18/09/2021

One of the many Arctic Skuas that have been hanging around offshore about to attack a Common Tern

07.30-09.00 with SO, AJG and RW who kindly kept the log:

Mallard: 1W

Teal: 5W

Common Scoter: 11W    17E

Shearwater sp: 1W

Gannet: 328E

Cormorant: 3W

Kittiwake: 96W     57 around

Mediterranean Gull: 1W

Sandwich tern: 122W   37E

Common Tern: 7W         7E

Great Skua: 1E

Arctic Skua: 12E       5W

Auk sp: 3W

Swallow: 4 out

Yellow Wagtail: 1 out

Grey Wagtail on the filter beds behind the sea watch hide

Chiffchaff in The Desert

A wander around The Desert with RW & SO was very quiet, a define clear out of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps from yesterday, we only saw a handful of Chiffchaffs, a couple of Wheatears, Yellow Wagtail over and a trickle of Hirundines, 2 Clouded Yellows were seen as well,  the highlight was a juvenile Marsh Harrier that came over the trapping area and flew straight out to sea.

Black-necked Grebe at southern end of the ARC

Cattle Egret at the ARC

1 of 2 Ravens over Lydd Fields

I spent a while late morning early afternoon in the field opposite my house waiting for the stream of Honey Buzzards to come over, I'm still waiting! while I was out there 4 juvenile Hobby's put on a superb aerial display tussling with a Kestrel, a Rook and a Crow. 2 Ravens came over cronking, a mewing Common Buzzard and a very tatty male Marsh Harrier added to the aerial festival. In the stubble numerous Meadow Pipits, Linnets, Reed Buntings and a couple of Yellow Wagtails, while in the ditch a Cetti's Warbler shouted, and a Reed Warbler skulked while a Clouded Yellow flew up and down. Who needs twitching with all that literally on my doorstep.

Juvenile Hobby

Juvenile Hobby and Kestrel tussling with each other

2 of the 4 Hobby's with a Kestrel

Juvenile Hobby teasing a Rook

13.30-15.30 with SO, AJG and RW who kindly kept the log:

Common Scoter: 3W    

Gannet: 33E     43W

Cormorant: 6W

Oystercatcher: 2E

Kittiwake: 24E      28W    15 around

Mediterranean Gull: 1W

Sandwich tern: 78E  

Common Tern: 4E        12W

Great Skua: 1E

Arctic Skua: 12E       5W

Guillemot: 4 around

Swallow: 25out

1 of 2 Great Egret and 4 of the 11 Common Snipe on Burrowes on the island to the right of Makepiece

1 of 2 Black Terns on Burrowes

Little Stint on Burrowes on island to the right of Makepiece

This mornings Marbled Beauty clearly brighter and less worn the yesterdays individual

Hoary Footman a first for my trap yesterday

16/09/2021

This mornings sea watch was scaled down version of yesterdays watch, with 6+ Arctic Skuas back and forth chasing a few Sandwich and Common Terns, a flock of 90 Kittiwakes were loitering offshore, as were a c20 Gannets, a Guillemot on the sea was a first for the Autumn for me, 10 Common Scoter moved West, probably the only birds actually migrating were 3 Teal that flew West, at least 7 Harbour Porpoise were offshore with a Grey Seal. 3 Grey Wagtails were on the settling beds behind the sea watch hide.

A pleasant hour in the  warm sunshine this afternoon at the fishing boats with AJG who kindly collated the numbers:

14.30-15.30

Gannet: 8E

Cormorant: 9 around

Kittiwake: 13 around

Mediterranean Gull: 1E

Sandwich Tern: 31 around

Common Tern: 1 around

Arctic Skua; 6 around

Guillemot: 1 on

Auk sp: 1W

Swallow: 39 out

Sand Martin: 11 out

Harbour Porpoise: 9+

Grey Seal: 1

1 of many Chiffchaffs around this morning

A chilly early morning around the bushes c40 Chiffchaffs, 15 Blackcaps, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 5 Common Whitethroats, 3 Wheatear and Tree Pipit I nearly trod on which is exactly what I have to do to be close enough to hear them call. As soon as temperature started rising the birds seemed to melt away. 

