Seabirds

Dungeness - 0830hrs - warm, dry and sunny, w3-4 - Spent the day birding the Peninsula with Wendy and Doug from Woodchurch concentrating on seabirds and waders. We kicked off with an hour in the Seawatch hide where a steady movement of westward terns comprised mainly Common and Sandwich with the odd Arctic or two. Also, 50 Gannets fishing offshore (with that again moving through), 3 Arctic Skuas, 2 Dunlins and half a dozen Harbour Porpoises. En-route to the Patch singles of Whinchat, Whitethroat, Pied Wagtail and 20 Linnets along the shingle bank. All the usual Common and 2 Arctic Terns over the boil with a Kittiwake on the beach amongst a 100 or so gulls. Called in at the Obs where a couple of Marsh Harriers were soaring over the Desert, plus a Kestrel on the wires.
Littlestone - 1130hrs - A scan for shorebirds revealed 50 each of Curlews and Oystercatchers, 2 Knots, Redshanks and Grey Plovers.
Scotney - 1215hrs  - A scattering of Yellow Wagtails and Curlews amongst the sheep flocks, plus 60 Golden Plovers, 50 Lapwings and a Common Sandpiper on the Sussex side. Also a Wheatear near Lydd.
RSPB -1245hrs - Highlights here included a Wood Sandpiper on Burrowes, the Great White Egret back at its usual haunt on Dengemarsh, Whimbrel over calling and several Marsh Harriers.
Much better on the ARC side with hundreds of Sand Martins and a Black Tern over the water, 4 Common Sands, 3 LRPs, 2 Ringed Plovers, 2 Dunlins, 4 Garganeys, 3 Shelducks, 2 Wigeons, 2 Yellow Wags and all the usual eclipse wildfowl.

                                          Whinchat, DBO

                                          Nearly finished Patch hide

                                          Old Faithful

                                          Adult Yellow-legged Gull, Fishing Boats

Dungeness - 1545hrs - Spent the last hour seawatching from the concrete road where we had improved views of Gannets, Common and Sandwich Terns, 2 Little Terns and an adult Yellow-legged Gull on the beach.
In summary a satisfactory days birding in good company with the highlight being for Wendy and Doug the 3 skuas and the constant stream of terns and Gannets.
ps: just missed 2 Roseate Terns passed the boats at about 1700hrs! (PB)