Kestrels

Lade - 0800hrs - mild, cloudy, light airs - The perfect morning to walk Mockmill for any grounded migrants of which there was a scattering of Linnets, Reed Buntings, Mipits, Chiffchaffs, Robins, Blackbirds, Skylarks, three Stonechats, a Lesser Whitethroat and the first Song Thrushes of the autumn. A trickle of Swallows were feeding over the shingle ridges while more Mipits, Skylarks and a Grey Wagtail passed overhead. Spent a bit of time Kestrel watching. As there was no wind to assist a hover most were perched on posts, overhead wires or atop scrub. Every so often one would drop down and pick off what looked like a grasshopper or cricket, while one appeared to have caught a small passerine, probably a Mipit or Reed Bunting. On south lake four Snow Geese types had joined the feral Greylags.

                                Kestrels, Lade
    
Dungeness - Wandered down to the Obs for a natter with the backdrop of disco music blasting out from the railway station! A few Chiffs, Black Redstarts, Robins and Goldcrests noted in the bushes and a flock of 100 Mipits were feeding on the edge of the Desert.
ARC - From Screen hide the now expected Lapwings, Goldies, four Ruff, two Black-necked Grebes, Red-crested Pochard and common ducks.
Dungeness - An hour at the boats this afternoon, with the sea resembling a mill pond, yielded several feeding Sandwich and Common Terns and a distant Arctic Skua.

Convolvulus Hawk-moth

Lade - warm, dry, cloudy, w 2 - A pre-breakie walk delivered a scattering of Chiffchaffs in the scrub and a few hirundines already on the move. A scan across the Desert through 180 degrees revealed eight hovering Kestrels.
Dungeness - 0915hrs - An hour from the seawatch hide was notable for a westward passage of 500 Black-headed Gulls, 150 Sandwich and 80 Common Terns, plus two each of Little Gull and Black Tern, a 2nd winter Med Gull, 12 Common Scoters and a steady flow of Gannets. The land was quiet with just a handful of Kestrels, Black Redstarts and Chiffchaffs.
Called in at the Kerton Road Café where a Convolvulus Hawk-moth was on show from yesterday.

                                Convolvulus Hawk-moth, KRC

We finished the morning at Lade where the usual wildfowl were present.
In summary a pretty decent weeks birding for the guests with 120 species noted. Visitors always enjoy birds such as Sooty Shearwater and Glossy Ibis, but the week was probably more memorable for the large number of Kestrels seen across the Marsh and the migrants on Tuesday afternoon along the Royal Military Canal.
On the way back from Ashford this afternoon I stopped off at Honeychild Farm where eight Turtle Doves were lurking amongst 145 Collared Doves on overhead wires and barn roofs.

Raptors, shorebirds & terns

Cockles Bridge - 0900hrs - warm, dry sunny, w 2 - We kicked off at the bridge scanning for bits and bobs. Pretty soon we`d racked up several Marsh Harriers and Buzzards, at least 15 Kestrels and singles of Peregrine and Sparrowhawk. Mipits, Linnets, Yellow Wags and a Raven moved over and the stubble field opposite held at least 20 Skylarks, plus five Reed Buntings in the hedgerow.
Springfield Bridge - More raptors of the same ilk here plus a mixed flock of 50 Yellow Wagtails, Mipits and Reed Buntings. Great White and Little Egrets were on the lake and several Bearded Tits pinged from the reedbed. On the chicken sheds more Yellow Wags, a Chiffchaff and Black Redstart.
Galloways - A scan for chats revealed at least 10 Stonechats and two Wheatears, but little else.
Scotney - Slow going here with the main interest a flock of 100 Yellow Wags and Mipits, plus all the usual wildfowl and feral geese. On the way to the bird reserve for lunch we noted a Little Owl near Lydd.

