Tundra Ringed Plovers

Dengemarsh - cool, cloudy, NE 3 - After a quick look at the top end of the gully it was onto the reserve via Springfield bridge to check out the wet fields for passage waders. The flood held a pair of Lapwings and a drake Shoveler while the dried out hayfield 3 attracted a large flock of feral Greylags. However, hayfield 2 was busy with birds the highlight being a flock of at least 42 Ringed Plovers of the tundrae race, and certainly the largest number I`ve seen on the reserve; although large flocks have been seen on Lade bay and the Midrips in the past. Tundra Plovers mainly pass through in late May en-route to their breeding grounds in northern Scandinavia and Russia and are subtly smaller and darker than the nominate race with the some adults lacking a white eye-patch. Also present were two adult Little Stints (one with stronger back markings) two Dunlins, two Black-tailed Godwits, six Avocets, two Lapwings, four Shelducks, two Shovelers and six Redshanks. Elsewhere across Dengemarsh: several Marsh Harriers, six Common Terns, a Hobby, a Cuckoo and a booming Bittern. It was no surprise that several more Little Stints and a Temminck`s Stint were located across the bird reserve this afternoon.

                                  Tundra Ringed Plovers - Hayfield 2

                                  Little Stint & Dunlin - Hayfield 2

                                 Cattle Egrets - Hayfield 2

Black-tailed Godwits

Warm, dry and sunny, NE 3 - This morning`s Ted walk commenced at Dengemarsh gully, a site that rarely delivers but does have a history of rare birds - although not today... The highlight was a brief sighting of a Dartford Warbler and not much else apart from a close Raven overhead, plus a few Whitethroats, Meadow Pipits, Linnets and Reed Warblers. We then walked around from Springfield bridge to where more water was being pumped onto a dry hayfield 3 and where a selection of waders and egrets were on a still wet hayfield 2. A pair of Black-tailed Godwits, seven Redshanks, four summer plum Dunlins, two Oystercatchers, two Lapwings and a Greenshank busily probed the marshy flood, while at least three Cattle Egrets were among the suckling herd. Also noted: two Little Egrets, a pair of Shelducks, a Shoveler and a booming Bittern. We finished the morning at Kerton quarry but with the tide out there was only the usual breeding wildfowl and waders present, plus a lone Common Tern. 

                                  Sea Kale - Penn Bars

                                Brown-tailed Moth `tents` - Dengemarsh Gully 

                                  Common Blue - Dengemarsh Gully

                                  Black-tailed Godwits - Hayfield 2

                                  Greenshank - Hayfield 2

    "This is one of my favourite walks" - Ted

Walland Marsh

Cool, overcast, dry, NE 4 - For today`s Ted outing we had a change of scene, spending a long morning on the farmland tracts across Walland that included a three hour circular wander around a section of the Marsh. It was slim pickings and tough going in a brisk Arctic airflow that suppressed bird song somewhat. However, numerous Reed Warblers chugged away in the reed-fringed sewers and reed-beds along with lesser numbers of Sedge and Cetti`s Warblers, Reed and Corn Buntings and even fewer Skylarks, Linnets, Yellowhammers, Goldfinches and Yellow Wagtails. Two family parties of Bearded Tits showed close by and several Marsh Harriers and Buzzards were noted; while a pair of Lapwings had chicks abroad judging by the way they were mobbing a Carrion Crow. Several Grey Herons and Little Egrets stalked the ditches and a White Stork sailed high overhead towards Scotney. At a couple of points along the way I deviated to check clumps of trees for Tree Sparrow or Turtle Dove but all I could find were the odd one or two singing Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Lesser or Common Whitethroats and a distant Cuckoo.

