Firecrests

 Dungeness - overcast, mild, E2 - Its the right time of year, the overnight weather was perfect (low cloud and drizzle with an easterly airflow), so surely there would be loads of grounded migrants around the peninsula this morning... Half a century ago there probably would`ve been, but not today with only a trickle of overhead Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, Goldfinches and Chaffinches, plus a Reed Bunting and a Swallow in three hours, and hardly anything on the deck; even the Chiffchaffs and Robins seemed to have dropped off in numbers. On the quality side a Ring Ouzel showed briefly by the quarry hillocks, several small flocks of Redwings swirled around over the trapping area, a Firecrest showed by Long Pits (with two more caught at the Obs while we were there) and Ted flushed two Snipes in the desert and a Woodcock by the wigwams. Also noted across the point several Kestrels and Stonechats, a Sparrowhawk and two Ravens. The seawatchers reported good numbers of wildfowl on the move earlier, particularly Brents with over 3,000 logged, but by the time we worked our way around to the sea at midday it was largely over. However, half an hour from the boardwalk did produce plenty of Gannets, gulls, Sandwich Terns and two Arctic Skuas feeding offshore, plus three small parties of Brent Geese down-Channel as the sun broke through.

                                  Firecrests, DBO

                                 Seawatching from the boardwalk

Ravens

Dungeness - cool, cloudy, light airs - A much cooler day than of late with the wind out of the north coming and going. A circuit of the bushes at the point delivered very little in the way of migrants with Chiffchaff, Goldfinch and Robin numbers well down on my last visit; infact, four Swallows, a Goldcrest in the moat, a Grey Plover over calling and a scattering of Mipits and Skylarks in the desert was about it. Around the power station a pair of Ravens provided great entertainment as they tussled with a Peregrine, while offshore up to 100 Gannets were feeding on (presumably) mackerel, judging from the number of anglers along the beach.

                                 Ravens, A Station

                       Black-necked Grebe, Burrowes (taken through the VC window)

The bird reserve and Lade pits were also quiet with just a Black-necked Grebe and a Black Tern of note on Burrowes. There was no news on the recent Whooper Swans.

         Ted having a breather at Burrowes

Redstarts

Dungeness - warm, dry and sunny, light airs - After the first frost of autumn had melted away it turned into a gorgeous sunny day with only a light zephyr out of the north. We spent the morning birding the point where Chiffchaffs, Robins and Stonechats were the most numerous birds, plus a trickle of Skylarks and Meadow Pipits overhead as well as several Chaffinches and Swallows, two Bramblings and a Yellow Wagtail. Firecrests showed briefly in the trapping area and the old lighthouse garden along with a Blackcap and a late Lesser Whitethroat seen from the pilots path. Whilst at the Obs a Common Redstart was trapped amongst a host of Chiffchaffs and two Black Redstarts were perched atop a nearby cottage. Also noted several Kestrels, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Raven, while a Yellow-browed Warbler was trapped earlier in the morning.

                                  Stonechat, Desert

                                  Chiffchaff, Old Lighthouse garden

                                  Robin, Trapping Area

                                  Juvenile Common Redstart, DBO

                                  Black Redstarts

Yellow-browed Warbler

Dungeness - mild, overcast, light airs - We spent the morning wandering around the point searching for grounded migrants, of which there were few and far between, considering the time of year and weather conditions. Chiffchaffs continue to be the most numerous passerine in the bushes with around 20 noted across the trapping area, plus a couple each of Cetti`s Warbler and Blackcap. Yellow-browed Warblers have been reported in good numbers all down the east coast of Britain and the northern isles these past few weeks, but it takes them a bit longer to `get around the corner` so`s to speak. The first one was last Sunday on the bird reserve at the pines and another one/two were in the trapping area this morning; mine was a heard only at the southern end of the pilot path where I also had my first Goldcrest of autumn. Other migrants included a trickle of Swallows, Meadow Pipits and Skylarks overhead, a few Robins, a Siskin, a Reed Bunting, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Jay by long pits, while at least 12 Kestrels were noted. Checked the beach out from the Tavern viewpoint on the way home where c300 Curlews and c500 Oystercatchers were the main news, plus four Knots, two Shelducks and ten Sandwich Terns.

