Raptors and herons

Dengemarsh - 1000-1300hrs - warm, dry and sunny, light airs - After single figure overnight temperatures the morning soon warmed up nicely with thermals rising off the shingle making for a bit of raptor movement. Mrs PT joined us for what is becoming a regular Sunday morning circuit of Dengemarsh, which got off to a slow start with just a few Robins, tits, Willow Warblers and Whitethroats around the ARC car park, while the Boulderwall scrub was a bird-free zone. The fields towards Lydd yielded two Common Buzzards, three Marsh Harriers and a Kestrel, plus the first of at least five Sparrowhawks soaring over the peninsula. The bean fields on the back track held a few more warblers, several Reed Buntings, Yellow Wagtails and Tree Sparrows. More Yellow Wagtails were feeding amongst the suckling herd at Springfield Bridge from where we had protracted flight views of a Bittern that eventually went down in front of Christmas Dell hide. Around the lake and on the hayfields were ten Little Egrets, five Grey Herons and a Great White Egret. The hayfields remained largely dry attracting nothing much of note apart from two Wheatears and a Snipe, but good views of Bearded Tits were had in adjacent reedbeds. After nattering with the duty warden we headed for the viewing ramp where a Hobby performed and more Buzzards and Sparrowhawks passed over; whilst there a tweet came through telling of a Honey Buzzard heading towards Lade - typical! But, no complaints, it had been a fair session with the raptor and heron tribes highlighting.

                                Great White Egret, Dengemarsh

A clutch of waders, and a Scoter in the garden

Lade - 0700hrs - cool, sunny, nw 2 - A stunning start to the day with a cool northerly airflow and bright blue skies, perfect for a circuit of the local patch. We timed it so that the tide was on the way in forcing the shorebirds close to Greatstone beach, and being as it was before the bucket-and-spade brigade were at large they remained largely undisturbed. Best of all were two juvenile Curlew Sandpipers, my first of the season, in a flock of 35 Sanderlings, and a tight flock of nine small, darkish Ringed Plovers that were probably of the Tundra race. Also, 210 Oystercatchers, 142 Curlews, 55 Dunlins, 14 Barwits, 12 Ringed Plovers, and four Turnstones, plus the usual gulls and 25 Sandwich Terns. The pits remained full of waterfowl as yesterday, while a scattering of Willow Warblers, Whitethroats, Reed and Sedge Warblers were feeding around the ponds. At least 10 Yellow Wagtails passed overhead, plus a group of five grounded on the beach.

                                Black-tailed Godwit, Burrowes

                                Lapwing, Burrowes

ARC - Spotted Redshanks were up to two on the distant islands from Hanson hide, from where also 75 Lapwings, 48 Golden Plovers, 10 Dunlin, nine Blackwits, six Redshank, four Snipe and a Knot. Elsewhere around the lake Red-crested Pochard, Black-necked Grebe, Garganey and four Wigeon.
Burrowes - Pretty thin on waders here with just a few Dunlin, Common Sands, Lapwing and a Blackwit in front of Firth.

    Common Scoter, Lade

Lade -  Its not every day a knock on the door delivers a Common Scoter onto your garden list! Local birder Christine Keeling was clutching the drake sea duck, which her son had found floundering around on the beach and in obvious danger from predators, including dogs. As it appeared to be uninjured I suggested releasing it on the sea at Dungeness, which they did, and off it swam back out into the Channel, apparently none the worst for its ordeal.
An evening visit to the gravel pits was notable for a flock of 20 Yellow Wagtails feeding along the fence line.

Passerine flock

Lade - 1030hrs - cool, cloudy, w 3 - A late start due to a change over of guests. However, once out and about the local patch was heaving with birds, best of which was a large passerine flock working the willow scrub by the ponds. This part of the site is completely sheltered from the wind and as a result is often swarming with small flying insects, dragon and damselflies and common butterflies. I counted the flock as they `jumped` a gap: at least 150 birds of which 50 were probably Willow Warblers, 30 Long-tailed Tits, 10 Whitethroats, two Blackcaps, a Lesser Whitethroat with the remainder a motley collection of Blue and Great Tits, Chaffinches and Greenfinches. With more Willow Warblers elsewhere there could easily have been up to 100 on site. The reed beds and low cover around the willow swamp also held plenty of Sedge and Reed Warblers, plus two Cetti`s.
South lake was yet again smothered in feral geese and swans, common ducks, Coots and grebes with Tufted Duck and Dabchick showing recently hatched young. Five each of Little Egrets and Grey Herons stalked the margins along with four Common Sandpipers and two Redshanks. Overhead all three species of hirundines were present, mainly Sand Martins, and five Swifts moved straight through, as did a couple of Yellow Wagtails. Marsh Harrier, Kestrel and Green Woodpecker also noted.
Scotney - Parked up at the entrance to the farm and walk along the cycle path checking the margins for waders of which there were only four Common Sandpipers, three Redshanks and two Curlews, plus at least 50 Yellow Wagtails on the fields and a 1,000 Grey Lags and Canada Geese, and a family party of seven Egyptians (geese, that is), probably the ones that bred at Brett`s. Marsh Harrier, Kestrel and Little Egret also noted. 

                                Egyptian Geese, Scotney

Littlestone - 1600hrs - A low tide visit to the beach revealed all the expected gulls, plus 100 Oystercatchers, 50 Curlews, 10 Turnstones, four Sandwich Terns and two Shelducks. The House Martin colony in the old red-brick house on the front appeared to be faring well with chicks still being fed in the nest.

