Acadian Flycatcher - Dungeness

Dungeness - 0930hrs - cool, sunshine/showers, cloudy, nw 2 - We`d just finished doing breakfast for our guest, and was about to head out over the local patch, when I received an excited phone call from Plodding Birder to the effect that he`d just found an American Flycatcher - at the fishing boats!!!
This prompted a rapid change of plan, and a speedy drive to the point, to join a small group of locals already watching/photographing said bird around the fishing boats and bulldozers. As with most tired, grounded migrants it was not shy, flying around the shingle snapping up insects and settling close by amongst the flotsam and jetsom of the fishing industry. Over the next couple of hours the sun broke through affording good photographic opportunities which should assist in making a specific identification of what is a notoriously tricky group of flycatchers.
Now, I`m no expert on this genus of American flycatchers, having only seen an Alder Flycatcher before, in the spring at Jamaica Bay, USA, but looking at the pics we have to consider Alder/Willow or Yellow-bellied/Acadian Flycatchers. I haven't had a chance to have a good look online, but with reference to the Sibley guide (not always reliable) Alder/Willow both appear greyish on the upperparts and our bird appeared almost bright green at times with a yellowish wash to the underparts, which would suggest Yellow-bellied/Acadian. It also had a bright and complete eye-ring, a stoutish bill and long primary projections, which would lean towards the latter.
At one stage it pooed on a bulldozer, which was promptly collected for later analysis; presumably DNA can be extracted for a positive id.

                                Empidonax flycatcher, Dungeness                              

                                `Classic` empidonax flycatcher habitat, Dungeness

We called back down the point this afternoon by which time the bird had moved inland to a private garden where an attendant army of twitchers had virtually encircled the place. Despite the drizzle it did show again, sallying forth to snap up insects, but the views were nothing like this morning. After a natter with a few old faces and another chat with the finder, Martin Casemore, (aka Plodding birder) we called it a day and headed for home. A great find Martin, whatever the final outcome on the id, and well deserved.
The phone didn`t stop ringing this evening, what with birders enquiring about the flycatcher, but in conversation with Stuart Winter of the Express newspaper, he was convinced that American birders who`d seen the pictures online confirmed it was a first autumn Acadian Flycatcher.

                                Flycatcher twitch, Dungeness

Viz Mig Lade

Lade - 0645hrs - mild, overcast, sw 2 - From the aerial mound a pretty decent one hour viz mig with hundreds of hirundines streaming south down the coast comprising mainly Swallows. A trickle of passerines overhead tallied: 3 Skylarks, 210 Meadow Pipits, one Grey Wagtail, 15 Yellow Wagtails, 8 Pied Wagtails, 4 Blackbirds, 2 Song Thrushes, 10 Chaffinches, 14 Goldfinches, 25 Siskins, 40 Linnets, 2 Redpolls, 5 Reed Buntings and, best of all, a Yellowhammer, only my second record in almost 10 years watching this site. After the first hour it ground to a halt as though a tap had been turned off, which led me to wonder just what had passed over our cottage during the night...

                                Brent Geese, Dungeness

                               Down the hatch

Dungeness  - 1400-1530hrs - A seawatch in company with PB from the boats this afternoon was entertaining for up to 10 Arctic Skuas harrying a steady flow of Sandwich Terns. A trickle of Gannets passed further out, plus 2 Common Scoters, a Common Tern, a Kittiwake and my first autumn flock of Brent Geese at around 70 birds migrating down-Channel. A few pulses of Swallows headed out to sea and at least half a dozen Harbour Porpoises were noted just offshore.  

