Glossy Ibis & shorebirds

Lade 0800hrs - warm, dry and sunny, ne 3 - A misty start to the day with an invigorating north-easterly coming in off the bay, warming up by mid-morning. We had a thorough check round the local patch, but there were few migrants on show apart from a scattering of Common Whitethroats, Willow, Sedge and Reed Warblers, plus a Whinchat on the Desert. A few Yellow Wagtails passed overhead while 50 Sand and House Martins were over north lake. On south lake the first six Wigeon of the season were noted, along with a Kingfisher and Sparrowhawk.
ARC - From the south end two Blackwits, Ruff, three Egyptain Geese and a Pintail, while the Glossy Ibis flew over the causeway road and landed on distant islands, closest to Screen hide.
With most of the islands in front of Hanson now submerged there was little wader habitat although a distant Spotted Redshank was present on the far shore, plus a few Common Sands, Dunlins and Snipe. The usual Lapwings and dabbling ducks were present and the Black-necked Grebe was in front of the hide. A large party of Sand Martins moved through and a Marsh Harrier drifted over flushing one and all.
Lade - With a short tide this afternoon we went for a stroll along the foreshore to check out the small shorebirds which almost always linger at Greatstone Beach `til last knockings. The increasing onshore wind kept the last of the seasons` holidaymakers at bay and a flock of around 100 sandpipers comprised mainly Dunlin, along with a handful each of Sanderling, Turnstone, Ringed Plover and a Barwit. Smart birds are waders, my favourites infact, and a real privilege to see them at such close range. As high tide approached two Arctic Skuas came in off the sea and chased off the beached Sandwich Terns of which at least 150 were counted as they headed towards Dungeness calling raucously. By the time we got back to the boardwalk a large Grey Seal was just offshore, hunting flatfish no doubt.

                                Dunlins and Sanderling, Lade Bay

Cosmopolitan

Lade - warm, dry and sunny, cloudy later, w 2 - After the excitement of yesterday, and clear overnight skies, many migrants had shipped out leaving a return to more `normal` levels of chats and common warblers across storm beaches and around the willow swamp. Hirundine and Yellow Wagtail numbers too were well down.
In the garden moth trap though 23 species including Silver Ys, White-points and a Yellow Shell.
At the Kerton Road Café a rare migrant was on show a, Cosmopolitan.

                                    Wheatear, Lade

                                     Cosmopolitan, KRC

                               Yellow Shell, Lade

Burrowes - The lake was full of common wildfowl, including Black-necked Grebe, Teal and Wigeon, plus a large flock of Cormorants working together to catch fish. Waders scattered around the islands included two each of Ruff, Common Sandpiper and Dunlin and singles of Greenshank and Wood Sandpiper. A Curlew Sandpiper was also reported here, plus Glossy Ibis on the hay fields and a Common Redstart in the car park scrub. On ARC the same waders as over the weekend.
Lade - 1800hrs - Plenty of shorebirds, terns and gulls on the beach with 24 Ringed Plovers being of note.
Thought for the day - One hundred years ago today Martha, a captive North American Passenger Pigeon, expired in Cincinnati Zoo, so ending one of the most infamous mass, human induced bird extinctions of modern times.
In another 100 years I wonder how many more bird species will have gone the way of Martha, including the Turtle Dove...

