Pectoral Sandpiper!

 A walk around The Desert, Trapping area and Long Pits found of note plenty of Chiffchaff and Blackcaps, smaller numbers of Common and Lesser Whitethroat, a single Spotted Flycatcher, 4 Wheatears, 9 Stonechats, 6+ Reed Buntings and 2 Great-spotted Woodpeckers. A Peregrine was on the pylons.

Pectoral Sandpiper from Hanson (Heavily cropped image)

News from CT of Pectoral Sandpiper at the ARC was very welcome, I was soon there watching it feed but always distant. Also there Greenshank, 4 Ruff the usual flock of Golden Plover, 5 Black-tailed godwits, 2 Bat-tailed Godwits, 6 Garganey and the usual wildfowl.

6 Garganey

 1 of 2 Spotted Flycatchers at The Pines

 1 of 2 Spotted Flycatchers at The Pines

1 of 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker behind the screen hide

These 2 B-2 monsters flew over Dungeness while I was in Hanson Hide, awesome machines

This image tells you all you need to know about this afternoons sea watch, at least Jacques and Owen were catching Mackerel.

 As I walked to Firth Hide just before dusk I flushed 6 Great White Egrets and 4 Little Egrets from the Dipping Pool. When i got into the hide DW had a 1st calendar year Caspian Gull X86C lined up for me, but it soon departed.

1st calendar year Caspian Gull X86C at Firth this evening

Monday 16/09/2019

At Burrowes first thing this morning 2 Water Rail running around the Dipping Pool 2 more at Christmas Dell, a Black-necked Grebe and Great White Egret from Makepiece and 1,000s of Hirundines over the whole reserve from ground level to stratospheric.

Over the road at the ARC in 2 visits another Black-necked Grebe, a Curlew Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper, a Greenshank, 4 Ruff, 531 Lapwing, 229 Golden Plover, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 7 Bar-tailed Godwits, a flock of c30 Knot over, 5 Garganey, 2 Black Terns, a Little Gull, 7 Water Rail and all the usual wildfowl. 

House martins at the Water Tower

Chiffchaff at the The Pines 1 of many around today, also 2 Spotted Flycatchers there.

The sea boiling with Whitebait being chased by Mackerel at the fishing boats this afternoon

13.15-15.30 from the fishing boats:
Common Scoter: 56W
Gannet: c30 around
Turnstone: 3 around
Knot: 35E
Dunlin: 14E
Arctic Skua: 6+ around
Kittiwake: 4 around
Mediterranean Gull: c20 around  all 1st cal year birds
Little Tern: 1 around
Sandwich Tern: c200 around
Common Tern: c30 around
Razorbill: 1W
Harbour Porpoise: 6+

1 of the marauding Arctic Skuas at the fishing boats this afternoon

Turnstones at the fishing boats

Sunday 15/09/19

1 of a remarkable 3 Sparrowhawks trapped this morning all 1st year males

At The Point this morning Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps were the bulk of the birds trapped and processed, Goldcrest, Common Whitethroat and Reed Warbler also trapped, however the Sparrowhawks were the stars. 3 Ravens flew in from the East, while high overhead many Hirundines mainly stratospheric, among them a single Common Swift, around the scrub 2 Wheatears, 3+ Black Redstarts and 2 Whinchat of note.

At the ARC all 3 Egret species, 3+ Garganey, 4 Black and 7 Bar-tailed Godwits,  2 Dunlin, 3 Greenshanks, 2 Redshanks, 2 Common Sandpipers, Black Tern, Little Gull, Water Rail, Marsh Harriers and a Hobby and the usual wildfowl.

13.30-15.00 from the fishing boats with RW, SO, JTM and AJG who kindly collated the numbers:

Teal: 1E 

Common Scoter: 11E

Gannet: 147W

Great Skua: 2E

Arctic Skua: 6E

Sandwich Tern: 298W

Common Tern: 3W

Razorbill: 1 Around

Swallow: 486 out

Sand Martin: 68 out

Harbour Porpoise: 4+

 2nd Calendar year Caspian Gull at Firth Hide this afternoon

This evening from Firth hide 2 more 1st calendar year Caspian Gulls among the very few Gulls that came into roost tonight. 

 Convolvulous Hawkmoth in the trap this morning my 3rd of the year

 XEVU 1st cal year Caspian Gull seen from on 13/09/19

Ringing details of XEVU 

Friday the 13th!

Probably the best sea watch of the Autumn so far.
06:15-09:00 with AJG who kindly collated the numbers:
Manx Shearwater: 1W
Fulmar: 1W
Gannet: 425W
Great Skua: 4W
Arctic skua: 34W   2E
Sandwich Tern: 1330W
Common Tern: 146W
Kittiwake: 37W
Mediterranean Gull: 1W
Guillemot: 2E
The ARC once again held more or less the same birds as the last few days. All 3 Egrets species, Black Tern, Garganey, also the usual waders and wildfowl.

Yellow Wagtail opposite my garden 1 of c20 in the field

Young Great Black-backed gull with a small Thornback Ray at the fishing boats

13.00-15.00 from the fishing boats with AJG:
Common Scoter: 1E
Manx Shearwater: !E
Gannet: 46W
Great Skua: 1E
Arctic Skua: 2W
Kittiwake: 5W
Mediterranean Gull: 1E 1st cal bird
Yellow-legged Gull: 1 1st cal
Sandwich Tern: 76W
Common Tern: 6W
Auk sp: 1W
Harbour Porpoise: 4+
Grey Seal: 1

Adult Great black-backed Gull showing the youngsters how to swallow a flatfish at the fishing boats

 XEVU presumed Caspian Gull from Firth this afternoon

Whimbrel from Firth this afternoon

Thursday 12/09/2/019

This mornings wander around The Desert area saw 15 Wheatear, 2 Whinchat, 10+ Stonechat, a few each of Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Comon and Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap, 2+ Black Redstarts a Sparrowhawk and steady trickle Meadow Pipits and Hirundines overhead, I managed to miss 2 Common Redstarts seen by Mike so still a blank autumn for me on this species.

