Seabirds and Waders

Dungeness - 0800hrs - warm, dry, sunny, light airs - David and Yolande down from Bushey for a days birding, concentrating on seabirds and waders. Spent the morning at the Point searching for yesterdays Long-tailed Skua without success. The sea was slow going due the still conditions with most seabirds well offshore. Still plenty of birders searching for the skua. However, the sum total of four hours seawatching was, 1 Balearic Shearwater, 3 Arctic Skuas, 50 Gannets, 6 Little and 2 Black Terns, 50 Sandwich and Common Terns, 1 Guillemot, 20 Common Scoter and a Grey Seal; shorebirds included Sanderling, Turnstone, Knot and Ringed Plover. At high tide the Glaucous Gull and an adult Yellow-legged Gull were roosting amongst the black-backs and Herring Gulls. At the Patch singles of Arctic Tern and Little Gull and 2 Black Terns. On the land 10 each of Chiffs and Wheatears, 2 Whitethroats, Kestrel, 2 Yellow Wags, 10 Mipits and 3 Siskins overhead.
RSPB 1330hrs - Strolled down to Scott hide to `enjoy` obscured views of a Greater Flamingo. Five Ringed Plovers in front of Firth and the Cattle Egret showed at Boulderwall. From Hanson a good selection of waders including the now familiar 500 Goldie/Lapwing flock, plus 10 Dunlins, 5 Blackwits, 3 Barwits, 4 Ruffs, 4 Avocets, 2 Little Stints, Snipe and Curlew. The Goosander showed and a Buzzard drifted over from Lade. Over the water, 2 Black and 1 Arctic Terns, 1 Little Gull and 10 Common Terns. Also noted, 6 Wigeon, 4 Little Egrets, Cetti`s Warbler, more Chiffs and a light passage of Sand Martins and Swallows.
All things considered (it was bordering on hot today) a good days birding with the shearwater being the obvious highlight.