Marvellous Mockmill

Lade - 0600-0900hrs - mild, cloudy, w 2 - A superb late summer morning with light airs and ideal conditions for walking Mockmill Sewer, a slither of marsh and scrub running south from the lakes into the Desert. As we crossed the storm beaches with Sand Martins fizzing by it was immediately apparent it was going to be a good session - you could just smell the birds! Crossing the main track and striking out across the Desert the first of many loose flocks of Yellow Wagtails were encountered; in total there must`ve been at least 150 grounded with another 50 moving over in the hour I searched through `em, most of which were juvs but also some spanking adult males too. Some of the Sand Martins pitched up on the shingle and atop scrub amongst hundreds of Starlings and House Sparrows feeding on emerging insects. Other grounded migrants on the shingle ridges included five Stonechat, three Wheatear and Stonechat and several Mipits.
As we approached Mockmill a Tripit went over calling, the first of the autumn. In the sewer bottom, with not a breath of wind, passerines were everywhere and over the next two hours I estimated there to be at least 50 Common Whitethroat, 20 Sedge Warbler, 10 each of Reed and Willow Warblers, eight Lesser Whitethroat, five each of Blackcap and Garden Warbler and two Cetti`s - and that was just the warblers! Also present were 10 each of Reed Bunting, Goldfinch, Stonechat and Whinchat, five Wheatear, Robin, Dunnock, Wren and Blackbird.
Scanning across the airport fields a cracking ringtail Hen Harrier headed towards Lydd while three Marsh Harriers, two Common Buzzards and a Kestrel were also noted.
I never made it round the lakes and willow swamp so goodness knows what else was about.
On the walk back to Plovers a call from PB alerted me to the spectacle of hundreds of House Martins perched on the top rim of the water tower. This place never ceases to amaze me.
The moth trap was again low in species with only Angle Shades and Canary-shouldered Thorn of any note. Yellow Wagtails continued overhead throughout the morning while Willow Warblers and Whitethroats drifted through the garden fir trees.

                                        Angle Shades, Lade

                                "This beats seawatching any day"

                                Sedge Warbler, Mockmill

Dungeness - An early afternoon visit with family and a circular walk down to the fishing boats noted a steady movement of terns feeding offshore and an Arctic Skua. Two Wheatears and five Yellow Wagtails were on the shingle by the lighthouse and five Whinchats posed on scrub behind the Sanctuary. Whilst taking tea in the café two Common Buzzards drifted over the peninsula.

                                Whinchat, Sanctuary

Lade - A late afternoon Honey Buzzard came in off the bay and headed inland causing the local gulls to go into meltdown. On a falling tide, in warm sunshine and superb light, the beach was alive with shorebirds and gulls. Pick of the waders were 32 Redshanks and singles of Grey Plover and Curlew Sandpiper, plus two Arctic Terns amongst 50 Commons and 100 Sandwich Terns loafing on the mudflats. A trickle of hirundines pushed on south and 20 grounded Yellow Wagtails fed around the rotting sea kale.
Another terrific days birding on the local patch, which as usual I had to myself. I think this has to be one my best days for sheer numbers of warblers and chats.
NB: There was plenty more of a similar ilk to be had across the NNR today judging from Twitter, including an influx of Turtle Doves, Pied and Spotted Flycatchers, Great White Egret, several Honey Buzzards, Montagu`s Harrier, a Black Kite (?), plus the return of an old favourite, a Glossy Ibis on the bird reserve.
Happy days.

A day of drift migrants and mushrooms...

Lade - 0700hrs - mild, cloudy, sw 3 - Another poor night around the garden moth trap with only 12 species recorded, mostly Flounced Rustics. A Whinchat was the best bird over the pits along with hundreds of hirundines and a scattering of Whitethroats and Willow Warblers.
ARC - From Screen hide the Red-necked Phalarope was busily feeding on the flooded islands amongst the Lapwings and dabbling ducks, including at least five Garganey. Other waders around the site were single figures of Redshank, Greenshank, Spotted Redshank, Snipe, Ruff, Dunlin and Little Stint. Masses of hirundines swarmed over the water and a Red-crested Pochard was noted amongst the distant diving ducks. From the pines a flock of 20 Yellow Wagtails were the only migrants of note feeding along the railway line.
There didn`t appear to be much else about passerine wise until the wind suddenly dropped and a clump of brambles and an elder near the Screen hide was jumping with migrants including Common Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher, three Lesser Whitethroats, two Common Whitethroats, Reed and Willow Warblers.

                                Spotted Flycatcher

We then went mushrooming at a Top Secret location...

Lade - Whilst barbequing in the garden early afternoon a buzzard sp went over which was probably a Honey, but too distant to be sure, plus a house-high Hobby that sent the local Starlings into a frenzy.
Dengemarsh Gully - A late afternoon visit to the gully delivered brief views of the Wryneck and Melodious Warbler. Down towards the sea eight Whimbrel briefly dropped in, a Raven went along the foreshore and a Wheatear was on the lookout tower.