                                       Yellow-browed Warbler (DBO 2018)

For many of us birders the sycamore tree is synonymous with autumn migrants, particularly leaf warblers and crests. From Scilly to the north Norfolk coast and many places in between, I must`ve spent countless hours scanning the bronzed canopies of these hardy trees searching for that elusive sprite, so it was sad to see that the mature sycamore in the old lighthouse garden at Dungeness has been needlessly grubbed up, to be replaced with a view of a tin shed! In my time I can recall seeing Short-toed Treecreeper, Dusky, Pallas`s and Yellow-browed Warblers in that tree, and as a result can kind of empathise with folk who got very upset when the famous Sycamore Gap tree on Hadrian`s Wall was chopped down last year.

                                 Old lighthouse garden, Dungeness

Elsewhere since my last post we`ve been out and about daily but there hasn`t been very much to report. Water levels on the bird reserve and Lade are rising fast where Wigeons and Golden Plovers are starting to arrive in numbers. A few Snipe have been reported, while a late Garganey and Hobby have been seen on ARC along with the usual egrets and ibis. Chiffchaffs and Kestrels remain the most obvious migrants, particularly the former which seem to be everywhere. Offshore, seawatching has been mostly disappointing, despite favourable winds, with a few shearwaters noted amongst the usual terns and skuas and returning divers and Brents.

Dartford Warbler

Dungeness - warm, dry and sunny - At last a decent day with warm sunshine and light airs making for a pleasant tour of the point with Ted searching for grounded migrants; and there were plenty of birds on offer, mostly around 20 each of Stonechats and Chiffchaffs. The scarcity came straight away in the form of a Dartford Warbler in company with two Stonechats near the old quarry that promptly relocated over the road and into the broom in the Kerton Road triangle. Also noted across the desert and along the edge of the trapping area: 10 Kestrels, 10 Wheatears, 10 Skylarks, 20 Meadow Pipits, 50 Linnets, 10 Pied Wagtails, two Whinchats, two Blackcaps, a probable Whitethroat and a trickle of southbound Swallows. The open sward between the war memorial and the moat attracted another 20 each of Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Goldfinch and Starling, plus two Black Redstarts, another three Wheatears and a couple of Robins. Raven and Peregrine noted around the power station complex.

                                 Kestrel, Dungeness

                                  Stonechat, Dungeness

                                  Whinchat, Dungeness

                                  Wheatear, Dungeness

                                 Ted at a water hole

Yesterday afternoon a check of Burrowes on the bird reserve was disappointing being virtually birdless apart from two Great White and six Little Egrets. ARC was much better though with plenty of Wigeons, Lapwings, Shovelers and Teals on the islands, plus six Black-tailed Godwits, two Common Snipes and a Garganey. The Black-necked Grebe eventually surfaced out on the lake and a Great White Egret was present. However, the water levels are rising fast across both waters.

                                  Wigeon and Lapwing, ARC

                                 Common Snipe, ARC

Mediterranean Gulls

Pirate Springs - warm, cloudy, NE 2 - For our Ted walk this morning we birded the field in front of the golf links and along the foreshore from Littlestone to St Mary`s Bay on the high tide. The rough grassland attracted a couple of small flocks of Goldfinches and Linnets feeding on weed-seeds beside the fairways where a Stonechat and a Kestrel also noted, plus a few grounded Skylarks and Meadow Pipits on the hillocks and the fence line. I always think the habitat hereabouts looks suitable for a rare pipit, and in my time it has attracted the likes of Shore Lark, Red-backed Shrike, Lapland and Snow Buntings in autumn, but not today... However, along the beach a count of 68 Turnstones was of note, along with a scattering of Common Gulls, and towards St Mary`s Bay at least 110 Mediterranean Gulls on the sea and flying over. Further out a trickle of Sandwich Terns headed towards Dungeness and several Gannets fished the bay. On the walk back along the promenade, back garden tamarisks held one or two Robins, Great Tits and Chiffchaffs. 

