29/03/2021

24 of a flock of 28 Eider east past The Point this morning 

07.00 10.00 from The point thanks to AJG & CP for collating the numbers:

Brent Goose: 21E

Greylag Goose: 2W

Eider: 38E  in 2 flocks of 28 & 10

Common Scoter: 11E    20W

Red-throated Diver: 23E     2W

Great-crested Grebe: 34 around

Fulmar:3W

Gannet: 108E  

Cormorant: Present n/c

Kittiwake: 4W

Black-headed Gull: Present n/c

Common Gull: Present n/c

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 56E

Guillemot: 3W      2 on

Auk sp: 18E

 Swallow: 3 in off

Magpie: 3W along the beach

Carrion Crow: 13 in off

Goldfinch: 2 in off

Wheatear: 1 around (There were double figure numbers around the estate) per OL & DS

Black Redstart: 1 around

2 Spoonbills flew SE over the reserve per CT.

3 Sand Martins were seen at the lifeboat station per DS.

A check of the lakes late morning found no Hirundines and little else of note, another check this afternoon found the same result.

28/03/2021

Raven at DMG

07.30-10.00 from DMG

Brent Goose: 10E

Shelduck: 4E

Eider: 4E

Common Scoter: 56E

Red-breasted Merganser: 3E

Red-throated Diver: 25E     1W

Great-crested Grebe: 1E

Gannet: 69E   7W

Cormorant: 2E     45W

Ruff: 5 in off

Kittiwake: 6W

Mediterranean Gull: 2E

Sandwich Tern: 11E

Guillemot: 2E      1 on

Auk sp: 24E

Raven: 1 around

A quick walk around Dengemarsh as I had domestic stuff to do saw nothing of note, which was not surprising the way the wind was blowing across the marsh.

Glossy Ibis

Late afternoon checked out the lakes again for Hirundines but failed to find any. On the way the Glossy Ibis flew across the road infant of me, I hit the brakes and grabbed the camera that lives on the passenger seat and got a couple of flight shots, fortunately the Ibis landed on a small roadside pool allowing me to get a slightly better image of it.

An Early Grey my first macro moth of the year

27/03/2021

A female and 2 male Wheatears at the bottom of DMG this morning

A poor sea watch from the bottom of DMG this morning 06.40-08.00:

Eider: 1W 2nd cy drakę

Common Scoter: 25E    4W

Red-throated Diver: 22E       2W

Great-crested Grebe: 1E     1W

Gannet: 69E 

Cormorant: 63W       4E

Kittiwake: 7E

Black-headed Gull: Present n/c

Common Gull: Present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: Present n/c

Herring Gull: Present n/c

Sandwich Tern: 5E

Auk sp: 27E

Wheatear: 3 present

A wander around the reserve this morning in the company of RW was pleasant in the sunshine but little of note was seen, though a Bittern was booming by the ramp. 

I had just got home when I received an excited call from RW who was watching a White-tailed Eagle over 

the Water Tower, I quickly ran outside grabbed my scope from the car and managed to spot the Eagle near the Sound Mirrors, probably about 2 mile range so the view was not brilliant. That is now the second WTE I have seen from my garden.😀

Adult male Marsh Harrier chasing off a sub adult male from its nest territory

Another walk around the hay fields this afternoon saw 4 Marsh Harriers, with the interlopers being quickly chased off by the resident pair, also there were 2 Bitterns booming. 4 Corn Buntings were in the rough field with many Reed Buntings and a few Linnets. There were 8 Ruff on the floods but no sign of the Garganey among the Teal. A Great White Egret flew over.

1 of 8 Ruff on the hay fields this afternoon

 

25/03/2021

 06.30-0745 from the bottom of DMG:

Brent Goose: 10E

Common Scoter: 31E

Red-throated Diver: 37E    3W     2 on

Great-crested Grebe: 1E   1W   2 on

Gannet: 94E    2W

Cormorant: 18E  42W

Peregrine: 1 in

Kittiwake: 7E

Mediterranean Gull: 2E

Sandwich Tern: 17E      2W

Auk sp: 42E

Black Redstart: 1 around

Garganey on the far bank at Dengemarsh this morning

2 Black-tailed Godwits in hayfield 2 this morning also a Water Pipit in the hay fields

I joined OL in a stroll around the reserve this morning where the highlight was the first drake Garganey of the year at Dungeness albeit distant, as was just about everything else today. A Bittern was booming from Hookers and Bearded Tits were heard at several locations around the reserve. In the hay fields 2 Black-tailed Godwits with the Teal flock, also a nice Water Pipit that we only saw in flight. Marsh Harriers, Common Buzzards, Egrets, Ruff, Dunlin, Peregrine and Cetti's Warblers were all seen.

While having lunch I got news from DS of a Red Kite coming my way, I quickly walked out to the front of the house and spotted the Kite over the water tower drifting NE. 

