`Booming` Bittern

Dungeness - mild, cloudy, showery, SSE 4 - A check of Lade and the bay this morning revealed nothing new of note. A circuit of the bird reserve, just before the rain got going, revealed all the expected wildfowl, gulls, harriers and egrets, plus singing Reed Buntings and Cetti`s Warblers across the site. The hayfields are drying out fast but did hold a flock of nine Dunlins, Ringed Plover, Ruff and Curlew along with up to 20 Teal. From Dengemarsh hide three more Ruffs were in amongst the Lapwings, Shelducks and Wigeons on the far side, while a Bittern gave a half-hearted `boom`. There was plenty of activity on the Boulderwall fields from Lapwings, Wigeons, feral geese and Starlings. At Cockles Bridge the Cattle Egret tally had rose to six along with two Little Egrets.

                                 Dunlins on the hayfields

Kittiwakes

Dungeness - 0620 - 0820hrs - cold, cloudy, hazy light, SSE 4 - A two hour seawatching session from the hide with a clutch of locals was noticeable for a steady up-Channel passage of Kittiwakes with at least 250 whilst I was present, some close to shore. Also on the move: 45 Gannet, 21 Common Scoter, 75 Red-throated Diver, 150 auks, 110 Brent Goose, 10 Teal, 12 Oystercatcher, 2 Pintail, a Mediterranean Gull and a Fulmar.

                                 Linnet, Lade north

A walk around the spinney between Church Lane and Dunes Road late morning delivered three singing Chiffchaffs and a Common Treecreeper, plus two `drumming` Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Green Woodpecker, Song Thrush, Greenfinch and four Redwings. Two Buzzards flew over the dung heap and a small flock of Linnets were feeding around the bushes and in a weedy field nearby, with 20 Corn Buntings further down the track towards Lade and singing Skylarks overhead. 

Cetti`s Warblers

Lade - warm, dry and sunny, S 3 - I spent some time this morning on the local patch counting singing Cetti`s Warblers as a prelude to this years breeding survey for RSPB. They can be tricky little devils to survey accurately as once the male delivers its familiar and explosive song it has a habit of hopping it sharpish to the next singing position (often unseen) which may be some way off. For the unwary its easy to fall into the trap that it may be a different territory, so a cautious approach is required. Anyhow, I managed to negotiate around the margins of both lakes (with a bit of ditch jumping behind the `mirrors`!) and reckoned there to be at least eight singing males present. I`ll try again next month to see if the tally is about the same. Also noted, four Goldeneyes on north, four pairs of Great Crested Grebes across both waters, 50 Teals, 30 Shovelers, an adult female Marsh Harrier, two Chiffchaffs and a cracking Firecrest along the causeway. A final scan from the aerial ramp revealed 150 Curlews flying in off the bay heading to roost on the Desert.

                                 Stonechat, Dungeness 

A drive out onto the Estate to check the beach for an early Wheatear failed on that front but did deliver at least eight Stonechats (something of a fall) plus four Meadow Pipits and two Skylarks. The four Cattle Egrets were on either side of the Lydd Road between the horse paddocks and Cockles Bridge.

Fulmars

Dungeness - 0630 - 0830hrs - cold, sunny, SE 5, hazy light - A two hour seawatch from the hide in the company of CP, JS, MC et al produced a steady flow of seabirds moving up-Channel across a choppy sea and in a bitingly cold wind. Most notable were good numbers of Fulmars, close flocks of Brent Geese and a scattering of ducks as follows: Fulmar 55, Gannet 40, Brent Goose 380, Red-throated Diver 80, auks 120, Kittiwake 90, Common Scoter 9, Wigeon 20, Shoveler 10, Teal 20, Pintail 2, Shelduck 2 and a lone wader, probably a Ringed Plover. Also, the resident Peregrine pair put on a show out over the sea chasing a pigeon.  

                                  Sunrise over Dungeness

Ruffs

 Dengemarsh - cold, dry and sunny, E 5 - A biting east wind made for an uncomfortable walk from Springfield Bridge down to the Hayfields. From the bridge a few Corn and Reed Buntings picked over the dredgings stacked on the sewer bank, whilst a lone male Marsh Harrier quartered Hookers reedbed. On the flood both Great White and Little Egrets, plus a Jack Snipe that I almost stood on by the old pump before it flew off! The hayfields look in superb nick with plenty of water and shallows attractive to early passage waders. Hayfield 3 held only two Ringed Plovers and a Lapwing, but there was a bit more activity on Hayfields 1/2 where six Ringed Plovers displayed alongside two smart `white` Ruffs and 25 Teals.

                                 Great White Egret, Dengemarsh flood

                                 Two `white` Ruffs, Hayfield 2

Driving past Cockles Bridge the four Cattle Egrets were still present on the sheep paddock, as was the redhead Smew on ARC from the causeway road. At Lade a singing Chiffchaff from the shelter of the ponds was the only hint of spring, while an attempt to check the bay waders at the Tavern lookout was scuppered due to the rasping wind. 

Firecrest

Dungeness - mild and murky, light airs - A check of Lade pits first thing delivered little of note apart from both Little and Great Crested Grebes going about their nuptials. Duck numbers have started to disperse in line with the lengthening daylight hours. Moving on to Dungeness where a walk along the beach from the lifeboat station to the concrete road (hoping for an early Wheatear) produced at least 10 Skylarks, several of which were in song, two Meadow Pipits, a pair of Stock Doves, Kestrel, Pied Wagtail and Stonechat. In the old lighthouse garden a Firecrest called and showed briefly along with a Chiffchaff, a couple of Chaffinches and a Siskin over calling.

                                  Stonechat, Dungeness

                                 Cattle Egrets, Cockles Bridge

Crossing the causeway road and the redhead Smew remained on ARC, plus a Great White Egret. The Boulderwall fields were largely deserted apart from a pack of 50 Wigeon. Highlights on Burrowes included six Goldeneyes, three Black-tailed Godwits, a Dunlin, my first singing Chiffchaff of the year and a male Marsh Harrier over. At Cockles Bridge the long-staying four Cattle Egrets were roosting along the adjacent sewer.

Brent Geese

Dungeness - 0630 - 0830hrs - cool, cloudy, misty, SE 2 - One of the great spring migration spectacles at  Dungeness is the up-Channel movement of Brent Geese heading back north-east to breed, and this morning`s watch was no exception. During the two hours that I was in the sea watch hide (with CP, MC and the new Assistant Warden - welcome to Dungeness Jacob) at least 1,150 passed by in various sized flocks with the largest being 180 birds, and some so close you hear them calling. No doubt many more were logged throughout the day. Also of note were my first two Sandwich Terns of the year and a pair of Pintails, plus 65 Gannets, 950 auks, 85 Kittiwakes, 35 Red-throated Divers, 25 Common Scoters, 8 Wigeons, 3 Fulmars and a Med Gull. 

                                  Brent Geese on the move

                                  Fieldfares, Romney Salts

                                 Mediterranean Gull, Littlestone beach

A late morning walk across Romney Salts produced few farmland birds but did include a notable flock of 200 Fieldfares that briefly paused in a spinney before heading off high to the east. Mediterranean Gulls are also on the move this month with several seen on the beach at Littlestone beach yesterday and over New Romney calling this afternoon. Other local news of note includes the wintering Smew on ARC and four Cattle Egrets at Cockles Bridge, a Black-necked Grebe on Burrowes, Firecrest and Woodlark at the Point.