Cattle Egrets

Cool, cloudy, SW 4 - We started the morning with a circular Ted walk around Dengemarsh where the highlight was a flock of 10 Cattle Egrets in the sheep fold behind the flood, which were the first I`ve seen for a while. Common Terns were still few in number on and around the new tern rafts while two lone Lapwings was the sum wader total on the dried out hayfields. From the ramp I had brief flight views of a Bittern, with another `booming` nearby, plus confirmed breeding of Bearded Tit and Cetti`s Warbler as they attended to fledged young. A Cuckoo was also in good voice, several Hobbies and Swifts hawked flying insects overhead and a Yellow Wagtail was noted on the farmland section of the walk along with several Skylarks and two Corn Buntings. There was little on offer from Hanson hide apart from two Shovelers, a pair of Wigeon, 30 Gadwall and the usual breeding waders and gulls; a few more Hobbies and Swifts drifted over and a male Marsh Harrier flew through. There was no change to the birds on Kerton quarry from yesterday.

                                  Cattle Egrets - Dengemarsh

                                  Common Terns - Dengemarsh

                                  Wigeon - ARC

Garganey

Cool, cloudy, W 2 - It has been a quiet past few days across the peninsula due mainly to a persistent and nagging northerly airflow; however, the wind direction is due to change by Tuesday to a warmer southerly which hopefully will deliver one or two Mediterranean overshoots our way. Garganey have been scarce this spring on the gravel pits across Dungeness although today`s drake on ARC has been present for about a week now. Cuckoos have been noted at Lade, Dengemarsh and Tower Pits with up to seven Hobbies and a number of Swifts at the latter site this morning. The high tide wader roost at Kerton quarry produced 65 Oystercatchers, 12 Curlews and a Whimbrel, while Redshank and Lapwing both had fledglings on the main island. Another pair of Ringed Plovers with chicks was discovered today bringing my tally to four pairs so far this spring and a Spotted Flycatcher was at the top end of Long Pits.. 

                                  Garganey - ARC

Common Terns

Dungeness RSPB - cool, cloudy, NW5 - A grim morning with a chill Arctic airflow and the threat of showers for my monthly guided walk for nine guests around the circular trail. The highlight on Burrowes was a flock of seven Dunlins in summer plumage but otherwise it was very quiet with just the usual gulls, wildfowl and Cormorants, plus Sand Martins coming and going at the nesting wall, four Little Egrets, a Redshank and a handful of Common Terns on the islands. Apart from a few snatches of song from Reed, Sedge and Cetti`s Warblers there was little of note until Dengemarsh where we had good views of two Marsh Harriers and up to five Hobbies as well as hearing a `booming` Bittern. The rafts and islands in front of the hide attracted five Common Terns, a pitiful number considering there was over 30 here on Monday. From the ramp several Bearded Tits broke cover in the reedbed and we had further close views of Swifts, a perched Hobby and a Cetti`s Warbler. Also noted during the circuit: singing Reed Buntings, Linnets, Common and Lesser Whitethroats, Lapwing, Grey Heron, Shelduck, Pochard and Gadwall. We made it back to the VC just before a heavy hail shower hit.

                                   Storm clouds gathering

Tree Sparrows

Scotney - cool, cloudy, W4 - When I moved down here 20 years ago Tree Sparrows were common place with stable colonies on the RSPB reserve, St Mary-in-the-Marsh, Midley, Lydd and Scotney plus at a number of other locations across the Marsh and along the Royal Military Canal; we even had them on our garden bird feeders at Lydd-on-Sea in the early winters. The first three aforementioned locations not only supplied nest boxes but also a regular supply of food throughout the year but even that wasn`t enough to arrest the decline in numbers. Two decades later the only surviving known colony locally is on private farmland outback at Scotney where nest boxes have been provided with the consent of the landowner. When I visited site this morning there was activity around the colony from about 15 individuals with some of the many nesting boxes occupied; hopefully with nestlings ready to fledge, but only if the adults can supply enough invertebrate food. The landscape at Scotney is intensively farmed, mostly arable with a few heavily stocked sheep folds, plus future plans for an extensive solar panel farm and all the disturbance that is associated with it in the construction stage. Wandering around I just got the feeling that the Tree Sparrow`s days are numbered hereabouts; I hope I`m wrong, but only time will tell. On a brighter note, on the walk out at least 25 Yellow Wagtails and 10 Corn Buntings were noted plus several singing Reed Buntings, Linnets, Skylarks and Pied Wagtails, a Hobby, a Common Buzzard, a male Marsh Harrier, and on the front sward nine Whimbrels and a flock of 25 Tundra Ringed Plovers. En-route to site sunbathing Little Owls were seen at Hammonds Corner and Pigwell.

