Sabine`s Gull

Warm, dry and sunny, S3 - Another fine day to be out and about birding started at Scotney where the usual crop of feral geese, ducks and waders were present including three Ruff and five Curlews on the sward but no sign of the recent Spoonbills. Moving on to Galloways and Dengemarsh Gully where the most noticeable birds were Stonechats and Kestrels with at least 30 and 20 respectively of each noted across both sites, plus a few Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps, Goldfinches, Linnets, Reed Buntings, Meadow Pipits, Skylarks and Robins; typical October fare really. At Dungeness it was more of the same around the Desert, and Moat (where a Yellow-browed Warbler had been seen earlier), plus a trickle of southbound Swallows.

                                 Sabine`s Gull, Dungeness

It was then onto the fishing boats where David Scott had found a juvenile Sabine`s Gull, that fortunately hung around during the afternoon and showed quite well at times (thanks to Vicky and Graham for the heads up!), flying up and down the strandline and settling on the sea. My pics above don`t do this cracking pelagic gull justice but David`s do (thanks for sending them through); there should also be plenty of others on the DBO and Ploddingbirder blogs later. Also offshore a few Sandwich Terns, Arctic Skuas, Brent Geese and two Red-throated Divers. I finished the day at Lade for the WeBS count and the beach where a couple of Knots were amongst the usual shorebirds.

    Small Tortoiseshell on our garden wall

    Juvenile Sabine`s Gull, Dungeness (by David Scott)