                                Wheatear

PS: Also reported across the peninsula today were an Osprey, several Honey Buzzards and a probable Rough-legged Buzzard (per DB & SB).

Melodious Warbler

Lade - mild, wet, sw 3 - A disappointing catch in the garden MV considering how many moths were around the light last night. Whilst emptying the trap a Greenshank went over calling.
Nothing much of note over the pits apart from five Swifts in with the hirundines over south lake. A thousand or so Greylags flighting in from nearby farmland provided a fair spectacle. The recent rains have completely flooded the margins and emerging islands in the reed swamp to such a level that I doubt there`ll be any wader habitat here this autumn.

                                      Knot Grass, Lade

                                         Square-spot Rustic, Lade

Dengemarsh Gully - Following news of the Melodious Warbler staying over from yesterday there was only one place to head for this morning. I was expecting a typical skulking-warbler-type stake out, but no, not this little beauty as it performed like a good `un in the bushes by the wind turbine just below an admiring throng of local and visiting birders; check out  http://ploddingbirder.blogspot.co.uk/  for some cracking pics.
A couple of Redstarts were also showing well, plus Garden Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat. A Wryneck was far more recalcitrant and it took a couple of visits to get brief views of this notorious skulker amongst the gorse scrub.

                                       Redstart, Dengemarsh Gully

Dungeness - 1530hrs - An hour at the boats this afternoon delivered a steady flow of Sandwich and Common Terns down-Channel, plus two Little Terns and two Whimbrels. Further out a few Gannets were on the move and an Arctic Skua was duffing up a tern.
NB: The Red-necked Phalarope was still present on ARC today and viewable from either Screen or Hanson hides

Red-necked Phalarope

Lade - mild, cloudy, ne 4 - 0700hrs - The fabled easterly airflow overnight with low cloud certainly did the trick this morning with several classic drift migrants on the local patch. Best of all was two Whinchats in Mockmill and a Spotted Flycatcher in the willow swamp, plus at least three Lesser Whitethroats (they've got to be the smartest of warblers...) and a scattering of Sedge, Reed and Willow Warblers and Whitethroats. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was new and a few Yellow Wagtails moved overhead.
ARC - Wasn't home long before a call came through from PB concerning a juvenile Red-necked Phalarope from Hanson hide, a rare bird in these parts. When I arrived it was frantically `spinning` and wading on the near islands amongst the wildfowl and Lapwings and occasionally taking short flights. As always with phalaropes, smart and highly watchable. I managed a few dreadful records shots, which quite frankly I`m embarrassed to post, but I`m sure there`ll be plenty of much better ones from PB et al. The recent deluge had raised the water levels, covering most of the islands.

                                Red-necked Phalarope, ARC

ARC - Having been in Hythe most of the day I couldn`t resist late seconds on the phalarope which was showing distantly from Screen hide this evening amongst a large of flock of Lapwings. A Little Stint was also present, alongside Dunlin, plus a Spotted Redshank, Snipe, Redshank, Greenshank overhead, Garganey and Black-necked Grebe. A tip off from a visiting birding concerning a Pied Flycatcher near the pines was an unexpected bonus and new for the year.

NB: Other drift migrants reported around the peninsula today included, Pied Flycatcher and Melodious Warbler in Dengemarsh Gully, plus a Wryneck and more Whinchats at Galloways.
With temperatures in the high teens forecast for tonight it could be a good for moths, providing its not too wet.

Rained off

ARC - 1045hrs - cloudy, mild, rain, s 3 - A very wet day with heavy rain throughout. We ventured down to Screen and checked from Hanson where the same waders and wildfowl as the past few days were present: eight Blackwits, seven Dunlin, three Little Ringed Plovers, two Ruff, Spotted Redshank, Greenshank and Knot, plus four Garganey and a Black-necked Grebe. The rain had driven down hundreds of hirundines over the lake, mainly Sand Martins.
Burrowes  - Whilst drying out in the VC more hirundines noted over the water, two Common Sandpipers on islands and the Great White Egret in front of Makepiece hide.