Owls

Cold, dry and sunny, NW 2 - It doesn`t matter how long you`ve birding for (in my case its over 60 years!) owls are one family of birds that are hard to ignore. This week I`ve connected with four species locally including, and probably the easiest to see, Little Owls, at Hammonds Corner and Lydd, plus a stunning close Barn Owl yesterday afternoon quartering the field by the entrance to Lydd airport. `Eared` owls are always a bit more tricky but yesterday on our Ted walk through the trapping area we had obscured views of a roosting Long-eared Owl, while this morning a distant Short-eared Owl hunted the shingle ridges on the desert at the back of Tower Pits towards the airport; I often wonder how many we miss, particularly the former due to its largely nocturnal habits. 

Goldeneyes

Dungeness RSPB - mild, sunshine and drizzle, SW5 - A breezy morning for my monthly guided walk around the circular trail during which most of the wildfowl were hunkered down in the lee of bunds trying to avoid the wind. However, Burrowes delivered all the usual wintering wildfowl including at least five Goldeneyes (four drakes) and an adult Caspian Gull in the roost in front of Dennis`s hide. It was pretty quiet around the trail due to the weather with several Marsh Harriers, a Sparrowhawk and hundreds of Lapwings and Wigeons across Dengemarsh of note. The Great Northern Diver remained on New Diggings while the Long-tailed Duck was reported on Burrowes in the afternoon from the visitor centre.

                                  Goldeneye, Burrowes

                                 Lapwings, Dengemarsh

The recent island restoration work on New Excavations is now complete for the winter and looking superb when viewed from Christmas Dell hide. Hopefully, it will attract breeding terns and gulls next spring, particularly as four new rafts are also being added in the New Year. What with the additional islands on Dengemarsh, the new return trail path, various other modifications around Burrowes and the new Makepeace hide to come the reserve is looking in great shape for the future. Well done to all concerned, both staff and volunteers throughout a busy 2024.   

    New Excavations

Harriers

Mild, cloudy, light airs - Following a couple of cold days over the weekend today was much brighter with a spring-like feel to it, ideal for a run-out to Walland Marsh with CP for the monthly harrier count where 26 Marsh Harriers came to roost along with a smart male Hen Harrier also in the area. En-route, a Brent Goose and a flock of 23 Bewick`s Swans were in a field at Midley and later on another two flew over our viewpoint along with three Whooper`s and two White-fronts. A large collection of distant grey geese probably included the reported Pink-feet and White-fronts, plus nine Egyptian Geese and a Great White Egret. Due to ongoing fieldwork there were thousands of corvids, gulls, Lapwings, Starlings, Woodpigeons and Stock Doves swirling over the farmland, but once again very few small passerines. We also noted several Kestrels and Buzzards, a Curlew, a Snipe, plus calling Golden Plovers, Water Rails and Cetti`s Warblers on the walk back in the half light of a new moon. 

                                  Bewick`s Swans, Midley

                                   Great Northern Diver, New Diggings

On our Friday Ted walk we checked out Lade where Goldeneyes were down to just two birds on south lake and both Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers were present in the willow swamp along with several vocal Water Rails. The Great Northern Diver and Long-tailed Duck remained on New Diggings while the Hume`s Warbler was still in and around the Obs garden. I often hear Grey Wagtails flying over the house and adjacent park, but this morning one briefly alighted in the driveway and onto the garden list!

Ringtail

Dungeness - cold, overcast, drizzle, NE 3 - After four days of foul weather the strong winds and rain associated with named storm Darragh at last relented, although the Mordor-like gloom persists. We started off at Lade first thing with four Goldeneyes the highlight on south lake, plus Teal, Pochard and Tufted into three figures. We then walked the foreshore at Dungeness checking the few gulls that were present while a trickle of auks, Gannets and Red-throated Divers were noted on the sea along with a couple of Grey Seals. The land was largely bird-less apart, from the Hume`s Warbler which continues its residency in around the bird observatory garden; this morning it was calling intermittently`  - a sharp, `chew-wit`, similar to a Pied Wagtail to my ears. It was then onto the bird reserve and a walk out to New Diggings along the Outland Trail that delivered two Common Snipes flushed from the footpath and a cracking adult female Hen Harrier overhead that continued on towards Boulderwall. The Long-tailed Duck eventually surfaced long enough to actually see it from the viewpoint, while a Great Northern Diver was reported at the southern end of the lake later on (MC). From the visitor centre a single Black-necked Grebe was noted over the far side of the lake. 

