Green Woodpecker

Warm, dry and sunny, NE 3 - The fine, spring weather looks set to continue into next week with not a drop of rain forecast. Yesterday morning our Ted walk took us on a long, sweeping circuit of Dungeness where the only migrants of note were five singing Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap around the Long Pits and several more of the former in the Trapping Area. The Peregrine pair were active on the power station while a lone cock Black Redstart sang from the southern boundary fence. Also noted a pair of Stonechats, eight Egyptian Geese over, a Sparrowhawk, a Kestrel and a Raven. We called in at the seawatch hide where a trickle of distant Shovelers, scoters, Gannets and divers were on the move up-Channel.

                                  Ted, Mockmill

                                  Speckled Wood

    Green Woodpecker, Church Lane spinney

This morning was spent at Lade checking out the gorse ridges for Dartford Warblers, of which there was no sign. However, Mockmill held four singing Sedge Warblers (my first of the year here), two Cetti`s, five Song Thrushes, five Reed Buntings, four Pheasants and a pair of Stonechats, while Ted disturbed eight Common and a Jack Snipe from cover. There was little change to duck numbers on the lakes with a pair of Goldeneye on south and a scattering of Shovelers about it. We then checked out the Church Lane spinney where three Chiffchaffs and two Blackcaps were in song, plus three Redwings, a Greenfinch and a Jay. The warm sunshine had brought forth a rash of common butterflies including Comma and Speckled Wood. The farmland around the dung heap was quiet, although it was good to have protracted views of a Green Woodpecker feeding on the ground.  

Yellow Wagtail

Dungeness RSPB - Cool, sunny, dry, E 5 -  We spent the morning on the bird reserve in glorious spring sunshine but with a rasping wind out of the east making for difficult birding. There are few spring migrants quite like a stunning male Yellow Wagtail (only trumped by a cock Redstart) seen on Dengemarsh flood, and my first of the year, along with several Water/Rock Pipits, Skylarks, a Corn Bunting, 10 Teal and a Green Sandpiper. The hayfields held the usual Lapwings and Redshanks, a Curlew and a flock of 45 Dunlins on hayfield 2, while several Marsh Harriers, Little Egrets, Common Buzzard, a drake Garganey, a Barnacle Goose, four Shelducks, 20 Egyptian Geese and a Great White Egret were also noted on the circular walk around Dengemarsh. Moving onto Burrowes where the Long-tailed Duck was still on the lake opposite Dennis`s hide and where a Grey Plover flew over calling. Also noted today around the reserve: several Sand Martins and Swallows, plus a very early Hobby.

                                  Yellow Wagtail, Dengemarsh 

                                  Spring lamb, Manor Farm

Oystercatchers

Cool, dry and sunny, E3 - The fine weather continues but with a keen east wind taking the edge off the temperature. Weekend Ted walks around New Romney produced very little of note and with record low rainfall during March, and little in the immediate forecast, the countryside is drying out fast affording the custodians ample opportunities to drill spring barley and spray, spray, spray. Yesterday morning a Goldcrest sang from a neighbours garden, while in the afternoon all the gulls and corvids in NR went into meltdown as an Osprey (with fish) passed north over the town having previously been seen by Owen L at Littlestone. 

                                 Goldeneye, Lade south

                 Redshank, Lapwing and Oystercatcher, Kerton quarry

This morning we birded the local patch where four Shelducks and a pair of Goldeneye were the highlights on Lade south, along with a sprinkling of Teal, Shoveler, Pochard, Gadwall, 125 Tufted Ducks and six pairs of Great Crested Grebes. The dry scrub was quiet apart from a few Linnets, Skylarks and Meadow Pipits and a Sparrowhawk and Common Buzzard over. Kerton quarry produced 80 Oystercatchers in the high tide roost, plus 10 pairs on the islands, four Redshanks and ten Lapwings, four pairs of Great Crested Grebes and a pair each of Shelduck and Egyptian Goose.

