Wednesday 10/02/2021

Glossy Ibis at Boulderwall this morning. A short video can be seen HERE

A wander around the ARC first thing this morning found 30+ Common Snipe and a single Jack Snipe, but very little else in the biting cold wind. The Russian White-fronted Goose flock was still on the Lydd Fields today.

 Goosanders on the New Diggings today

The Black-throated Diver has relocated to to Burrowes

This lovely bird always welcomes you at Dennis's view point

Some of the many Redwings around today, also good numbers of Fieldfare and Common Snipe.

My first Knot of the year feeding on the causeway at Scotney this afternoon with c60 Dunlin and 35 Ringed Plover. Very little else was seen there.

Lapwing in a snow shower at Scotney this afternoon

While at Scotney I got a brief distant view of an Egret flying over the ranges, I suspected it might be a Cattle Egret, this awful image showed me it was a Cattle Egret my first of the year.

Early February

Some of the 30 Bewick Swans wintering on Walland Marsh still present on the 2nd Feb

Part of a huge flock of at least 392 Russian White-fronted Geese that have taken up residence on the Lydd Fields/Dengemarsh area.

The White-fronts and Greylags photographed from my little balcony

Lapwings hunkered down in the Lydd Fields as the snow fell, also taken from my balcony 

Some of the 100+ flock of Stock Doves in the Lydd Fields

Mute Swan over the garden

The Glossy Ibis still around Boulderwall today despite the cold weather

Dunlin on the Hayfields today

The partially frozen Hay Fields attracted a small flock of Dunlin, a Water Pipit, c20 Common Snipe, also a frustrating close bobbing Jack Snipe that CT spotted that was mainly obscured  by a line of reeds, no matter where we should we could not get a clear view of it because of the swaying reeds, hence no image.

All the birds were flushed by a Peregrine that glided over the field, putting up a party of 4 Jack Snipe that I was slow getting onto and disappeared into Christmas Dell. There were several each of Fieldfare and Redwing there, a Missile Thrush at Hookers but still no Smew, Goosander or scarce Grebes.

Marsh Harrier by the entrance track today

The 9 Ruff that have been wintering around Boulderwall

A dead young Badger on the reserve, no outward signs of trauma, so may have succumbed to the weather and starvation.
 

31/01/2020

Posing Goldcrest

I forced myself out into the horrible biting east wind today in my desperate search for a Smew and Goosander at Dungeness this winter. I walked around every lake on the reserve failing to find any, the best I could find was a few Goldeneye and the Black-throated Diver. The Glossy Ibis was still at the top end of Cooks Pool, also 5 Ruff there, but no sign of any White-fronted Geese today. The scrub was very quiet, just the odd roaming Tit flock with a few Goldcrest and a couple of Chiffchaffs. By Midday the drizzle had set in and with the biting east wind making a thoroughly miserable afternoon.  

Great White Egret over Wigeon and Pintail at Dengemarsh

 

30/01/2021

I found this dog Fox and Vixen locked together, I quickly withdrew and left them to be.

With such poor weather and the lockdown, finding birds has been quite difficult. There are still c300 Russian White-fronted Geese around Dengemarsh, along with all the other usual feral Geese. A small number of Dartford Warblers around the peninsular, along with a few Chiffchaffs and Firecrests but still no Smew or Goosander, could this be the first winter on record that no Smew are recorded at Dungeness?

At least the Glossy Ibis is still present, with plenty of Great White Egrets and the Black-throated Diver. 

At Scotney the usual feral Geese and the elusive Long-tailed Duck. On Walland at least 23 Bewick Swans and 2 Whooper Swans. My weeks highlight was the appearance of a superb male Hen Harrier hunting over the fields in front of my house, the first male I have seen from the garden.

1 of 4 Redwing high up in Lydd Wood, the first I have seen this year.

My first Dartford Warbler of the year on the peninsula

The Glossy Ibis is still present, seemingly spending most on its time around Cook's Pool, now that its favourite island on the ARC has been submerged by all this rain.

Not sure that the new strategy for discouraging the Herring Gulls from taking over the Tern rafts is going to work, early days and work in progress.

The Gorgeous Black-throated Diver that commutes between the ARC and New Diggings. a short vide of this bird can be seen  HERE 

Although quite distant this splendid male Hen Harrier was the first male I have seen from the garden

 Bewick Swans on Walland this morning

22/01/2021

There are still c200 White-fronted Geese around, these were in fields between the airport and Dungeness Road. The Black-throated Diver on New Diggings has now been joined by a Red-throated Diver.

The now elusive Glossy Ibis over the screen hide

Couldn't find an Iceland Gull or Glaucous Gull in this throng at Dengemarsh

A nice flock of 36 Corn Buntings at Dengemarsh

The first lambs of spring at Dengemarsh today

 

21/01/2021

Sea Watch  07.40-08.40 by AJG:

Common Scoter: 140W

Velvet Scoter: 4W

Red-throated Diver: 7W

Fulmar: 2W

Gannet: 26W

Cormorant: present n/c

Kittiwake: 7W

Black-headed Gull: present n/c

Common Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Auk sp: 242W

First Green Woodpecker of the year today from the garden

Slightly oiled Red-throated Diver, presumably the bird that was on Lade Pits.

Another hike today saw very little across the fields in the near gale force wind, small numbers of Lapwing were being disturbed by hunting Marsh Harriers, while Grey Herons and Great White Egrets were keeping low in the ditches. I didn't encounter any White-fronted Geese today and only very small numbers of Greylags, so I presume they were all out around Scotney.

The reserve was very quiet but a slightly oiled Red-throated Diver was new on the New Excavations. On Burrowes just 3 Goldeneye of note, most of the islands are now submerged, but on the bright side this meant there were only a small number of Cormorants present. Carrying my walk onto the New Diggings where the Black-throated Diver was showing well albeit in dreadful light conditions and the resumption of the rain, also 4 more Goldeneye there.

Slightly oiled Red-throated Diver

Black-throated Diver

Black-throated Diver

View from the left side of Dennis's Hide now that scrub and Sallow have been cut. The Tern raft has also been moved nearer to the viewpoint.

An extra viewpoint over hayfield 1 & 2 has been cut opposite the entrance to Christmas Dell hide