1 of at least 2 White Wagtails by Cooks Pool this afternoon

A single Russian White-fronted Goose with Greylags at Scotney this afternoon

Little Ringed Plover with a Dunlin at Scotney this afternoon

A distant Little Gull on the ARC this afternoon

24/03/2021

Smart Eider

07.30-10.15 from DMG:

Brent Goose: 448E   (21 flocks) at every distance and height

Teal: 6E

Tufted Duck: 3E  (drake followed later by another drake and duck)

Eider: 4E  (the regular 2cy drake followed later by 2 ad drake and a duck: 

Common Scoter: 165E        18W

Red-throated Diver: 62E     7W      6 on

Great-crested Grebe: 1E    1W            7 on

Fulmar: 2E     1W

Gannet: 68E

Cormorant: c200 around

Dunlin: 5W

Kittiwake: 11E

Little Gull: 25E

Mediterranean Gull: 6E

Sandwich Tern: 16E

Guillemot: 4E   1 on

Auk sp: 55E

The rest of my day was taken up with domestic stuff.

Along the beach

Just offshore

Distant

Stratospheric

 

23/03/2021

Wheatear in DMG this morning

Due to fog sea watching early morning was out of the question, visibility  was only about 100mts. When it started to lift I went to DMG, where a smart male Wheatear was new in, at least 1 Black Redstart still there along with a smart Rubicola Stonechat, a Raven, 3 Chiffchaffs, a few Linnets, Great Tits, Dunnocks and Wrens. A brief look at the sea saw just a single party of 3 Red-throated Divers going East and the usual Cormorants. 

Black Redstart in DMG this morning

A wander around the reserve saw a Kingfisher of note and basically the same as yesterday with the addition of my first Peacock butterfly of the year.

Peacock by the VC late morning

Another horrible steel fence going up beside the track down to DMG, paid for by the tax payer.

 

22/03/2021

 

Chiffchaff that came in off the sea, immediately started fly catching from the DMG sluice outfall, fortunately avoiding the attention of the resident Merlin.

Resident Merlin patrolling the shoreline at DMG

Sea Watch this morning from the bottom of the DMG 07.30-09.00

Brent Goose: 213E

Teal: 6E

Common Scoter: 16E      11W

Red-throated Diver: 52E      9W       5 on

Great-crested Grebe: 17 on

Fulmar: 2E

Gannet: 84E     7W

Cormorant: c250 feeding offshore

Merlin: 1 around

Peregrine: 1 around

Oystercatcher: 17E

Kittiwake: 28E

Sandwich tern: 6E

Guillemot: 1 on

Auk sp: 10E

Chiffchaff: 1 in off

Black Redstart: 2 around

Raven: 1 around

Brent Geese passing DMG

Raven taking food back to nest at DMG

1 of at least 4 Chiffchaffs in DMG this morning 

Peregrine over DMG

A 3 hour circular walk around the reserve this afternoon saw several Marsh Harriers, Great and Little Egrets, Ruff and Redshank and Ringed Plover, as well as all the usual ducks including 6 Pintail and the feral Geese, many Reed Buntings and Cetti's Warblers, 3 Chiffchaffs and Bearded Tits calling from deep in a reed bed. On Burrowes the few islands were stacked with Gulls but I could only find a single 2nd cy Caspian Gull of any note. Still no Sand Martin, LRP or Garganey for me.

Great Egret at the hay fields

3 of 8 Ruff on the hay fields this afternoon

20/03/2021

07.30-09.00 from Dengemarsh Gully:

Brent Goose: 14E

Teal: 3E

Common Scoter: 16E

Red-throated Diver: 105E      8W

Great-crested Grebe: 6E      4 on

Fulmar: 1E

Gannet: 169E

Cormorant: present n/c

Ringed Plover: 2 around

Kittiwake: 22E

Sandwich tern: 2E

Guillemot: 3E

Razorbill: 1E

Auk sp: 103E

Black Redstart: 2 present

Stonechat: 2 present

Raven: 1 present

Harbour Porpoise: 4

Female Black Redstart in the Gully

Lovely male Black Redstart in the Gully

Corn Bunting Dengemarsh

Highlights around Dengemarsh were 8 Corn Buntings and Cetti's Warblers, lots of singing Reed Buntings, a couple of Bearded Tits, 10 Ruff, along with the usual Raptors and wildfowl. 

Reed Bunting

Explains why my feeders are emptying quickly

Another interesting white winger in the roost on Burrowes on 17/03/2021

15/03/2021

Brent Geese past the bottom of Dengemarsh Gully this morning

08.00-09.15 from DMG:

Brent Goose: 251 in 8 parties

Canada Goose: 1E a first for me I think

Shoveler: 1W drake

Eider: 1W 2nd cy drakę

Red-throated Diver: 6E

Black-throated Diver: 1E

Great-crested Grebe: 24 on

Fulmar: 1W

Gannet: 3W   31E

Cormorant: 114W   4E

Sandwich Tern: 9E

Guillemot: 8E     4 on

Auk sp: 22E   71W

Merlin: 1 in off carrying prey.

Merlin arriving off the sea carrying prey

Part of a flock of c300 Golden Plover roosting in Lydd Fields

A late morning walk around Lydd fields found a flock of c300 Golden Plover which seemed to ignore a pair of hunting Marsh Harriers and Common Buzzards, plenty of Skylarks, Reed Buntings, Meadow Pipits   and a single Corn Bunting. The Black Swan revealed itself to be a young bird due to the dark tipped wing

feathers. Once again there was no sign of any of the Russian White-fronted Geese.

The Black Swan in the Lydd Fields is a young bird

Lots of Skylarks in the Lydd Fields today

Distant images of this afternoons Kumlien's Gull on Burrowes