                                   Kestrel, Lade

Long-tailed Duck

Warm, dry and sunny, NW 2 - Superb morning to be out in the field commencing at Lade and Kerton Road pits where the highlights were six Goldeneyes and 150 Teal on south lake, two Marsh Harriers and a Common Buzzard over the willow swamp and a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Cetti`s Warbler by the ponds. Moving onto the bird reserve where I had decent views of the mobile juv/female type Long-tailed Duck on New Diggings. It is best viewed from the end of the Outland Trail viewpoint, with the sun behind you, and not from the causeway road (there were six cars parked there this morning) which is extremely dangerous and where the power station police will move you on. The Hume`s Warbler was again reported in the bushes around the Obs garden/moat (PE).

                                   Long-tailed Duck, New Diggings

Hume`s Warbler

Dungeness - mild, cloudy, light airs - We spent another morning birding Lade and Kerton Road followed by a trudge along the beach either side of the fishing boats checking for the elusive Glaucous Gull. There was little happening on the sea apart from a few Gannets and large gulls feeding offshore, plus a party of nine east-bound Brent Geese. We wandered over to the bushes around the lighthouses, where there was nothing of note, and onto the Obs for a natter. After a short wait the Hume`s Warbler showed in the front gardens of the cottages and then into the Obs garden where several of us enjoyed some good views of this stripy, sprite (complete with shiny leg iron) over a 15 minute period before it flew towards the moat. Unusually, for this species it did not call once. The only other noteworthy was a Peregrine flying onto a pylon with prey.  

                               

Humpback Whale!

Saturday - mild, cloudy, S2 - Now there`s a header I never thought I`d put up on the blog! Nursing a heavy cold and feeling sorry for myself I committed to doing very little today apart from watching the lunchtime kick-off concerning a struggling QPR on the telly away to Watford. Engrossed in the match I didn`t bother to check my phone until full time (a decent, goalless draw and a valuable point for the R`s) but when I did the local grapevine told of a Humpback Whale - off the fishing boats at Dungeness! It took me a few seconds to compute the enormity of this information and after checking whether or not it was still present with DW (which it was) 15 minutes later I was on site and watching this incredible leviathan from the boats, and a short time later (and much closer) in front of the sea-watch hide. Moving swiftly underwater it blew spray into the air before breaking surface to show a small, rear back fin on an enormous body and occasionally revealing a grooved throat as it swam westwards, before turning back towards Dungeness. I`m not much of a twitcher these days, and I think the last time I reacted with such alacrity was in 2015 after receiving a garbled phone message from MC concerning a famous American flycatcher on the beach! I`ve been fortunate enough in the past to have seen Humpbacks in the north Atlantic and Southern Ocean, but never thought I would see one on my doorstep, a sight I shall not forget. Unfortunately, I didn`t manage any photographs with my bridge camera, but MC did, so checkout the ploddingbirder blog.

Sunday - mild, overcast, drizzle, SW4 - Had another go at scrutinising the gulls along the beach at Dungeness this morning just in case last week`s Glaucous Gull had lingered, but the best I could do was a smart 1st winter Caspian Gull amongst the high tide roost. A brief sea-watch from the boats produced a steady procession of Gannets, Kittiwakes and auks into the brisk westerly, plus an incoming Woodcock that flew rapidly inland. A cursory circuit of the moat in heavy drizzle drew a blank for the Hume`s Warbler heard earlier in the Obs garden.

                                 Gannets off the fishing boats

                                 Dungeness lifeboat

Great Northern Diver

Warm, dry and sunny, light airs - A superb day for a walk along the foreshore with Ted at Dungeness, concentrating on the section between the fishing boats and the lifeboat station, and where a brown Merlin, a Raven and a Rock Pipit were noted; there was no sign of this week`s Glaucous Gull, although `hundreds` of distant large gulls were out on Lade bay at low tide. However, I did connect with a rather smart Great Northern Diver heading down-Channel, plus a few Red-throated Divers, Gannets and Kittiwakes. Two of at least five Grey Seals feeding close to shore exhibited strange behaviour when they briefly leaped out of the water, maybe it was some sort of courtship display?

