Weekend Summary

Lade - mild, overcast, showers, light airs - A wet start to both days with drizzle didn't bode well but there was plenty to see on the local patch. An influx of singing warblers on both mornings included one or two Willow Warblers and Blackcaps, a scattering of Chiffchaffs and Sedge Warblers along with the resident Cetti`s Warblers. There was a noticeable increase in Linnet numbers across the dry scrub where Wheatear, Stonechat and Meadow Pipit present.
  On the lakes several Swallows through in the afternoon, plus Goldeneye and Long-tailed Ducks still present. Around the willow swamp at least two Firecrests noted and one in the Plovers back garden.

Dengemarsh - An afternoon circuit of the marsh in warm sunshine was pleasant enough but delivered few migrants of any note, apart from a couple of singing Sedge Warblers, Chiffchaffs and a fly through Swallow. I paid particular attention to the flooded fields for pipits, of which there was no sign. However, around ten Lapwings and six Redshanks were displaying over the wetlands, plus a scattering of Teal, Oystercatcher, Shelduck and Little Egret. Also noted, two Marsh Harriers, a Sparrowhawk, Raven, Egyptian Goose, Corn Bunting, Stonechat and a booming Bittern.
  Elsewhere today the Midley Hoopoe was seen at various points around Brookland village, while down at Rye Harbour a pair of Black-winged Stilts dropped in this afternoon.

Herons and a Hoopoe!

Dungeness - 0640-0840hrs - cold, sunny, SE 3 - Joined a packed seawatch hide first thing for a decent passage of mainly wildfowl. Common Scoters streamed by throughout the watch along with small flocks of Shoveler, Teal, Shelduck, two Gadwall, a Merganser and one flock of Brent Geese. Auks (one flock of nine Razorbill), Red-throated Diver, Gannet, Kittiwake, Fulmar, Little Gull and Sandwich Tern trickled through in variable numbers along with several pulses of Common Terns and Black-headed Gulls. A brown Merlin came in and a black Crow went out to complete an entertaining start to the day.
Lade - After breakfast a check of the local patch revealed the two Long-tailed Ducks behaving erratically, chasing one another around and flying out over the wall mirror and back onto the water, Perhaps they were getting ready to go...
  A late afternoon wander across the Desert delivered Wheatear, Stonechat, Meadow Pipit and Skylark, plus a Yellow Wagtail hurrying north.

                                Prime Hoopoe habitat!

Midley - I wasn't expecting yesterdays Hoopoe to have stayed around the drying barns, but on the drive out was flagged down by an unknown birder (thanks whoever you were!) who`d just relocated said exotic on a farm track opposite the model flying club. Over the next hour we were treated to superb views of this classic overshooting migrant from the south as it probed away at the soggy turf pulling out invertebrates like a good `un. Even though it was a couple of hundreds yards down the track, through the scope and with the sun on our backs, it put on a fine performance, even raising its crest a couple of times!
  I`ve been lucky enough to have seen plenty of Hoopoes down the years, at home and mostly abroad, but it is such an iconic bird that you never forget your first one - and mine was on Cup Final day 1972! It was just before I joined the Navy and my best mate Kevin Downer called round (we didn't have a phone at home `til 75) to say he`d had a call from our pal Graham Clarke (aka Mutley) telling of a Hoopoe at Hilfield Park Reservoir, Watford.
  So, off we went, on the 321 Greenline from Maple Cross arriving at the Dome roundabout an hour later. A quick yomp down the A41 brought us to the Colne Valley Water Company reservoir boundary, complete with a ten foot high fence topped with three strands of barbed wire, and Mutley contemplating the climb...
  Anyhow, I wedged my old brass draw-tube Barr and Stroud through the chain link fence and spotted Tim Lawrence (a renowned London birder of the time) laying prone on the ground inside the site watching the Hoopoe probing the turf 20 yards away. So, over we went, or rather Kevin and I did, as Mutley got impaled on the barbed wire and proceeded to howl like a monkey! We thought this was hilarious (we were only 16 years old, don't forget) and were both doubled up with laughter as Mutley eventually extracted himself from the wire leaving half of his parka flapping atop the fence.
  We then joined Tim and enjoyed cracking close views of the exotic. None of us had cameras, but we all scribbled and sketch away in our note books, as was the order of the day back then. We left the site via a hole in the fence that Tim had found, much to Mutley`s disgust!
  And we made it back home for the match - Leeds 1 Arsenal 0 - Sniffer Clarke getting the winner and Mick Jones dislocating his shoulder near the end. Happy days indeed.
The Grange, Lydd - Paid my second visit of the season to count the heronry in the grounds of the Grange. After chatting to the owners a tour of the site confirmed my suspicions that the number of nests was much lower this year, although by how many I cannot exactly tell until next months Heron Watch from the church tower. This will enable me to look down into the dense crowns of the holm oaks which support the majority of nests.

