Wheatears

Dungeness - cold, dry and sunny, NW 3 - A superb bright spring morning with a frost first thing and a keen wind out of the north, and about time I found my first Wheatear, seeing as they`ve been reported for a week or more now. However, it didn`t take long; a smart male on the Desert was followed by at least nine more, all females, and another male by the railway cafe, so 11 in total. Martin had 10 in the gully while James had up to 15 locally, so something of a `fall` this morning across the peninsula. With over 60 years of birding under my belt I still get a thrill seeing my first `white-arse` of the season; in-fact I can still recall my first one ever (seen through my beloved Charles-Frank 10x50 bins!) on Chilterns farmland at the back of Maple Cross in the 1960`s. 

                                  Wheatears - Dungeness

A Fieldfare was seen along the way, plus two Common and a Jack Snipe near the wigwams. Also noted across the Estate, several Chiffchaffs in song in the Trapping Area and Long Pits, 12 Skylarks, two Meadow Pipits, a Kestrel, a Sparrowhawk and two Greenfinches. Moving onto Kerton Quarry where there was plenty of activity on the islands from Oystercatchers, Lapwings and Redshanks, a pair of Shelducks, a pair of Egyptian Geese (still with six goslings), six Teals, 12 Gadwalls, 20 Tufted Ducks and a lone Dunlin. An adult male Marsh Harrier came in low off the bay (causing all the HGs to go berserk) before sensibly heading across the Desert towards ARC. There was no change on the Boulderwall wetlands apart from c200 Black-headed Gulls and at least one Med Gull on the far island, plus two Cattle Egrets in a sheep fold from the access road. A Hooded Crow made a brief appearance for ROR and his group this morning on the shingle ridges between Dennis`s and New Diggings, while several Sand Martins, Swallows, a Crane and a Willow Warbler were reported elsewhere across the NNR today.

                                  Sheldrake - Kerton Quarry

                                  Redshank - Kerton Quarry

    Dunlin - Kerton Quarry

Egyptian Geese

Lade - mild, misty, light airs - A circuit of the local patch delivered three Goldeneyes and a Black-necked Grebe on south lake amongst the usual common wildfowl, plus an increase in Linnets on the dry scrub as they return for the breeding season. Moving onto Kerton quarry where a pair of Egyptian Geese had a brood of six goslings on the water; the first I`ve seen this year, although I did see a pair with young back in December at Scotney! There was plenty of territorial activity on the main island from Lapwing, Redshank and Shelduck. There wasn`t much change across Dengemarsh from my last visit on Friday with 180 Wigeon, several Shoveler, Shelduck and Teal on the Boulderwall fields, plus several Lapwings and Redshanks, nine Cattle and four Great White Egrets, Marsh Harrier and Buzzard.

                                   Egyptian Geese - Kerton Quarry

On Sunday we visited Pirate Springs where a Red Kite drifted over from New Romney. On the golf links rough grassland several pairs of Skylarks and Meadow Pipits were displaying while 145 Turnstones foraged along the foreshore on the incoming tide. Farmland walks around Romney over the weekend delivered very little apart from a few more Reed Buntings and Linnets to the field margins and on Saturday a steady nocturnal passage of Redwings over the town calling in the mist.

Goshawk

Orlestone Forest - warm, dry and sunny, light airs - Together with Chris we spent the morning in the woods for a change of scene in glorious early spring sunshine. En-route a Red Kite flapped over the road by the Red Lion at Snargate. As the sun warmed the grassy rides numerous Peacock and Brimstone butterflies emerged onto the wing along with a couple of Commas, but no sign of any Large Tortoiseshells which have been noted recently. At least 25 Chiffchaffs were in song across the woodland complex along with two Blackcaps and a host of resident species including Nuthatch, Long-tailed and Coal Tits, Treecreeper, Bullfinch, Goldfinch, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers and singles of Mistle Thrush, Redwing and Siskin. Surprisingly, we drew a blank on any Crossbills or crests but, as expected, Marsh Tit, Hawfinch and Lesser-pecker were absent. On the plus side though, as the warmth built, several Buzzards soared over the canopy and a Goshawk rushed through; however, a while later we had protracted views of another Goshawk thermalling overhead. And Ted also enjoyed his outing amongst the trees.

