Dungeness - warm, dry, sunny, SE5 - With a brisk south-easterly whipping in off the Channel we joined the sea-watchers this morning from the fishing boats where thousands of gulls, terns and Gannets were feeding offshore. Sandwich Terns poured by in their hundreds along with several Black Terns and Arctic Skuas, a flock of eight Avocets, a Caspian Gull and a lone Common Scoter. Grey Seal and Porpoise were also noted taking advantage of the huge shoals of sprats, while small pulses of Swallows and Sand Martins zipped out over the waves heading for France. A circuit of the land produced very little with two Wheatears on the beach, a handful of Willow Warblers in the bushes and a Sparrowhawk over the Desert. We finished off at Lade where there was little change since my last visit; a pause at The Tavern viewpoint on a falling tide delivered the incredible sight and sound of c2,000 Sandwich Terns in three separate flocks on the bay sands, along with a host of Oystercatchers, Dunlins, Ringed Plovers and Sanderlings.
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