Dungeness RSPB - warm, dry and sunny, S2 - A fine spring morning for a guided walk for six guests around the circular trail. Bird wise there was nothing out of the ordinary, although we had good views of a gorgeous male Bearded Tit from the Hookers ramp and one of two Hobbies hawking insects over the reedbed. Pochard, Little Grebe, Gadwall, Marsh Harriers, Common Whitethroats, Sedge, Reed and Cetti`s Warblers, Reed Buntings all showed well and a Cuckoo was heard. The hayfields delivered the usual Little Egrets, Shelducks, Lapwings, Redshanks, a Shoveler and an Avocet while two Common Terns were noted on Dengemarsh lake; it seems as though its shaping up to be another grim summer for this former common breeding seabird. The only wader noted on Burrowes was a lone Ringed Plover where there was no sign of the recent Spoonbill.
However, the recent rain combined with the warm sunshine had brought forth a wealth of plant and invertebrate activity, chiefly numerous damselflies, Silver Ys and St Mark`s flies, plus at least ten smart Hairy Dragonflies, the first of the hawker tribe for the year on the wing. A scattering of butterflies included Red Admirals, Small Coppers and my first Painted Lady and Common Blue of spring. The track between Makepeace and Scott proved to be a good spot for Grass Snake and Common Lizards basking in the sun and Marsh Frogs leaping around in the shallows. On the way home I called in at Dungeness where this mornings Melodious Warbler was a no show, having gone to ground in the gorse by Lloyds, although by late afternoon in was seen back in the Moat.
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