Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs

Warm, dry and sunny, N2 - This autumn has been notable for the huge numbers of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs (particularly the latter) that have filtered through our parks, gardens and coastal scrub; and this morning was no different with Chiffs seemingly in every bush and small flocks of Blackcaps fattening up on blackberries along the margins of the Trapping Area. Across Dungeness foreshore and Desert the following were noted grounded: 50 Meadow Pipits, 30 Stonechats, 20 Linnets, 10 Wheatears, five Skylarks and four Greenfinches, while the highlight was a Short-eared Owl disturbed from ground cover in the Desert. Amongst the aforementioned warblers was a single Common Whitethroat. Moving onto Lade where loads more Chiffchaffs were present around the ponds plus a Goldcrest in the fir trees. Over north lake a juvenile Black Tern hawked insects and two Kingfishers zipped over the water. 

                                  Blackcaps - Trapping Area

                                 Wheatear - Foreshore

    Ted - Dungeness

Siskins

Mild, cloud, S 2 - Across the weekend a steady south-bound passage of hirundines continued over the peninsula along with plenty of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps in the bushes at Lade yesterday, plus small parties of Siskins, mainly heard overhead, along with a few Meadow Pipits, Skylarks and Goldfinches. Duck numbers remained high, particularly Shoveler with over 200 counted as well as 110 Teal, 180 Gadwall, 42 Great Crested and 12 Little Grebes, 12 Little and two Great White Egrets. Today at the RSPB reserve, where a KOS event was taking place, waders on Burrowes included 100 Lapwings, seven Dunlins, two Ruffs and a Common Sandpiper. Also noted three Great White Egrets, several Marsh Harriers and three Glossy Ibises over Boulderwall; on Friday evening three Glossies flew over New Romney, while the Buff-breasted Sandpiper was still present at the back of Scotney today.

                                   Dunlins - Firth lookout

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

Scotney - mild, cloudy, E 2 - Overcast conditions for another trip to search for this week`s Buff-breasted Sandpiper which had been relocated yesterday on a sheep fold next to an old gravel pit lake out back. Eventually, after an hour spent grilling the field, along with a handful of locals, it magically appeared right in front of us and was most confiding. It was easy to see when running around on the turf, but when it moved onto the shingle it melted into the background and was very difficult to follow. After an hour or so it flew to the far side of the field and out of view. A cracking little Nearctic wader and oddly enough very close to the site of one discovered at Scotney a few years ago. Whilst there Dave Scott captured some brilliant video of it in action; see below. On the walk across the farmland large numbers of feral geese, Starlings, Lapwings and Golden Plovers swirled overhead, while the stubble fields and rough margins attracted flocks of mostly Linnets, Meadow Pipits and Skylarks, plus Reed Buntings, Pied and Yellow Wagtails, Tree Sparrows and several Wheatears. The road side fields held hundreds more feral geese, Lapwings and Starlings along with eight Ruffs, two Redshanks and two Curlews. 

                                 Wheatears

    Buff-breasted Sandpiper - Scotney

                                           Buff-breasted Sandpiper - by Dave Scott

Ruffs

Warm, dry and sunny, NE3 - A much better day weather wise after a deluge of rain yesterday. This morning`s Ted walk commenced on the local patch at Lade where there was a noticeable increase in duck numbers across both lakes, including 265 Shovelers, 180 Teals, 60 Wigeons and four Pintails. A count of 22 Little Egrets was also of note along with two Great White Egrets, six Grey Herons, two Black-necked Grebes and two Common Sandpipers. Passerines were fewer than of late but did include several Yellow Wagtails grounded amongst numerous Meadow Pipits and Linnets, plus a scattering of Chiffchaffs in the bushes and plenty of hirundines over the water.

                                   Ruffs - Scotney sward

We then moved onto Scotney/Jury`s Gap checking the coastal fields for yesterdays Buff-breasted Sandpiper but without success. However, the moulting American Golden Plover remained in the stony field near the sand pit within a large and flighty Golden Plover flock; whilst there a straggle of nine Glossy Ibises flew through. At Scotney the front fields attracted up to 20 Ruffs across the sward, plus 50 Wigeons, 100 Lapwings, 10 Curlews, 10 Dunlins, two Redshanks, an Avocet and hundreds of feral geese. Also noted during the morning: several Marsh Harriers, Buzzards and Kestrels, 10 Little Egrets and a Common Sandpiper.

A Blast from the Past!

