08/05/2024

There were good numbers of Whimbrel this morning but otherwise, this mornings sea watch had that end of season feel about it, though I'm sure there is more to come.

06.30-09.00 with RW, Ol et al

Mute Swan: 2W

Shoveler: 2E

Common Scoter: 19E     358W

Great-crested Grebe: 4 present 

Oystercatcher: 9E   18W

Ringed Plover: 1 in off

Grey Plover: 3E

Whimbrel: 192E

Sanderling: 8E

Kittiwake: 17E

Black-headed Gull: 19E

Great Black-backed Gull: Present N/C

Herring Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 10E

Common Tern: 6E    2W

Guillemot: 1 present

Gannet:  58E   33W

Cormorant: present n/c 

Collared Dove: 1 flew out to sea then came back

Swallow: 21 in off

Harbour Porpoise: 5

Grey Seal: 2

The gorgeous Melodious Warbler trapped by assistant warden Tom Wright in The Moat yesterday

Juvenile Stonechat at West Beach with dad nearby

The reserve is still very disappointing with no islands to attract passing waders or nesting Terns. The rafts have of course been taken over by Herring Gulls. With the water levels high in the hay fields there is very little evidence of much breeding Redshank and Lapwing at the moment. There are rumours of a new predator fence being put in around the Boulderwall Fields to try to encourage reeding Lapwings, but I fear it will be as useful as the existing predator fences around the hay fields, also very expensive. 

One of the many Lesser Whitethroats around the peninsula 

Willow Warbler in The Moat

Black Redstart Lydd ranges

My local Nightingale that I can hear from my garden with a Cuckoo in the background. Volume up

Spotted Flycatcher top of the Long Pits

A 2nd year male Hen Harrier at Jurys Gap last night and was hunting The Midrips this afternoon

 

05/05/2024

The 1st Pomarine Skua of the day

Another reasonable day sea watching, but not as good as the weather promised. Once again there were very little new arrivals on the land, also again the hay fields that promise so much were very disappointing.

06.00-12.00 & 15.45-18.00 with SO, M Cartwright, P Cartwright et al. Wind SE 2-3 Temp 4° at 06.00

Tufted Duck: 1E

Common Scoter: 57E   

Great-crested Grebe: 1E 1W  4 present 

Oystercatcher: 21E      5W

Grey Plover: 3E

Curlew: 1E

Whimbrel: 30E

Bar-tailed Godwit: 95E

Knot: 58E

Sanderling: 7E

Kittiwake: 28E   

Black-headed Gull: 18E   6W

Great Black-backed Gull: Present N/C

Herring Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 119E     14W

Little Tern: 6E

Common Tern: 620E  14W

Arctic Tern:  98E

Pomarine Skua: 9E 

Arctic Skua: 7E

Guillemot: 6E   3W   1 present

Auk Sp: 9E    4W

Red-throated Diver: 1E   1W       3 present

Fulmar: 8E    

Gannet: 179E   64W

Cormorant: present n/c 

Swallow: 4E

Harbour Porpoise: 6+ 

Grey Seal: 1 

The ring on Mute Swan at Dengemarsh, I will give the details of the bird once I have received a reply.

 

02/05/2024

Hairy Dragonfly at Denge Marsh

 It has to be said that so far May has been totally underwhelming avian wise, even with good conditions yesterday the sea watch was meagre, todays foggy conditions meant very little was seen. Around Denge Marsh a few Bearded Tits, Hobbys, Cuckoo and the usual warblers, but waders and Hirundines are very few and far between, even the hay fields that look in good condition for waders are not attracting much, as far as I know the new birds are a party of Cattle Egrets at Boulderwall and a Ring Ouzel in the power station. 