Garganey

Cold, misty, SW2 - A grim morning with drizzle coming and going commenced at Dungeness where a single Wheatear by the fishing boats was the only migrant on offer. We briefly joined the seawatchers in the hide where by all accounts it had been a quiet watch. Moving onto the bird reserve and at Springfield Bridge my first Willow Warbler of spring was noted flicking through a thorn bush, while a Corn Bunting jangled from a nearby field. The hayfields held plenty of prospecting Lapwings and Redshanks, plus Teal, Shelduck, Shoveler and at least ten Rock/Water Pipits; hayfield 2 was the most productive with a gorgeous drake Garganey amongst the Teal and a mixed flock of nine Dunlins, two Ringed Plovers, a Ruff and a Common Snipe. Whilst there a flava wagtail called overhead, but evaded detection, and was presumable the Blue-headed Wagtail located later on in hayfield 1. 

                                  Garganey, hayfield 2

                                 Ruff and Dunlins, hayfield 2

Yesterday`s highlights were a Jack Snipe at the wigwams and singles of Black-tailed Godwit and Avocet at the Kerton quarry. 

    Black-tailed Godwit and Avocet, Kerton quarry

Linnets

Lade - warm, dry and sunny, E3 - This morning`s Ted walk took us around the local patch where spring was in the air with Dabchicks trilling from the reed-beds to Chiffchaffs and Great Tits singing in the willow swamp. There was a noticeable increase in Linnets and Reed Buntings in the dry and damp scrub respectively, having just returned from their winter quarters, while several Common Buzzards, Marsh Harriers and singles of Sparrowhawk and Red Kite thermalled over the airfield. Duck numbers continue to fall away with only two Goldeneyes noted, and a pair of Mediterranean Gulls passed high overhead mewing loudly. We then hiked south around Kerton quarry where a Hoopoe had been seen yesterday and first thing this morning, but did not show during the two hours I was on site. However, there was plenty of wader activity including a high tide roost of 200 Oystercatchers, plus three pairs of Redshanks, Lapwings and a pair of Ringed Plovers. On the wildfowl front small numbers of Gadwall, Shoveler and a pair of Shelducks were present along with six Egyptian Geese. Elsewhere across the complex a few pairs of Stonechats, Meadow Pipits and Skylarks, a Kestrel and two Dartford Warblers were logged. In all a very productive morning in glorious spring sunshine with a bright blue sky and the gorse in full bloom and smelling wonderful.

Sedge Warbler

Dungeness - cold, overcast, NE2 - A grim, misty morning for our Ted walk around the peninsula where a brief burst of song from a Sedge Warbler at the top end of Long Pits was our first of the year and where OL had a Hawfinch earlier. The Trapping Area was largely quiet apart from a flock of six Redwings in the north-west corner along with a few Chaffinches, singing Chiffchaffs and Reed Buntings, a Blackcap and a cracking male Brambling. Lade was pretty much the same as last Friday apart from an increase to seven Goldeneyes on south lake.  

                                    Sedge Warbler (2024)

Over the weekend Ted walks along the RM canal, Scotney and the farmland around New Romney produced little of note apart from 10 Redwings in the town park on Saturday and a steady increase in Mediterranean Gulls locally. Elsewhere, Swallow, Sand Martin and Sedge Warbler were reported from the reserve, plus an Iberian Chiffchaff in a private garden at Dungeness on Saturday.

First Wheatears

Dungeness - cool, dry and cloudy, E2 - This morning`s Ted walk took us along the beach from the lifeboat station to the power station where the highlight was our first two Wheatears of spring near the new lighthouse, plus a light passage of Chaffinches out (c100 in total), three Black Redstarts, a pair of Stonechats, two Sparrowhawks, a Peregrine and singing Skylarks and Meadow Pipits. Also of note were two Brown Hares and a smart Red Fox whilst chatting to Dave B and Martin C. An hour in the hide with the locals produced a trickle of Gannets, Black-headed Gulls, Common Scoters, Red-throated Divers, auks, several Little Gulls, Sandwich Terns and Kittiwakes, while two flocks of Garganey went up-Channel earlier in the watch. Called in at Lade on the way home where a pair of Goldeneyes were still on south lake and both Sparrowhawk and Common Buzzard displayed over the site.

                                  Wheatear, New Lighthouse

                                  Gannets, Dungeness