Long-tailed Blue

Dungeness - warm, dry and sunny, W3 - This morning`s Ted walk took us on a circuit of the peninsula in fine autumn sunshine but with few grounded migrants apart from a scattering of Robins and Chiffchaffs in the bushes, 10 Blackbirds, two Song Thrushes, a Ring Ouzel by the wigwams and a light overhead passage of Meadow Pipits, Skylarks and Chaffinches, a Woodlark, Redpoll and Grey Wagtail. The highlight of the morning however was a tatty Long-tailed Blue butterfly in the Trapping Area that showed its trademark, and diagnostic, broad white band on the underwing and distinctive upperwing pattern complete with two black dots where the `tails` should`ve been. A most unexpected late migrant and well found by Charlotte. An early afternoon check of Kerton quarry and Lade south revealed nothing of note apart from the usual wetland birds and a flight view of a Bittern.

    Long-tailed Blue - Trapping Area

Earlier this week visits to the point delivered several Woodcocks in the Desert and by the sea containers, a Ring Ouzel in the Trapping Area, a Dartford Warbler by the cafe and 20 Little Gulls on a seawatch from the fishing boats. On Monday we walked the gully which was pretty much birdless while at least 15 Cattle Egrets were in the flood field by Springfield Bridge. Lade bay had a flock of 30 Brent Geese on the mudflats on Tuesday and at least 100 Knot. Yesterdays Ted walk around farmland north of New Romney produced good numbers of Skylarks and Meadow Pipits in stubble fields, 20 each of Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting and Linnet in the ditches, 20 Redwings, five Blackbirds and two Song Thrushes in the hedgerows, plus several Stonechats, Cetti`s Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Buzzards along the way. 

                                  Storm clouds over the gully

                                  Cattle Egret - Springfield Bridge

Ring Ouzel

Lade - cool, cloudy, wet, NE2 - A weekend of contrasting weather with warm sunshine yesterday and cold overcast conditions today with heavy showers rattling in off the North Sea. In New Romney town park first thing at least 20 Redwings had dropped in overnight while several more were noted over Lade later along with a steady trickle of Chaffinches and Meadow Pipits. The highlight though was a juvenile Ring Ouzel flushed from gorse scrub along the main track and two continental Blackbirds by the ponds. Several Stonechats, Chiffchaffs and Robins were seen at Lade and also around the old lighthouse at Dungeness. A brief look at the sea between the showers delivered plenty of Gannets and distant auks, several flocks of Brent Geese and Common Scoters and a single Arctic Skua. 

The garden moth trap was still attracting a good variety of autumnal species early last week when the nights were mild, but it wont be long now before the trap is stowed away until next spring.

                                  Mallow 

                                  Large Wainscot

                                         Red-line Quaker

                                         Lunar Underwing

This evening I joined Chris for the first harrier count of winter on a very wet Walland Marsh where 13 Marsh Harriers came to roost. Also noted in the general area, 16 Cattle Egrets and 20 Corn Buntings.

Curlew Sandpiper

Dungeness RSPB - warm, dry and sunny, light airs - Superb weather for my monthly guided walk around the circular trail. Burrowes held all the usual wildfowl plus two Buzzards on an island out from Firth and a lone, moribund looking Common Tern amongst a flock of Lapwings. A scattering of Cetti`s Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Stonechats and Robins were noted in the bushes along with a light overhead passage of Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, Linnets, Chaffinches and at least one Siskin. Dengemarsh was the place to be for waders with more Lapwings, three Ringed Plovers, a Golden Plover, a Dunlin and a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper on islands out from the hide, while another 50 Goldies and three Grey Plovers flew over calling. The guests also enjoyed good views of all three species of egrets, several Marsh Harriers and a Sparrowhawk as well as numerous Migrant Hawkers and Clouded Yellows.

                                   Great White Egret - Dengemarsh

  

Brent Geese

Dungeness - mild, overcast, SE 4 - One of my favourite migratory spectacles of autumn at Dungeness is the down-Channel passage of Brent Geese, which was in full flow today and last Friday from the fishing boats. The dark-bellied race breed on the Arctic tundra of northern Russia and Siberia and spend the winter period on the estuaries and intertidal harbour zones of southern England and northern France where they seek out their traditional food of eel-grass. This morning straggly flocks of varying sizes clipped the point; some were so close that you could hear their yelping contact calls - great stuff! There was also a good supporting cast from Gannet, Common Scoter, Red-throated Diver, Razorbill, Guillemot, Kittiwake, Mediterranean Gull (particularly on Friday) and Arctic Skua; Long-tailed Skua and Sooty Shearwater were also noted earlier plus a Sabine`s Gull and a Leachs`s Petrel this afternoon. For a detailed report on todays sea-watch checkout Trektellen this evening.

