Early Reed Warbler

Lade - Lockdown Day 15 - warm, dry and sunny, e2 - A cracking spring morning weather wise which encouraged Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Red Admiral and Small White butterflies onto the wing. However, surprise of the day went to my earliest ever Reed Warbler (88)`chugging` merrily away in the reedbed by the channel at the north end of south lake, and beating Sedge Warbler home! Chiffchaff and Blackcap also in song around the willow swamp, while a pair of Ravens overhead were new for the Lockdown List at species 89. By late morning up to ten Common Buzzards, Marsh Harriers and Kestrel thermalled above the airfield. A flock of 55 Curlews flew to roost on the desert, several Mediterranean Gulls, Grey and Ringed Plovers flew over and Sandwich Tern numbers hit 30 on the bay; their screeching calls could be heard throughout the afternoon in the Plovers garden - summer has arrived! 

Early Grey

Lade - Lockdown Day 14 - mild, cloudy morning, sunny afternoon, sw 3 - Well, the much forecast rain never materialised, apart from a few drops that amounted to nuisance value. Our exercise walk around the local patch produced not a single summer visitor and nothing new for the list. On the beach, a Sandwich Tern, plus 12 Sanderlings, 11 Ringed Plovers and two Dunlins. This afternoon in the garden fir trees another Firecrest was noted.
  The garden moth trap had Early Grey and Bright Line Bright Eye amongst four species of macro-moths.

                               Early Grey

                                Bright-line Brown-eye

Woodlarks

Lade - Lockdown Day 13 - warm, dry and sunny, se 2 - A cracking spring morning weather wise, but very little to report on the bird front from our circular walk apart from two Woodlarks over the aerial mound lookout heading south. I picked them up at some distance over the caravan park in typical undulating flight and short-tailed, broad winged profile. One passed so close I could make out the pale head stripe and black and white pattern on the wing bend, and just to confirm the id one of them called making it the 87th species for the Lockdown List. I`ve recorded flyovers here before, but only in the autumn, and not for some years, so all in all an odd and surprising record.
  The only other points of interest today concerned 28 Ringed Plovers on the beach and, sadly, a dead Grey Seal washed up opposite Derville Raod.

                                Bull Grey Seal on the beach

First Moths and Brents!

Lade - Lockdown Day 12 - mild, cloudy, light airs - Yet again I had trouble sleeping last night and got up several times to wander around the garden listening for any overhead scoter passage, but without success. By early doors I`d had enough and decided upon a one hour dawn chorus session in the back garden from 0530-0630hrs. It went something like this:
  It was a mild start to the day with dampness in the air and a wet slick on the cat-slide slates and garden table due to the changing temperature overnight: at 0100hrs the sky was clear and cold and full of stars, but a bank of cloud and mist rolled in from the south before daybreak.
  Herring Gulls never seem to sleep and it was no surprise that their `cackling` was the first avian noise of the day; mercifully, they seem not to be interested in nesting on our cottage roof this year (so far), although I`m sure some other poor soul hereabouts will have to put up with these brutes all summer. A distant Canada Goose was next, `honking` over towards Kerton Road pit, closely followed by a `kleeping` Oystercatcher and a Curlew, both waders regular flyovers here on the changing tide. Black-headed Gulls calling `kree-hah` were next, also drifting over from the pit where they sometimes nest.
  After a five minute hiatus the first passerine broke into song, a Robin, closely followed by a rush of Blackbird, Wren, Dunnock and a `wheezing` Greenfinch in the fir trees. A Carrion Crow `cawed` somewhere overhead in the gloom as the local gang of House Sparrows `chirped` into life, along with several Starlings. Jackdaws always seem to be in a hurry, tearing hither and thither like a gang of street vandals, at least 50 must`ve flown over during the hour, in contrast to our local pair of breeding Magpies already looking for some poor unfortunate bird to mug.
  And then, just after 0600hrs, a nugget of gold as a skein of Brent Geese cut across the peninsula and out over the bay, about 50 birds heading up-Channel to their Arctic breeding grounds no doubt. I`ve often seen Brents  `cutting the corner` in past springs when birding the Dungeness hinterland, but never before from the garden. That takes the Lade Lockdown List to 86 species.
  Two Cormorants over were next, followed by a Pied Wagtail south, Woodpigeons and Collared Doves around the garden and finally, just before 0630hrs, a singing Chiffchaff in the neighbours bushes making 21 species for the hour.  

 

                                   Goldeneyes in the mist, south lake
                             

                                Common Quaker

                               Hebrew Character


  Our morning walk around the local patch was plagued by a sea fret that rolled in and out until midday, forcing the Dungeness fog horn into action along with various ships crossing the bay. As a consequence little new was noted, and certainly no incoming migrants.
  Back home a check of the moth trap revealed the first two species of 2020: Common Quaker and Hebrew Character. By early afternoon the temperature in the garden sun traps soared into the teens centigrade attracting many bees and other flying insects to the wallflowers and euphorbias.