Cetti`s Warbler

ARC/Tower Pits - mild, sunny, NW 2 - Spent the morning surveying singing Cetti`s Warblers on the bird reserve in bright spring sunshine. Despite its obvious, explosive song this bird is not as easy to survey accurately as it might appear. The males defend large territories, which can attract several females, and they nip around pretty rapid between bursts of song. However, the cold snap of last month doesn't seem to have reduced their numbers noticeably as there were plenty of males in song around the two pits, particularly on Tower pits.

                               Cetti`s Warbler (by David Featherbe)

  Chiffchaff, Sedge and Willow Warblers were also in song and a Yellow Wagtail over the Desert was my first of the spring. As the morning warmed up a small `kettle` of Marsh Harriers and Buzzards soared over by the airport along with a cracking Red Kite. Also noted during the survey, Little Egret, two Shelduck, 12 Teal, four Goldeneye, Kestrel, Snipe, Green Woodpecker, Long-tailed Tit and Stonechat.
Lade  - On the local patch this afternoon the two Long-tailed Ducks put in an appearance, while the first Swallows of spring were over the willow swamp.
  Other news this afternoon concerned the discovery of a Hoopoe at the Midley drying barns by T&B H.
 

Bramblings

Dungeness - mild, sunny, SE 5 - A brisk wind off the sea made for difficult birding on the land. However, a walk along the beach opposite Jarman`s delivered two hunkered Wheatears, singing Meadow Pipit and Skylark and increase in twittering Linnets. Two Bramblings flew over calling, a bird that has shown a return to form this spring with others noted across the peninsula of late and on bird feeders here and on the bird reserve.
  On the sea a steady passage of wildfowl and Brents was underway, plus Common Terns at the Patch and good numbers of Common Gull and Black-headed Gulls through. The beach fox showed well in front of the Patch hide.

                                Brents and beach Fox

Lade  - The strong wind made viewing difficult on the lakes. I could find no sign of the Long-tailed Ducks, although they could easily be lurking somewhere hereabouts, while several Goldeneye, Teal and 50 Shoveler were still present.
Ray Wilkins - Sad news broke this afternoon with the death of Ray `Butch` Wilkins. He played for QPR in the early 90`s and was a great favourite with the fans despite spending most of his playing career with the `blue lot` down the road. He had another go with the Hoops as player manager mid decade and in his first season delivered a top ten finish for the club; although things went pear- shaped the following season after flogging Sir Les Ferdinand.
  I had the good fortune to meet Butch a couple of times and found him an easy going fella and passionate about the beautiful game. 

Dungeness - mild, cloudy, SE2 - Down at the Patch the only noteworthy event was a movement of around 200 Common and Black-headed Gulls eastwards along the shoreline. Two Mediterranean Gulls flew through, as did the local pair of Ravens.
  From a packed seawatch hide a steady up-Channel passage of Brent Geese and Common Scoter was underway, plus several dark phase Arctic Skuas, Red-throated Divers and distant Gannets.
Lade  - At least four Black-necked Grebes still present, plus two Long-tailed Duck and singing Chiffchaff, Cetti`s Warbler and Blackcap in the willow swamp. In the Plovers back garden this after Chiffchaff and Firecrest.
ARC - This afternoon two more Black-necked Grebes on the lake along with two each of Shelduck and Goldeneye, plus Chiffchaff from the willow trail. Around midday an Osprey flew over Dengemarsh (PB).