                                  Primroses

                                  Nuthatch collecting mud

                                  Tired Ted!

Avocets

Warm, dry and sunny, SW 3 - A circuit of Lade this morning produced the three wintering Goldeneyes still on south lake amongst a sprinkling of Shoveler, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Teal and Pochard; whilst I didn`t have any luck with the Black-necked Grebe it was located this afternoon (ROR) by the wall mirror reedbed. Also noted singing Reed Bunting, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Cetti`s Warbler around the ponds, plus a Firecrest, a Great White Egret and a female Marsh Harrier elsewhere across the site. As it was high tide the walk back along the beach delivered very little apart from a few roosting Ringed Plovers and Dunlins. Moving onto Kerton quarry where it was good to see two pairs each of Lapwing and Redshank going about their nuptials on the main island along with the usual motley collection of feral geese, several Teal and Black-backed Gulls. Just as we were about to leave a flock of six Avocets flew in, circled over the island calling before eventually settling on the water.

                                  Avocets - Kerton quarry

This past week we`ve been walking the farmland tracts around Romney where wildlife is few and far between apart from the occasional forlorn Skylark or two, a lone Cetti`s Warbler and a couple each of Reed Bunting and Yellowhammer. Visits to Dungeness have delivered the usual seabirds, including a decent movement of Brent Geese and Common Gulls last Thursday, plus a Jack Snipe by the wigwams. The `resident` flock of Cattle Egrets at Cockles Bridge peaked at 19 today, with two Whooper Swans in the field opposite and a family of three at the back of Scotney sand pit. On Sunday I joined Chris for the final harrier count of the season from our watchpoint on Walland Marsh where 10 Marsh Harriers came to roost in appalling weather conditions with strong winds and heavy rain; and we got a right good soaking too! Over the weekend the first hints of spring passage emerged across the peninsula with a few Wheatears and Sand Martins being reported along with Black Redstarts and Firecrests.

                                  Marsh Marigolds - New Romney

    Brent Geese - Dungeness

Reed Buntings

Dungeness - warm, dry and sunny, W4 - A fine spring morning for a guided walk around the RSPB circular trail. Reed Buntings had arrived back in force with at least 50 birds noted scattered amongst the willow scrub along with 20 Cetti`s Warblers also in song. The guests enjoyed good views of several Marsh Harriers, Grey Herons and Great White Egrets, plus a host of feral geese and wintering ducks including two Goldeneyes on Burrowes and three laggard White-fronts on the fields at the back of Dengemarsh.  The two Whooper Swans and 12 Cattle Egrets remained at Cockles Bridge.

                                   Reed Bunting - Dengemarsh

Gannet on the beach

 Lade - overcast, mist, E2 - A grim weekend of weather with low cloud and murk throughout and even a bit of mizzle this morning. On Saturday we did a circular Ted walk outback of Romney where several singing Yellowhammers were the highlight along with two Snipe disturbed from along the banks of the New Cut, plus the usual handful of Skylarks over the arable lands but precious little else. Later on yesterday afternoon I received a text from a friend down the coast concerning an adult Gannet sat in the sand dunes at Greatstone. I thanked her for the info and assumed that the night shift would predate it. However, during a circuit of the local patch today the bird was still present, although it had moved out onto a shingle ridge in front of the Romney Tavern. It was unmarked, but did not look well (maybe a victim of bird flu?) so I contacted RSPCA Mallydams and hoped for the best. Elsewhere around Lade five Goldeneyes remained on south lake, while the Cattle Egrets and Whooper Swans were still at Cockle Bridge early afternoon.

                                 Gannet - Greatstone Beach

Black Redstart

Dungeness - mild, cloudy, light airs - Another very mild morning for a circuit of the estate where the highlight was a cracking adult male Black Redstart on the fence around the new lighthouse; and it even delivered a short burst of song. Elsewhere, three Skylarks, six Stonechats and a Meadow Pipit were in song along the foreshore, plus a Chiffchaff and a Goldcrest in the lighthouse garden and a Snipe flushed by Ted from behind the Sanctuary. We then checked Lade as the rain set in where five Goldeneyes were on south lake along with a Great White Egret. 