29/04/2024

Black-throated Diver passing today

05.45-11.00 & 14.40-16.45 with SO, JY, RW, CP, PE et al hide. Wind SW 3-4 Temp 10°

Brent Goose: 17E

Shelduck: 2E   1W

Common Scoter: 289E   34W

Great-crested Grebe: 2E   4 present 

Oystercatcher: 22E

Whimbrel: 33E

Sanderling: 25E

Dunlin: 1E

Kittiwake: 73E    20W

Black-headed Gull: 5E

Mediterranean Gull: 2E

Common Gull: 6E

Great Black-backed Gull: Present N/C

Herring Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 190E     70W

Little Tern: 3E

Common/Arctic Tern: 945E

Arctic Tern:85E

Great Skua: 3E

Arctic Skua: 22E

Pomarine Skua: 1E @06.30

Guillemot: 1E     2 present

Auk Sp: 75E    

Red-throated Diver: 18E 

Black-throated Diver: 2E 

Fulmar: 9E     7W (Probably more birds involved they up and down near and far)

Gannet: 130E   114W

Cormorant: present n/c 

Swallow: 4 in off

Yellow wagtail: 1 in off

Harbour Porpoise: 8 

Grey Seal: 2  

Kittiwake: 22E.   19W

Apart from a Whinchat and some Wheatears very little new was found on the peninsula today.

Whimbrels over The Desert today

Female Wheatear in The Desert today, pity the Whinchat didn't pose as well.

Linnet in The Desert today

Brown Hares chasing one another

28/04/2024

Pale morph Pomarine Skua this morning

 Once again the main interest came from the sea, there were 2 Ring Ouzels found in The Desert, a Redstart at Dengemarsh and few waders on the reserve and at Scotney.

05.50-10.00 & 13.30-16.00 with AL,JY, RW, CP, TW, TH  from the hide. Wind SSW 5-6 Temp 10°

Pintail: 2E

Common Scoter: 34E   4W

Red-breasted Merganser: 1E

Great-crested Grebe: 6 present 

Oystercatcher: 17E

Whimbrel: 3E      1W

Bar-tailed Godwit: 2E    1W

Knot: 7E

Kittiwake: 38E

Little Gull: 3E

Mediterranean Gull: 2E

Great Black-backed Gull: 18E   14W 

Herring Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 177E     16W

Little Tern: 8W

Common Tern: 162E     36W

Arctic Tern: 35E

Great Skua: 6E

Arctic Skua: 11E

Pomarine Skua: 3E (1 @ 07.13, 2 @ 08.13)

Guillemot: 5E 

Auk Sp: 51E    

Red-throated Diver: 4E 

Fulmar: 102E   4W

Manx Shearwater: 2W

Gannet: 378E   180W

Cormorant: present n/c 

Kestrel: 1SW out to sea

Swallow: 2E   

3rd Calendar year Gannet

A distant Great Skua

Pale morph and a Dark morph Pomarine Skua

  

27/04/2024

 

Pomarine Skua passing the bouy late afternoon

Yesterday and especially today conditions were at long last right for some good sea watching, today was superb. 

Wind variable SE-NE  Temp 7° rising to 11° Rain from mid afternoon

05.30-17.00 with JY, RW,DS,OL,DW,TW, AL et al from the sea watch hide

Mute Swan: 2W

Brent Goose: 397E (19 parties)

Canada Goose: 1 out to sea

Shelduck: 6E

Pintail: 2E

Velvet Scoter: 1E 

Common Scoter: 768E   39W

Red-breasted Merganser: 4E

Great-crested Grebe: 3E     8W  2 present 

Oystercatcher: 41E

Avocet: 2E

Ringed Plover: 3E

Grey Plover: 3E

Knot: 12E

Sanderling: 11E

Dunlin: 9E

Turnstone: 2E

Curlew: 1E

Whimbrel: 77E

Bar-tailed Godwit: 260E 

Kittiwake: 28E

Black-headed Gull: 5E

Little Gull: 45E

Common Gull: 1E

Great Black-backed Gull:  present  

Herring Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 3 present

Sandwich Tern: 389E   

Little Tern: 154E 

Common Tern: 16,210E

Arctic Tern: 3,104E

Black Tern: 48E

Great Skua: 2E

Arctic Skua: 51E

Pomarine Skua: 7E

Guillemot: 4E 

Razorbill: 2E

Auk Sp: 59E  7W  

Red-throated Diver: 12E 

Black-throated Diver: 1E

Fulmar: 5E      7W  

Manx Shearwater: 3E    1W 

Gannet: 747E   68W

Cormorant: present 

Swift: 1W

Swallow: 9 in off  

Carrion crow: 1 in off

Yellow Wagtail: 1 in off 

Black Redstart: 1 present 

Harbour Porpoise: 10

Grey Seal: 1 

There were a few other bits around today, a Pied Flycatcher was trapped in the Moat, a male Whinchat was frequenting the Moat area, a couple of Garden Warblers, a Firecrest and good numbers of Willow Warblers.