                               Garden flowers were alive with flying insects this afternoon

Short-eared Owl

Lade - Lockdown Day 11 - warm, cloudy, se 2 - I was awake early again this morning and wandered out into the garden around dawn where a steady overhead passage of Redwings was underway, and at least one Song Thrush, both new for the list bringing it to 85 species. Once we got our act together, about 0900hrs, we set off on our daily perambulation around the local patch, with no coat required in the balmy weather conditions.
  Earlier in the week one of the local dog-walkers mentioned having recently seen two Short-eared Owls on the shingle ridges between Kerton Road pit and the water tower. This morning as I scanned the desert from the northern corner of the pit I could see said dog-walker waving at me and pointing south, and sure enough there was a distant Shortie (86) quartering the shingle having been flushed by yet another dog. Thankfully, the owl soon dropped back into cover once the dog had moved on.
  Elsewhere around the patch a few more pairs of Linnets had moved in and a Chiffchaff sang from the willow swamp where a lone Song Thrush was also noted, a scarce bird here and presumably a grounded migrant from last night. A cracking adult male Marsh Harrier worked the back reedbed and by late morning at least six Buzzards and two Marsh Harriers thermalled up into the ether over the airport.

                          Dunnock and Linnet, two common birds of the shingle scrub

                    The wall `mirror` is a favourite hangout of a pair of Oystercatchers


Plovers Moths
With the promise of milder, windless nights ahead I thought it about time to dig the moth trap out of winter storage. Infact, I spent most of the afternoon cleaning the trap and sprucing up the summer house where its sited. The Lewington guides are now in place, the pots are cleaned and I`ve even got a brand new notebook, all we need now are the moths - the chase is on! 

                                Moth trap, cleaned and ready for action!

.. 
 

Spring Warblers

Lade - Lockdown Day 10 - cold, cloudy, nw 2 - First bird of the morning was a Blackcap (80) singing in the garden fir trees for all of ten minutes before being disturbed by Jackdaws. Our circuit of the local patch delivered three more species for the Lockdown List: a singing Willow Warbler (81) in the willow swamp, two Goldfinches (82) by the ponds and a flyover Great White Egret (83). Another Swallow went through while Chiffchaff, Cetti`s Warbler and Reed Buntings noted in song. On south lake three Goldeneyes and a pair of Wigeon still present.

First Swallow

Lade - Lockdown Day 9 - cold, dry and sunny, ne 2 - As I`m suffering from an impinged shoulder and couldn't sleep I was up early and listening to the nascent dawn chorus in the garden gloom along with a steaming cup of tea. There wasn't a human sound to be heard, no cars carrying an early commuter to work, planes overhead or dog-walker, nothing; it was like Christmas Day afternoon when everyone is indoors watching telly. In the stillness of night a rime of frost had settled on the cottage slates, glinting in the first rays of the new day as a distant Blackbird delivered a half-hearted lament. While I was trying to work out what day of the week it was (they seem to have melded into one of late) our local gang of sparrows chirped up from their roost in the pyracantha thicket bringing me back to reality.
  Barney snuffled around the garden checking out last nights nocturnal odours. Several times he seemed to hit a `wall` as he investigated each smell: was it a Badger or Fox that had been rooting around under the fir trees, or maybe one of several transient cats or even a wandering Hedgehog, although I`ve not seen one out of hibernation yet?  Apparently, a dog`s sense of smell is fifty times more sensitive than ours; I can`t imagine what that would be like...

                               Wrens were in fine voice today

                               Knots and a Grey Plover on the beach
 
  Our daily outing was full of surprises, mainly due to the east wind that has at last relented. A pair of Canada Geese (75) on Kerton Road pit looking for a nest site was the first of five species new for the Lockdown List. Our first Swallow (76) of spring zipped over south lake and sped north, closely followed by a trio of Barnacle Geese (77) heading south calling (an unusual record here) that were later noted on Dengemarsh (MC). Plenty of resident birds were in fine voice including loads of Wrens and Dunnocks in dry scrub, Cetti`s Warblers and Reed Buntings in the willow swamp and Skylarks and Meadow Pipits over the desert.

                                Goose Barnacles on the beach

   The walk back along the beach delivered a few waders: Curlews and Oystercatchers, Dunlins and Sanderlings, 4 Ringed Plover, 20 Knots, Grey Plover (78) and Turnstone (79). Best of all though was a Dan-can buoy washed up on the beach festooned with hundreds of Goose Barnacles.
  Other local news today concerned another Sea-eagle sighting over New Romney by Chris P and Owen L.