Willow Warblers & waders

Lade - cool, sunny, w 2 - 0630 - A pre-breakie stroll over the pits yielded a scattering of Willow Warblers, maybe 10, plus a few Whitethroats, Reed and Sedge Warblers. Two Greenshanks went over calling and Common Sandpipers were up to six around south lake, that now has a mass of rotting weed on the margin near the track. The Water Rail family showed again briefly and a Sparrowhawk nipped over. There were more Willow Warblers through the garden this morning
ARC - 0900hrs & 1530hrs - A decent selection of waders on the islands, the highlights being two Avocets (one festooned with colour rings) and a Spotted Redshank. Also two each of Blackwit, Greenshank, Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper and Redshank, 10 Snipe, six Dunlin, a Ruff and 100 Lapwing. Wildfowl included two Garganey, Wigeon and a Black-necked Grebe. The scrub by Tower Pits held more Willow Warblers and Whitethroats, a Blackcap and a Hobby flew over.
An afternoon visit to Screen hide added over 1,000 Sand Martins, plus the usual Marsh Harriers, Kestrel and Green Woodpecker. 
Back home and several more Willow Warblers in the garden, must`ve been hundreds through the peninsula today.

Spotted Flycatcher

Dungeness - 0900hrs - cool, sunny, w 3 - Following a chilly old night things soon warmed up once the sun rose encouraging various common butterflies onto the wing: Common Blue, Red Admiral, Small Copper and two Clouded Yellows in the moat being the highlights. The lighthouse garden and scrub down to the Obs held a few Willow Warblers and a single Black Redstart, but little else besides.
At the Patch c2,000 gulls, mostly Black-headed, Herring and Black-backs, 100 Common Terns, 20 Sandwich Terns, a 2nd summer Med Gull and a juv Yellow-legged Gull. The sea was dead.

                                Black Redstart, Dungeness

ARC - 1600hrs - On the way back from the allotment we called in at ARC where, joy upon joy, at last a Spotted Flycatcher was performing in the car park scrub. Incredibly, apart from one seen in France in June, this was my first of the year locally; a once familiar summer breeder and common passage migrant now elevated to near rarity status. Down towards the pines a few Willow Warblers were noted, plus two Wheatears along the railway line. Didn`t tarry long at Screen due to two of the Swallow chicks being out of the nest and clinging to the hide; one actually fledged whilst we were there, settling on the roof where an adult came in with food.
Waders on the islands were the usual Dunlin, Snipe, Redshank, Blackwit and a Ruff.

                                Swallow juvs, ARC

Archer`s Dart

Lade - 0600hrs - cool, cloudy, w 3 - Despite being chilly last night at least the wind backed off attracting a few moths to light, including a smart Archer`s Dart, a Gallium Carpet and an influx of 12 White-points. Several Willow Warblers moved through the garden fir trees, while both Greenshank and Yellow Wagtail went over calling heading south.
On the margins of south lake, two Common Sandpipers and a flock of eight Redshanks.

                                       Archer`s Dart, Lade

ARC - A decent selection of wildfowl and waders on show from Hanson hide where more islands are steadily emerging as the water level drops. Wader highlights were up to nine Blackwits, two each of Ruff, Dunlin and Redshank, 10 Golden Plover, 100 Lapwings and singles of Ringed Plover and Common Sandpiper. Also of note Black-necked Grebe and Garganey, plus hundreds of Sand Martins over the lake.
Cockles Bridge - Joined a small throng of birders at the bridge staring up into the cloud base at a distant speck which, through the `scope, proved to be a narrow-winged ringtail harrier, presumably the Monty`s, that eventually drifted away high to the north.

A trip to Chavford

Lade - 0700hrs - cool, cloudy, nw 3 - Five Swifts and a trickle of Sand Martins over south lake were the only migrants of note on a nippy old morning, plus several Yellow Wagtails overhead.
Chavford - Once the guests had departed we made our bi-annual trip to Chavford. We don't venture off the Marsh much these days (can`t stand hills), but some stuff just cannot be done on line - you know the sort of thing, if you want a new pair of boots and have elephantine feet (like mine) you`ve just got to try `em on, there`s no getting away from it.
Now, I`ll come clean, I hate shopping with a passion, I cannot think of a bigger waste of birding down-time, plus loads of people wandering around aimlessly freaks me out a little bit. Expeditions such as these have to be meticulously planned, nothing left to chance and no deviating from an agreed route, as it`ll only end up in a row with your loved one.
Our first stop a retail park on the outskirts of town where we drove passed a gigantic flock of Canada Geese at the entrance to a building site. While Mrs PT did the girly stuff in a fabric shop I bloked off to Wickes to buy manly nails, screws and the like. So far so good. Then it was into Chavford town centre where things went steadily downhill, dodging the drunks and wastrels, gobbing and `effing this and `effing that, but I wont go into details, its just too painful. Our last port of call was the outlet centre which was full of kids getting togged up on the cheap for the coming school year. Mrs PT bucked up a bit here as she found a pair of trainers and I got a tasty pasty so it wasn't a complete waste of time, and over all we did hit 8/10 of our targets, so job done really.
On return to paradise we noted eight Buzzards between Kingsnorth and Brenzett, including a `kettle` of four near Hamstreet.
Cockles Bridge - On the way to the allotment (I just had to let off steam) we had good views of the juv Monty`s over the corn fields heading towards the airport. Several Marsh Harriers and a Kestrel also noted.
ARC - From Screen hide five Blackwits and a Redshank, plus a load of Lapwings amongst the usual wildfowl.