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!