Lade - cool, cloudy, NE 4 - Having spent our weekend Ted walks trudging out from home and not seeing very much apart from a few Wheatears and numerous Chiffchaffs and Swallows, this morning we went to the local patch where a cool, northerly airflow gave a distinctly autumnal feel to proceedings. On the desert and outback of Mockmill there was a noticeable uptick in Reed Buntings and Meadow Pipits with small parties grounded across the scrub and shingle ridges respectively, along with six Wheatears, four Stonechats, a Grey Wagtail overhead and a scattering of Chiffchaffs around the bushes. Scanning towards the airfield delivered two Marsh Harriers (an adult male and a juvenile) plus five Kestrels and a Buzzard. In the cool air it was no surprise to see plenty of hirundines over south lake including a few more House Martins than of late. There was no change to the wildfowl numbers, while a Great White and 10 Little Egrets were noted around the margins and in the willow swamp. With high tide just after noon we moved to Kerton quarry where the Oystercatcher and Cormorant roost contained two each of Knot and Bar-tailed Godwit.

                                  Bar-tailed Godwits - Kerton quarry

                                  Meadow Pipit - Desert

                                  Chiffchaff - Ponds

Also reported this afternoon, a Buff-breasted Sandpiper in the stubble field opposite Jury`s Gap. In other news, on the RSPB reserve access to Hanson hide and the willow trail will be closed for repairs to the hide from Wednesday 24th September for at least two weeks (Craig Edwards, Site Manager).

PS: Today is the tenth anniversary of a classic day at Dungeness. Below is my blog post from that day...

Tuesday 22nd September, 2015

Dungeness - 0930hrs - cool, sunshine/showers, cloudy, nw 2 - I was just finishing breakfast for our B&B guests when my mobile `pinged` denoting that a message had been left. After loading the dishwasher I was about to head out across the local patch with Barney, my trusty old Border Terrier; until I listened to the recording on the phone from an excited Plodding Birder to the effect that he`d just found an American Flycatcher - at the fishing boats!!! This prompted a rapid change of plan, and a speedy drive to the point, to join a small group of locals already watching/photographing said bird around the fishing boats, winches and bulldozers. As with most tired, grounded migrants it was not shy, flying around the shingle snapping up insects and settling close by amongst the flotsam and jetsom of the fishing industry. Over the next couple of hours the sun broke through affording good photographic opportunities which should assist in making a specific identification of what is a notoriously tricky group of New World flycatchers.

Now, I`m no expert on this genus of American flycatchers, having only seen an Alder Flycatcher before, in the spring at Jamaica Bay, USA, but looking at the pics we have to consider Alder/Willow or Yellow-bellied/Acadian Flycatchers. I haven't had a chance to have a good look online, but with reference to the Sibley guide (not always reliable) Alder/Willow both appear greyish on the upperparts and our bird appeared almost bright green at times with a yellowish wash to the underparts, which would suggest Yellow-bellied/Acadian. It also had a bright and complete eye-ring, a stoutish bill and long primary projections, which would lean towards the latter.
At one stage it pooed on a bulldozer, which was promptly collected for later analysis; presumably DNA can be extracted for a positive id (which was confirmed later).

    Acadian Flycatcher - Dungeness - 2015 - First for Britain

I called back down the point this afternoon by which time the bird had moved inland to the private garden at South View where an attendant army of twitchers had virtually encircled the place; some had driven from as far afield as Plymouth and Teeside, a plane load even flew down from Norfolk to Lydd, while a crew just about made it over from Belgium! Despite the drizzle the flycatcher showed well, sallying forth snapping up insects, but the views were nothing like this morning. As dusk approached I watched it fly over towards the Sanctuary where it was lost in the murk, never to be seen again. After a natter with a few old faces from up country and another chat with the finder, Martin Casemore, (aka Plodding birder) I called it a day and headed for home. A great find Martin, whatever the final outcome on the id, and well deserved. The phone didn`t stop ringing this evening, what with birders enquiring about the flycatcher, but in conversation with my birding pal from Bedfordshire, Stuart Winter, who was familiar with the species in the States, he was convinced after seeing the photographs that it was a first autumn Acadian Flycatcher, as also confirmed by several American birders who`d seen the pictures online. 