Arctic Skua Passing the Bouy

Drake Eiders passing the Bouy yesterday

Temminck's Stint in the Scotney sand pit yesterday

25/04/2024

Velvet Scoters passing this morning

With the continuing cold, damp weather sea watching is all I did today, those that did venture onto the reserve and trapping area found it hard going for very little reward.

06.00-10.00 & 11.30-15.00 with RW, CP, TW, DW   from the sea watch hide. SW 2-4 Temp 4° rising to 7°

Brent Goose: 270E (19 parties)     5W

Greylag Goose: 6W        4 in off

Velvet Scoter: 7E ( single flock)

Common Scoter: 346E   7W

Great-crested Grebe: 3E  2W   4 present 

Curlew: 1E

Whimbrel: 7E

Bar-tailed Godwit: 169E (4 parties)

Kittiwake: 29E

Black-headed Gull: 5E

Common Gull: 4E

Great Black-backed Gull: 57E    16W

Herring Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 93E     59W

Little Tern: 32E (4 parties)

Common Tern: 12E

Arctic Tern: 11E

Comic Tern: 141E 

Great Skua: 1E

Arctic Skua: 1E

Guillemot: 2E 

Auk Sp: 34E    

Red-throated Diver: 24E 

Black-throated Diver: 3E

Fulmar: 8E   2W

Gannet: 265E   157W

Cormorant: 18W    5E  

Hobby: 1 in off the sea

Swallow: 3 in off  

Grey Seal: 1  

One of the 19 parties of Brent Geese that passed The Point today

   

23/04/2024

A wisp of Bar-tailed Godwits high over the tanker way out in the channel 

06.30-09.00 & 12.45-15.30 with RW, JY, TW, OL  from the sea watch hide.  Wind NW 2-3 Temp 4° rising to 7° 

Common Scoter: 45E   

Red-breasted Merganser: 2W

Great-crested Grebe: 1W    2 present 

Cattle Egret: 1 in off 

Oystercatcher: 10E

Curlew: 2E

Bar-tailed Godwit: 933E

Kittiwake: 9E

Mediterranean Gull: 1E

Common Gull: 2E

Great Black-backed Gull: 12E     26W

Herring Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 69E 

Common Tern: 24E

Comic Tern: 120E 

Arctic Skua: 2E

Guillemot: 1E 

Auk Sp: 17E    

Red-throated Diver: 16E 

Fulmar: 2E     2W

Gannet: 115E   228W

Cormorant: 33W  10E  

Swallow: 24 in off    

Harbour Porpoise: 6

Black Redstart again behind the hide today

A tired Cattle Egret getting a hot reception from the local Herring Gulls for the last few hundred metres of its journey across the channel. 

A very quiet day passerine wise around the peninsula with little or no new arrivals today.

Grey Plover on Hayfield 2 today

Plenty of Sedge warblers singing around Denge Marsh today

The friendly Pied Wagtail met me again at Springfield Bridge today

22/04/2024

Bar-tailed Godwits and a Whimbrel passing this afternoon

A better sea watch today, though the Skuas were only seen on the afternoon watch.

06.10-08.30 & 14.45-16.30 with RW, from the sea watch hide. Wind NE 3-4 Temp 2° rising to 7° 

Common Scoter: 15E   

Great-crested Grebe: 1W    2 present 

Oystercatcher: 3E

Whimbrel: 2E

Curlew: 2E

Bar-tailed Godwit: 66E

Kittiwake: 21E

Common Gull: 1E

Great Black-backed Gull: 12E

Herring Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 137E 

Little Tern: 6E  First of the year at Dungeness.

Common Tern: 23E

Comic Tern: 4E  

Great Skua: 2E

Arctic Skua: 2E

Auk Sp: 7E    

Red-throated Diver: 5E  4W

Fulmar: 2E     1W

Gannet: 64E   95W

Cormorant: 30W 10E  

Swallow: 20 in off    

Harbour Porpoise: 4

Black-tailed Godwits and 1 of the six Avocets on hayfield 2 today, also 6 Grey Plover and 2 Redshank.

