Shanks`s Pony

Warm, dry and sunny, SW3 - Since my last post the car has been in dock resulting in many miles of Ted walks around New Romney farmland, plus two visits to St Mary`s Bay along the coast to Greatstone and back into town; no prizes for guessing which area was most profitable... With the harvest now almost complete many of the fields were being turned over and drilled for next year`s crop resulting in mobile flocks of gulls, Woodpigeons and corvids along with a few Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, Linnets, Yellowhammers and a pair of Red-legged Partridge. Now that the Reed Warblers have departed the reed-fringed sewer margins were largely devoid of activity, leaving just a few Reed Buntings and parties of House Sparrows to forage the drainage ditches along with the occasional Grey Heron and Little Egret. Buzzards (including a white individual along the New Cut) and Sparrowhawks were much in evidence, some of which were probably migrants, while both Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers appear to have had a good breeding season judging from their presence. The only warblers noted were a few Chiffchaffs and Lesser Whitethroats along Hope Lane, plus House Martins still at two locations in town and several pulses of Swallows south over the weekend.

                                  Buzzard - NewCut

                                  Wheatear - Pirate Springs

                                  Sandwich Tern - Littlestone

Last Friday, in a blasting westerly and a falling tide, ten species of waders were on show from Littlestone Green with Curlew, Oystercatcher, Dunlin and Ringed Plover in their hundreds, along with double figures of Bar-tailed Godwit, Turnstone, Knot, Redshank, Sanderling and Grey Plover, plus 100 roosting Sandwich and Common Terns, four Little Egrets and a Shelduck. This morning I walked the same route at high tide where hundreds of Sandwich Terns were fishing in the bay with at least three attendant Arctic Skuas. At Pirate Springs two Whinchats and four Wheatears were logged with a trickle of Meadow Pipits, Yellow Wagtails and Swallows overhead. Church Lane spinney held a few Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps. Along the way plenty of Migrant Hawkers and Painted Ladies have been noted plus a single Clouded Yellow on the sand dunes at Greatstone this morning. The garden moth trap has been busy over the weekend due to the mild nights.

                                       Centre-barred Sallow

Over the Bank Holiday weekend I spent a day at Pagham Harbour where Spotted Redshank and Curlew Sandpiper were the best waders on offer; unfortunately Ferry Pool was busy with machinery constructing a new anti-predator fence. At Church Norton a few passerines included Spotted Flycatcher and Lesser Whitethroat in the bushes and a roosting group of gulls, terns and Grey Plovers in the harbour mouth. 

 

    Pagham Harbour

Marsh Terns

 Dungeness - warm, cloudy, SW2-4 - Spent the day guiding for six Naturetrek clients. We kicked off at the point where regular pulses of Swallows and Sand Martins streamed south-west. It was quiet around the bushes with just a few Stonechats, a Whinchat, a Sparrowhawk and a Great Spotted Woodpecker of note. A brief seawatch produced plenty of passing Sandwich and Commic Terns, Gannets, a Mediterranean Gull and two Arctic Skuas harrying the terns. The rest of the day was spent on the bird reserve where we did the circular walk, finishing off at the Hanson hide. Ten species of waders were logged including Ruff, Wood Sandpiper and Knot on Burrowes, several Snipes scattered around the wetlands and at least ten Greenshanks, mostly overhead calling. A flock of 15 Cattle Egrets were amongst the cows on Boulderwall fields and at least six Great Whites were seen across Dengemarsh, along with a Marsh Harrier, a Kingfisher and a cracking close Whinchat from the Return Trail. Six Black Terns and the long-staying White-winged Black Tern showed well from Firth lookout, while two Garganeys, six Pintails, three Black-tailed Godwits and an adult Little Gull were the highlights on ARC. Plenty of Red Admirals and Painted Ladies were on the wing this afternoon along with a single Clouded Yellow by Christmas Dell. A most enjoyable day`s birding across the peninsula, in fine company, during which time we racked up a respectable 78 species of birds.

                                  Common Sandpiper - Burrowes

                                  Whinchat - Return Trail

                                  White-winged Black Tern - Burrowes

    Garganeys - ARC

Sandwich Terns

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. 

                                  Avocets - Dungeness

                                  Sandwich Terns - Lade Bay

Little Stints

Cool, cloudy, N 3 - Superb morning for a Ted tour of the peninsula in a cooling northerly airflow with birds everywhere. We started on the local patch at Lade with Greenshank, Ringed Plover and two Common Sandpipers on the new islands by the far reed-bed, plus two Great White and 15 Little Egrets around the margins. Hundreds of common and feral wildfowl, grebes, Coots, Common Terns and Black-headed Gulls remained across south lake while a steady passage of Sand Martins and Swallows came and went. The Desert duly delivered several Wheatears, Meadow Pipits and Stonechats as well as a drop in of c50 Yellow Wagtails, the first of many more seen and heard across the shingle this morning. The bushes held a variety of Willow, Reed and Sedge Warblers, Common and Lesser Whitethroats and Blackcaps. Moving onto Kerton Quarry where more Common Sandpipers, a Wood Sandpiper, Whimbrel and Greenshank were present along with the usual wildfowl and two more Wheatears perched on the fence line. On the reserve Firth lookout was busy with birders enjoying the juvenile/1st winter White-winged Black Tern (now in its sixth day) alongside two Black and 50 Common Terns, an adult Little Gull, four Little Stints, several Dunlins, Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers, Common Sandpipers, Pied and Yellow Wagtails. Over the road an hour from Screen hide produced four Little Stints (presumably the Firth birds?) four Dunlins, Wood, Green and Common Sandpipers, two Ruffs, a Greenshank and three close Snipes in front of the hide. While there was plenty of Water Rail vocalising I only had a brief glimpse of a black juvenile dashing between the reeds. Also noted: a Sparrowhawk, two juv Marsh Harriers, Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers and a Spotted Flycatcher by the pines.

