Cuckoo

Lade/Kerton Quarry - Cool, sunny, NE 4 - The high pressure system lodged over northern Europe continues to deliver clear, blue skies but no rain; in fact the Desert is already looking crisp and brown in places (resembling late summer) with many of the shingle flowers wilting in the drought conditions. I continued with the Ringed Plover survey this morning but there no additions, although a flock of 15 Whimbrels feeding on the turf at the back of the quarry was good to see. Moving onto Lade where the first Cuckoo of spring sang briefly from the willow swamp. The redhead Goldeneye remained on south lake and the first brood of Greylags were on the water. Eight species of warbler were heard around the site plus two Buzzards, a Marsh Harrier, Grey Heron, Little Egret and a Swallow heading north. I called in at the seawatch hide just before noon where the sea was dead.

                                    Greylag family - Lade south

Lapwings

 Dungeness - cool, sunny, NE 4 - Started the morning at Lade where the redhead Goldeneye was still on south lake along with 35 Tufted Ducks and six pairs of Great Crested Grebes. Moving onto Dungeness, where the wind was stronger than expected, and as a result the walk along the foreshore was virtually devoid of birds apart from a Cuckoo disturbed from cover by the boats. However, things  picked up around the Sanctuary and new lighthouse where six Wheatears sought shelter from the wind around the cottages plus several pairs of Linnets, Common Whitethroats and Stonechat in adjacent scrub. Two Swallows hurried inland and a smart male Black Redstart burst into song; also noted here and elsewhere several each of Skylark, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Goldfinch, Chaffinch and a Reed Bunting. Next stop the reserve where two singing Garden Warblers at Tower pits were new for the year, as was a Common Tern over ARC lake from Screen hide, along with plenty of Common and Lesser Whitethroats, Sedge and Reed Warblers. The highlight of the morning though was over the road on the Boulderwall wetlands where a female Lapwing showed off her three tiny chicks close to the main gate, which according to the warden were the first of spring, plus four Avocets, two Redshanks, two Little Egrets, two Shelducks and the usual feral geese. Also noted during our wanderings a Brown Hare on the beach and several Small Coppers in sun-traps behind gorse thickets.

                                  Wheatear - New Lighthouse

                                  Small Copper - Trapping Area

                                  Lapwing with chicks - Boulderwall wetlands

Over the weekend walkabouts around New Romney delivered more Sedge Warblers in the reed-fringed ditches, several singing Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Yellowhammers and a Corn Bunting plus two Tree Sparrows and a stream of Mediterranean Gulls over the town. Marsh Frogs were also in full voice and a dead Grass Snake along a lane was a sad first of the season. On Saturday afternoon a family visit to Park Wood, Appledore produced a calling Cuckoo and two singing Nightingales in Great Heron Wood.

                                  Moorhen & Marsh Frogs - New Romney

Whimbrels

Lade - warm, dry, hazy sunshine, SW 2 - Spent the first part of the morning surveying the breeding birds on the local patch whilst incorporating this spring`s Ringed Plover survey transect on the Desert, where I drew a blank. However, I did connect with my first migrant flock of 10 Whimbrels flying over calling as they passed northwards, while the wintering bird was seen later on within a roosting group of 35 Curlews and two Barwits. Raptors seen during the survey included four soaring Common Buzzards and two Sparrowhawks plus a male Marsh Harrier and a Kestrel. Wildfowl numbers across both waters were predictably low but did include a laggard redhead Goldeneye on south lake. Plenty of Common Whitethroats, Linnets and Skylarks were on territory across the Desert along with two pairs each of Stonechat and Meadow Pipit. Around the ponds and willow swamp singing Lesser and Common Whitethroats, Sedge, Cetti`s and Reed Warblers, Blackcap and Chiffchaff were all in good voice.

                                  Marsh Harrier - South Lake

                                  Grey Heron - Causeway

                                  Sedge Warbler - Ponds

We finished the morning off with an hour in the sea-watch hide where very little was on the move apart from a few scoters, Gannets and divers. I`ve done very little seawatching so far this year but talking to the regulars it doesn`t sound as though I`ve missed too much. The skuas and terns have started to trickle through, including two early Poms, but the next three weeks are considered the best period, so we shall just have to wait and see what comes our way. 

