Pallid Harrier

Warm, dry and sunny W 4-5 - A week ago a visiting birder reported seeing a `slim, ring-tailed harrier` quartering the fields at Dengemarsh. It then reappeared on Tuesday across the farmland towards Lydd where it was photographed and confirmed as a juvenile Pallid Harrier; making it the first definite Dungeness area record of this increasingly occurring raptor. It has also been seen over Galloways heading towards the Army ranges and from the Airport road, so covering a wide expanse of the Marsh as harriers are apt to do. It has been seen daily since, although intermittently at times; I eventually caught up with it on Thursday, and a very smart bird it was too, while it was seen again this Friday afternoon at the back of Hookers before disappearing over the ranges. A circuit of the bird reserve today produced the usual three Glossy Ibises and five Cattle Egrets on Boulderwall fields; Peregrine, Sparrowhawk and Marsh Harrier at Dengemarsh; 100 Lapwings on Burrowes and a range of dabbling ducks and feral geese on ARC, which was devoid of waders. Due to the brisk wind few passerines were noted apart from calling Chiffchaffs in the bushes and a trickle of Swallows and House Martins south. An hour at the fishing boats this afternoon delivered close views of fishing Gannets, a few passing Sandwich Terns and auks, four Med Gulls and a juvenile Common Tern. On the way home I checked the bay on the incoming tide from the Tavern viewpoint: 900 Oystercatcher, Curlew 600, 50 Dunlin, 20 Sanderling, 15 Knot, 10 Bar-tailed Godwit, two Grey Plover and three Wigeon.

    Knots, Greatstone Beach

Our morning Ted walks across the local farmland this week have yielded a Kingfisher along the New Cut and a Peregrine that caught and dispatched a Magpie before letting one of its youngster feed on the kill. Chiffchaffs continue to be abundant in hedgerows and gardens, while a steady trickle of Swallows and House Martins have been noted pressing south over the arable lands. This morning we checked out  the field in front of the golf links at St Mary`s Bay where the highlight was a cracking Greenland Wheatear along with a host of Skylarks and Meadow Pipits. The garden moth trap is still pulling in plenty of insects due to the mild weather conditions with two Vestals and five Delicates the recent highlights.