Chiffchaffs

 Warm, dry and sunny, light airs - These past couple of days the predominant migrant has been the Chiffchaff, loads of them; in the hedgerow lanes hereabouts, in our garden and across Dungeness, as it was this morning with plenty around the Long Pits, while the first Yellow-browed Warbler/s of autumn were reported in the Trapping Area (JS, OL). Kestrels too are currently plentiful as migrants come our way, as hundreds of Swallows continue to feed up and prepare for the long haul south.

                                           Chiffchaff, Long Pits

                                 Mackerel and Whitebait, Dungeness

Just after midday a scan of the sea from the boardwalk at Dungeness produced hundreds of seabirds just off shore plundering (along with beach fishermen) the broiling shoals of Mackerel that were pursuing sprats, many thousands of which were beached providing easy pickings for the gulls. In amongst the throng were a few Sandwich Terns, Gannets and Guillemots, plus two roving Arctic Skuas.