                                Knots, Greatstone Beach

Greatstone Beach  - Brilliant session here for two hours counting shorebirds as they returned to their feeding grounds on a falling tide. First back was a smart flock of five Knot, followed eventually by 50 Dunlin, 30 Sanderling, 30 Barwits, 10 Turnstone, four Ringed Plover, three Redshanks, 500 Oystercatchers and 300 Curlews. Also, on the sand bars 155 Sandwich Terns, five Common and three Arctic Terns, best of all though was a Little Tern flying along the beach. On the shingle three Wheatears and several large pulses of hirundines south, plus three Grey Seals feeding just offshore.
Dungeness - We finished the day with an hour at the fishing boats where a large party of mostly gulls and Sandwich Terns were plundering a shoal of sprats. In the mix were several Gannets, Kittiwakes, a Red-throated Diver, Guillemot, three Common and one Arctic Terns, plus an Arctic Skua harrying the terns.
Another good days birding around the peninsula with, once again, Kestrels all over the place.

Sooty Shearwater

Lade - mild, cloudy, drizzle - A Goldcrest and Chiffchaff in the pines around the cottage and  hirundines and a Grey Wagtail overhead was a promising start to the day whilst emptying a spartan moth trap.
Dungeness - 0915hrs - We joined TG in the seawatch hide for an hour in hazy light. A steady flow of Gannets and Sandwich Terns were on the move offshore, plus a Guillemot on the sea, an adult Med Gull came and went, but bird of the watch was a distant Sooty Shearwater heading east. At the Patch amongst hundreds of common gulls were singles of Black Tern and Little Gull, Kittiwake and Sandwich Terns. The land was quiet with just a few Chiffs in the lighthouse garden, single Wheatear and Black Redstart by West Beach and the usual Mipits and Linnets over. At least 10 Kestrels were noted from the point to the bird reserve.
RSPB 1200hrs - From the access track two Stonechats, a Whimbrel and eight Kestrels. Whilst having lunch in the car park Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and five Kestrels noted, plus Skylark and Yellow Wagtail overhead. Burrowes was quiet with just three Great White Egrets, three Dunlin and two Ringed Plovers of note amongst the common wildfowl, Lapwings, Golden Plovers and ducks, plus cracking views of a male Peregrine tussling with the inevitable Kestrel.
From the viewing ramp at Dengemarsh plenty of raptors on show including 20 Kestrels, five Marsh Harriers and four Buzzards, plus Bearded Tits and Cetti`s Warbler (heard), two Great White and five Little Egrets and two Ravens.
From Screen hide Glossy Ibis and Great White Egret, two Black-necked Grebes, six Ruff, Garganey, plus all the usual wildfowl and Lapwings. By the car park, two Blackcaps and three Tree Sparrows feasting on ripe blackberries.

                               Tree Sparrow, RSPB

Dungeness - 1530hrs - An hour at the fishing boats delivered cracking views of a Red-throated Diver and Guillemot, plus a few Common and Sandwich Terns fishing offshore and several Porpoises.
Walland Marsh - A drive out to Midley this evening delivered a brief view of Barn Owl for one of the group and a Merlin for all of us. A Kingfisher called along the main sewer and several Foxes and a bat sp were noted on the drive back. 

Turtle Doves & Grey Partridges!

Lade - 0730hrs - cold, misty, n 2, sunny later sw 3 - A stunning start to the day with a scattering of grounded migrants in the misty conditions including two each of Whinchat and Wheatear, 10 Reed Buntings, 50 Mipits, three Lesser Whitethroats and 10 Chiffchaffs.
Faggs Wood - 1230hrs - After picking up Sandra, Val, David and Jenny from Ashford station (down for a four day Birdwatching Break) we headed for the woods. As we had our lunch a few tits and common woodland birds were noted around the car park, plus Nuthatch, Goldcrest, Coal Tit and Chiffchaffs. Overhead a large feeding party of hirundines were hawking over the canopy and a Buzzard went through mewing.
Royal Military Canal - Down on the flatlands we worked the area of the canal between Warehorne and Kenardington Bridges, and what a result it turned out to be as there were birds everywhere. Literally thousands of hirundines were feeding over the fields, comprising mostly House Martins, and we noted at least 50 Chiffchaffs in the bushes, plus 10 each of Lesser Whitethroat and Blackcap. Also, 10 Song Thrushes and Blackbirds, two Spotted Flycatchers, three Yellowhammers, Bullfinch, Jay, Great Spotted Woodpecker. From the Warehorne bridge two Kingfishers, three Buzzards, two Kestrels and a Sparrowhawk, plus five Snipe over at Kenardington.
Midley - Crossing the Marsh Kestrels were everywhere we must`ve seen 20 at least. The feeding station had two Turtle Doves and the usual flock of Tree Sparrows, while near the drying barns two Grey Partridges crossed the lane, only my second sighting of the year of this decling farmland bird, plus Buzzard and more Kestrels.
ARC - We finished the afternoon on the shingle from Hanson hide where all the usual wildfowl of late were noted, plus Glossy Ibis and two Great White Egrets, five Ruff, Marsh Harrier, Kingfisher and another 10 Kestrels between the car park and Plovers.
A terrific afternoons birding with 68 species noted with hirundines the main spectacle, closely followed by the large numbers of Chiffchaffs and Kestrels of which we must`ve tallied 50 of the latter.