                                   Black Redstart - Dungeness

Yesterday, in warm sunshine, after a foreshore walk at Dungeness we walked the track down to Dengemarsh where Lapwings were already displaying over the Boulderwall fields along with a host of wildfowl including two White-fronted Geese and the usual egrets and harriers. From the ramp several Cetti`s Warblers and Bearded Tits were heard, plus a Firecrest in the ARC car park willows.  On the way home the Cattle Egret flock was present at Cockles Bridge and the Whooper Swans in the field opposite; while Owen relocated the drake American Wigeon at Scotney from the S bend.

Spring Birdsong

Lade - warm, dry and sunny, light airs - With the first days of metrological spring upon us it felt good to hear the first real burst of bird song across the local patch this morning, including Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Stonechat, Reed Bunting, Song Thrush, Goldfinch, Cetti`s Warbler and Chiffchaff. Duck numbers were significantly down since my last visit, although five Goldeneyes remained on south lake. Yesterday, a circuit of Dungeness delivered the usual resident species on the land, plus a few dabbling ducks past the fishing boats, most notably Pintail and Shoveler, plus a Sandwich Tern and 40 roosting Sanderlings on the beach by the lifeboat station. The wetlands at Boulderwall looked in fine condition and should prove attractive to passage waders as the spring progresses, while two Firecrest were noted in the willow scrub by ARC car park. At Cockles Bridge the egret flock was present in the sheep fold along with the Whooper Swans in the field opposite. 

                                  Goldeneye - Lade south

                                  

I`ve just finished my two winter projects. The first one was to go through my bird logs dating back to 1968 and decide what to do with them (still mulling that one over...), and secondly to build 20 more nest boxes for the fast-declining Tree Sparrows at Scotney (if there are any trees left to put them on!) and tits across Dungeness. Thanks, in advance to Owen, Jacob and Miles for erecting them this month. 

Hints of Spring

Warm, dry and cloudy, SW3 - A most pleasant couple of days of weather, particularly yesterday with the sunshine elevating temperatures into the low teens. At Lade the Dabchicks were trilling across the wetlands along with soaring/displaying Buzzards and Marsh Harriers over the Desert, while the Boulderwall wetlands was full of activity from wildfowl, Lapwings, Curlews and egrets. Today was cloudier with a blustery wind for our circuit of Dungeness during which I noted at least 10 Stonechats holding territories, plus a few singing Meadow Pipits, Skylarks, Dunnocks and Pied Wagtails. The sea was relatively quiet with just a couple of skeins of Brents moving up-Channel and a scattering of Great Crested Grebes, Guillemots and Red-throated Divers on the sea. Cockles Bridge held a flock of egrets (15 Cattle and seven Little) on the sheep paddock and a pair of Whooper Swans in the cereal field opposite. The wintering Bewick`s Swan flock on Walland has now departed on its long and hazardous journey to their breeding grounds in northern Russia.

                                 Curlew - Boulderwall wetlands

                                  Flood water - south of Trapping Area

                                  Ted 

                                  Demolished Sewerage Plant - A Station

    Cattle and Little Egrets - Cockles Bridge

    Whooper Swans - Cockles Bridge

Sad to say that I`m from a generation of birders that has fond memories of the hey-days of the sewerage farm - Maple Cross, Perry Oaks, Reading and Wisbech spring to mind. Throughout the 1960`s most were upgraded, rendering many not so bird-rich; although I was fortunate enough to have Dunstable Sewage Works as my local patch for nearly 30 years which retained four tertiary treatment lagoons, plus additional ponds and scrapes when part of the site was designated a nature reserve. 

However, I mention this while lamenting the demolition of the small treatment plant in A Station at Dungeness this morning; for those of you not so familiar with the layout, it was the section that could be viewed from behind the seawatch hide just beyond the wall. The circular sprinklers over clinker attracted insects which in turn lured the likes of Black Redstart, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit and Chiffchaff to feed, and where once I saw a Hoopoe! 