Yesterday`s WeBS count at Lade recorded a dramatic drop-off in duck numbers since last month, which is fairly typical for this time of year. However, with several shingle islands still present on south lake, and high tide approaching, 100 Lapwings were joined by 15 Grey Plovers, five Bar-tailed Godwits and a Greenshank; 300 Curlews and five Whimbrels flew to roost on the desert. Friday`s Black Tern, present on north lake, had departed, but there was still plenty of Chiffchaffs around the ponds plus a Goldcrest calling from the pines in the camp. Ted walks across the local farmland over the weekend produced a few Redwings, Stonechats, Skylarks and Meadow Pipits, Kestrels, Buzzards and a Raven. Bats and hedgehogs continue to be active around the garden while the moth trap has been disappointing due to the cooler nights. 

Elsewhere over the weekend it was generally quiet on the land with the highlight being the long-staying American Golden Plover hanging out within a Goldie flock on stubble fields near Jury`s Gap/Scotney sand pit. 

    Brent Geese on the move off Dungeness

Chaffinches and Rock Pipits

Dungeness - mild, cloudy, rain pm, NW 2-4 - Spent the day guiding for a Naturetrek group commencing at the point with a seawatch from the fishing boats where a steady stream of Gannets, Common and Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls performed close to shore along with several Arctic Skuas, Guillemots, Razorbills, a Black Tern and a lone Brent Goose. Chaffinches could be heard passing overhead throughout the morning in their hundreds; while Jacob recorded over 3,000 today! On the land we also noted three Black Redstarts, several Robins, Stonechats and Chiffchaffs, two Kestrels and a steady passage of Meadow Pipits and Goldfinches overhead. The afternoon was spent on the bird reserve hide-hopping and dodging the rain at Burrowes and ARC where the highlights included a range of wildfowl (inc Shelduck, Wigeon and Pintail), several each of Great White Egret and Marsh Harrier, 10 Ringed and one Golden Plover, three Snipes a Greenshank, a Dunlin and four Rock Pipits in front of Firth. A mixed passerine flock near Coward hide contained mostly Long-tailed Tits plus a Goldcrest and three Chiffchaffs. We finished the afternoon in Hanson hide where we watched a Grey Heron wrestling with a marsh frog for ten minutes before eventually despatching it. Despite the weather we still managed to rack up 71 species for the day.

                                 Grey Heron with marsh frog - ARC

                                  Marsh Harrier - ARC

Chiffchaffs

Lade - warm, dry and sunny, light airs - This morning was my third visit to the local patch this week where the drop off in wildfowl and egret numbers has been noticeable, although Great Crested Grebes remain in the 50 plus bracket. Waders have included 100 Lapwings throughout with five Barwits, two Grey Plovers, a Ringed Plover and a Redshank, while today I had a protracted flight view of a Bittern as it moved between reedbeds on south lake. However, Chiffchaffs have been numerous throughout, particularly today with small flocks scattered across the desert scrub, along the main track and at the ponds where there was also a Blackcap feeding on guelder-rose berries. Also present on the desert were several Stonechats, Meadow Pipits and Blackbirds, 50 Linnets and a light overhead passage of Skylarks, plus Raven, Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers, Kestrel and Buzzard.

                                  Chiffchaff -Desert

                                  Fox - sunbathing by the ponds

                                  Little Egret - south lake

Elsewhere this week visits to the point yielded loads more Stonechats and Chiffchaffs along with a Whinchat by the wigwams and a trickle of House Martins and Swallows through yesterday. A seawatch from the fishing boats on Wednesday produced four more Balearic Shearwaters amongst a steady stream of Gannets, Commic and Sandwich Terns and marauding Arctic Skuas. On the reserve, where it has been generally quiet, the Pectoral Sandpiper remained on Burrowes, while the American Golden Plover is still present amongst the Goldie flock in fields to the west of Scotney sandpit.    

Dungeness Migration Day

Dungeness - warm,  dry and sunny, S3 - There was a good turnout of visitors for the Migration Day event at the point this morning organised by Kent Ornithological Society and Dungeness Bird Observatory. Unfortunately there was little happening on the migration front with the bushes yielding 20 Stonechats, a couple of Chiffchaffs and several Robins; a Yellow-browed Warbler in the lighthouse garden proved very elusive, although some of my group heard it call. A Wheatear was noted by the moat, along with a few Meadow Pipits, and the group also saw a Stonechat in the hand being processed by Jacob at the Obs.  At least six Kestrels were seen along the way as well as a distant Marsh Harrier over Long Pits while we enjoyed protracted views of the Peregrine pair performing over A Station. We then joined Martin at the seawatch hide where the onshore wind delivered a steady flow of close Gannets and Sandwich Terns plus two Balearic Shearwaters and a distant party of Brent Geese heading down-Channel. 

                                  Ringing Demo at DBO

                                  Fox - car park

Elsewhere this weekend the American Golden Plover was relocated within the Goldie flock at Jury`s Gap/Scotney sand pit and the Pectoral Sandpiper remained on Burrowes. On Friday I had an adult Little Gull, seven Grey Plovers and two Bar-tailed Godwits on Lade south and a few Sanderlings and Ringed Plover along the beach.

                                  Sanderlings and Ringed Plovers - Lade beach