Brent Geese

Dungeness - mild, cloudy, SE3 - Started off at the Patch this morning where gull numbers on the beach were low, but did include a couple of Kittiwakes and Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Nearby, the local Peregrine sent the Herring Gulls on the power station complex into a frenzy.
  The main interest though was on the sea and during an hour from the Patch hide hundreds of Common Scoters and Brent Geese moved up-Channel with several of the goose flocks almost flying along the beach due to the prevailing south-easterly. Two Red-breasted Mergansers also noted.

                                Coasting Brent Geese

                               Kittiwake and Lesser Black-backed Gull

Lade  - This afternoon there was no change to the variety of wildfowl on the lakes from yesterday, and for a change the two Long-tailed Ducks spent more time on the surface than submerged. I could only find three Black-necked Grebes and despite the rain a couple of Chiffchaffs were in song in the Willow Swamp.

Grebe Haven

Lade - 0700hrs - cool, cloudy, N 2 - And so we move into April, easily my favourite birding month of the year on the Dungeness NNR, when every day seems to bring something new from the south and expectation levels peak towards the end of the month. In contrast to the autumn migration when LBJs skulk silently from dense cover, spring is all about migrants in their breeding finery with some even singing en-route from bare vegetation and easy to locate. 
  Although the weather was chilly first thing (a light northerly airflow) at least it was dry which made a big difference, and this morning was a prime example of what April has to offer hereabouts. A Black Redstart sat on our neighbours roof was a good start, followed by a Firecrest calling from fir trees in front of the cottage.

                                First spring Wheatear at Lade

  Across the shingle, towards the Desert, saw another Black Redstart perched on a post along the old railway track, plus a spanking male Wheatear, our first of the year here. A couple of Skylarks ascended skywards in song over the Desert as a few Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails flew through. Further along the track towards the lakes, Linnet, Reed Bunting, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Wren, Dunnock and Chaffinch all sang from atop the gorse scrub. In and around the Willow Swamp several Chiffchaffs noted and a brief burst of song by the swing bridge confirmed our first Willow Warbler of the season. Green Woodpecker, Cetti`s Warbler, Long-tailed Tit and Water Rail also noted here.
  As for wildfowl and grebes, an unprecedented six Black-necked Grebes were eventually located across all waters, along with 18 Great Crested and 12 Little Grebes, making Lade pits surely one of the best sites locally for this family. Six Goldeneyes remained from yesterday and the two Long-tailed Ducks made it into April; other wildfowl included 50 Shoveler, 20 Gadwall, four Teal and a pair of Shelduck.

                                Three of the migrant Black-necked Grebes

Park Wood, Appledore - A late morning walk in the woods delivered all the expected woodland species including Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Long-tailed and Coal Tits, Jay, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, several Chiffchaffs and a single singing Willow Warbler. With the sun breaking cover it actual felt like spring, particularly as the woodland floor was covered with blooms of primrose, anemone, violet and celandine.

                               Early spring woodland flowers

Dungeness - This afternoon we went to the Point in search of a Glaucous Gull reported earlier, but the sun had brought forth hundreds of tourists onto the beach, so there wasn't a gull in sight. However, at the old lighthouse garden I spent a most pleasant hour nattering to Paul, Jill and Colin, in between putting the world to rights (an impossible job!), and watching a couple of Firecrests and Chiffchaffs feeding on the lawn.
  Last port of call was the bay where the following were counted on the ebb tide from Lade boardwalk and the Varne: 680 Oystercatcher, 440 Curlew, 55 Bar-tailed Godwit, 12 Grey Plover, several hundred Dunlin and Sanderling (too much disturbance for an accurate count), 25 Sandwich Terns and a Shelduck.

                                Firecrest on the lighthouse lawn