 Great White Egret at the ARC

The ARC held more or less the same birds as the last few days. All 3 Egrets species, Black Tern, Little Gull, Garganey, also the usual waders and wildfowl, along with 100s of Sand Martins and a Sparrowhawk trying its luck to catch them. 

 Cattle Egret at the ARC

 Garganey at the ARC

1st cal year Caspian Gull

This afternoons sea watch with AJG, JTM & RO was again abysmal for September:

Gannet: c20 around

Cormorant: present n/c

Turnstone: 1 around

Arctic Skua: 2 around

Caspian Gull: 1st cal year bird around

Yellow-legged Gull: 1st cal year bird around

Sandwich Tern: c30 around

Common Tern: c10 around

Harbour Porpoise: 4+

Grey Seal: 2

German ringed Lesser black-backed Gull HAELR

This evening again good numbers of Lesser Black-backed Gulls coming to roost at Firth giving me a few more colour rings to read. A Black-necked Grebe was new on Burrowes first spotted by BH this afternoon.

Norwegian ringed Lesser Black-backed Gull J379Z

Wednesday 11/09/2019

06:15-09:15 from the sea watch hide with RW, Brian, OL & AJG who collated the numbers:
Common Scoter: 6W   4E
Gannet: 447W
Grey Plover: 1W
Arctic Skua: 11W
Kittiwake: 17W
Mediterranean Gull:1W
Little Tern: 1W
Sandwich Tern: 476W
Common Tern: 172W
Black Tern: 1W
Swallow: 92 out
Harbour Porpoise: 2+
Grey Seal: 2

Comparison of  Little Gull against Black-headed Gull at Hanson

As we walked the track to Hanson OL spotted a Wryneck which promptly flew across a pond and disappeared into the Sallows. From Hanson 3 Avocets, a Greenshank, 2 Common Sandpipers, 9 Dunlin, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, a Knot, 3 Garganey, a Little Gull, 2 Black Terns, Water Rails, a Cattle Egret and 100s of Sand Martins over the lake.

 Cattle Egret from Hanson

Avocets from Hanson

At Firth N08X Lesser Black-backed Gull probably ringed in Malaga, Spain. Details awaited

At Firth Norwegian ringed J716A Lesser Black-backed Gull 

Arctic Skua from the fishing boats this afternoon

13.30-15.30 from the fishing boats with RW & AJG:
Great-crested Grebe: 2 around
Fulmar: 3W

Gannet: 245W
Knot: 1W
Arctic Skua: 6+ around
Sandwich Tern: 248W
Common Tern: 63W
Swallow: 19 out
Grey Seal: 1
Harbour Porpoise: 2+
This evening back at Firth a single 1st cal year Caspian Gull among the roosting Gulls, 1 Black Tern and a 3 Great White Egret.

 Arctic Skuas from the fishing boats this afternoon

 A pristine Convolvulous Hawkmoth in my trap this morning

Hedge Rustic an uncommon visitor to my trap

Caspian Gulls!

 First Firecrest of the Autumn for me

A walk around The Desert and trapping area with AJG saw 3 each of Whinchat and Wheatear, a few Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Common Whitethroat, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 10+ Stonechats, a couple of Green Woodpeckers and a small passage of Hirundines overhead. At the observatory a Tree Pipit dropped into the bushes very briefly and a Firecrest and Black Redstart was trapped, also 2 Clouded Yellows put in a brief appearance.

Young male Black Redstart

 A trio of Egrets species from Hanson

I joined CT at the ARC mid morning, from Hanson Great White, Cattle and Little Egret, 2 Curlew Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper, 2 Dunlin, 7 Bar-tailed Godwits,  4 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Greenshank, 3 Ruff, 30+ Golden Plover, the usual Lapwings, 2 Black Terns and 2 Garganey among the usual Wildfowl. This evening CT added Wood Sandpiper to the list.

Great White Egret

 Common Sandpiper at Firth

Early afternoon on Burrowes from Firth a single Knot, 2 Common Sandpipers and 2 Black Terns were the highlights.

Knot at Firth

1st cal year Caspian Gull

14.00-16.30 from the fishing boats with AJG, JTM & DW:

Gannet: 2E   24W
Cormorant: 13 around
Oystercatcher: 3W
Sanderling: 2W
Kittiwake: 2 juveniles around
Mediterranean gull: 1E 1st cal year
Yellow-legged Gull: 3 around all 1st cal year birds
Caspian Gull: 2 around both 1st cal year birds
Black Tern: 2W
Sandwich Tern: 89W
Common Tern: 49W
Sand Martin: 10 out
Swallow: 61 out
Harbour Porpoise: 2
Common Seal: 1

 1st cal year Caspian Gull

 1st cal year Caspian Gull

Border Force off Dungeness towing presumably a migrants R.I.B.

 Norwegian ringed Lesser Black-backed Gull J538L. It's History below.

This evening from Firth hide 2 more 1st calendar year Caspian Gulls and the above Norwegian Lesser Black-backed Gull, also 100s of Sand Martins that disappeared as quickly as they came. Unfortunately very few Gulls came into roost this evening.