Tuesday 4 October 2016

The east wind doth blow

Dungeness RSPB - 1030hrs -  mild, cloudy, e 6 - A blustery old day for a guided walk around the bird reserve during which few grounded passerines were seen due to the strong wind. However, there was plenty of interest on Burrowes with Little Stint, Knot, Common Sandpiper, Bar-tailed Godwit, five Dunlins, Golden Plovers and Lapwings on the islands amongst a host of ducks including up to 10 Pintail. Elsewhere, mainly at Dengemarsh, Great White and Little Egrets, 10 Snipe, two Marsh Harriers, two Sparrowhawks, five Kestrels, a Bittern, two Stonechats, Dabchicks, Chiffchaffs and Blackcap all added to the variety of birds on offer along with a trickle of overhead Swallows, Mipits, alba wagtails, Reed Buntings and Linnets. The sunflower field at Dengemarsh continues to a attract a massive flock of some 300 Linnets.
  Over the road on ARC plenty more Golden Plovers and Lapwings were crammed onto the islands along with several Blackwits, Ruff, Dunlin, Knot and Redshank. In total 12 Great White Egrets were present on the reserve today, plus Glossy Ibis and Cattle Egret in Boulderwall fields and the hayfields respectively.
  At Dungeness this morning the seawatchers recorded all four species of skuas and a steady passage of Brents, while a Yellow-browed Warbler was located amongst a tit flock in the Trapping Area (OL). This afternoon (whilst I was in Folkestone!) two more stripy jobs were found in the old lighthouse garden (T&BH).

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