Black-necked Grebes

Lade - 0600hrs - Cool, clear, n4, warm and sunny later, ne4 - A nippy start to the day due to a brisk northerly airflow. With the white bulb back on the trap it was a return to a wider variety of moths, including Latticed Heath, new for the year.
The wind prevented any grounded migrants from showing on the storm beaches apart from 5 Yellow Wagtails and a few Swallows south. On south pit a Black-necked Grebe was the first of the autumn, while 3 more were reported from Kerton Road pit this evening (OL).
ARC - 1400hrs - From Hanson the usual Lapwings and eclipse wildfowl, plus 6 Goldies, 2 Common Sands, Little Stint, Blackwit, Pintail and 3 Garganeys. A Curlew Sand was seen earlier (BP).

Chiff-Willows

Lade - 0600hrs - misty, murky start, w1, warm and sunny later, sw2 - The blue light attracted 221 Flounced Rustics into the trap last night and precious little else. Thankfully, its back to the white light tonight.
A scattering of migrants around this morning included 15 Yellow Wagtails, 3 Willow Warblers, 2 Whitethroats and 3 Wheatears on the storm beaches, with several Chiffchaffs in the sallows. Its that time of year when the WWs start to be superceded by Chiffs, both of which I`ve heard singing their half-hearted autumn song today. In New Romney Blackcaps and more Chiff-Willows seen and heard.

                                          Tray of Flounced Rustics

                                          Wheatear, Lade

ARC - 0930hrs - A quick look from Hanson revealed 6 Goldies, 2 Avocets, 4 Dunlins, Blackwit and Little Stint, 2 Garganeys and a Kingfisher. In the bushes, Chiff-Willows, Cetti`s Warbler, Whitethroat, 10 Great Tits and a Reed Bunting.
Dungeness -  1600hrs - An hours seawatching from the boardwalk revealed a steady westward passage of Common and Sandwich Terns, Gannets and an Arctic Skua. Two pulses of Swallows and Sand Martins struck out towards France totalling 150 and 80 respectively.

Roseate Tern & Buzzards

Lade - 0600hrs - mild, misty, light airs, warm, dry sunny later 24C - Now there`s a talking point (amongst sad old mo`thers at least), went out to flash up the trap last night only to find the white bulb had blown, so replaced it with a blue one. About 2300hrs checked the trap and there were loads of Silver Ys and Flounced Rustics whizzing around the light, but this morning not a single Silver Y was there in the trap. Instead, 165 FRs plus a decent number of Geometrids, so carpets, pugs, Willow Beauts etc. What a difference the blue light makes to the type of moths trapped. Discuss...
Dungeness - 0900hrs - Spent the day showing John from the West Midlands around the Peninsula. Started at the Patch where we jammed an adult Roseate Tern amongst 50 Commons, 5 Arctics, 4 Sandwich, Little Gull and Kittiwake. At least 6 Wheatears along the beach, 4 Redshanks out and a Sparrowhawk. At the Obs was good to see the Heligoland in action where a small flock of warblers and tits were caught.

                                          Willow Warbler, DBO

RSPB - 1130hrs - A whistle stop tour of the bird reserve delivered Tree Sparrows at Boulderwall, Great White Egret and Marsh Harriers on Dengemarsh and 3 Whinchats and a Kestrel at the Corral. From Hanson, hundreds of Lapwings, 6 Knots, 6 Dunlins, 4 Little Stints, Blackwit, 10 Little Egrets, 6 Garganeys and 2 Pintails. Above the lake hundreds of gulls, Starlings and hirundines hawking emerging insects, plus a few Yellow Wagtails over.
During the afternoon there appeared to be a passage of Buzzards over the shingle with 13 over the Desert (DB), 2 over Burrowes (PB) and 3 over Lade. A Balearic Shearwater was also seen off shore (TH).

Avocets & Hummer

Lade - 0600hrs - mild, dry, cloudy w2 - A decent catch in the trap last night with 33 Silver Ys the most numerous moth. Also of note a Hummingbird Hawk Moth and an Old Lady ( a moth that is!)  in the trap, as mostly they`re found outside the trap.
A wander around the pits produced 100 Swallows feeding over the Desert, 20 Yellow Wags, 5 Mipits, plus several Willow Warblers and a Blackcap in the sallows. Amazing how difficult Dabchicks are to see in the summer, not so now as they emerge from the reedbeds with their young.

                                          Avocets, ARC

                                          Webb`s Wainscot

                                          Hummingbird Hawk Moth

RSPB - 1230hrs - A circuit of the bird reserve was disapointing with just the GWEgret of note on Dengemarsh,  a steady passage of Sand Martins over the waters, plus 2 Sparrowhawks and 5 Marsh Harriers. From Hanson, 7 Dunlins, 6 Knots, 5 Avocets, 4 Little Stints and singles of Common Sandpiper and Golden Plover, amongst several hundred Lapwings, 6 Garganey, 3 Little Egrets and all the usual wildfowl. More Yellow Wags and Sand Martins here too.

