Tuesday 15 September 2020

Heron tribe

 Dungeness - hot, dry and sunny, light airs - A superb day in the field with Sally and Stephen commenced at the point with a seawatch from the hide where the highlights were two small flocks of Common Scoters and our first three Brent Geese of autumn. On the land we had a scattering of passage migrants such as five Black Redstarts (inc a cracking singing adult male), three Wheatears and Stonechats, plus Meadow Pipits in the hand, outward bound Swallows, Yellow and Grey Wagtails, two Sparrowhawks and four Kestrels.

                                 Hummingbird Hawk-moth


                                            Wheatear and Medow Pipit

At the ARC we had protracted views of a Bittern that flew across the lake and landed close by in full view for 30 minutes or more. Also, three Great White and two Little Egrets noted along with the `resident` Glossy Ibis, plus Little Stint, Ruff, two Snipe,100 Golden Plovers, 10 Common Terns, three Pintail and a host of common wildfowl in eclipse plumage. The bushes yielded Chiffchaffs, Lesser Whitethroat and a Goldcrest. It was quieter over the road on Dengemarsh although a smart juvenile Hobby flew over Hooker`s, while we mopped up the last of the heron tribe with two Cattle Egrets at Boulderwall. Also noted several more Chiffchaffs, Cetti`s Warblers, Blackcaps, Reed Buntings and a Garden Warbler by the return trail style. Moving onto the bay where 30 Ringed Plovers, 10 Knots, Sanderlings, Dunlins, Curlews and 100 Sandwich Terns noted. We finished off with a seawatch at the fishing boats with a steady flow of Sandwich and Common Terns, a few Gannets, five Arctic Skuas and a smart juvenile Little Gull;  Grey Seal and several Porpoises also present. Despite the hot weather we eventually rattled up a respectable 103 species of birds for the day. 

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