                                                          Buzzard

                                                          Marsh Harrier

                                                             Corn Bunting

                                                              Yellow Wagtails

Back at the car I then spent an hour or so driving to various points across Walland scanning fields of peas, maize and spuds for any grounded passage waders but all I could find was a scattering of gulls, corvids, Woodpigeons and Stock Doves. A few more Yellowhammers were noted, another Cuckoo, a `purring` Turtle Dove near the solar farm and a Little Owl at Wheelsgate. The farmland was bone dry throughout and when trudging along the crop tramlines it felt like walking on concrete! 

Common Terns

Dungeness RSPB - warm, dry and sunny, NE4 - En-route to the visitors centre it was good to see a pair of Brown Hares hunkered down on the shingle by the road, plus two Red Kites soaring over the water tower. A guided walk around the circular trail for nine guests, most of whom had not previously visited the site, produced all the expected warblers, Linnets and Reed Buntings; six Avocets, two Cattle Egrets, 10 Lapwings (including several well-grown chicks) and six Redshanks on the hayfields; and good views of Marsh Harriers and up to six Hobbies over Hookers hawking flying insects along with a small flock of Black-headed Gulls. Also noted during the circuit, a pair of Ringed Plovers and a Great White Egret on Burrowes; a Little Ringed Plover and two Greenshanks on New Ex; Sand Martins and Shelducks; and a Cuckoo and half a dozen Common Terns over Dengemarsh. In the sheltered spots plenty of blue damselflies and several Hairy Hawkers were on the wing, while butterflies included a few Common Blues and Small Coppers in the predominantly bone-dry landscape. 

                                  Brown Hares - New Ex

                                  Small Copper - Discovery Trail

                                 Broom - a welcome splash of colour!

Spring Moths & Bar-tailed Godwit - N5RPYY

Warm, dry and sunny, SE2 - At long last an overcast, humid night suitable for moth activity that duly delivered with 11 species of macros in the garden trap this morning, including Burnished Brass, Waved Umber and a migrant Gem.

                                  Early Grey

                                  Burnished Brass

                                  Waved Umber

                                  Gem

We then joined Chris P off the boardwalk at Dungeness for a two hour (0800-1000hrs) seawatch (where a Pom Skua had just gone east) in hazy light with a light south-easterly that swung south-west by the end of the watch. There were few birds moving except for an intermittent trickle of Common Scoters (c100), Sandwich Terns, small mixed flocks of Dunlins, Sanderlings and Ringed Plovers, a few Gannets and Black-headed Gulls, a distant Black-throated Diver and an Arctic Skua. Moving onto Kerton quarry where 90 Oystercatchers were joined by 15 Bar-tailed Godwits and two Grey Plovers, plus a scattering of Whimbrel, Redshank, Common Sandpiper and Whimbrel around the margins and a Common Tern.

                                  Bar-tailed Godwit - N5RPYY

PS: The adult male Bar-tailed Godwit present at Kerton quarry yesterday was ringed on 11th May 2015 in the Dutch Wadden Sea, making it at least ten years old. In Dec 2018 it was reported wintering in Mauritania. Many thanks to the Netherlands Ringing Group for the prompt response.

Colour-ringed Bar-tailed Godwit

Warm, dry and sunny, E4 - Out and about this weekend I was struck by how dry the countryside has become as rainfall this year, and particularly this spring, has been well below average, while there doesn`t appear to be any wet stuff in the forecast for the coming week or more, apart from a few possible showers tonight. As a result the shingle ridges, normally verdant and full of flowers about now, have taken on a late summer appearance with many plants shrivelled up in the strong sunshine and desiccating wind. However, tundra-bound waders continue to be the order of the day with another scattering of Whimbrel, Greenshank, Bar-tailed Godwit, Turnstone, Sanderling, Dunlin, Knot and Grey Plover pausing across Burrowes, ARC and Kerton quarry; this morning in the high tide wader roost at Kerton a flock of 37 Barwits contained a Dutch, colour-ringed bird (details submitted). Yesterday a calling Greenshank flew over New Romney and onto the garden list! Also noted today: a drake Red-crested Pochard at Lade and four Mediterranean Gulls on Kerton lake, plus a distant White Stork soaring over the desert towards the water tower (where it briefly landed!) and last seen heading west over Lydd.

