1st LRP

Kerton Road Pit - 0900hrs - cool, cloudy, sw2 - As it was Saturday and all was silent decided to have a quick look around the quarry that runs from Kerton Road towards Lade. Several pairs of Oystercatchers and a pair of Lapwings were displaying at the northern end near the island, along with singing Reed Buntings, Mipits and Skylarks. Several migrant Chiffchaffs and Linnets were in the gorse at the southern end, while on the dry part of the pit a Little Ringed Plover called in flight and briefly landed before disappearing over the far side of the quarry; my first of the year.
Pigwell Pit, Lydd - 1030hrs - Checked the washout pit which is normally attractive to Avocets, but not so this morning, as all that was present was a couple of Shelducks and a group of gulls. Reed Buntings and a pair of Stonechats elsewhere.
Galloways 1115hrs - A white-winged Crow, 2 prs of Stonechats, a Kestrel and 8 Corn Buntings was about all I could find here.
RSPB - 1145hrs A distinct change over the past week around the bird reserve as many of the wintering wildfowl have shipped out as the daylight hours rapidly lengthen, while Marsh Harriers have gone into breeding mode and a Bittern is now booming from Hooker`s reedbed.
Today the best I could muster up were, 3 Brents and a Gypo amongst the feral geese on Dengemarsh fields, Great White Egret New Digging, Long-staying Duck Burrowes and a Wheatear in the gully.

                                          White-winged Carrion Crow, Lydd

                                           Corn Bunting, Galloways

A Fall of Migrants

Lade - 0900hrs - overcast, chilly, sw2 - Last night started clear and starry followed by low cloud which seemed to have done the trick as there was a decent arrival of migrants around the Peninsula this morning. From the Ariel mound I could hear Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps in the willows, plus another singing Chiff in the garden; it was time to head up the Point...
Dungeness  - checked around the fishing boats where at least 10 Wheatears amongst the old sheds and winches, plus 2 Black Redstarts and a Chiff. Several Mipits and Pied Wagtails on the open ground and at least 10 Skylarks and 20 Linnets in off the sea. The garden and bushes around the Old Light had double figures of Chiffchaffs, single Blackcap, several Wrens and Blackbirds, and 4 more Black Redstarts, including 2 stunning adult males. There were more Chiffs in the gorse by the Light Railway Cafe, 2 Sand Martins overhead and up to 6 Firecrests and 4 Redwings around Lloyds. No doubt many more migrants were seen by others or lurked in unseen corners of the black hole that is the trapping area.
Two flocks of Brents numbering around 250 passed eastwards above the shingle bank, while over 3,000 had already been logged this morning.
This was the best fall of migrants of the spring so far and as there are now only a handful of such occasions each season its always good to be present when it happens.

                                          Wheatear & Black Redstarts, Dungeness

                                           Early Grey, Kerton Road Cafe

Brents, 1st Wheatear & Iceland Gull

Dungeness - 0700hrs - misty, hazy sunshine, mild s2 - As the viz was poor decided to flog across the shingle by the boats looking for passerines of which a single Black Redstart noted plus several Mipits, Skylarks and Reed Buntings in song.
At 0800hrs joined TG in the hide for an hours seawatching just as a large flock of Brents cut across the Point. Over the next hour had 2,300 Brents moving up-Channel in various size flocks clipping the Point just offshore with some of them just below the seawall; how many we missed in the murk or cut behind us is anyones guess. As always a terrific sight and sound as these wintering geese head north to breed. Also noted during the watch a trickle of Gannets, Kitts, Common Scoters, Common and Black-headed Gulls (TG also had Sandwich Terns, Med Gulls and a variety of ducks earlier).
On the bird reserve no sign of yesterdays Black-necked Grebes from the causeway road, but 3 redhead Smew on ARC.
Royal Military Canal - 1000hrs - Met Karen from the National Trust to discuss a bird survey I`m carrying out this spring along the canal from Appledore to Warehorne. Good to see plenty of water on the Dowels where a large flock of migrant Common Gulls held 30 Med Gulls. During the course of the recce, in glorious sunshine, a good number of Yellowhammers noted, plus Long-tailed Tits, Bullfinch, 20 Redwings, 10 Song Thrushes, singing Cetti`s Warbler and Chiffchaff, Buzzard, 1pr Sparrowhawks, Kestrel, Little Egret and a flock of 250 Brents overhead following the line of the Low Weald eastwards (wonder how many have departed today...).
On the way back from Ashford checked out the fields around Lydd where a pair of Little Owls noted on the chicken sheds at Caldicott. On the bird reserve the Garganey at Boulderwall proved elusive, but year ticked BP (well, the sun was shining!) and managed to jam the Wheatear, my first of the year, near the return trail; spring has officially arrived!
Dungeness - 1600hrs An adult Iceland Gull was found in the roosting gulls by the boats this afternoon by a visiting birder, and kind of expected considering how many there have been elsewhere of late. Just managed to get there in time before it flew off towards Lade. A stunning full adult and the first of its kind for ages and a cracking end to yet another great day on the Marsh. A Caspian Gull was also in the roosting flock.