Spotted Redshank

Lade - mild, damp, light airs, brighter later, w2 - The moth trap was full of Flounced Rustics and Silver Ys this morning, plus a cracking Burnished Brass.
Flogged around the local patch where bits and pieces of migrants noted on the storm beaches included 20 grounded Yellow Wagtails, 2 Whitethroats, 3 Willow Warblers, 2 Wheatears, a Whinchat and a Spotted Redshank over calling; which was probably the same one on Burrowes later. Sparrowhawk, Kestrel and Marsh Harrier noted, plus a Sedge Warbler and Common Sandpiper on the margins of south pit, with the open water full of common wildfowl and Great Crested Grebes.
Whilst sitting in the garden this afternoon the Starlings went into alarm mode as a superb brown Merlin whipped overhead giving chase. Two Sparrowhawks also, over south today.

                                          Burnished Brass

 Wryneck with Grass Snake, Dungeness, (Craig Bunney)

ARC - 1400hrs - From Hanson hide 200 Lapwings, 50 Golden Plovers, 6 Dunlins, 4 Little Stints, and singles of Common and Curlew Sandpipers, Garganey, Pintail and Wigeon. A Peregrine swept over just as I was leaving scattering all the waders skywards and some of the ducks. From Screen hide 3 more Garganeys, a Blackwit and several Yellow Wagtails over.
Had another look for the Wryneck on the Estate, without success, but it did show on and off throughout the day during which time it mobbed a Grass Snake that ventured too close (DB).
ps: Elsewhere today a scattering of Whinchats, Wheatears and common warblers around the Peninsula, Great White Egret at Dengemarsh, Black Tern and Little Gull at the Patch and Pom Skua passed the boats this afternoon.

Wryneck & Roseate Tern

Lade - 0600hrs - Cold! Crikey what`s going on, 8C on the garden thermometer and a stiff north-westerly making it decidedly chilly first off, although as the wind dropped throughout the day and the sun took hold, summer returned. Over the back a trickle of Yellow Wags overhead, plus a few grounded, along with a couple of Reed Buntings.

Some bloke (who shall remain nameless, but goes by the pseudonym of the Joker) kindly dropped off some chillies yesterday, but what Mrs PT didn't vouch for when she opened the package was some meat to go with the vege in the form of Shelob, a monster spider!
Dungeness - 1000hrs -  A quick scan from the seawatch hide revealed 20 Common Scoters on the sea, plus 2 Arctic Skuas milling around and a steady flow of distant Gannets. Down at the Patch 50 Common Terns were joined by 3 Arctic Terns, plus singles of Black Tern, Little Gull and a cracking adult Roseate Tern, my first of the year having missed several so far this summer. A Peregrine was toying with the Feral Pigeons over the power station and a single Whimbrel went over calling.
A text told of the Wrynecks reappearance in a private garden on the Estate and unbelievably (for me) I had 3 brief views of it whilst chatting to DB. Now that`s what you call a quality couple of hours birding.
PS: The August Wader Challenge ended on a respectable 24 species for the month, all seen at Dungeness, but with nothing of particular rarity value.

                                  Wryneck, Dungeness, 30-8-12 (Dave Bunney)

Cattle Egret

RSPB - 1045hrs - Cool, showery, w4 - Joined the Joker, plus a motley collection of locals gathered in Dennis`s hide awaiting a Cattle Egret to show, which it did, briefly, before returning to shelter in the lee of the islands from the brisk westerly. A flock of 30 Knot flew over whilst we were waiting.
A run down to Dengemarsh hide delivered Sparrowhawk and Marsh Harrier en-route, plus the Great White Egret just before the hide and a close Raven `cronking` overhead. With the terns gone Dengemarsh was much quieter than of late, but as we checked through the wildfowl over flew the Cattle Egret from Burrowes in company with a Little Egret which prompted a "3egret day" remark from someone one shall remain nameless...
From Springfield Bridge we relocated the said egret where it showed nicely thank you, affording a few record shots.

                                         Cattle Egret, Dengemarsh                                           
Scotney - Three Bar-headed Geese noted amongst the feral Greylags while `over the border` into deepest, darkest Sussex a large flock of c300 Golden Plovers were loafing on the spit amongst a couple of Curlews and loads of Lapwings.
We gave ARC a miss due to conservation work, but a Wood Sandpiper and several Blackwits were reported amongst the commoner waders.
ps: A Wryneck was seen in a private garden on the Dungeness Estate this evening (DB).