A Little Ringed Plover on the island from Makepiece late morning is the first I've seen on the reserve this year, while myself and Richard were watching it a Red Kite came past, by the time we realised all we could do was watch its rear end disappearing over the VC. We also saw several each of Bar-tailed Godwits, Whimbrel and Snipe around the reserve, sadly it seems the Great Northern Diver has finally departed, it has not been seen for 2 days despite us checking the New Diggings as well today. 

21/04/2024

Red-throated Diver in front the hide this morning

Another very cold and windy day on the peninsula with showers this afternoon. Migration off shore was still very poor and probably poorer on the land. There were a few more Hirundines including a few Swifts each time a shower raced South, in the fields a few Whimbrel and the odd Bar-tailed Godwit, with a smattering of Yellow and White Wagtails but nothing to get excited about. 

06.00-08.30 & 11.30-13.00 with RW, SO, JY  from the sea watch hide.  Wind N 5-6Temp 2° rising to 5° 

Greylag Goose: 4W

Shelduck: 4E

Common Scoter: 97E    9W 

Red-breasted Merganser: 1E 

Great-crested Grebe: 1E  1W  5 present 

Oystercatcher: 6E

Whimbrel: 1E

Curlew: 2E

Bar-tailed Godwit: 54E

Kittiwake: 11E

Black-headed Gull: 3W

Mediterranean Gull: 2W

Great Black-backed Gull: 5W

Herring Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 104E    4W

Comic Tern: 40E  

Guillemot: 1E   

Auk Sp: 11E    

Red-throated Diver: 4E

Fulmar: 2E

Gannet: 7E   157W

Cormorant: 44W   21E  

Swallow: 1 in off    

Carrion Crow: 4 in off

Harbour Porpoise: 2

Whimbrel by the entrance track to the VC

20/04/2024

The XIN YAO HUA making its way to Port Louis, Mauritius, arriving 24/05/2024. The picture doesn't do this incredibly huge ship justice. It gives you some idea how poor the sea watch was again today, that I was looking at the ships.

06.30-08.30 & 13.30-15.00 with RW, OL  from the sea watch hide.  Wind N 5-6Temp 5° 

Shelduck: 2E

Common Scoter: 67E  

Great-crested Grebe: 2W    4 present 

Curlew: 1W

Whimbrel: 6E

Bar-tailed Godwit: 111E

Kittiwake: 1E

Black-headed Gull: 15W

Great Black-backed Gull: 26W

Herring Gull: present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 49E   4W

Common Tern:  50E  11W

Guillemot: 4E     1W

Auk Sp: 5E    

Red-throated Diver: 8E

Gannet: 54E   64W

Cormorant: 41W   7E      

Carrion Crow: 12 in off

Harbour Porpoise: 2

One of 3 Great White Egrets feeding in front the Axell Viewpoint late morning

Unsurprisingly in todays stiff Northerly wind a wander around the ARC was fairly unproductive, small numbers of the common warblers were heard rather than seen, over the lake several Swallows, Sand Martins and 2 House Martins, as there are still no islands at the ARC there was zero wader interest. Burrowes is also still without islands so no waders and no Terns, just a few Hirundines. 

18/04/2024

Probably the highlight of the sea watch was watching this machine come along the beach

With a very cold North wind blowing I wasn't expecting much, I was not disappointed!

06.20-07.50 with RW  from the sea watch hide,  Wind N 3-4 Temp 4° Felt like -4

Shelduck: 2W
Common Scoter: 1E
Red-breasted Merganser: 1E
Great-crested Grebe: 5 present
Curlew: 1E 
Common Gull: 4E
Great Black-backed Gull: 6W
Herring Gull: present n/c
Sandwich Tern: 33E   2W
Common Tern:  5E  
Guillemot: 1E
Auk Sp: 11E    
Red-throated Diver: 3E
Fulmar: 1E
Gannet: 16E   65W
Cormorant: 14W         
Carrion Crow: 5 in off

Ring Ouzel in northern part of The Desert today

At Least 10 Wheatears were in the Desert with the Ring Ouzel

Looks like one of my garden Greenfinches has got Scaly Leg fungus.

The friendly Pied Wagtail at Denge Marsh again this afternoon, taken with my phone.

The Pied Wagtail lands on my car before i come to a stop