Brent Geese on the move - one of the great birding spectacles of spring at Dungeness. The pics just don't do the event justice as the flocks also make an evocative babbling contact call. Throughout the morning over 4,000 moved eastwards

                                          Royal Military Canal, Kenardington

                                         
                                          Adult Iceland Gull, Dungeness

2nd winter Caspian Gull, Dungeness

ps: A large tortoishell butterfly was noted in the garden at the Kerton Road Cafe this afternoon.

Off Piste

Faggs Wood - 0820hrs- dull, murky, start, brighter later, e2 - In company with Marshman deserted the flatlands today for the woods, kicking off in Orlestone forest. Plenty of activity around the car park where food continues to be placed out for and gratefully received by the birds; Nuthatch, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Treecreeper, Long-tailed and Coal Tits all noted, plus a Redwing and Sparrowhawk overhead. A circuit delivered Siskins, Redpolls and a couple of parties of Crossbills calling overhead, several Bullfinches, Goldcrests and more Long-tailed Tits and Nuthatches. So, despite the grotty conditions not a bad return.
Hothfield Common - 1045hrs - First visit for quite a while to this terrifically atmospheric site managed by the Kent Wildlife Trust; an open valley bog with relict heathland and scattered timber, grazed by a small herd of Konik ponies. Best bird here was Yellowhammer of which there were at least 4 singing males, also Mistle Thrush, 2 peckers, Long-tailed Tits, Nuthatches and Treecreepers.
North Downs - 1200hrs - Revisited a raptor viewpoint site from last year, but as the sun had only just broke through all we could muster were 4 Buzzards, 2 Kestrels and a Sparrowhawk. Also present Linnets, Green and Greater pecker, singing Skylarks and Yammers.

                                           Hothfield Common & Konik or Polish Ponies

ps: back on the Marsh there was no sign of yesterdays Bean Goose, but an Egyptian Goose was reported on the fields at the back of Hookers, plus 2 Black-necked Grebes on ARC.

Garganey & Bean Goose

Dungeness - 0815hrs - cold, grey, e2 - Today`s murk was in complete contrast to the brightness of yesterday, but hey, did we let that dampen our spirits, definitely not, that`s what makes Dunge such a great place to be, variety is the spice of life and all that, and there was certainly plenty of variety amongst today's birds. Picked up the Joker and headed for the Point to check for Wheatears, of which there were none. The sea was very quiet with just a trickle of Kitts, Gannets, Red-throats and the usual string of Great Crested Grebes on the sea.
On to the bird reserve and 2 redhead Smew on New Diggings.  From Springfield Bridge, Marsh Harriers over the reedbed, 50 Wigeons on the field and a Raven overhead. A drive around the Galloways road produced at least 14 Corn Buntings in different locations and a pair of Stonechats.
We then had a look for yesterdays Garganey at Boulderwall without success, but returned later for brief views of a splendid drake amongst the Wigeons and Teals, plus a pair of Smews and the Great White Egret. From the ramp the Bittern `boomed`, Marsh Harriers displayed over the reedbed and Cetti`s Warbler were in fine voice; but yesterdays Taiga Bean Goose was not visible amongst the mixed flock of feral geese in the fields behind Hookers. On Burrowes the Long-staying Duck was still present at the north end.
Had another couple of goes at Dengemarsh this afternoon which resulted in better views of the Garganey and distant views of the Taiga Bean Goose in fading light.