Warblers

Dungeness RSPB - mild, cloudy, light rain S2 - An overcast morning with mizzle coming and going but burning off by midday. A guided walk for six guests around the circular trail delivered eight species of warblers including my first Lesser Whitethroat of the year. Sedge, Reed and Cetti`s Warblers and Common Whitethroats were everywhere and in good voice plus singles of passage Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Willow Warbler. Burrowes had two each of Dunlin and Sanderling, hundreds of Black-headed Gulls hawking emerging insects and a mixed flock of 50 Sand Martins and Swallows. Two Common Snipes and a Greenshank were seen from Christmas Dell hide, a pair of Avocet from Dengemarsh and a Med Gull overhead, two Water Pipits and a pair of Shelduck on hayfield 2, several Bearded Tits and Marsh Harriers from the ramp as well as a number of common wildfowl and gulls across the site. Plenty of Linnets and Reed Buntings were also noted.

                                   Sedge Warbler - Dengemarsh

                                  Bearded Tit - Hookers

                                 Whitethroat - Return Trail

Elsewhere this past week there has been a small influx of Painted Lady butterflies across the peninsula, and I even saw one in New Romney at the weekend, while Nightingales have returned to the Wealden woods at their usual locations between Appledore and Hamstreet. Surveying for Ringed Plovers on the reserve recently has resulted in two more territories being located. 

Nightingale

Dengemarsh Gully/Penn Bars - warm, dry and sunny, SW2 - Spent most of the morning surveying for Ringed Plovers out on the shingle wastelands (one pair present) south of the reserve where at least 10 Wheatears, 10 Skylarks, 20 Linnets and a Meadow Pipit were also noted. The Raven family nesting on the switch station showed well, a Red Kite rode the thermals and a Peregrine cruised over heading for A station. However, the main surprise of the morning was a Nightingale singing from deep cover between the dams in the gully bottom; they`re something of a big deal down here on the pebbles and during my 20 year tenure I`ve only recorded a handful of birds, all in the spring, and heard only of course. Sedge Warblers and Whitethroats were commonplace in the gully scrub along with loads more Linnets, several Stonechats and two Cetti`s Warblers.  

                                  Wheatear and Stonechat - Dengemarsh Gully

On the way home I called in at Kerton quarry where the main island was devoid of waders and wildfowl due to a fisherman wading around in the shallows. He`d set up camp on the seaward side below the lifebuoy lookout and was totally oblivious to the disturbance he was causing to the nesting birds. Anyhow, I diplomatically hailed him a couple of times and asked him to leave, politely saying that this was not a fishing lake and it was soon to be a part of the RSPB reserve, after which he gave me the old two-fingered, Cheshire Bowmen salute! Its not the first time he`s been found fishing here, but it appears there is little else that can be done until the site is officially owned by RSPB.

                                  Kerton Quarry

Yellow Wagtails

Dungeness - warm, dry and sunny, light airs - Another cracking day of spring weather; ideal for searching the bushes for grounded migrants, not so much for seabirds on a flat calm Channel. There was a small fall of at least 15 Wheatears along the foreshore between the lifeboat station and the new lighthouse plus two Black Redstarts by the fishing boats and another two male birds holding territory in the corner of A Station. Plenty more Linnets had moved in since my last visit while a few Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Common Whitethroats were present in and around the Trapping Area plus a male Peregrine perched atop a pylon.

                                  Wheatear - Dungeness

                                  Corn Bunting and Yellow Wagtails - Scotney

Moving on to Scotney where few wildfowl remained on the front lakes from the winter but did include a pair of Teal a Black-necked Grebe and a flyover Green Sandpiper. Outback at least 10 recently arrived Yellow Wagtails were noted on the farmland along with a couple of Corn Buntings, a Sedge Warbler, two Reed Buntings, several Skylarks and Pied Wagtails. The main lake was full of prospecting Black-headed, Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls.  