                                  By-catch, Dungeness

                                 Ted, Dungeness

Last weekend was spent off the Marsh so I missed a few seabirds (eg. Sooty Shearwaters and Leach`s Petrel) blown up-Channel by Storm Bert, but I did get down last Monday around noon, narrowly missing a Great Shearwater, a great rarity at this end of the Channel. There has been little else of note this week during visits to Lade, Pirate Springs and my usual farmland haunts with Ted. 

Shorebirds

Cold, cloudy, NW 2 - A day in the field guiding for Clare and Peter from London commenced with 16 Cattle Egrets from the airport road, followed by a hail shower at the Scotney sandpit and a right good soaking! However, a murmuration of 500 Golden Plovers sweeping over our heads was ample compensation, although there was little else of note along the front gravel pits apart from a pair of Egyptian Geese with two goslings about a month old. A tour of Walland Marsh delivered several large flocks of winter thrushes, Lapwings, Golden Plovers, corvids and Stock Doves, plus at least 20 Buzzards. Moving onto the bird reserve where the highlights were a Common Scoter and a ringtail Hen Harrier on Dengemarsh; two Avocets, a Slavonian Grebe and two each of Caspian and Yellow-legged Gulls on Burrowes; and a Black-necked Grebe on ARC. We finished the afternoon in some style at the Tavern viewpoint where nine species of waders were logged including c500 Oystercatchers and c300 Curlews, 50 Knots and 20 Grey Plovers, plus a Sandwich Tern, a Mediterranean and two Little Gulls. In summary, a decent days birding in fine company with 80 species logged.

                                  Common Scoter, Dengemarsh

                                  Snipe, Dengemarsh

                                 2nd winter Caspian Gull, Burrowes

                                 Adult Yellow-legged Gull, Burrowes

                                  Shorebirds, Lade bay

Hen Harrier

Dungeness RSPB - cold, dry and sunny, NW3 - Spent an interesting afternoon filming with the BBC Countryfile team, mostly from the viewpoint overlooking Hookers from where we had superb views of up to four Marsh Harriers and a cracking adult female Hen Harrier that eventually drifted off towards the army ranges. All the expected reedbed birds were noted including Bearded Tit, Cetti`s Warbler, Water Rail, plus a most unexpected female Common Scoter in the reed-bed channel. For the final hour around sunset we moved over to ARC for the Starling show, but only a small flock came to roost in the reed-bed in front of Screen hide. However, we had distant views of a large murmuration comprising several thousand birds - back over the road at Dengemarsh! On the walk back to the car park 22 Cattle Egrets flew to roost. 

Slavonian Grebe

Mild, overcast, light airs - Spent the morning guiding for Eric and Jim from south London. We started off with a 90 minute sea-watch from the hide in far from promising weather conditions for seabirds. However, there was a steady trickle of Gannets moving up-Channel, most way-off shore and plunge diving for fish. A handful of closer Sandwich Terns flew by and three distance Kittiwakes were logged along with two Mediterranean Gulls, several Great Crested Grebes and Red-throated Divers on the sea, four distant Guillemots/auks, a Common Scoter, five inbound Starlings and, best of all, a brown Eider heading down-Channel. At least six Grey Seals were also feeding offshore. Along the power station wall a flurry of close birds included three Black Redstarts (one a smart male) two Meadow Pipits, a Chaffinch, a Pied Wagtail, a Robin and a Grey Wagtail calling overhead. On the way in earlier I`d seen a Dartford Warbler by the new lighthouse, which we failed to relocate but did see a Kestrel and a Blackbird. 

                                 Spot the Sandwich Tern!

                                  Great White Egret from Firth

 

                                 Shoveler and Slavonian Grebe, Burrowes

At the bird reserve car park a flock of eight Greenfinches by the feeders was of note along with the usual tits and a Great Spotted Woodpecker calling from cover, while a pair of Whooper Swans flew over trumpeting loudly. On Burrowes the Red-throated Diver, three Black-necked and a Slavonian Grebe were still present along with the usual wildfowl, Cormorants and gulls, plus four Pintails, five Goldeneyes, a Great White Egret and a perched Kingfisher. All in all a productive morning in great company with 62 species of birds recorded.     

