

Black Tern: 16W

Arctic Tern: 1W

Common Tern: 43W

Sandwich Tern: 51W     2E

Kittiwake: 69W 

Little Gull: 198W       

Black-headed Gull: 41W

Mediterranean Gull: 57W

Common Gull: 30W

Herring Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 18W

Arctic Skua: 3W     4E 

Great Skua: 1E 

Guillemot: 2W

Red-throated Diver: 4W     1 present

Fulmar: 1E

Sooty Shearwater: 4W      3E

Manx Shearwater: 1W

Balearic Shearwater: 5W

Gannet: 307W    91E   

Cormorant: 36  present 

Swallow: 12,666  out

Wheatear 2 behind boats

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 4+

Many thanks to Steve Gale for counting all the Swallows.👍

Juvenile Gannet passing the boats this afternoon

A visit to the ARC on my way back to the beach after lunch saw the Glossy Ibis, Black-necked Grebe, the top of the Garganeys head, 100s of Shoveler plus the usual wildfowl, sadly the islands are still diminishing rapidly, tonights forecast rain will certainly add to the problem. 

2 spoonbills were on Scotney main lake per SO.

It looks as though the new islands being created on Denge Marsh  might attract the Gulls to roost there, Tom Wright saw 2 Caspian and a Yellow-legged Gull on them this afternoon.

   

27-28/09/2024

A superb 1w Caspian Gull, its Persil white head gleaming at the fishing boats yesterday afternoon

A typically aggressive bird

This is a second bird that flew straight through

2 short but very slow sea watched from the fishing boats this morning:

07.30-08.30 & 10.15-11.15

Brent Goose: 1E

Common Scoter: 1E

Great-crested Grebe: 3 present

Oystercatcher: 18E

Arctic Tern: 1 present

Sandwich Tern: c20 present  

Kittiwake: 1W      

Black-headed Gull: 31W

Mediterranean Gull: 2W

Common Gull: 3W

Herring Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Arctic Skua: 3 present  

Red-throated Diver: 2 present

Gannet: 36W       

Cormorant: present n/c

Hobby: 1 in off

Swallow: 16 out

Meadow Pipit: 6 in

Wheatear 2 behind boats

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 6

An  Arctic Tern in the early morning sunlight at the fishing boats today

A juvenile Sandwich Tern at the fishing boats this morning

A Wheatear at the back of the fishing boats, 1 of 16 seen today most being at the back of Scotney Pits

My first Redwing of the autumn this morning courtesy of Dungeness Bird Observatory

My first Song Thrush of the Autumn this morning, how times have changed for this once common garden bird.

I cycled out to Scotney where there were still 20+ Yellow Wagtails out the back this afternoon. Sadly no Corn Buntings or Tree Sparrows were seen, they have probably moved to their winter foraging areas. There was mobile flock of c200 Golden Plover with at least 3 Ruff with them, several Ravens were making a nuisance of themselves flushing all they could, including the hordes of feral Greylag, Canada and Egyptian Geese. 

Every bit of scrub at the back of Scotney seemed hold at least 1 Chiffchff

The Spoonbill on the East back pit, a poor image but superb compared to efforts of the Osprey that was flying around The Point late morning of about half an hour.