Start `em young

Lade - We`ve been on grandparent duty this weekend looking after a 5 year old Albert. I`ve already tested him on his bird identification with the Usborne cards, 50 Birds to Spot (49 out of 50) and this morning he got to grips with the finer points of Gadwall and Dabchick, in the field, on Lade lakes.
Actually, there was plenty to see and hear out back with Mipits, Goldfinches and Siskins trickling overhead and the autumns first Skylarks and Song Thrushes. In the garden Chiffchaffs and a Goldcrest called from the fir trees and pulses of Swallows headed south (yesterday 2 Buzzards went over around noon while we were cutting Barney`s coat).
Last night was quite chilly and as a result first thing everywhere you looked birds were basking in the sun warming up: Starlings, House Sparrows, Jackdaws, Woodpigeons and the like.

                                " Dabchicks, daddams"

                                Short-coated, Barney

                                      Sunbathing Woodpigeon, Lade

I`ve found that `little and often` is the best adage with kids, and on this sunny weekend there`s been plenty of interest around the garden. Moths are a given and he can `do` Setaceous Hebrew Character and Large Yellow Underwing from the trap, while a Hummingbird Hawk-moth on the lavender was a gift. This mornings warm sunshine lured in Red Admiral, Comma and Small Tortoiseshells to the last of the flowering Buddleias. Robins are everywhere at the moment and I`ve shown him how to copy the `tic, tic` call with a couple of pebbles and tried out a bit of `pishing`, without much success, but its early days...

Viz mig Swallows

Lade - mild, overcast, rain, w 2 - Another shocking day of weather with rain on and off throughout, some of it heavy. During one of the breaks a wander over the pits revealed the usual wildfowl on south lake, plus a Swift amongst the hirundines over the willow swamp. A few parties of Siskins and Mipits passed overhead, plus a single Grey Wagtail.
Dungeness - 1400hrs - An hour from the fishing boats during another respite in the rain was notable for a constant flood of hirundines, mainly Swallows, making the Channel crossing. Birds were skimming the shingle between us only a few feet away, being driven on by some internal body clock that says, "it`s time to go". It doesn't matter how many times I watch this spectacle it never fails to impress; the wonders of migration and all that, sounds corny, but there you go, I`m easily pleased.
As for seabirds, well, apart from a high Bonxie heading west and a Black Tern it was mostly all about a steady flow of 100 Sandwich Terns, plus 20 Common Terns and an Arctic Skua in the bay cadging a free meal.

Passage migrants

Lade - cool, dry, sunny, nw 3 - At last a dry day, and one full of passage migrants from the off with small parties of Siskins, Goldfinches and Mipits over the cottage, plus 2 Grey Wagtails. More than 100 Mipits were grounded on the shingle ridges by south lake along with 10 Yellow Wagtails and 2 Wheatears, while over the water hundreds of hirundines hawked insects. By the ponds a large passerine flock comprised mostly Great, Blue and Long-tailed Tits, plus 10 Chiffchaffs, 3 Blackcaps, 2 Whitethroats and a Goldcrest (but not a sniff of a Yellow-browed...). Sparrowhawk, Kestrel and Buzzard all noted around the site.
Dungeness - We then worked the bushes along the edge of the Desert at the point which was full of common migrants as follows: 100 Mipits, 2 Tree Pipits, 10 Pied, 15 Yellow and 3 Grey Wagtails, 25 Wheatears, 4 Whinchats, 10 Whitethroats, 15 Chiffchaffs, 20 Chaffinches, 5 Reed Buntings, 5 Blackbirds, 2 Willow Warblers, 20 Robins and a Black Redstart, plus hundreds of hirundines over and singles of Hobby, Swift and Greater pecker. Brilliant stuff, and shades of the `old days`. 

                                "Now, where`s that Wryneck gone?"

                           Great Spotted Woodpecker, Whinchat and Wheatear, Dungeness

Greatstone Beach - Finished off early afternoon checking the waders on a rising tide in warm sunshine where the highlight was a flock of 21 Knots amongst hundreds of Curlew, Oystercatcher, Dunlin and Sanderling, plus a massive 220 Sandwich Terns and more Yellow Wagtails and hirundines heading south along the beach.
Over the three days, of variable weather conditions, we located 121 species of birds for Ray and Stuart with the undoubted highlights being yesterdays seawatch and this mornings passage migrants.

