Garganeys

Dungeness - warm, dry and sunny, SW 3 -Spent the day guiding for Steve from Maidstone. We kicked off at the point with good views of the Peregrine family around the power station where one of the juveniles was tucking into what looked like a Feral Pigeon. The bushes were almost devoid of birds apart from a few Stonechats, several Willow Warblers, a Common Whitethroat and two Wheatears at the back of the Moat. A Kestrel was noted while a trickle of Yellow Wagtails passed high overhead calling and mostly unseen, here and elsewhere across the peninsula throughout the day. Moving onto the bird reserve where three Cattle Egrets followed the suckling herd on Boulderwall fields alongside several Little Egrets and Grey Herons on Cooks Pool and scores of Sand Martins and Swallows hawking insects over the fields. Burrowes was largely quiet but did produce a perched Kingfisher, several Common Sandpipers, a Turnstone and a Whimbrel over amongst the usual gulls and common wildfowl. Two Marsh Harriers, Common Buzzard, Hobby and Great White Egret were noted at Dengemarsh. However, as expected the ARC from Hanson hide was the most productive part of the reserve where we had cracking close views of two Garganeys and a Glossy Ibis, plus further away two Black-tailed Godwits, five Common Sandpipers, six Golden Plovers, two Dunlin, five Ringed Plovers, four Little Ringed Plovers, a Wigeon and a Common Tern along with hundreds of Teal, Shoveler, Gadwall and Lapwings.

                                 Glossy Ibis, ARC

                                  Garganeys, ARC

Then it was back to the point for an afternoon seawatch from the fishing boats at high tide (1530-1600). Considering how poor the watches have been recently we did well jamming in on two ridiculously close Little Terns, three distant Black Terns and three mid-range Arctic Skuas chasing Sandwich Terns. We also noted  a steady stream of Gannets, 10 Common Terns, two Guillemots on the sea, five Harbour Porpoises and two Grey Seals - not too shabby for half an hour! The day tally ended with 82 species and a decent range of seabirds, herons, raptors, ducks and waders for Steve to saviour.