The Glossy Ibis was still on its chosen island at the ARC today, also 3 Clouded Yellows there. 2 Cattle Egrets were at the top of Cooks pool with 2 Great Egrets and a Little Egret. Burrowes from Dennis's a Black-tailed Godwit and a Common Snipe among the Lapwings.

An hour in the Lydd Fields 11.00-midday skywatching for Honey Buzzards which failed to materialise again, but instead saw a Common Buzzard, a Marsh Harrier, a Hobby, 2 Sparrowhawks, 4 Yellow Wagtails, several Reed Buntings, a Reed Warbler, a Cetti's warbler calling, more Chiffchaffs and 100s of Greylags dropping into the stubble.

Cattle Egrets at top end of Cooks Pool

Reed Bunting Lydd fields

Yellow Wagtail Lydd fields

Hummingbird Hawkmoth on the perimeter wall early morning

A late Small Elephant Hawkmoth in the trap yesterday

 

14/09/2021

An unusual pale headed Arctic Skua

06.30-08.30 AJG, MC, OL

Gannet: 41E         8W

Cormorant: 5W

Oystercatcher: 6E

Kittiwake: 9E

Mediterranean Gull: 2E

Sandwich Tern: c200 around

Common Tern: 3 around

Arctic Skua: minimum 20 around

Great Skua: 1 around

Grey Seal : 1

Harbour Porpoise: 6+

The chap in the Kayak certainly had the best views of the Arctic Skuas this morning

First Razorbill of the autumn with a 1w Mediterranean Gull

The afternoon sea watch was very similar to the morning watch, with the addition of 2 firsts of the autumn for me, a Razorbill and summer plumage Red-throated Diver,  though another was seen this morning by another birder.

The bushes seemed devoid of birds today. There was no news from the reserve today though I not sure if any of the locals bothered to visit today. The Glossy Ibis was on its usual island late afternoon and at least 1 Black-necked grebe was present on the ARC.

This evening at Galloway's and out to South Brooks just 2 each of Wheatear and Whinchat and a Common Buzzard, it looks so good for raptors and Owls but I saw none.

c400 mainly Swallows with a few Sand Martins around the fishing boats this afternoon 

 

The last few days

1 of 4 Tree Sparrows I came across in The desert on Sunday 

 The sea watch highlight on Sunday morning was a Sooty Shearwater that moved West at great speed, little else was seen. 10 Tree Sparrows had dropped into a private garden but soon left, so I was surprised when I was walking through The Desert to come across 4 feeding on Blackberries. Apart from Wheatears and handful of Willow warblers, Common and Lesser whitethroats and Blackcaps I saw little else. Late morning I received a call from PT saying that there was White Stork over the Beehives, I quickly went up stairs and set my scope up on the small balcony and spotted the bird almost instantly, it drifted around for a few minutes before seemingly heading off NE. Late afternoon a message on the local WhatsApp group from Dave Scott saying he had 30-40 White storks high over his house at Greatstone, once again I set my scope up on the balcony only this time it it took me an agonisingly long time to find them through the murk and heat haze over The lade Desert, although they were quite distant they were still a superb spectacle even if they are the Knepp birds. many thanks to Chis who got much better views and sent me his photographs. Thanks again to Dave for putting the news out on the local group enabling most the members to see them.

Most of the flock of White Storks that toured the peninsular late Sunday afternoon. Both these images were taken by Chris Philpot as they flew in front of his house at St Mary in The Marsh

This mornings sea watch was slight improvement than of late.

07.00-08.30 AJG who kindly kept the log.

Common Scoter: 2W

Great-crested Grebe: 1W

Gannet: 13E

Cormorant: 6W

Kittiwake: 1W   1E

Sandwich tern: 9E   c20 around

Great Skua: 1E

Arctic Skua: 3W     14E

Gret Seal; 1

Harbour Porpoise: 2

 

Wheatear in The Desert this morning

Black Kite over the fields in front of my house late morning, Honest!!!

When I finished going through the moths in my trap, I took the egg boxes a few 100 yds down the track opposite my house to empty the moths out. As I was doing this I noticed a large raptor coming towards 

me, thankfully as I wear my binoculars most of the time, I lifted them and immediately realised the bird was a Black Kite, I immediately called Colin T as he lives a few doors up from me and would easily see it, unfortunately for him he was not at home, I cursed at myself for carrying my camera, but tried with the phone, as you can see from the image above the results were woeful.

