Seawatching

Dungeness - 0715hrs - cool, cloudy, drizzle, sw 4 - With one front after another moving in off the Atlantic seawatching has been the only viable birding option of late, and even that has delivered slim pickings due to the time of year. However, hope springs eternal and this morning there was a flurry of Manx Shearwaters down-channel, of which I saw four from the hide, along with a trickle of Gannets, Sandwich Terns and a Fulmar. At the Patch there was the usual Black-headed and Herrings Gulls on the beach, but not a single Common Tern.
  Had a look at ARC from Hanson hide where about 200 Swifts and a mix of 50 Sand and House Martins hawked over the swollen lake, where the only dry land was atop the Cormorant/Herring Gull island; so nowhere for waders to drop in here. Moving onto Scotney, where the Spoonbill was still present, and Greatstone beach that attracted 12 Ringed Plovers and four Dunlins. More Swifts and martins were also over Lade and a Cuckoo was noted in the willow swamp.

                                Gannets moving west off Dungeness

Dungeness - 1445 - 1545hrs  - An hour from the fishing boats in the company of MH produced three more Manxies and up to 100 Gannets passing west, plus a few Sandwich Terns, a Whimbrel and a single auk. Throughout the day the shearwater count topped 30 plus. For full details check the DBO website: www.dungenessbirdobs.org.uk
  Whilst having a beer in The Pilot this evening we had cracking views of a Hummingbird Hawk-moth hovering around the window and pot plants.