    South View - Dungeness

Manx Shearwaters

Warm, dry and sunny, SSW 2 - Summer returned today and with lighter winds we spent the first part of the morning on the local patch at Lade searching for passerines. The desert section yielded up to 20 Stonechats, 10 Wheatears, 10 Meadow Pipits and a flock of 50 Linnets, plus a trickle of southbound Swallows and Sand Martins; Kestrels were much in evidence with at least eight counted hovering over the shingles ridges at one time. The highlight on south lake was a Black Tern along with two Commons and a Sandwich Tern. Whilst checking through the wildfowl a distant Osprey over the airfield caused the ducks to temporarily take flight, while five more Kestrels thermalled over the wall mirror being mobbed by Jackdaws. Also noted: a Great White and four Little Egrets, several Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs and a Green Woodpecker.

                                  Kestrel - Lade

                                  Wheatears - Lade

                                  Manx Shearwaters - Fishing boats

Moving onto the fishing boats where, unusually given the fine weather conditions, a trickle of westbound Manx Shearwaters was underway, several of which came in quite close (24 were logged by John Young during the morning). Also noted a few Sandwich and Common Terns, Mediterranean Gulls, auks, Gannets and Arctic Skuas, plus a large movement of hirundines (mostly Swallows) heading out over the Channel making the most of the light southerly breeze and clear visibility. We walked along the beach back towards the boardwalk scanning for a Grey Phalarope reported earlier, but without success. A check of the bay from the Tavern viewpoint on an ebb tide revealed the usual Curlew and Oystercatcher flock, 20 Dunlin, five Bar-tailed Godwits, six Knots, 20 Sandwich Terns and hundreds more Swallows streaming towards Dungeness.

Elsewhere today: the Red-backed Shrike was still at Dungeness; a Spoonbill was new in at Dengemarsh and the American Golden Plover remained with the Goldies in a stubble field opposite Jury`s Gap.

Sooty Shearwaters

Dungeness - mild, cloudy, SW 4 - A breezy morning with light showers for a guided walk around the circular trail at the RSPB reserve. The guests were treated to superb views of a flock of 20 odd Chiffchaffs feeding in the vegetation outside the sheltered Visitors Centre, along with several Blue and Great Tits; many more Chiffs were also noted along the route this morning. Waders seen included five Dunlins, a Ringed Plover and a Common Sandpiper on Burrowes and five Ruffs over Dengemarsh, where a Marsh Harrier, five Great White and six Cattle Egrets were also present. Hundreds of Sand Martins flitted over the water and a pair of Egyptian Geese were seen with small goslings; is there ever a month when they don`t breed! The long staying, deformed (one eyed and cross-billed) Red-backed Shrike was reported along the access road around midday.

                                  Chiffchaffs through the Visitor Centre window

This afternoon I joined the seawatchers at the fishing boats for a 90 minute watch where it proved to be a memorable day for Sooty Shearwaters heading down Channel, many of which were miles out and beyond my range, but not so for our keen-eyed summer warden Jacob who`d logged over 270 by the time I`d left (the full details of todays tallies will no doubt be on Trektellen later). During the time I was present probably 50 went past, of which I managed to see about 15! However, one bird did cut in close giving superb views and affording photographic opportunities for those with long-tom lenses. A steady stream of Gannets, Common and Sandwich Terns made up the bulk numbers along with several Balearic and Manx Shearwaters, 10 Arctic Skuas, singles of Black and Little Terns, two auks and a Common Scoter. Land birds noted included a trickle of hirundines out and an inbound Merlin.  

                                  Arctic Tern - Lade north

                                  Ted at a windy Lade on Monday

On Monday, during the gale force winds, I noted an Arctic Tern on Lade north, while Chiffchaffs have been everywhere this week, including a constant presence in New Romney town park and our garden. Yesterday afternoon I called in to Hanson hide where a Peregrine kept the wildfowl alert. Amongst the throng were four Commons and a Black Tern, a Black-tailed Godwit, three Dunlins, two Snipes and a Ruff.

Last weeks outing for a Naturetrek group proved challenging due to the wind and rain. However, one of the clients, Alan Smith, kindly forwarded me his impressive photographic results from the day, the pick of which I`ve posted below. Many thanks Alan.

From the fishing boats

    Arctic Skua

    Common Scoters

    Cormorant

    Sandwich Terns

    The Morrell

RSPB Reserve

    Common Terns

    Dabchick

    Glossy Ibis

    Great White Egret

    Kestrel

    Knot

    Pintails

    Sand Martin

     Swallow

    Snipe

    Whinchat

Lade Bay

    Curlew

    Dunlin

     Knot