Pectoral Sandpiper

Warm, cloudy, NW 2 - The adult Pectoral Sandpiper found yesterday by John Young kindly stayed over and showed reasonably well this morning at the southern end of ARC in company with a Common Sandpiper and a Ruff;  whilst I was there they were flushed by a ground-hugging Sparrowhawk which thankfully diverted away from the trio to chase down a Lapwing instead. Pec Sands are recorded annually down here, mostly in the juvenile form as autumn advances, so it was good to enjoy an adult in breeding plumage for a change. From Hanson hide ten more Common Sandpipers, three Avocets and two Little Ringed Plovers were noted amongst a host of wildfowl, several Little Egrets and two Great Whites. The reed-bed in front of Screen hide was alive to the sound of Water Rail activity so it wasn`t that much of a surprise when an adult ventured into the clearing with two jet-black chicks in tow; this area also looks superb for a rare crake, if we ever get one...

                                  Great White Egret - ARC

                                 Pectoral and Common Sandpipers in profile - ARC

     Adult Pectoral Sandpiper - ARC

                                  Wood Sandpipers - Firth

                                  Juvenile Little Ringed Plover - Firth 

                                  Reed Warbler - Burrowes

On Burrowes several more Common Sandpipers and Little Ringed Plovers were present, plus two Wood Sandpipers from Firth lookout. It was also good to see a few Common Tern chicks at long last on the shingle island out from Dennis`s hide. On the way home a check of the bay from the Tavern viewpoint revealed huge numbers of gulls and the following counts are very much a minimum as there were many more gulls in the distant heat haze towards Littlestone and round to Dungeness: Mediterranean Gull 900, Black-headed Gull 500, Common Gull 150. Waders included 520 Oystercatcher, 320 Curlew, five Bar-tailed Godwits and 50 distant Dunlin/Sanderling.

Sand Martins

Warm, dry and sunny, NW 2 - This morning we checked out the local patch at Lade where there was nothing much out of the ordinary. A couple of hundred Pochard and Tufted Duck and 50 Great Crested Grebes remained across both waters, while two Common Sandpipers and four Little Egrets were on the margins of south lake. The reedbeds were alive with chattering Reed Warbler juvs while a couple of Lesser Whitethroats tacked noisily by the ponds. Moving onto Kerton Road quarry where after many decades of aggregate excavation the diggers have finally fallen silent and been removed from site leaving another wetland habitat available for future conservation use. And it was busy today on the high tide roost with hundreds of Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls and Sandwich Terns (good to see a few juveniles present), 50 Oystercatchers,  two Bar-tailed and a Black-tailed Godwit, two Common Sandpipers and a Red Knot. We moved onto the beach to check the foreshore where hundreds more terns and gulls were roosting on the shingle and flying around fishing. Scanning the bay revealed at least six Grey Seal heads bobbing up and down in the distance along with a wild swimmer (at least a quarter of mile out) crossing the bay. I had him in view for about 20 minutes as he swam from Hythe direction, steadily headed towards Dungeness. 

                                  Gulls and terns - Kerton quarry

Yesterday`s outing took us to Dengemarsh for a circular walk around the reserve and adjacent farmland. Despite the recent rainfall the hayfields were dry and unsuitable for waders, although a Green Sandpiper flew over hayfield 3 calling. From the hide at least four fledgling Common Terns were being well attended to on the tern island and a couple of Common Sandpipers fed around the margins. Two Great White Egrets, a juvenile Marsh Harrier and a family of Lesser Whitethroats were also noted, plus a few Yellow Wagtail, Skylark and Corn Bunting on the arable-lands. The highlight of the morning evolved as we approached Manor Farm by the road where a thousand or more Sand Martins appeared from nowhere, settling on the the chicken shed roofs and along the overhead wires. For 20 minutes we were immersed in a marvellous twittering, swirling mass of birds, after which they rose as one and flew south in one huge straggling flock leaving behind total silence. 

                                  Common Terns - Dengemarsh

    Sand Martins - Dengemarsh Road

On the way home yesterday around noon a check of Greatstone beach from the Tavern yielded a minimum of 500 Mediterranean Gulls amongst a couple of thousand Black-headed and Common Gulls, plus 100 Sandwich Terns, 200 Oystercatchers and six Bar-tailed Godwits.