Slavonian Grebe

Cold, cloudy, showers, SW3 - After a week away up country, dealing with family matters, it felt great to be back home on the Marsh and out birding with Ted this morning, even if the weather was grim. We took a long sweeping walk around Lade and Kerton wetlands taking in Mockmill and returning via the beach. The five wintering Goldeneyes on the lakes contrasted with at least four pairs of Great Crested Grebes in various stages of their nuptials, along with singing Dunnock, Great Tit, Cetti`s Warbler and Song Thrush on the land. North lake attracted five Mediterranean Gulls while a Marsh Harrier and two Buzzards were noted over towards the airfield. Our next port-of-call was Dungeness where the assistant warden Jacob had returned for another summer season; typically, he`d already found a decent bird - a Slavonian Grebe on the sea, and no doubt may more will follow over the coming months. 

                                    Sanderling and Dunlin - Lade bay

Chiffchaff

Cold and wet, S 5 - A miserable day for the monthly WeBS and harrier counts with a biting wind swirling around from the north. At Lade there was not much change to the wildfowl with six Goldeneyes the highlight and an increase in Great Crested Grebes to 12 as pairs move back in for the forthcoming breeding season. This afternoon I ventured out on Walland with Chris where 21 Marsh Harriers (11 of which were males) came to roost at Cheyne Court. There was little else of note due to the grim weather conditions other than a Peregrine, a Kestrel, c10 calling Water Rails and several Cetti`s Warblers.

                                   Chiffchaff - Lade

On Friday, in much fairer weather, a singing Chiffchaff at Lade was my first of the year, while yesterday at least eight Snipe were disturbed from farmland cover along the New Cutt, plus several singing Skylarks, 20 Fieldfares and four Yellowhammers along Hope Lane.

Barnacle Goose

Dengemarsh - mild, dry and sunny, light airs - A half decent day at last with the sun putting in a long overdue appearance and also being appreciated by the Hammonds Corner Little Owl sunning itself on the corner gutter of a barn. First off we walked the gully which was pretty much devoid of bird life apart from a couple of Ravens overhead and a singing Cetti`s Warbler. We then slogged around a soggy circular route where there was a noticeable increase in Reed Buntings across the wetlands with several already in song, a trio of Stonechats, more Cetti`s Warblers, Bearded Tits from the ramp and a flock of 15 Meadow Pipits on the flood field along with at least one Water Pipit. All the usual wildfowl, egrets and harriers were noted along the way plus a couple of Curlews, a Sparrowhawk and a `jangling` Corn Bunting and two singing Skylarks on the farmland. The Bouderwall fields were packed out with Lapwings, Wigeon and feral geese while a flock of Cattle Egrets flew over the car along the Lydd Road (Martin counted 21 earlier). On the way home I called in at the bay for a look at the lone Barnacle Goose reported by Owen first thing, an unusual record and the first I`ve seen here; many thanks to Dave Scott for forwarding on his superb picture below.

Elsewhere this past week a couple of drives out across Walland have yielded the Bewick`s Swan flock (complete with Nadine from the Novaya Zemlya archipelago) and the Tundra/Pink-feet flock, plus pitiful numbers of passerines such as Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Yellowhammer, Linnet, Tree Sparrow and winter thrushes. Visits to Scotney to search for last weekends Red-necked Grebe drew a blank, but I did note the Whooper Swan family on the old sand pit. The American Wigeon has eluded me since its arrival last Friday, having been seen once on ARC but mainly back around the Scotney complex where it was located by Owen today on the lake behind the farm and right of the track.

                                  Barnacle Goose - Lade Sands (by Dave Scott)

American Wigeon

Mild, overcast, drizzle, SW 2 - The wet weather continues... We started the morning at Lade where a couple of hints of spring comprised a passage of 60 Meadow Pipits over the desert and a sky-high calling Sandwich Tern (my first of the year) that headed out towards the bay. There was nothing new on the lakes apart from a pair of Great Crested Grebes on south. Moving onto the reserve where the highlight was a Kingfisher and a Great White Egret in the same field of view on Cooks, plus two Yellow-legged Gulls on Burrowes. As I was leaving site news came through on the local WhatsApp group (from DB and NB) of an American Wigeon reported at Scotney, a long-expected rarity and as far as I`m aware a no-show in the past twenty years that I`ve lived here. I was soon on site to confirm that indeed it was a smart adult drake American Wigeon within a large flock of Wigeons. I didn`t have my scope with me but managed to get at least one record shot pic with the camera; and thanks to the trio of birders from Thanet who stopped enabling me to have good scope views through their optics.