Pity this Clouded Yellow at The ARC was just out of focus

Great White Egret catching Marsh Froglets at The ARC early afternoon

Glossy Ibis on its usual island this afternoon

Another very poor sea watch

14.05- 15.05 MC

Common Scoter: 2E

Gannet: 5E

Cormorant: 2E    4W

Sandwich tern: 57E

Arctic Skua: 1W

Harbour Porpoise: 6

Cattle Egrets at the southern end of the ARC this afternoon

10/09/2021

AJG did the early sea watch for a very meagre return:

06.30-08.30

Common Scoter: 5W

Fulmar: 3W

Gannet: 31E

Kittiwake: 7E

Mediterranean Gull: 1E

Sandwich Tern: 27E

Arctic Skua: 3E

Grey Seal: 1

Harbour Porpoise: 2

A nice adult Yellow-legged Gull on the beach at the bottom of Dengemarsh Marsh Gully

This morning I wandered down to the bottom of Dengemarsh Marsh Gully from Springfield Bridge. Considering the date I saw very little apart from numerous Linnets, 2 Corn Buntings flew over, 4 Common Whitethroats and a single Chiffchaff were seen on the way down, a total of only 5 Wheatear were seen, a single Common Buzzard and Marsh Harrier were behind the converter station, the Yellow-legged Gull on the beach was the undoubted highlight.

A walk around the reserve was equally poor. The Firth viewpoint had as usual zero birds in front of it made worse by getting a soaking because the hide and  Makepiece hide aren't open or even being repaired.

I joined AJG at the fishing boats this afternoon 13.30-15.00

Common Scoter: 1E

Great-crested Grebe: 1W

Gannet: 8W

Kittiwake: 3W

Sandwich Tern: 31W

Swallow: 33SW out to sea

It can only get better!!!

I took the image above a few days ago, today it is still the same a view of overgrown Sallows. An example of money and volunteer time being spent on erecting signs promoting the reserve, then no follow up maintenance taking place, I know it is only a small thing but it is symptomatic of the run down image  Dungeness RSPB Reserve portrays to visitors, Just a few minutes with secateurs would resolve this small issue, but I doubt "The Team" have even noticed, or even walked past it. It is little wonder visitors feel the reserve is shabby, run down and un-loved. 

The view from the Firth Viewpoint, this image was taken a few days ago when the sun was shining, the lack of birds is clear to see, not even the Coots stay when the first visitor of the day walks onto the viewpoint.
 

09/09/2021

A poor sea watch this morning was mercifully cut short by the fog closing in very quickly:

07.40-08.15 

Fulmar: 1W

Gannet: 2E

Cormorant: 6W

Sandwich Tern: 12E   3W

Arctic Skua: 2W

Wheatear: 5 on the bund

One of the many Whinchats around the peninsular today, this one at The Patch

Around The Desert and trapping area very few migrants were seen, just singles each of Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler, 4 Common Whitethroats, 6 Wheatears in The Desert, another 8 around the new lighthouse but little else was seen.

A stop on the causeway at the ARC saw 2 Cattle Egrets, 2 Great Egrets, 3 Little Egrets and the Glossy Ibis.

Juvenile Hobby on the perimeter wall this morning. (A perimeter wall tick for me)

On Burrowes the 3 Spoonbills still present, c50 Golden Plover, Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Dunlin and a Ruff

all still present.

Sandwich Tern feeding at the fishing boats this afternoon

Very quiet sea watch again this afternoon but quite entertaining watching the Terns feeding.

15.00-16.00 from the fishing boats:

Gannet: 3W

Cormorant: 4W

Sandwich Tern: c15 feeding off shore

Common Tern: 1 feeding offshore

Arctic Skua: 1 chasing offshore

Wheatear: 5 around the fishing boats

Juvenile Arctic Skua at the fishing boats this afternoon

Juvenile Common Tern feeding at the fishing boats this afternoon

Marsh Mallow Moth a nationally scarce moth, was the highlight in my MV this morning