                                 Turnstones, Littlestone

                                 Mediterranean Gulls, St Mary`s Bay

Kestrels

A mixed bag of weather over the weekend commenced with bright sunshine and light airs on Saturday, ideal for a walk across Dungeness where Kestrels and Chiffchaffs were everywhere in good numbers; even in our town garden the latter species continues to be present. Plenty of Swallows and House Martins were on the move heading out across the Channel. Sunday was cloudier with an increasing wind and our Ted walk took us to West Hythe for a four mile hike up to the bridge and back. Along the canal near the dam two Kingfishers were noted, plus several Grey Herons, a Little Egret, a Cetti`s Warbler but little else, while adjacent farmland delivered Kestrel, Common Buzzard and a smart adult Marsh Harrier. Goldcrests, Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Long-tailed Tits could be heard amongst the tree cover. Overnight a rain band moved through making for a soggy seawatch from the fishing boats this morning (1030 - 1145hrs) where a trickle of Gannets and Sandwich Terns were noted, plus four Common Terns, 20 Brents, two Common Scoters and a Red-throated Diver on the sea.

                                  Saturday sunshine, Dungeness foreshore

                                  Kestrel, Dungeness

                                  Grey Heron, West Hythe

                                  Dungeness fishing boats

Golden Plovers

Cool and cloudy, rain, NW 3 - A grim morning with a nippy wind out of the north causing a drop in temperature to 12C. We checked out the sandpit at Scotney first thing, just before the rain band passed over, and where the water levels had risen significantly since my last visit a week ago. A flock of around 300 Golden Plovers swirled overhead calling evocatively, and a reminder that winter is not far away. Waders in the pit included 20 Lapwings, three each of Common Sandpiper, Dunlin and Ringed Plover, two Green Sandpipers and an Avocet, while wildfowl numbers had declined to a handful of Teal, Shoveler, Shelduck and Egyptian Geese. Also noted several flocks of Linnets and Meadow Pipits feeding amongst the rough grass, a few Chiffchaffs in the bushes, a trickle of Swallows over, a couple of Stonechats and a Kestrel. 

                                  Golden Plovers, Scotney

                                 Scotney sand pit

The rain then set in for a while, so we retreated to the Kerton Road Cafe for a natter. Once the wet stuff relented a check of Kerton quarry and Lade pits resulted in little of note, and there was no sign of the Black-necked Grebe on north lake.

Wheatears

Mild, showery, SW 5 - Following two days of trudging around wind-swept farmland seeing very little of note, apart from a Hobby and a few Skylarks, it was back to the coast this morning. We did a long walk along the foreshore and across the Trapping Area and Desert where the highlight was at least 20 Wheatears, the majority scattered across the railway track ramp. A few Chiffchaffs were in the lighthouse garden and two Common Whitethroats in gorse scrub. Offshore from the fishing boats plenty of Gannets were feeding out in the Channel along with several Sandwich Terns and a distant Arctic Skua while a trickle of Swallows struck out for the French coast..

                                 Wheatears, Dungeness

We called in at Burrowes where the water level is rapidly rising (forgetting that the islands were being cleared of vegetation today!) so all that was on offer was hundreds of Sand Martins over the lake. At Boulderwall at least six Cattle Egrets were following the stock and a Great White was on Cook`s Pool.

Spotted Flycatchers

Lade - Warm, dry and sunny, SW4 - Once last nights rain band had moved through it turned into a pretty decent day, although the wind picked up through the afternoon. There was good numbers of wildfowl and wetland birds for the monthly count across Lade and Kerton quarry with south lake holding the majority of birds; Shovelers were still present in good numbers and the escapee leucistic White-cheeked Pintail was located in the willow swamp pool. Totals as follows: Dabchick 22, Black-necked Grebe 1 (north lake), Great Crested Grebe 42, Cormorant 20, Grey Heron 9, Little Egret 12, Great White Egret 2, Mute Swan 12, Canada Goose 25, Wigeon 10, Gadwall 22, Mallard 42, Teal 20, Shoveler 520, Pochard 180, Tufted Duck 210, Lapwing 55 (Kerton), Water Rail 1 (heard Lade), Moorhen 6, Coot 260. The sheltered, sun-dappled scrub around the ponds was jumping with passerines feeding on insects, mostly Chiffchaffs, Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits, plus several Blackcaps, two Spotted Flycatchers and a Garden Warbler.  Two each of Sparrowhawk and Kestrel were also noted.