                                  Muslin Moth 

                                  Peacock, Lade

    Parched landscape, Lade

    Colour-ringed Bar-tailed Godwit, Kerton quarry

Wader Day

Cool, dry and sunny, NE 3 - The relentless wind off the North Sea continues, although with less bite than of late. Yesterday our Ted walk took in the farmland north of New Romney where the only bird of note was a calling Cuckoo along with a few singing Reed and Sedge Warblers, Lesser and Common Whitethroats. The walk along the New Cut produced three Painted Ladies and several Red Admirals, Peacocks and Small Whites. 

                                  Painted Lady, New Cut

It was back to the coast for today`s Ted walk commencing early on the local patch at Lade where the aim was to carry out a full breeding bird survey. However, after an hour or so that was kicked into touch as it became apparent that waders were on the move as indicated by a flock of 35 Dunlins and five Greenshanks over north and south lakes respectively, plus several Whimbrels, Little Ringed and Grey Plovers overhead calling unseen. With a rising tide we then nipped round to the Tavern viewpoint where 30 Curlews and 120 Oystercatchers were already on the move along with 25 Bar-tailed Godwits and 100 mixed flock of Dunlins, Grey Plovers, Sanderlings and Knots (mostly Dunlin). Next stop Kerton quarry where more Grey Plovers and Whimbrels flew over calling and a pair of the former dropped in to join 90 roosting Oystercatchers. Two Little Ringed Plovers (more were seen on ARC this morning) were soon chivvied away by the resident pair of Ringed Plovers while at least six Common Sandpipers flitted around the margins. The main island had plenty of Redshank, Oystercatcher and Lapwings activity with several well-grown chicks of the latter species noted. It was then onto the point for a seawatch from the hide (1030-1200hrs) which was slow going but did include: 45 Barwit, 12 Whimbrel, two Knot, two Grey Plover, 16 Kittiwake, 20 Common Tern and a Pomarine Skua. The best of the wader tribe was yet to come though as a Curlew Sandpiper (a scarce passage migrant here in spring) had been reported by Kev E back at the quarry, necessitating a return visit on the way home that duly delivered a cracking adult bird in russet, summer plumage. Many more passage waders were reported across the peninsula today, but it made me wonder how many more went over unseen...   

                             

                                 Ringed and Grey Plovers, Kerton Quarry

   

    Adult Curlew Sandpiper, Kerton Quarry

Hobbies

Cold, cloudy, NE 3-4 - With a rasping wind out of the north, that picked up through the day, it was far from ideal weather for a guided tour for Clare and Peter from London. However, we started at the Kerton quarry where six Dunlins and two Ringed Plovers showed well, while from the Tavern viewpoint 12 Curlews, 10 Bar-tailed Godwits, four Dunlins and a Sanderling were amongst 100 plus Oystercatchers. At Lade pits hundreds of hirundines and Swifts swirled over south lake in the chill air. Moving onto Dungeness where we mopped up on Wheatears, Black Redstart, Linnets, Skylarks, Stonechats and Meadow Pipits, along with two parties of Bar-tailed Godwits and several Sandwich Terns from the seawatch hide. 

                                  Dunlins, Kerton quarry

                                   Wheatear, Dungeness

                                  Common Sandpipers, ARC

                                  Lapwing chick, hayfields

                                  Avocet, Redshanks & Bar-tailed Godwits, hayfield2

The rest of the day was spent on the bird reserve where hundreds more Swifts and hirundines (mostly Swallows) were present. At ARC several pairs of Black-headed Gulls had settled on a shingle island along with a pair of Avocets, plus four Common Sandpipers, Shoveler, Pochard, Teal, a Bearded Tit, calling Cuckoo and Lesser Whitethroat. Highlights around the main body of the reserve included several Great White Egrets and Marsh Harriers, a booming Bittern, up to ten Hobbbies over Dengemarsh, Lapwing chicks and Barwits on the hayfields, two Whimbrel, another Cuckoo, a Yellow Wagtail and a Little Ringed Plover on New Ex. A decent day`s birding then, considering the brisk, cold wind, in fine company, during which we rattled up a respectable 81 species of birds.  

