Incoming hirundines

Dungeness - cold, dry, sunny, w3 - We finished off the weeks birding for Jill, Pam and Tony at the point with a brief seawatch from the hide. Once again it was disappointing, as it has been all week, with only a few scoters, Brents and Gannets on the move, plus an Arctic Tern which eventually lodged at the Patch with a couple of hundred Common Terns. However, a steady flow of incoming hirundines and Swifts was noteworthy. On the land we eventually located a cock black Redstart on the power station complex along with a scattering of Chiff/Willows in the scrub, plus Goldfinch and Sparrowhawk around the moat.
In summary it had been a pretty decent week for the Dorset birders, despite the Arctic-like weather, with 114 species recorded. The standout birds were Black-necked and Slavonian Grebes in summer plumage, two Velevet Scoters and a Glossy Ibis at Pett Level, the Nightingales at Park Wood and species which we take fore granted here such as passage Whimbrels and Barwits, Marsh Harriers, Yellow Wagtails, Black Redstart, Lesser Whitethroats, Tree Sparrows and Corn Buntings.

                                Park Wood, Appledore