                                  White-winged Black Tern - Burrowes

                                  Little Stints and Dunlin - Burrowes

Wader Day

Cool, wet am, warm, showery pm, light airs - Spent the day guiding for Clare and Peter from London in much anticipated rain; in fact, our first decent soaking for ages! We concentrated on waders commencing at the old Scotney sandpit where the highlight was a large flock of c300 Golden Plovers in an adjacent corn field, while the lake held numerous wildfowl including singles of Shelduck and Wigeon plus a couple of Common Sandpipers around the margins. Hundreds of hirundines (mostly Sand Martins) swarmed over the water along with two Swifts, and a variety of common warblers were noted in bramble scrub by the main track. It was then onto the bird reserve to dry out and hide-hop around Burrowes. From Firth lookout the White-winged Black Tern was still present alongside two Black and numerous Common Terns; waders on the sand bars included: 25 Ringed and six Little Ringed Plovers, two Dunlins, three Common Sandpipers and singles of Snipe and Greenshank. From Hanson hide we logged Great White Egret, Garganey, Hobby, Marsh Harrier and a few more common waders. We finished the day at Lade Bay on the incoming tide where the highlights were 50 Dunlins, 30 Ringed Plovers, 20 Sanderlings, two Knots and 20 Sandwich Terns, and at the pits for more wildfowl, egrets and grebes. Wheatear, Yellow Wagtails, Kestrel and Raven were also noted today. A cracking day all round in fine company with 80 species recorded and some extremely good views of waders and terns.

                                  Greenshank - Burrowes

                                  Snipe - Burrowes

                                  Dunlin - Burrowes

                                  Common Tern - Burrowes

                                  White-winged Black Tern - Burrowes

                                  Sanderlings - Lade Bay

White-winged Black Tern

Warm, dry and overcast W3 - There was plenty of passage wader activity around the reserve today. On the ARC from Hanson hide Wood and Green Sandpipers were amongst several Commons, Little Ringed Plovers and a Snipe, plus two Garganey and a Wigeon within the eclipse ducks. Boulderwall fields continue to be disappointing with just a couple of Great White Egrets and a flyover Hobby. However, Burrowes was alive with wader activity from Firth with up ten Little Ringed and five Ringed Plovers, three Common Sandpipers, two Golden Plovers over and singles of Greenshank, Snipe and a spanking Grey Plover further out, still in full breeding plumage. The juvenile/1st winter White-winged Black Tern showed much better than on Sunday, hawking insects over the lake alongside two Black Terns as well as pausing to sit on a close sand-bar; the `saddleback` on this individual wasn`t as apparent as some I`ve seen in the past, probably as a result of moulting into winter plumage. Also noted 50 Common and two Sandwich Terns and several Yellow Wagtails, while a Little Stint was reported  from Dennis`s viewpoint this afternoon.

Yesterday, mid-morning, the local Herring Gulls went into meltdown whilst I was in the garden. I looked up expecting the usual sight of a Buzzard getting tormented, except this time it was a smart Honey Buzzard the first one I`ve noted over New Romney. It drifted slowly westwards as a pair of Carrion Crows joined in the chase. 

                                  White-winged Black Tern juv - Burrowes

                                  Black Tern juv - Burrowes

    White-winged Black Tern - Burrows

White-winged Black Tern

Warm, dry and cloudy, E2 - A muggy feel to the day commenced on the Ranges where the Midrips and Wickes were largely devoid of birds apart from a few Shelducks and Black-headed Gulls. However, the main track by the beach was alive with Yellow and Pied Wagtails, c100 or more, plus lesser numbers of Meadow Pipits and Linnets, and at least six Wheatears. Small parties of coasting hirundines were noted, mostly Swallows, with some settling on the cottage roofs, while out on the bay plenty of Sandwich Terns could be heard. The shingle ridges by the `village` held a flock of 110 Golden Plovers. A reported Red-necked Phalarope from earlier could not be relocated here or on the sand pit and front lakes at Scotney. Called in at the reserve where a juvenile White-winged Black Tern had been located on Burrowes but gave only distant flight and settled views out from Firth whilst I was on site amongst numerous Common Terns. We finished the afternoon at Lade and Kerton Quarry to carry out the monthly WeBS count where numbers were slightly down on recent days.

                                  Wheatear - Dungeness

Elsewhere since my last post I managed to see two of a small influx of Pied Flycatchers around the Estate yesterday, plus a scattering of Wheatears. On the reserve numerous Little Ringed Plovers, Wood, Green and Common Sandpipers were noted on ARC and Burrowes along with one or two Greenshanks Ruffs and a Spotted Redshank, several Garganey and a Black Tern. The garden moth trap delivered another new macro for the site last night in the shape of a Webb`s Wainscot. 

                                  Webb`s Wainscot - New for the site

                                  Pyrausta purpuralis