White Spot

Lade - Lockdown Day 48 - overcast, humid, light airs - Perfect overnight weather conditions for moth trapping then, and so it proved with nine species of macros including a pristine White Spot, new for the year. Looking at the forecast though, the next few nights might not be so favourable.

                                White Spot

  On the local patch this morning a few Swifts and Swallows above south lake, a Yellow Wagtail over the desert and a late Whimbrel through was the only evidence of any migration. Bird song was much supressed now that the breeding season is in full swing, while the first Blue and Great Tit fledglings were out and about in the bushes around the ponds. By the time we got home, just before noon, the wind had begun to pick up from the north-east, although it remained mild.
  A high tide scan of the bay for half an hour this afternoon, from the shelter of the toilet block, yielded several each of Gannet and Sandwich Tern, plus two Grey Seals. Visibility was poor and by late afternoon the wind had picked up considerably, gusting to near gale force.

Red Kite passage

Lade - Lockdown Day 47 - warm, dry and sunny, ne 2 - A decent catch this morning with 33 macros of eight species in the garden trap, including Cinnabar and White Ermine new for the year.

                                White Ermine and Cinnabar

  Our early morning circuit of the local patch delivered an increase in Common Sandpipers to four around the margins of south lake where they struggled to find somewhere to land due to the high water levels. A check of the bay at high tide for seabirds drew a blank, but there was plenty of activity again by the emergency services dealing with incoming human migrants, including the Dover and Dungeness lifeboats.

                               Confiding Carrion Crow on the Desert

         

                                Dover and Dungeness lifeboats in the bay

  This morning there was a notable movement of Red Kites across the peninsula with upwards of 25 birds reported by midday from local birders, plus a Black Kite (MC et al). I saw four birds from the end of Hull Road soaring over the airport, while several more were reported from Greatstone and Romney Marsh, but always drifting inland; indeed, Chris P at hinterland St Mary-in-the-Marsh, during a 1045 -1145 sky-watch from his garden reported an astonishing, 18 Red Kites, 12 Common Buzzards, four Kestrels, two Sparrowhawks and a Black Kite! 
  The general consensus on the Red Kite movement is that they are probably migrants en-route to Scandinavian breeding grounds having drifted across the Channel. Some appear to be in wing-moult, so are probably non-breeding immatures.

Common Sandpipers

Lade - Lockdown Day 46 - warm, dry and sunny, e 1 - We were up and about early this morning for a circuit of the local patch as Barney doesn't like the heat, and today turned into a belter. New for the lockdown list were two Common Sandpipers (108) flying across south lake on bowed wings. A couple of male Cuckoos were going full tilt around the willow swamp where Blackcap, Sedge, Reed and Cetti`s warblers were all in good voice along with a cacophony of Marsh Frogs. Orange Tip and Speckled Wood butterflies were both new for the year by the ponds.
  Pat spotted an Angle Shades on the front door of the cottage when we returned, while in the moth trap seven species of macros were present including Pale Prominent new for the year. Sitting in the garden late morning and a Red Kite drifted over heading north, plus a few Swifts and a distant Greenshank calling.

                                 Angle Shades

                                Pale Prominent

  On a high hide and with a flat calm sea, just after midday, I tried a 45 minute seawatch off the Lade boardwalk but could only muster two distant Gannets, four Sandwich Terns, eight Great Crested Grebes and four Grey Seals. Whilst there the UK Border Force arrived on the scene as a RHIB pitched up further north on Greatstone Beach with incoming migrants of the human kind.

    `Snow` on the beach, Lade

Missed migrants

Lade - Lockdown Day 45 - warm, dry and sunny, se 2 - Our morning circuit of the local patch was largely uneventful apart from a Peregrine (107) that at last made it onto the lockdown list chasing down a Woodpigeon behind the `mirrors`, where Marsh Harrier and Common Buzzard were thermalling over the airfield. Also passing over high up, two Common Terns, several Mediterranean Gulls and a lone Whimbrel.
  Whilst on site I received a number of messages concerning birds potentially `coming my way` such as Bee-eater, Osprey, Honey Buzzard and several Red Kites on the move, none of which I managed to connect with! But thanks to one and all for the tip-offs anyway. On the bay at low tide still plenty of Sanderlings and Ringed Plovers amongst the Curlews and Oystercatchers, plus a few Bar-tailed Godwits and Grey Plovers.
  Elsewhere today there was a steady up-Channel passage of Pomarine, Arctic and Great Skuas reported from Sussex headlands.

