PLODDINGBIRDER

Monday 26 March 2018

Dolphins!

08.00-10.00 from the sea watch hide:

Shelduck: 2 up

Teal: 2 up

Shoveller: 4 up

Common Scoter:13 up 30 down

Red-breasted Merganser: 9 up

Red-throated Diver: 32 up 17 down

Great-crested Grebe: present N/C

Fulmar: 1 down

Gannet: present N/C

Oystercatcher: 2 up

Mediterranean Gull: 1 up

Sandwich Tern: 23 up 5 down

Harbour Porpoise: 2+

Common Dolphin: 2

JTM spotted 2 Dolphins c1 mile off shore and for around an hour we watched them moving up and down presumably feeding, eventually they came a little closer just the other side of the bouy,. The consensus was that they were Bottlenose Dolphins, but a conversation with Paul Weiss this evening and reviewing of the images I took, has led me to conclude that they were Common Dolphins, though I would willing take advice from any cetacean experts.

Highly cropped images of Common Dolphins?

At The Patch nothing of note due to disturbance, though a male and female Black Redstart and and Reed Bunting with Meadow Pipits on the fence behind The Patch.

Firecrest at the lighthouse today

2 Firecrests in the lighthouse garden and another Black Redstart in the experimental station but I saw little else of note. Another Black Redstart by the lifeboat station.

Lovely male Brambling at the visitor centre feeding station today

I made my way to the reserve after receiving a message from Liz Hunter about the male Brambling at the visitor centre feeders. With a little patience it showed very well gleaming in the bright sunshine.

Scanning Tanners Pool the 3 Smew still in residence among c70 Wigeon and 2 Pintail, all of which ere constantly being harassed by a Marsh Harrier. The was also 2 Slavonian Grebes on the reserve per Liz and Paul and 2 Black-necked Grebes on the ARC per RW.

Great Spotted Woodpecker at the reserve feeding station

A fostered Lamb at Scotney

A 2 hour walk around the back of Scotney late morning /early afternoon was predictably disappointing avian wise, highlights being 7 Avocet, a Grey Plover, 3 Curlew, 5 Dunlin, 2 Common buzzards, a Marsh Harrier and a few Skylarks and Reed Buntings.

Fancy racing Pigeon at West Beach this afternoon

15.00-16.00 from the fishing boats:

Common Scoter: 8 up

Red-throated Diver: 26 up 24 down

Turnstone: 2 on beach

Skylark: singing behind the boats

Sandwich Tern: 19 up 16 down

Sunday 25 March 2018

A Slow Day!

Sometimes Gull watching can be so frustrating!

07.30-08.15 from the sea watch hide with JTM:

Common Scoter: 13 up

Red-throated Diver: 4 up 21 down

Great-crested Grebe: 3 up 7 on

Fulmar: 1 up

Gannet: 53 up

Sandwich Tern: 9 up

Guillemot: 17 up . c20 on

At The Patch relatively few Gulls but there was 2 1w Caspian Gulls there, but no sign of the Little Gull or Glaucous Gull while I was there. A party of 50 Brent Geese flew east past the The Patch.

1w Caspian Gull

A second 1w Caspian Gull

1 of several Black Redstarts around today

It was generally very quiet around The point but there was a scattering of Firecrests and Black Redstarts and 2 over flying Egyptian Geese which I'm sure are the first I have seen at the Point.

An hour sky watching from home lunchtime produced just 1 distant Marsh Harrier.

This afternoon from the fishing boats a painfully slow hour sea watching produced just 2 Brent Geese up, 2 Red-throated divers up and 9 down and a few Gannets and Guillemots feeding off shore.

This afternoon an hour at the fishing boats

Saturday 24 March 2018

A decent day at Dungeness!

Juvenile Glaucous Gull at The Patch

This morning at The Patch a party of 9 Little Gulls flew east along with a Brent Geese and dabblers. The Glaucous Gull still present as was the adult Little Gull, the 1w Caspian Gull was new in.

1w Caspian gull at The Patch

Little Gull over The Patch

Still plenty of Firecrests around Dungeness today

Around Beach area and bushes good numbers of Firecrests still along with at least, 3 Black Redstarts 12 Reed Buntings, a single Wheatear, 6 Meadow Pipits and singing Skylarks.