                                           Garganey, Boulderwall - a horrible record shot

Midges & Sanderlings

Lade - 0900hrs - ridiculously warm, dry and sunny, light airs - A belated WeBS count this morning in fine spring sunshine recorded, predictably, low numbers of wildfowl with 2 Goldeneyes being the only point of interest, plus a couple of hunting Marsh Harriers, a good view of a Water Rail and my first 4 Linnets of the spring twittering overhead.
However, there were millions of midges (and I do mean millions) hovering above the gorse as the temperature climbed into the high teens centigrade. A flock of hirundines and Swifts could have had a field day, but it was not to be with just a disinterested Dunnock singing amongst the myriad of flying insects.
Two patches of coltsfoot in flower added to the sense of spring renewal.

                                          Lade, Midges                                          

                                          Dunnock & Midges, Lade

                                          Sanderlings and Dunlins, Greatstone Beach

New Diggings - 1030hrs Had a cursory look from the causeway road, en-route to the allotment, where the single Great White Egret was again on the far bank along with 2 Littles; there may have been a second GWE secreted behind a bush nearby, but there again it could have been a sheep, as after all, they are very similar at a distance... being white and all...
Greatstone Beach - 1530hrs With the tide on the way out and a fog bank rolling in off the bay paused for a quick look at the beach where a count of 580 Sanderlings was of note. Also 200 Dunlins and 50 Knots, but too early for the big boys to return.

Stonechats

Dungeness - 0900hrs - warm,dry and sunny sw1 - Very pleasant mornings weather to finish this weekends Birdwatching Break for Sarah and Jean from Sussex. Around the old light several singing Mipits, a few Pied Wagtails but no sign of any Black Redstarts from yesterday. However, a pair of Stonechats brightened up the scene, with sporadic bursts of song from the male which was a very bright individual: white rump, thick white neck collar, white wing patch and leading edge; orangey underparts, streaked on flanks; black head and tail; brown and black streaked mantle. I think this makes it of the continental race Saxicola toruatus rubicola that shows a white rump and larger neck patch than the British race, S.t. hibernans, but I`m open to offers... Anyhow, damn smart bird, whatever the race.
ARC -1100hrs Had another go for Bittern down at the Screen hide without success but plenty of wildfowl, more Marsh Harriers, a Kingfisher on Tower Pits and a small flock of Chaffinches in the pines. From the causeway road 2 distant Buzzards over Lade, plus the Great White and 2 Little Egrets on New Diggings.
A cracking weekends birding with the undoubted highlights for the visitors being: Great White Egret, Smews, Marsh Harriers, Barwits and Knots, Glaucous Gull, Little and Short-eared Owls, Black Redstarts, Stonechats and Tree Sparrows.

                                           Sea Kale, budding - Dungeness

                                           Stonechat, male - Dungeness

                                           Stonechat, female - Dungeness

                                          Yellow Horned Moth - Kerton Road Cafe

Somewhere-on-Romney-Marsh - 1645hrs Accompanied CP on the final harrier count of the winter where 18 Marsh Harriers came to roost. Also noted 2 Buzzards, Kestrel, Shovelers; calling Water Rails, Cetti`s Warbler, Dabchick, Reed Buntings, Wrens and at dusk a number of Snipes and White-fronts amongst flighting Grey Lags.
Most surprising of all was a screeching Barn Owl on the walk back to the car; but even better on this crisp early spring evening was the sight of the four planets, Saturn, Jupiter, Venus and Mars, shining brightly in the cosmos high above the Marsh landscape. What a stunning end to a superb day.