Rye Harbour - warm, dry and sunny, SE3 - Superb weather for a long circular walk around the reserve. We took the track beside Narrow and Long Pits to Winchelsea Beach returning along the coastal path to the Beach Reserve. Plenty of Willow Warblers and Lesser Whitethroat were heard by the fishing lakes, while a steady westward passage of Swallows was underway along the shoreline where several Wheatears and Skylarks were noted. On the reserve the usual wildfowl and gulls but only a few Redshank, Curlew, Common Sandpiper and a Spotted Redshank over calling, plus 30 Sandwich Terns, 10 Shelducks and 50 Lapwings. On the way home we paused at Jury`s Gap to see the American Golden Plover that was still present from yesterday in an arable field opposite the ranges, though distant and within a flock of Golden Plovers; it appeared to be a moulting adult - check out John Young`s blog for pics - www.dungenessbirding.blogspot.com
Yesterday morning was spent mostly on the local patch checking for migrant passerines. A few common warblers were noted around the ponds along with 10 Stonechats, five Wheatears and a Whinchat on the Desert, while at least four Black-necked Grebes remained on south lake. Next stop Kerton Road pit for the high tide roost where over 500 Oystercatchers, 200 large gulls and 10 Sandwich Terns were present. At Dungeness more warblers were flitting around the wigwams along with a Redstart and several Meadow Pipits, although the Wryneck from earlier on in the Desert failed to show. Plenty of raptors were seen across the peninsular including 15 Kestrels, six Common Buzzards, a Sparrowhawk and a distant Osprey.
Thanks for the blog link Paul
ReplyDelete