Clancy`s Rustic

Lade - warm, dry and sunny, SW2 - An early viz mig from the back garden delivered a trickle of Skylarks, Mipits, Reed Buntings, Chaffinches and alba wagtails overhead, south along the coast. However, the main event was in the garden moth trap which was stuffed full of over 150 moths of 12 species. Quite why it was so profitable is a mystery but I`m not complaining! Black Rustics were the most numerous at 75 while the quality was provided by two Clancy`s Rustics and a Blair`s Shoulder-knot.

                                  Blair`s Shoulder-knot and Clancy`s Rustic

Dungeness - A wander around the bushes at the point was largely uneventful with just a few Siskins over and a couple of Chiffchaffs in the moat, plus Stonechats and a Black Redstart. A flock of 20 hirundines by the lifeboat station contained mostly House Martins and several Swallows.

                               Blue skies over Dungeness

Birdwatching Break - We started a three day bird tour for Sarah and Jim from south London this afternoon in warm sunshine. First stop Scotney pits from the roadside pull-ins which yielded the usual feral geese, ducks, gulls, Cormorants, Lapwings, Curlew, Buzzards, Marsh Harrier and Kestrel. From the range road at Galloways, Stonechats and Kestrel. Moving onto Dengemarsh from Springfield Bridge two Cattle Egrets sat on an island along with a Great White Egret and Ruff, while we watched a Great Crested Grebe take its time tackling a large fish. Also noted from the bridge: Marsh Harrier, Raven, Linnets and Reed Bunting.

                                Down the hatch - eventually!

                                Garganey preening

  Finished the afternoon at Hanson hide where a Garganey showed well amongst the usual range of ducks on the islands, plus five Ruffs, Ringed Plover, 30 Golden Plovers, Great White Egret and a Sparrowhawk. Plenty of Migrant Hawkers, Common Darters and Speckled Woods also on the wing this afternoon.

Great White Egrets

Lade - cool, cloudy, light airs - A chilly start to the day which eventually warmed up by noon. Despite clear skies last night a flock of 20 Chiffchaffs and at least two Blackcaps by the ponds kept me entertained, along with the usual tits, Cetti`s Warblers, finches, Robins and several Blackbirds.
Egrets are commonplace around the wetlands hereabouts, although four Great White Egrets flying in off the sea was unusual, particularly as three of them decided to alight on the 200` wall `mirror` beside the Cormorants! Another flock of nine was also seen flying over Dungeness about the same time (PB). Also noted several Sparrowhawks, Kestrels, Stonechats, a lone House Martin and flight views of a Bittern, plus a trickle of Skylarks, Mipits and Siskins overhead.

                                Three Great White Egrets - on a large wall!

Dungeness - A scan from Hanson hide this morning revealed 200 Golden Plovers and Lapwings, 10 Dunlins, Snipe, Blackwit and Grey Plover on the islands, plus several Chiffchaffs around the car park, two Great White Egrets and a Merlin over. Plenty of Migrant Hawkers, Common Darters and Speckled Woods on the wing around the Willow Trail.

                                Grey Plover, ARC

                                Stonechat, Dungeness

  This afternoon a check of the bushes around the point delivered several Chiffchaffs in the old lighthouse garden and the moat, a Black Redstart and four Stonechats by West Beach and at least four Sparrowhawks. There was no sign of this mornings Wryneck. With an influx of migrants in east Kent it surely can`t be long until something decent comes our way...

Dartford Warbler

Lade - warm, dry and cloudy, light airs - A superb mornings birding on the local patch with a wide range of migrant and wetland species noted. Two flocks of passerines kept me busy for ages; the first one at the ponds where at least 30 Chiffchaffs and five Blackcaps mingled with loads of tits, finches, Robins and Dunnocks (surely there must be a Yellow-browed here at the very least this coming week, what with the predicted easterly airflow) and our first Goldcrest of autumn calling from the swamp, along with several Cetti`s Warblers, Bearded Tits and Water Rails.

                                 Dabbling Shovelers

  Onto the lakes where 200 Shovelers were the pick of the ducks, plus two Great White and five Little Egrets around the margins, and Marsh Harrier, Sparrowhawk and Buzzard by the `mirrors`. The Desert yielded a cracking Merlin chasing Mipits, 100 Linnets, 100 Starlings, six Stonechats, a Wheatear and several Kestrels, plus Skylarks, Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Pied Wagtails and two Siskins overhead.
  On the way home for breakfast we stumbled upon another passerine flock in bramble scrub behind the cattery that contained mostly House Sparrows, Mipits, Reed Buntings, Chiffchaffs, two Stonechats, a few Blackbirds and Robins and a Dartford Warbler.

                               Probably the worst pic ever of a Dartford Warbler!