Counting birds

Warm, dry and sunny, W3 - A glorious day to be out and about in the field for the monthly WeBS and harrier counts. We spent most of the morning at Kerton quarry and Lade pits counting wildfowl, of which there were very few, as is typical this time of year, and where no species reached three figures; a lone redhead Goldeneye on south lake and at least six Water Rails calling from the willow swamp were the only noteworthy birds. On north lake a 300 strong gull flock comprised roughly equal numbers of Black-headed and Common Gulls, plus 10 Mediterranean Gulls. On the bird reserve the Red-throated Diver and Slavonian Grebe remained on Burrowes, along with two Black-necked Grebes, while at least 10 Cattle Egrets were in a horse paddock set back from the airport road. It was a sorry old sight in the Dungeness RSPB car park where a coach load of birders from Watford were peering through the door into the temporarily closed visitor centre. I explained to some of them that the shop would be permanently closed early next year, along with others across the country, unsurprisingly, it was not well received...  

                                  Redhead Goldeneye, Lade south

                                Foxes sunbathing on the mirror apron

This afternoon I joined Chris P for the harrier count on Walland Marsh where 17 Marsh Harriers came to roost. A pair of Whooper Swans and a Bewick`s Swan disturbed by shooters at the fishing lakes took flight along with a vocal, mixed flock of 500 Greylags and Canada Geese with at least four White-fronts. Also noted several large murmurations of Starlings heading for the bird reserve, hundreds of Lapwings, six Cattle Egrets, seven Great Whites and five Little Egrets at roost, eight Corn Buntings, 10 Fieldfares, four Kestrels and a Common Buzzard.

                                 Starling murmuration

                                 Sunset over the wind farm

Bearded Tit

Dungeness RSPB - mild, cloudy, N 2 - An OK sort-of-a morning weather-wise for my monthly guided walk around the circular route for five guests. During the three hours we noted a wide range of classic wintering species including Red-throated Diver, Black-necked Grebe and Goldeneye on Burrowes; two Snipes, three Marsh Harriers, two Great White Egrets, 100 Wigeon and 200 Lapwings on Dengemarsh; and a stunning cock Bearded Tit on the grit tray at Hooker`s ramp. Migrants included plenty of Robins, a few Blackbirds and Chaffinches in the bushes, several flocks of inbound Starlings, three Redwings and two Chiffchaffs. A thousand feral Greylags provided a noisy spectacle tumbling out of the sky over Dengemarsh, while a dozen more Snipes were seen from Christmas Dell hide. Also noted: several Kestrels, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a Sparrowhawk, a Buzzard, Grey Herons, Reed Buntings, Goldfinches, Cetti`s Warblers and calling Water Rails.

                                  Red-throated Diver, Burrowes 

                                 Snipes, Christmas Dell

                                 Snipe, Lapwing and Dabchick, Dengemarsh

                                 Bearded Tit, Hooker`s

Its a wonder to me that the intensive farmland around New Romney manages to support so many  Buzzards. I see them on a near daily basis, and not only on the farmland but also flying over the town where I`m often alerted to them by the raucous alarm calls of Herring Gulls. Part of the Buzzards` success, of course, is their ability to survive on a wide variety of prey as shown by the two pictured below that I watched the other day hunting earthworms (and squabbling over them!) following a rain shower. 

                                  Buzzards, Hope Lane, New Romney

Woodcock

Cloudy, dry, light airs - The weather conditions this past week have continued in the same vein, being grey and gloomy with occasional mist and drizzle. Bird of the week for me has been the Woodcock with up to ten flushed from cover (mostly by Ted) across the Dungeness and Lade desert, including four yesterday from a patch of bracken east of the trapping area; it makes you wonder how many more are lurking elsewhere, probably thousands judging by the number (in the hundreds of thousands) that are shot each winter across the country. The overhead passage of finches continues to be poor with only a handful of Bramblings, Siskins and Redpolls heard along with a few Skylarks, Meadow Pipits and Grey Wagtails. We had one decent morning when small flocks of thrushes dropped in around the point comprising mainly Blackbirds and Redwings plus a few Song Thrushes. Robins are the most numerous migrant in the bushes while a few Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests were also present along with the odd Firecrest and a Dartford Warbler by the Kerton Road. On the bird reserve single Slavonian and Black-necked Grebes are still present along with a Red-throated Diver and the usual array of Larus gulls on Burrowes.

                                 Oak Rustic

During our Ted walks around New Romney this week the highlight has been a couple of Kingfisher sightings along the New Cut (where also a Mink noted) and small groups of Fieldfares by the horse paddocks. The dry weather has seen a flurry of ploughing and drilling activity on the arable lands, attracting some huge and mobile flocks of gulls and corvids. I`ve finally packed away the garden moth trap for the winter after a few blank nights, while an Oak Rustic earlier in the week was new for the site. 

