Pectoral Sandpiper & Raptors

Dungeness - 0900hrs - Warm, dry and sunny w2 - A weekend bird tour with Liz from Northumberland commenced with a short seawatch comprising a trickle of of Gannets, Sandwich and Common Terns, Kittiwake, 20 Swallows out and several Porpoises. On the land 3 Sparrowhawks, and a few more Swallows and Mipits over.
RSPB - 1100hrs - The Pectoral Sandpiper showed well from Firth hide this morning and has now remained faithful to this area for a week. At Dengemarsh we had brief flight views of the Great White Egret while 2 Hobbies and a Peregrine put on a much better show from the ramp, where a Kingfisher was present. Near the car park 2 Wheatears and 8 Yellow Wagtails on the shingle and a steady flow of Sand Martins and Swallows heading south. On the circular route also noted Redshank, Dabchicks, Marsh Harriers, Kestrels, Green Woodpecker, Goldfinch, Cetti`s Warbler, Chiffchaff and Little Egrets.

                                          Pectoral Sandpiper, Burrowes

At ARC from Hanson a selection of waders included 100 or so Lapwings and Goldies, 6 Dunlins, Ringed Plover, Little Stint and briefly a Pec Sandpiper (presumably the one from Burrowes), plus 5 Pintails, 6 Wigeons and all the usual eclipse wildfowl.
Also reported on the bird reserve today was a Curlew Sand on ARC, Spot Flit at the pines, Cuckoo and Redstart at Christmas Dell.
Dungeness - 1600hrs - Back at the fishing boats nothing much was moving but the Yellow-legged Gull showed well.
Throughout the day we saw plenty of butterflies, mostly whites and Red Admirals, but also Small Heaths, Speckled Wood and 2 Small Coppers, plus hundreds of Migrant Hawkers and Ruddy Darter dragonflies.