                                 Kingfisher and GWEgret - Cooks Pool

                                 Drake American Wigeon - Scotney

 

Pintails

Dungeness - warm, dry and sunny - For once a superb day and a relief to be out in the field after the dull, dreary wet weather of late. We started at Lade to give Ted a bit of leg room out across the desert towards the water tower and back along Mockmill behind the `mirrors` where two Buzzards and a Kestrel were hunting the wet fields. There was no change to the duck numbers across both waters with five Goldeneyes and a drake Pintail still present. Moving onto Dungeness a 30 minute seawatch from the boats delivered plenty of auks, Kitts and Gannets moving offshore plus a party of five east-bound Pintails. Next stop the bird reserve where hundreds more wintering wildfowl were on ARC from Hanson hide including two more Pintails, four Shelducks and two Goldeneyes. The wet fields across the road at Boulderwall looked superb in the bright sunshine and perfect habitat for the wader passage this spring, for which I`ve got high hopes... However, today c500 Lapwings and a couple of Curlews were present along with a hundred or more feral geese and three cracking drake Pintails that dropped in on what was formerly Tanners Pool. Across the wetlands down to Dengemarsh at least six Great White Egrets were noted along with `pinging`  Bearded Tits from the ramp, several Marsh Harriers, Buzzards, Kestrels and a Sparrowhawk, and a Water Pipit on the flood. We finished the day off checking the bay waders where eight species were logged. Bird of the day though was the Pintail, surely the smartest of ducks.

Elsewhere this past week the two wintering Whooper Swans are still around Walland, although mobile; this morning they were reported from Cockles Bridge. On Monday I saw seven distant Tundra/Pink-footed Geese and 42 Bewick`s at Midley, plus hundreds of Fieldfares and a few Redwings, Yammers and Tree Sparrows along the remaining hedgerows that have survived the ravages of the landowners. The small grey goose flock containing White-fronts, Tundra/Pink-footed Geese was also reported on Walland today from Beaconsfield fleet by SM. 

                                  Boulderwall Wetlands

    Pintails - ARC   

Cormorants

Mild, cloudy, showers - A seawatch from the boats this morning in a fine drizzle was notable for the great skeins of Cormorants coming out of the bay; at least 6,000 birds but probably many more were on the move. Also noted on the sea, feeding on a shoal of fish amongst the Cormorants, were hundreds more auks, Kittiwakes, Gannets and a few Red-throated Divers.

                                  Cormorants off the fishing boats

                                   Mockmill flood

                                  Lade north

This past week has been taken up mostly with family matters but when I`ve been out birding with Ted at Lade, Dungeness and around New Romney nothing much has changed; Lade still has up to five Goldeneyes and a Pintail, while a few Snipe have been disturbed from the wet fields behind south lake and Lade north. The bay continues to attract good numbers of shorebirds.

Seabirds

Dungeness - mild, cloudy, SE 3 - The past few days have been predictably quiet around Lade and on the RSPB reserve where the Great Northern Diver continues its winter sojourn. While time spent walking the bay checking for Snow Buntings along the strandline has been fruitless it has enabled me to clock-up all 11 species of wintering shorebirds, including three Black-tailed Godwits from Littlestone Green. On Monday, together with Chris P, we checked the foreshore at various points between Hythe and Dymchurch for Purple Sands and a 1st winter Glaucous Gull (reported from Willop Basin) without success; although we did note a few Teal on the bay, plus Kittiwakes and a Little Gull at Hythe. Also noted along the way two decomposing Harbour Porpoises and a piece of flotsam complete with Goose Barnacles. On Tuesday an hour at the fishing boats in the morning proved productive with the brisk onshore wind delivering hundreds of close Guillemots, Razorbills, Kittiwakes and Gannets, several Red-throated Divers and a party of 30 Brent Geese and five Little Gulls heading up-Channel. This morning we walked the foreshore at Dungeness down to the Patch hide (which is now a sorry old sight) where plenty more auks, Gannets, gulls, Red-throats and a couple of Fulmars were rounding the point. 

                                   Sanderlings - Lade beach

                                  Kittiwake - fishing boats

                                 Goose Barnacles - Lade beach

    Brents - fishing boats

    Patch hide