Black-winged Stilts

Dungeness - warm, dry and sunny, nw 2 - A cracking morning for a wander round the peninsula where we located all the expected breeding passerines - Raven, Wheatear, Black Redstart, Linnet, Whitethroat, Skylark, Mipit, Pied Wagtail, etc - plus a scattering of migrant Willow Warblers, Chiffchaff and incoming Swallows. The sea was quiet with just a few passing terns, gulls and two distant Gannets, plus a Grey Seal. Back on the land Common Blue and Small Heath butterflies were new for the year, while several battered Small Coppers were on last knockings. Botanically, the Sea Kale and Prostrate Broom are now in full flower, providing a fine spectacle, while the rain of yesterday will no doubt bring on many more plants now the sun is shining.

                                Common Blue, Dungeness

                                          Prostrate Broom, Dungeness

Scotney - Arrived at the farm entrance to a mini-twitch as a pair of Black-winged Stilts were on the grassy spit along with several Avocets with young; presumably the stilts were the birds that`ve been around for a fortnight or so now, having been seen earlier on the Hayfields. Also noted hereabouts, 10 Dunlins, Redshank, 10 Yellow Wagtails, six Corn Buntings, 10 Tree Sparrows, Buzzard, Marsh Harrier, 15 Shelducks, eight Stock Doves and 253 Mute Swans. A field of maize attracted at least six pairs of Lapwings.

                                Black-winged Stilts, Scotney

                               Mute Swans, Scotney


Dengemarsh - Spent a very pleasant couple of hours loafing on the viewing ramp scanning the reedbed and marsh. The Bittern occasionally `boomed`, Marsh Harriers came and went, even Bearded Tits played the game, as did all the expected warblers, including Lesser Whitethroat, while a Brimstone butterfly was a surprise flyby.
Littlestone - Finished the afternoon at the Varne, scanning the sands, where 212 Oystercatcher, 52 Curlew and 12 Barwit were feeding amongst hundreds of gulls.