Dodging the rain

Dungeness - 0900hrs - mild, rain, overcast, e 4 - A dozen Siskins over the cottage was a good start to the days birding. However, the promise of a south-easterly from early on, forecast by the Met Office yesterday, failed to materialise, yet again. We kicked off in the seawatching hide with TG for a steady hour of Sandwich Terns, Gannets, several Common Terns, 4 Common Scoters, a Black Tern, 4 Arctic and one Pomarine Skua up-Channel, plus a Grey Seal and several Porpoises. Around the point in the drizzle, there were small flocks of Mipits and Goldfinches, a Tree Pipit over, a Black Redstart on the power station fence and several Chiffchaffs in the scrub.
RSPB - Moving onto the bird reserve and a circuit delivered Black Tern, 2 Pintails, Grey Plover, Common Sandpiper and Ruff on Burrowes, a Redstart by Dennis`s hide and plenty of Common Whitethroats, Sedge Warblers and Chiffchaffs around the trail, two Great White Egrets, several Marsh Harriers, Raven and a Sparrowhawk. Hundreds of hirundines fed on the masses of flying insects in the humid air.
Scotney - Heavy rain here, but all the usual feral geese, 20 Yellow Wagtails, 10 Curlews and a Whimbrel.  

                                Yellow Wagtail, Scotney

Dungeness - Back to the point and another seawatch from the fishing boats with PB and TG, in good light and closer birds, comprised hundreds of Gannets and Sandwich Terns moving down-Channel, plus 5 Arctic Skuas, a Brent Goose, Manx, Kittiwake, Razorbill, Guillemot, 2 Black Terns, 10 Common Terns and best of all a flock of 4 cracking Balearic Shearwaters. Throughout the watch a constant stream of hirundines coasted westwards. Around the point several large mixed flocks of gulls on the shingle contained 20 Sandwich Terns and an adult Yellow-legged Gull.
All in all, a decent day, despite the rain. 

                               Gulls and terns, Dungeness

We finished the day with brief flight views of the Wryneck at the southern end of the Trapping Area, along with Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Wheatear.

A bathing Sparrowhawk

Kenardington - warm, sunny, sw 3 - Picked up Raymond and Stuart at midday from Ashford, who are down for a three day Birdwatching Break. We commenced along the Royal Military Canal searching for migrants feeding in the bushes on the more sheltered north bank where Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Blackcap were just about seen in the strong wind. Also, three species of hirundines, two woodpeckers, common tits and finches, Kestrel and a Raven being mobbed by crows. Driving across the Marsh we noted a `flock` of 3 Turtle Doves near Hamstreet, Common Buzzard, Reed Buntings, Yellow and Pied Wagtails, but best of all a Sparrowhawk bathing in a puddle that stayed put for five minutes, affording cracking views and even a few dodgy pics through the car windscreen.

                               Sparrowhawk bathing, Kenardington

ARC - Onto the bird reserve and first stop the fields at Boulderwall that yielded distant views of the Cattle Egret, 2 Marsh Harriers, 20 Yellow Wagtails and 4 Tree Sparrows. From Hanson hide 3 Black Terns and a Black-necked Grebe, plus all the usual ducks. On the cormorant island a decent flock of waders comprised 8 Dunlins, Turnstone, Knot and a Little Stint. Long-tailed Tit, Water Rail and Chiffchaffs also heard from the hide, a Sparrowhawk over and 2 Red-crested Pochards in the inlet down by the pines. On the walk down 5 Spitfires and a Hurricane flew low overhead.
Walland Marsh - A drive out on the Marsh this evening delivered more Yellow Wagtails, Common Buzzard, Marsh Harrier, Kingfisher and a brief views of a distant Barn Owl.