1 of at least 3 Reed Buntings in the Moat

At lunchtime while scanning the fields and sky in front my house I got a message from Mr Brown that he'd seen a Kite sp drifting my way, sure enough a Red Kite appeared (still a scarce bird at Dungeness), also seen 6 Common Buzzards, 3 Marsh Harriers, a Sparrowhawk, a Kestrel and Great White Egret of note. Late afternoon the 3 Smew including the drake on Tanners Pool with c100 Wigeon there also 2+ White Wagtails.

Some of the 1,700 Brent Geese past the fishing boats this afternoon

Eider past the fishing boats this afternoon

13.13-16.00 from the fishing boats with JTM & RW:

Brent Goose: 1,759 up

Common Scoter: 102 up

Eider: 6 up
Red-throated Diver: 91 up 2 down
Gannet: 72 up
Oystercatcher: 1 up
Avocet: 9 up
Knot: c40 up
Dunlin: c60 up
Little Gull: 7 up
Kittiwake: 32 up
Sandwich tern: 14 up 7 down
Guillemot: 32 up c30 around
Raven: 2 up
Harbour Porpoise: 4+

Knot & Dunlin

The Bluethroat still showing well at Dusk(1 of yesterdays images)

Friday 23 March 2018

Bluethroat revisited!

06.50-11.00 From the Sea Watch hide with JTM, DR, OL LH & PH
Brent Goose: 1,972 up
Shelduck: 2 up
Teal: 11 up
Shoveler: 1 up
Common Scoter: 52 up
Red-throated Diver: 27 up 5 down
Great-crested Grebe: 6 up 4 on
Fulmar: 11 up 3 down
Gannet: 178 up . 31 down
Oystercatcher: 13 up
Ringed Plover: 1 up
Curlew: 11 down
Mediterranean Gull: 1 up
Little Gull: 2 up + 1 at the Patch
Yellow-legged Gull: 3w at The Patch
Guillemot: c100 around
Razorbill: 2 up
Auk sp: c100 around
Harbour Porpoise: 4

A short video of the Bluethroat can be seen HERE

Chiffchaff from Firth

Wednesday 21 March 2018

Firecrest's!

1 of at least 3 Firecrests in the lighthouse garden this morning

I didn't stay long at The Patch as there was no Gulls there due to a couple of fisherman on the beach.
08.50-09.20 at The Patch:
Brent Goose: 9 up
Red-throated Diver: 28 up
Great-crested Grebe: 168 on
Gannet: c50 feeding
Great Skua: 1 up
Kittiwake: c40 feeding
Sandwich Tern: 2 up
Guillemot: 84 on
Harbour Porpoise: 7 around

Chiffchaff on the power station perimeter wall this morning was new in, still with it's forehead encrusted with what I think is Olive pollen, also a Song Thrush in the garden.

Pied Wagtail fly catching on the perimeter wall

Firecrest at Jarmans

There were 2 more Firecrests in the Gorse at Jarmans, nearby a Wheatear on the beach and a male Black Redstart in one of the gardens. A Merlin was also seen there.

Wheatear near the lifeboat station

Dunlin at Scotney

Late morning at Scotney 14 Dunlin, 4 Redshank, 2 Ringed Plovers and a Curlew on the flooded sward. Still c150 feral Barnacle Geese and 150 Wigeon by the double bends.

A wander around Dengemarsh looking for Scandi and Water Pipits drew a blank, on the lake a winter plumaged Slavonian Grebe was the highlight. A pair of Egyptian Geese and a couple of displaying Lapwings on the Hayfields. I gave the Gully a miss as it looked liked Tesco's car park on a Saturday viewed from the reserve.

14.20-15.50 from the fishing boats:
Brent Goose: 6 up
Common Scoter: 3 up
Red-throated Diver: 21 up 7 down
Great-crested Grebe: c 20 on
Gannet: 24 up. 11 down
Oystercatcher: 1 around
Little Gull: 6 up (very distant) 84 seen from the sea watch hide per DR.
Mediterranean Gull: 1 up
Kittiwake: 16 up. 34 down
Sandwich Tern: 11 up. 17 down
Guillemot: c40 around
Auk sp: c300 up
Harbour Porpoise: 2 around
Late afternoon 3 Smew including the drake on Tanners Pool, also a Great White Egret there, 2 Marsh Harriers, c150 Wigeon, 30 Teal and a party of c100 Golden Plover, some of which are sporting there smart summer dress.