Heronshaws of Lydd

Friday/Saturday -Warm, dry and cloudy, N 2 - The past couple of days have seen further signs of spring with my first Swifts of the year high up in the sky above Folkestone on Thursday evening, and on Friday two Painted Lady butterflies along the old railway line track south of Lade. On Saturday morning I called in at ARC where a pair of Avocets were on territory on a shingle island along with two pairs of Common Terns, a drake Pochard and a Ringed Plover. A distant Cuckoo called towards Tower Pits. On the walk back to the car park from Hanson hide a Ring Ouzel flew over heading towards New Diggings and a Garden Warbler sang from cover. A pair of Great White Egrets on Cooks included one in breeding plumage, while more Common Terns were on Burrowes, plus two more Great White and ten Little Egrets, a pair of Shelducks, a Common Sandpiper and a Shoveler. Good to see that the Sand Martins were busily coming and going in the nesting wall. A one hour seawatch from the hide at Dungeness, in hazy light, produced singles of Gannet, Common Scoter, Arctic Skua and a few Sandwich Terns. On Saturday morning five species of moths were in the garden trap.

                                  Painted Lady, Lade

                                  Common Terns, ARC

                                 Great White Egrets, Cook`s Pool

                                  Bright-line Brown-eye & Muslin Moth

Monday - cold, dry and cloudy, NE 4-5 - There was a dramatic drop in temperature over the weekend (by ten degrees) as a cold northly airflow swept down from the Arctic - perfect then, for a trip up All Saints Lydd church tower to view the Grey Herons this morning! However, a steady procession of visitors enjoyed close views of the heron action from six nests in the Holm Oaks below the tower, but more distant views of Little Egrets. Many thanks to Les and Pat Carter for organising the event, while it was good to see Ian Roberts up the tower and have a natter with him about the West Hythe heronry

                                  All Saints Church, Lydd

                               Grey Herons, Lydd

    Dungeness from the tower

A Brief History of Lydd Heronries
As far as I can ascertain Grey Herons have nested at the Grange/Glebe site since 1962 with a peak of 28 nests in 2001 and an average of about 20 nests since, with Little Egrets first reported in 2009. Prior to this period there were scattered breeding records from Westbroke, Lydd, Snargate in the 1950`s and from Walland Marsh, Dengemarsh and the Oppen Pits in the early part of the 20th Century.
  However, the heron`s association with Lydd goes way back into the mists of time. According to the Account Book of the Chamberlains of Lydd (1428) the sending of young heronshaws to officials of the Confederation of Cinque Ports was payment for favours rendered, as heron flesh was held in high regard and featured on the menu at many a great feast.
  The site of this ancient heronry was situated on what is today part of the Lydd Army Ranges where a Holly wood was planted on the shingle wastes during the 12th Century, the hardwood timber being used in the construction of sea defences, quays and the like, while the early spring flush of soft, new leaf growth was cut and fed to stock. By the 15th Century the mature wood was known as the Holmstone and supported a substantial heronry, a great asset to the Corporation of Lydd who obtained young birds for the table just prior to fledging when at their fattest. The Holmstone heronry was also used for sporting purposes by falconers and archers using longbows to bring down adult birds.
  As the gun eventually replaced the longbow and falcon, heron numbers declined rapidly, along with the felling of trees during the Napoleonic period to prevent smuggling. Human pressure finally sounded the death knell for the Holmstone heronry and by 1909 Dr Norman Ticehurst writing in the Birds of Kent decreed that the heron had ceased to breed at this site.
  Thankfully, in these slightly more enlightened times the Lydd town centre heronry looks safe from molestation, although being only a relatively small colony (23 nests this year) its presence remains tenuous.