                                 Fox, hiding in the ponds

                                  White-cheeked Pintail and Pochard, Lade

                                  Spotted Flycatcher, Lade ponds

We then moved onto Dungeness to check out a private garden where a Bonelli`s Warbler had been seen yesterday. but the only migrants noted were a few Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps, plus a Spotted Flycatcher.

Hirundines

Mild, cloudy, showery, E2 - A muggy weekend with occasional heavy showers and rumbles of thunder produced very little of note around the New Romney farmland, apart from Sunday morning when a heavy passage of hirundines moved south, mostly Swallows, that was also recorded at the point. The poplars beside the Hope Lane stables attracted swarms of hirundines feeding and perched amongst the tree-tops and it was inevitable that when a Hobby put in an appearance, they scattered skywards. In the hedgerows a few Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps were present, plus several Meadow Pipits, Skylarks and Stonechats along the field margins. On Friday we had a long wander around Dungeness with very little to report. Called in at ARC where the entrance track to the car park has now been repaired and a mirror positioned at the junction with the Lydd Road to aid with pulling out safely.

                                  Stonechat, New Cutt

                                 Hirundines, Hope Lane

                                 ARC entrance track

Avocets

Warm, dry and sunny, NE 3 - Another fine early autumn day with a brisk wind off the sea tempering the heat which reached 21 degrees by early afternoon. A visit to Scotney sand pit this morning was quiet by recent standards on the wader front with only six Avocets and two each of Common and Green Sandpipers noted; although I suppose it`s to be expected with the main wader passage now winding down. However, there were many more wildfowl since my last visit at the weekend with 20 Wigeon and a Pintail the highlights amongst 100 Teals, 50 Shovelers, 20 Gadwalls, 20 Mallards and three Shelducks. A couple of large flocks of Linnets and Meadow Pipits were active over the far side, while several pulses of Sand Martins moved through. Moving onto Kerton quarry where 50 Curlews were at roost plus at least 12 Kestrels scattered around the lake and over the Desert hovering in search of prey.

                                  Avocets, Shovelers and Teal, Scotney

                                  Shelducks, Scotney

                                 Scotney sand pit 

Yesterday morning a guided walk for RSPB proved to be a truncated affair due to the ongoing conservation work around Dengemarsh, so I elected to concentrate on Burrowes and ARC. From Dennis`s hide Martin had located two Caspian Gulls and a Yellow-legged Gull amongst a flock of Herring and Black-backs; the second year, ringed, Caspian was a particularly distinctive bird. Elsewhere across the lake there was little of note apart from 20 odd Golden Plovers amongst hundreds of Lapwings, a Common Sandpiper and the usual Sand Martins, egrets, wildfowl (including 20 Wigeon), Cormorants and grebes. Over the road from Hanson there was even less with Lapwings the only waders scattered within the expected dabbling and diving ducks, plus two White Wagtails, all three egrets and a Glossy Ibis; nine more Cattle Egrets were in the Boulderwall fields, dutifully following the suckling herd. 

Rock Pipit

Warm, dry and cloudy, NE 4 - We started off at the fishing boats this morning where good numbers of Sandwich Terns, Black-headed Gulls, Gannets and at least one Common Tern were fishing offshore. Also noted a couple of shearwaters (probably Balearics) way out in a choppy Channel, plus a confiding Rock Pipit along the strandline, a species that locally is normally encountered flying over calling, so it was good see one close-up and on the deck for a change. In the brisk wind few other passerines were noted across the Desert and around Lade. The garden light trap held a decent range of autumn moths with three classic species depicted below.

                                  Rock Pipit, Dungeness

                                  L-album Wainscot, Clancy`s Rustic and Lunar Underwing

                                  Ted at Dungeness