    Wild swimmer - Lade bay

Red Knot

Warm and wet - A classic morning for a drop in of passage waders as thundery hail and rain showers crossed the Marsh throughout the day. The highlight was a smart adult Knot still in breeding plumage on a distant island out from Firth, along with at least 10 Common Sandpipers, two Greenshanks, two Little Ringed Plovers, a Wood Sandpiper and a Redshank. Also noted: 55 Common Terns, two juvenile Marsh Harriers and a Raven over calling. Across the road from Hanson hide five more Common Sandpipers, 20 Lapwings and the usual Avocets and Oystercatchers on the islands was about it wader-wise. However, as for bird biomass I estimated there to be around 2,000 waterfowl scattered across ARC with the bulk numbers made up from Mute Swan, Cormorant, Great Crested Grebe, Black-headed Gull, Coot, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Mallard and Shoveler, plus a few Teal, two Wigeon, a Garganey, a Pintail and a Red-crested Pochard. Crossing the causeway road another 500 plus birds were noted on New Diggings. A check of the beach on a falling tide from the Tavern viewpoint yielded 120 Mediterranean Gulls and 40 Sandwich Terns amongst c1,000 Black-headed and Common Gulls.

                                  Red Knot - Burrowes

                                  Tufted Duck family - ARC

                                  Storm clouds over Boulderwall

Yesterday at Lade on the high tide 220 Curlews, four Bar-tailed Godwits and two Whimbrels were at roost on the desert. Duck numbers were high here too with 220 Pochards, 210 Tufted Ducks and 30 Shovelers, plus 45 Great Crested Grebes and five Mediterranean Gulls. The highlight in the garden moth trap yesterday was a Blair`s Mocha, a former rarity but not too much of a surprise what with the proximity of their larval food plant, Holm Oaks, close to our garden. 

                                  Roosting Curlews - Lade

                                  Adult Med Gull - Lade

    Blair`s Mocha - New for the site

Wood Sandpiper

 Warm, showery, S 2 - The current heat wave certainly ended in spectacular fashion over the weekend complete with thunder and lightening and some much needed rain. Perfect weather conditions then for a drop in of passage waders on the bird reserve... or so we thought! However, this morning in a heavy shower a Wood Sandpiper made light of the rain in front of Firth lookout feeding continually, in contrast to a sorry-looking Greenshank that stood stock still until the downpour eased. Also noted on Burrowes: eight Common Sandpipers, three Little Ringed Plovers and 52 Common Terns. From Hanson hide one of the juvenile Avocets has almost fledged on ARC where all the usual wildfowl were present plus three more each of Common Sandpiper and LRP. This afternoon after calling in at the DBO social gathering (thanks to all concerned for the food and drink) I paused to scan the bay on the way home from the Tavern where the highlight was 120 roosting Sandwich Terns. 

                                  Adult Wood Sandpiper - Firth washout

                                  Adult Greenshank in the rain - Burrowes

                                  Fledgling Avocet - ARC

                                  Adult Dabchick - ARC

                                 Archer`s Dart - new for garden on Friday

Passage Waders

Warm, dry and sunny, W 2 -  A guided walk for RSPB this morning in pleasant weather conditions delivered a decent range of wildlife including good numbers of common grassland butterflies and dragonflies. It was quiet passerine-wise as expected at this time of year apart from several pulses of out bound Sand Martins over the circular trail. Passage waders on Burrowes included a smart Wood Sandpiper, a Greenshank, two Common Sandpipers, a Redshank and three Little Ringed Plovers plus a Whimbrel and Curlew overhead calling. There was still plenty of activity on the breeding tern island out from Dennis`s. At Dengemarsh we enjoyed good views of the comings and goings at the small ternery in front of the hide where a fledgling was fascinated by the bathing antics of a Common Sandpiper! I saw my first Marsh Harrier of the season in crisp, juvenile plumage, as well as a spanking adult female bird with extensive white on the crown and shoulders. Also of note during the walk: two Great White Egrets and a Hobby. A quick look from Hanson hide on the way out revealed the two Avocet chicks to be doing well and two more Common Sandpipers on the islands.

                                  Oystercatcher

                                  Adult Common Terns

 

                                  Juvenile Common Tern

                                  Common Sandpiper, bathing

                                  Common Sandpiper and juvenile Common Tern

Yesterday afternoon a seawatch from the fishing boats produced a trickle of Common and Sandwich Terns, plus at least four juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls among the gull throng lured in by slices of bread from Martin and Richard. 

    Juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls, Dungeness

NB: The colour ringed (C68) Common Tern that was present on Dengemarsh on Monday, and not seen since, was ringed at Belfont Lakes Country Park, Feltham, (Middlesex), Greater London on 30th June 2020 making it just over five years old.

Common Terns

 Warm , dry and sunny, SW 4 - A buffeting wind whipping up-Channel made for difficult birding conditions across the peninsula this morning; although it did mean that we had the place to ourselves! The hayfields were bone-dry and bird-less, but there was plenty of activity on Dengemarsh with up to 20 breeding Common Terns on the new islands, including four well-grown fledglings, and where there was an adult bird with a yellow colour-ring (more of which anon when I get the details from the ringers). Also noted on the wetlands hundreds of eclipse diving ducks, gulls, feral geese and a Great White Egret. There was a distinct lack of harrier activity (as there has been for the past month or more) and I can only assume that they failed to breed. On the farmland section several Corn Buntings, Skylarks and Yellow Wagtails was about the sum total. Moving onto Burrowes from Hanson hide and more Common Tern action from 40 odd birds on the distant shingle island and where at least two fledged juveniles had somehow avoided the privations of the large gulls. Several raucous Sandwich Terns came and went, as did a Greenshank, a Curlew and a Whimbrel over calling, a dusky Spotted Redshank that landed for all of 10 minutes before heading north, two Common Sandpipers and a Ringed Plover. Also noted: a trickle of Sand Martins and Yellow Wagtails overhead and two Marsh Harriers over the Oppen pits. A check of Kerton quarry and Lade revealed little else apart from a flock of c200 Black-headed Gulls from the lookout point at the quarry.

                                  Common Terns, Dengemarsh

                                  Sandwich and Common Tern, Burrowes

                              

Summer Moths

Warm, dry and sunny, E3 - Another superb summer`s day with a cooling breeze off the North Sea tempering the heat. Our early morning Ted walks today and for much of the past week have taken place on the farmland around New Romney where the reed-fringed ditches and sewers are bustling with fledged Reed Warblers along with lesser numbers of Sedge Warblers and Reed Buntings. Yellowhammer, Linnet, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Common and Lesser Whitethroats have all produced young from the hedgerows along Hope Lane, as have Mistle Thrush, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers on the Ashford Road turf field and adjacent stands of mature trees. Common Buzzard continues to be the most numerous raptor locally with a `kettle` of six high over the town yesterday incurring the wrath of the Herring Gulls. The humid nights have delivered large numbers of moths to the garden trap with six new species of macros including: Double-lobed, Star-wort, a Mouse Moth (formerly abundant, now not so) and a Small Ranunculus who`s status has gone the other way, from a rarity to a locally established resident in this part of the country.

                                  Small Ranunculus

                                  Mouse Moth

                                  Double Lobed

                                 

                                  Garganey, ARC

Visits to the bird reserve (Hanson hide) and Lade this week have been notable for a few passage waders including Common Sandpipers and Dunlins, a Black-tailed Godwit and several Little Ringed Plovers amongst the breeding Avocets (two fledged juvs), Oystercatchers and Ringed Plovers. Large numbers of eclipse Gadwall, Shoveler, Pochard and Tufted Ducks attracted to ARC have also included a few Teal, a Garganey and a Wigeon, plus a Pintail on Burrowes where up to ten sitting Common Terns are still on the shingle island out from Dennis`s hide. 

Dabchicks

Warm, dry and sunny, W3 - The undoubted rarity highlight over the weekend was the discovery by Owen L of a Caspian Tern on the sands from the Tavern viewpoint on Friday evening. Unfortunately I couldn`t get to site but spent a fair bit of Saturday searching the bay area and Lade lakes without success; CT`s rarely tarry for long down here. However, I did see 30 Sandwich Terns and 10 Mediterranean Gulls amongst the usual range of gulls and waders, plus a steady stream of south-bound Swifts in the afternoon. Visits to the bird reserve and Dungeness since my last post have yielded little change, likewise the farmland around New Romney; although it was good to see three juvenile Dabchicks and an adult on the balancing pond down Church Lane this morning. The garden moth trap continues to deliver plenty of mainly common species including 15 Elephant Hawk-moths yesterday.

                                  Balancing pond, New Romney

                                  Dabchicks, New Romney

                                  Buzzard, New Romney

                                  Ted on the turf field

                                 Magpie Moth