   This prolonged and unprecedented period of lockdown appears to be having an unexpected mental effect on some people. Wandering around the local patch we regularly encounter dog-walkers, most of whom we know, who pause for a brief natter (from a safe distance, naturally). During the course of conversations when the thorny subject of lockdown release is mentioned almost all of them state that they don't want the current situation to change! Admittedly, most are retired and in a set routine anyway, but are perfectly happy with the quieter pace of life and not venturing far from home. Some are genuinely petrified of catching Covid-19, even though they`re probably at greater risk from many other serious health conditions that afflict the elderly.
   If this state of affairs is replicated across the country I reckon we in the tourist and leisure industry could be in a very depressed year or two.
 

Common Tern

Lade - Lockdown Day 43 - cold, sunny, ne 5 - With clear skies, a drop in temperature and the wind swinging around to a brisk north-easterly it was no surprise that only two moths made it into the garden trap last night, both Shuttle-shaped Darts.
  And the wind continued throughout the day making for an unpleasant walk around the local patch where few passerines were on offer; however, there was a new species for the lockdown list in the shape of a Common Tern (106) over south lake. It never ceases to amaze me that a bird that is so numerous only a mile away on the bird reserve is so scarce here in the spring. I guess the fact that Lade lacks suitable nesting islands or rafts doesn't help matters, and although it is teeming with fish, including small fry, they are mostly of Common Carp and presumably not to a Common Tern`s liking.

Day of the Swift

Lade - Lockdown Day 42 - mild, overcast, ne 2 - Light airs and overnight cloud made for suitable weather conditions for moths, attracting 18 macros of six species into the light trap, including our first Broad-barred White of the year, plus the pyralid despicata.

                                Pyrausta despicata

Broad-barred White     

  Our morning walk around the local patch was notable for Swifts, hundreds of `em swarming over the lakes and tearing low across the desert and away north, some `screaming` as they went. Its always difficult to assess the numbers involved, but I reckon during the two hours we were on site a conservative estimate of 500 probably passed through. The Swift is one of those birds that is eminently watchable, and certainly in my top ten of favourite British birds.
  Also, decent numbers of hirundines on the move this morning, mainly Swallows and some perched on overhead power lines. Two flocks of four and six Whimbrels passed up the coast and a lone Sandwich Tern flew over calling.

Early May blues

Lade - Lockdown Day 41 - cool and cloudy, se 2 - As we moved into early May this morning delivered near perfect weather conditions for seawatching along the Channel coast to coincide with the peak Pomarine Skua passage. Normally, Dungeness would be packed out with birders eagerly anticipating this short-lived event, but not this year of course, perhaps next year then...
  Meanwhile, just two miles away, we did our routine circuit of the local patch this morning where very little had changed apart from yet another increase in Common Whitethroat numbers with at least 20 males singing across the site, plus five singing Sedge Warblers. Waders noted flying over included several Whimbrel, two Ringed Plovers and a Redshank. Also noted a steady stream of Mediterranean Gulls heading towards Folkestone and an odd looking Kestrel with a white wing bar. The beach was checked from the boardwalk on a falling tide: 100 Sanderlings, 10 Dunlins, 10 Ringed Plovers, 15 Bar-tailed Godwits, plus the usual Oystercatchers and Curlews, two Sandwich Terns (low numbers this spring) and three Gadwall. At sea at least five Grey Seals were present.
  The garden moth trap held 15 moths of five species.

                                Prostrate Broom

                               Sea Campion

                               Ox-eye Daiseys

  The recent drop of rain has done wonders for the floral display across the NNR, as testified by the pics taken in yesterdays sunshine, as well as providing ideal feeding conditions for corvids, Starlings and House Sparrows probing for invertebrates on the turf-clad shingle ridges.