                               Common Frog, RMCanal

                                Turtle Doves, Midley
                    

Lade raptors

Lade - 0700hrs  - cold, sunny, n 2 - With overnight temperatures in single figures it really felt as though autumn was upon us. A surprise in the garden mv from Saturday night was a second hatch Yellow-tail, while a Dark Bush-cricket was on the cottage wall this afternoon.
A circuit of the local patch this morning delivered something of a raptor fest with the seasons first Merlin putting in a dramatic appearance over the Desert as it chased a Mipit high into the sky, but without success, while two Marsh Harriers, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and Buzzard followed through the morning. Several groups of hirundines came and went, plus two each of Grey and Yellow Wagtails, 50 Mipits and a pair of Ravens. There was no sign of any chats or warblers apart from a single Chiffchaff in the willow swamp, where a Kingfisher showed well.

                               Dark Bush-cricket, Lade

                                Ravens, Lade

                                Yellow-tail, Lade

ARC - 1400hrs - Called it at Hanson hide where there was no change from recent days with two Great White Egrets, three Black-necked Grebes, four Ruff and two Blackwits the highlights amongst 150 Golden Plovers, Lapwings and common wildfowl. A juv Marsh Harrier flew over and a distant Buzzard went inland on the walk back to the car park where a gang of Tree Sparrows were active. 

Chilham Lake

Lade - 0700hrs - mild, misty, light airs - A murky, muggy morning but plenty of moths in the garden trap including a new micro the migrant Palpita vitrealis, a beautiful translucent beast.

                                          Canary-shouldered Thorn, Lade

                                Palpita vitrealis, Lade

Chilham Lake - 1000hrs - mild, misty, light airs - Visited Chilham Lake this morning for a magazine article, a site I`ve driven by many times before but never stopped to investigate. The lake harboured a Hooded Merganser a few years back, while Dipper have been reported along the Stour in the past, but there were no such gems today. However, we completed a very enjoyable circular walk along the northern side of the lake, returning via farmland on the margins of Denge Wood and crossing the River Stour at bridges either end of the site. The lake was heavily fished, and with restricted viewing, but we managed to see several Mandarin ducks on an island, Grey Wagtails and Kingfisher along the river, Buzzard over the wood and a range of common wayside and woodland birds including Treecreeper, Yellowhammer, Long-tailed Tit, Bullfinch, Greater pecker, Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Jay.
So, in summary a very pleasant couple of hours in peaceful Kent countryside, while the old mill building adjacent to derelict water cress beds was an added bonus; if of course you`re interested in old industrial buildings, as I am - sad, I know, but it gets me through the day...

                                Chilham Mill

                                Chilham Lake

                                River Stour, Chilham

Dungeness - An hour seawatching from the boats this afternoon delivered nothing much more than a few distant terns and Gannets, while an adult Yellow-legged Gull and a 1st winter Caspian were on the beach.
ARC - From Screen hide both Glossy Ibis and Great White Egret showed well along with 130 Golden Plovers, four Ruff and two Black-necked Grebes. A Marsh Harrier kept the wildfowl and waders on the move and a Kingfisher zipped by.

                                   Glossy Ibis & Great White Egret, ARC