Hobbies

 Dungeness - cool, sunny, E5 - Guiding today for Clare and Peter from London commenced with an obligatory one hour seawatch from the hide where there was, yet again, very little happening by Dungeness standards for early May. That said we did manage a superb close Black-throated Diver, 30 distant Bar-tailed Godwits, 50 Common Scoters, five Sandwich and four Common Terns, eight Whimbrels, eight Shelducks, a Fulmar, 12 Dunlins and two Sanderlings. On the land we rounded up the usual Common and Lesser Whitethroats, Stonechats, Linnets, Meadow Pipits, seven Wheatears, a Peregrine and a Kestrel.

                                 Early Purple Orchid, Dungeness

                                 Glossy Ibis, hayfields

The rest of the day was spent on the bird reserve where the highlight was at least seven Hobbies hawking flying insects over Dengemarsh that were our first of the year. A pulse of 20 Swifts moved over the Boulderwall fields and all three species of hirundines were noted over the ARC where a pair of Avocets appear to have taken up residence. The hayfields held the expected Shelducks, Shovelers, Lapwings and Redshanks, plus the Glossy Ibis pair, while around the main trail the usual warblers, Reed Buntings, Linnets and a Bittern where in good voice. A Brown Hare and a Hairy Hawker dragonfly were also noted from the return trail. A total of 76 species were logged through the day, despite the buffeting easterly which pick up during the afternoon.