Spring Warblers

Warm, dry and sunny, light airs - Spent the afternoon around the RSPB reserve in glorious sunshine where the temperature peaked at 19C. Since my last visit Sedge Warblers had arrived in good numbers with birds singing from atop scrub across the site plus several Reed Warblers chugging away in Hookers reed-bed and a Common Whitethroat near the ARC car park. Cetti`s Warblers were also prominent, particularly from the viewing ramp, along with Bearded Tits, a `booming` Bittern, two passing Marsh Harriers and six flyover Mediterranean Gulls. A secretive female Redstart at the pines was my first of the year where Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Chaffinch were all in song. The Boulderwall wetlands held at least five pairs of Lapwings and a pair of Avocets alongside several Redshanks, Shovelers, Shelducks, a Wigeon, two Curlews and a Great White Egret. Also noted: Grey Heron, Little Egret, Kestrel, Buzzard, Reed Bunting and Chiffchaff. The main news from Dungeness today was the brief appearance of a colour-ringed Chough this morning (from the Dover Castle project) while the first Pomarine Skua of the season went up-Channel mid-afternoon (MC).

                                 Sedge Warblers

Large Tortoiseshell

Samphire Hoe - warm, dry and sunny, light airs - Easter Monday in the sunshine was perhaps not the best time for a family visit to the Hoe, but once clear of the car park it wasn`t too bad. We walked down to the fossil beach where a few Med Gulls and Rock Pipits were heard and seen. Along the way at least six Wheatears, four Stonechats, Meadow Pipit and Skylark were noted, plus Robin, Linnet and Blackbird in the scrub. Atop the White Cliffs a pair of Ravens gave short-thrift to a passing Peregrine, Buzzard and Red Kite; and they even gave a couple of microlights the once over! The return trail beside the railway line, below the chalk cliffs, provided the perfect micro-climate for winged insects, particularly butterflies with plenty of Peacocks, a few Orange Tips, a Small Copper and best of all a Large Tortoiseshell; many thanks to the unknown observer who tipped me off. Several Early Spider Orchid rosettes were also in view as well as an Adder basking in a sun-trap. 

                                  Samphire Hoe

                                  Boar Goats

                                  White Cliffs

                                 Orange Tip

                                                        Adder

First thing this morning, with a grass-frost on New Romney park, two migrant Willow Warblers sang from the trees while a trickle of high, calling Mediterranean Gulls passed overhead.

Little Ringed Plovers

Dungeness - cold, cloudy, SW4 - Spent the morning on the coast with drizzle coming and going and a blustery wind courtesy of named Storm Dave which is due to barrel across northern Britain this weekend. Trudging around the Dungeness peninsula was suitably uninspiring with a lone Willow Warbler singing from Long Pits the only hint of summer, along with several Chiffchaffs, Linnets, Skylarks and Meadow Pipits. An hour at the seawatch hide produced a trickle of Gannets, Sandwich Terns, Common Scoters and Red-throated Divers, plus a distant Arctic Skua, a Mediterranean Gull and seven Brent Geese heading up-Channel.

                                   Black-necked Grebe - Lade

We then checked out Lade where the Black-necked Grebe and two Goldeneyes remained on south lake along with a small number of wildfowl sheltering from the wind at the southern end. Likewise, at Kerton quarry the ducks and waders were in the lee of the main island keeping low. However, the windswept wetlands at Boulderwall attracted our first two Little Ringed Plovers of spring in company with a Ringed Plover and two Dunlins; a Great White Egret, two Wigeons. five Teals and two Shelducks also noted here. A quick scan from Hanson hide delivered the usual Shovelers and Great Crested Grebes but little else. 

 

Bluebells

Park Wood, Appledore - cool, cloudy, N2 - Paid another visit to the woods this morning; more to see the early spring floral display than anything else, and before the canopy closes over blocking out the sunlight. And we were not disappointed with a fine showing (and scent) of bluebells and wood anemones along with violets, celandines, primroses and the like. Nuthatches were in particularly good voice along with resident species including Greater-pecker, Jay, Treecreeper, Chaffinch, Great and Blue Tits, plus summer migrants Chiffchaff and Blackcap. A scan over the vineyard produced four soaring Buzzards and a Red Kite.

                                  Park Wood

                                 Nuthatch - Park Wood

Yesterdays walkout from home around the New Romney farmland was the usual depressing affair from a wildlife point of view, apart from a few singing Skylarks, a pair of Yellowhammers, a Blackcap and Chiffchaff in song and a perched Sparrowhawk. Its back to the coast tomorrow... 

                                  Sparrowhawk - New Romney

                                  Blackbird - New Cut

    Bluebells - Park Wood