Merlin

Dungeness - mild, cloudy, light airs - We spent the morning traipsing around the peninsula in misty, murky weather conditions without a breathe of wind. By far the most numerous passerines were Robins which seemed to be ticking away or perched atop every clump of scrub along with the ubiquitous Wrens and Dunnocks, plus a few Stonechats, Chiffchaffs, Goldcrests, Goldfinches and Chaffinches. Grounded birds included small flocks of Meadow Pipits, Linnets and alba wagtails along the beach which attracted the attention of a brown Merlin in a life and death struggle as it pursued its quarry out over the flat calm sea. Further quality was provided by three Dartford Warblers in broom around the new lighthouse and behind the railway station, while a small fall of Blackbirds, Song Thrushes and Redwings briefly dropped onto the shingle by the old experimental station site. The final migrant of the morning was down to Ted who flushed a Woodcock from a patch of bracken in the desert.

                                 Merlin, fishing boats

                                 Dartford Warbler, new lighthouse

Goldeneyes

Mild, cloudy, E2 - Our first two Goldeneyes of autumn were on Lade south this morning; a distant redhead over by the wall `mirror` and a closer drake from the main footpath. Despite good birding conditions yet again few passerines were noted apart from several Chaffinches, a couple of Blackbirds and a Chiffchaff by the ponds; there was absolutely no overhead passage. A check of the beach on the high tide revealed a roost of 200 Oystercatchers, 30 Turnstones, six Grey Plovers, four Bar-tailed Godwits and seven Sandwich Terns.

                                  Drake Goldeneye, Lade south

                                 Grey Plover, Lade beach

                                  Sandwich Terns, Lade beach

                                  Turnstones, Lade beach

                                 November Moth, Brick and Angle Shades

Normally by now I would have packed away the garden moth trap for the winter, but not so this year as the mild overnight temperatures have ensured a steady flow of late autumn moths including, this morning, a Brick a common immigrant and new for the trap site.  

Brent Geese

Mild, overcast, dry, SE3 - The Brent Goose passage is one of the great autumn birding spectacles at Dungeness as the dark-bellied race from northern Russia vacate their tundra breeding grounds for the milder climes of the estuaries of southern England and northern France. An hour at the fishing boats and another from the seawatch hide with the locals produced over 1,000 geese, some close enough to be heard, others way out it the Channel as wisps of `smoke`, great stuff. Almost as impressive was a large flock of Gannets feeding out to sea, probably on mackerel being pursued by tuna. Also noted 50 Common Scoters, several Mediterranean Gulls, Red-throated Divers, Wigeons and Shovelers, a Little Gull, a Merganser, three Pintail and a Sooty Shearwater. For a full account of this morning`s seawatch checkout the trektellen website updated by Martin. In contrast the land was very quiet.

    Brent Geese on the move, Dungeness

Called in at the bird reserve on the way home where the usual Cattle Egrets were on the Boulderwall fields, while a Slavonian Grebe had joined two Black-necked Grebes and a Red-throated Diver on Burrowes.

Redpolls

Mild, dry, overcast, W2 - The benign weather continues with a circuit of Lade and Kerton Road this morning producing very little of note on the migrant front apart from a few Blackbirds in Mockmill, a trickle of Skylarks over the desert and several Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests by the ponds. Duck numbers on the lakes were also low with only Tufted Ducks reaching three figures and most of the Great Crested Grebes having returned to the sea for the winter. Buzzard, Kestrel and Marsh Harrier were all hunting over the rough grassland behind the `mirrors` where Water Rail and Cetti`s Warbler also heard. In the trapping area we arrived as Tom was ringing Redpolls and a Firecrest (although we just missed a Bullfinch (something of a local rarity here) and heard a Yellow-browed Warbler from the pilot path.

                                 Firecrest, DBO

                                 Redpolls, DBO

Yesterday, on the way back from the Church Lane spinney, a flock of 50 White-fronted Geese flew over heading south (seen shortly afterwards by Dave Scott flying out across the bay at Greatstone) noisily cackling away to one another. The garden moth trap last night lured in several each of Blair`s Shoulder-knot and the micro Palpita vitrealis

                                 Blair`s Shoulder-knot

                                  Palpita vitrealis