                                  Tree Sparrows - Scotney

Turtle Dove

Cool, cloudy, NW2 - On Saturday afternoon a Turtle Dove feeding on the causeway at Lade was a surprise find; in fact, the first I`ve seen here for ten years! An early start this morning to listen for any `purring` in the willow swamp, unsurprisingly, drew a blank so I suppose it must`ve been a passing migrant. However, two male Cuckoos were active around the swamp and at least one female detected by its bubbling call. As the cloud cover and wind increased 50 Swifts descended over south lake along with a similar number of Swallows and House Martins. The summering warblers were busily feeding broods around the ponds while an adult male Marsh Harrier drifted over the `mirrors`. A check of Kerton quarry revealed nothing new. From Hanson hide waders included six Ringed Plovers, three Avocets, a Dunlin and a Common Sandpiper plus nest prospecting Common Terns and Black-headed Gulls. The Boulderwall wetlands were equally quiet with just a Little Ringed Plover and two Hobbies of note; there was no sign of the weekends three Temminck`s Stints or Wood Sandpiper.

                                  Ringed Plover - ARC

                                  Avocets - ARC

                                  Great Crested Grebe - ARC

Weasel

Warm, dry and sunny, E2 - It continues to be quiet across the Dungeness peninsula of late as the spring migration heads into the last lap before the summer doldrums. This morning we checked Dengemarsh Gully where there were plenty of Whitethroats, Linnets, Sedge and Reed Warblers, several Stonechats and Wheatears plus a Raven overhead. However, it was good to see around 30 Common Terns settling on the islands and the two new rafts out from Dengemarsh hide, where also Marsh Harrier, Great White Egret, Bearded Tit and a `booming` Bittern noted. Whilst scanning from Springfield Bridge we had an incredible close encounter with a Weasel that popped up by the sluice and ran towards me on the bridge and under the gate; I can only think that it must`ve had kits nearby.  

                                  Weasel - Springfield Bridge

                                  Ted eyeing up the Weasel!

On the way home we called in at the sea-watch hide and spent half an hour with the locals, in dreadful hazy light, seeing nothing much apart from a few terns fishing offshore. Kerton Quarry and Lade were also checked without success. The landscape has taken on the appearance of high summer being parched and desiccated; we could really do with some rain... 

                                 Sea Kale - Dungeness

Yellow Wagtails

Dungeness - cool, cloudy, N 3 - Another unseasonably cool day for a guided tour for Clare and Peter from London. We started at the point where, predictably, the sea was quiet with only two Mediterranean Gulls, two Sandwich Terns and four Oystercatchers of note in 30 minutes. The land wasn`t much better, although we did manage to see the expected Wheatears, Linnets, Skylarks, Common Whitethroats, Stonechats and Meadow Pipits plus a pair of Peregrines; one carrying prey, the other perched atop A Station. Moving onto Scotney where several Corn Buntings and 15 Yellow Wagtails were present outback. The afternoon was spent mostly on the reserve where the highlights were eight Hobbies over Dengemarsh, including a close bird over Cook`s Pool, and six Whimbrels that dropped onto ARC. Kerton Quarry attracted a high tide roost of 80 Oystercatchers and 10 Curlews. that eventually transferred to the bay, and two Common Sandpipers. In  summary, a steady days birding in enjoyable company during which we racked up 70 species of birds.

                                  Yellow Wagtails - Scotney

    Whimbrels - ARC