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...
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.
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