  After breakie we headed down the beach on a falling tide where thousands of Common and Black-headed Gulls covered the sands along with all the usual Curlews and Oycs, 100 Sanderling, 50 Dunlin, 10 Barwits, and single figures of Ringed Plover and Turnstone, plus 20 Shelducks, 200 Sandwich Terns, 10 Mediterranean Gulls and two Arctic Skuas along the shoreline.
  As I said, a superb morning of 72 species, and all within a one mile walk of Plovers! 

Skylarks

Lade - warm, dry and sunny - A viz mig from the aerial ramp delivered the first real trickle of autumn Skylarks coasting westwards, plus a few Pied Wagtails, Mipits, Reed Buntings and Chaffinches. The bushes around the ponds were much quieter this morning with just a handful of Chiffchaffs and a couple of Blackcaps present. Also noted around the site: Kingfisher, Marsh Harrier, Sparrowhawk, Great White Egret, Green Woodpecker and the Curlew flock coming off the sands to roost out the high tide on the Desert.
  There was a good catch of moths in the garden trap this morning comprising twenty macros, including Delicate and Plumed Fan-foot amongst the typical autumn species.

                        Migrant Hawkers and Red Admirals were commonplace today

Dungeness - A guided walk for a U3A group from north Kent took place in warm sunshine with plenty of Migrant Hawkers, Red Admirals and one or two Small Coppers, Small Heaths and even a Common Blue still on the wing. All three species of egrets were seen including 12 Great Whites scattered across the site and six Cattle Egrets in Hayfield 2 tracking the cows. Also noted: 200 Golden Plovers on Burrowes, Yellow Wagtail in the hayfield, several Chiffchaffs, a striking juvenile Marsh Harrier and five Buzzards over the ranges, Wheatear, Ruff and Snipe on Dengemarsh, Bearded Tits and Water Rail from the viewing ramp, a Stonechat from the return trail and hovering Kestrels just about everywhere you looked.

Chiffchaffs in the mist

Lade - Foggy start, warm, dry and sunny later - Started a historical/wildlife guiding morning on the local patch where the thick mist soon burned off to reveal a large mixed flock of passerines feeding around the ponds including 30 Chiffchaffs, 10 Blackcaps, Great, Blue and Long-tailed Tits, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Reed Buntings and Robins. Whilst standing by the swing-bridge near the `mirrors` a flock of 15 Bearded Tits spiralled up from the main reed bed and dropped back down again in a small clump of reeds on the margin of north lake. Several parties of hirundines moved over heading south.

                                Lade `mirrors`

                                Six of ten Great White Egrets on Burrowes

Dungeness - There was no real change around the point with plenty of hirundines moving through, Chiffchaffs and Kestrels everywhere, Great White and Cattle Egrets on the reserve, plus Ruff, Marsh Harriers and Stonechats from the access track.

First Brents of autumn

Dungeness - mild, cloudy, light airs - Spent a very enjoyable day guiding for Jane and friends from Rye in favourable weather conditions. We spent the morning on the bird reserve where the highlights included eight Cattle Egrets on Hayfield 2, 10 Great White Egrets, Ruff, Snipe, Golden and Grey Plovers, Kingfisher, three late Yellow Wagtails, Stonechat, two Buzzards and a cracking adult male Marsh Harrier. Several large pulses of hirundines went through, one from Christmas Dell hide involving over a thousand, mainly House Martins, while Kestrels, Cetti`s Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps were commonplace. Plenty of Migrant Hawkers and Red Admirals were also on the wing.

                                Great White and Cattle Egrets

Littlestone - We had superb views of seven species of bay waders at low tide opposite the caisson including 50 Curlews, 20 Turnstones, 50 Sanderlings, 10 Ringed Plovers and 30 Dunlins, plus all the regular gulls and 50 Sandwich Terns.

Dungeness - Wasn't expecting much from a one hour seawatch from the hide this afternoon but we struck lucky with our first 11 Brents of autumn down-Channel, a flock of 170 Kittiwakes on the sea by the buoy, an Arctic Skua, Mediterranean Gull, Red-throated Diver, 20 Gannets, 20 Sandwich Terns and two Common Terns. It was quiet on the land although we did manage to see a male Peregrine perched on a pylon to round off a decent birding day for the guests during which we rattled up a respectable 84 species.

As you were

Dungeness - mild, cloudy, drizzle, brighter later, NW 3 - A dull grim start to the day which improved temperature wise into the afternoon peaking at 20C. There was little of note on the ground around the point first thing with just a scattering of Stonechats and Chiffchaffs, plus the usual Kestrels and a Raven over. From the seawatch hide plenty of Gannets feeding offshore, plus a trickle of terns, auks, Kittiwake and an Arctic Skua.
Lade - On the sands this afternoon on a rising tide from the Tarvern viewpoint: c500 Oystercatchers, c250 Curlews, 100 Sandwich and 10 Common Terns, 10 Shelducks, 20 Sanderlings, 10 Dunlins, five Barwits and a Mediterranean Gull. On the lakes 19 Shelducks, plus the usual wildfowl and several Chiffchaffs in the bushes by the ponds.