Hen Harrier

Dungeness - cold, dry, sunny, nw 2 - 0800hrs - The first frost of the winter was on the car windscreen this morning but once the sun rose it turned into a beautiful sunny day, and the birding wasn't bad either. Following a tip off from OL we soon located the Dartford Warbler in a gorse thicket behind Jarman`s along with its attendant Stonechats, but frustratingly it evaded the bridge camera for a piccie. Several Robins, Wrens, Great Tits and a Siskin overhead were also noted on the edge of the Desert before a cracking female Hen Harrier hove into view. I watched as it dropped onto a rabbit spending 10 minutes feeding before floating off towards the Dungeness Road. However, it soon reappeared and put on a superb show for the local birders as it worked the scrub behind the Sanctuary and down to the Pilot. Also noted around the peninsula this morning Ring Ouzel, Woodcock, Chiffchaff and a Sparrowhawk, and driving past Kerton Road a Black Redstart was perched on the corner house at the junction of Coast Drive.

                                Hen Harrier, Dungeness

  An hour at the fishing boats this afternoon delivered the obligatory Gannets and gulls offshore and little else. It was all quiet at Lade today, apart from a film shoot on the `mirror` island.

Water Pipit

Lade - mild, cloudy, n2 - 0800hrs - We spent a couple of hours birding Mockmill and the rough ground behind the `mirrors` this morning. A Ring Ouzel was the best of a meagre bunch of migrants that also included a few Blackbirds, Song Thrushes, Robins, Reed Buntings, Skylarks, Stonechats and at least 50 grounded Mipits. Several Marsh Harriers, Buzzard and Kestrel also noted, plus Cetti`s Warbler and all the usual wildfowl and grebes on south lake.
  The garden mv trap attracted just two moths last night, and with night time temperatures set to plummet and numbers at least 25% down on previous years I`ve decided to pack it away until next season.
Dengemarsh - A circuit of Dengemarsh produced a nice surprise in the shape of a Water Pipit on a distant island opposite the hide, which was new for the year (209); not that I`m particularly keeping a Marsh year list, of course... However, we failed to relocate the two Scaups seen this morning, a species that has virtually taken on rarity status in these parts of late. Marsh Harriers, Buzzards, Great White Egrets,  Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail, 10 Pintails and at least 10 Stonechats were all noted.
  On Burrowes three Blackwits and the usual range of common wildfowl and gulls were on show from Firth hide, where earlier a Jack Snipe briefly emerged from the willow roots (DW).

Dartford Warblers

Dungeness - 0800hrs - warm, dry, sunny,  se 2 - A circuit of the point from Jarman`s to the Obs and back was virtually birdless. I cannot remember such a disappointing October as this one, thankfully the unseasonably warm weather made for a pleasant walk if nothing else.
  Following a tweet from DW this afternoon a return to Dunge delivered two Dartford Warblers in gorse scrub behind the Shingle House along with several Stonechats and a Ring Ouzel.
Littlestone - A late afternoon scan of the golf links from the sea wall for the reported Short-eared Owls drew a blank.

Brents and Beardies

Saturday - Lade - 0800hrs - overcast, mild, drizzle, light airs - Surely perfect weather conditions for an overnight drop-in of migrants? But no, yet again the bushes were largely barren as we worked Mockmill and the scrub across the shingle ridges, although it was so still that on south lake you could hear the Shovelers filter feeding. Scanning from the aerial mound both Marsh Harrier and Buzzard were slumped atop distant bushes in the murk and a couple of small charms of Goldfinches tinkled overhead. And then, as if by magic, five `tac-taccing` Ring Ouzels dropped into the willow scrub, followed by 10 Blackbirds!
  Around 1130hrs I received a phone call from Alan and Anita on the front to the effect that a large flock of Brent Geese had dropped in on the bay at high tide. Sure enough they were still present when I strolled down the boardwalk from the car park, until a pair of paddle boarders flushed them towards Dungeness where the geese joined another passing flock to make at least 500 birds.
Dungeness - 1400-1600hrs  - A seawatch from the fishing boats with the north Kent gull aficionados and their bait failed to attract any unusual specimens, apart from a known colour ringed Herring Gull. Offshore, several more flocks totalling 200 Brents passed west along with a few Med Gulls, a raft of 30 Kittiwakes, two Guillemots and a Red-throated Diver on the sea.

                                Brents, Lade Bay

Sunday - Lade -mild, cloudy, light airs - At the risk of sounding like a stuck record it was another flat day on the local patch apart from one nugget, thanks to Barney, who flushed a pair of beautiful Bearded Tits from a patch of reeds beside south lake. They `pinged` twice, flew over my head and disappeared into another reed bed across the lake which, surprisingly, was only the second time I have noted them here. Elsewhere, a few Blackbirds were still about, plus a Ring Ouzel along the track and the usual Kingfishers, wildfowl and grebes. As the Curlews (480) flew overhead to roost they brought with them 12 Barwits and five Grey Plovers.

Autumn sunshine

Dungeness - mild, sunny, sw 2 - We spent most of the day birding the peninsula and enjoying the autumn sunshine; which was a good job as birds were few and far between with a Black Redstart, an overhead Redpoll and a few Skylarks being about the best of the passerines around the old lighthouse. At the Patch the usual melee of gulls included at least 10 Mediterranean Gulls (with 20 more past the fishing boats this afternoon, plus 100 Kittiwakes in a 30 minute seawatch) and a Rock Pipit on the sea defence blocks in front of B station.

                                Kittiwakes off Dungeness

  On New Diggings a mixed flock of 25 egrets (nine Great Whites) five Grey Herons, 10 Great Crested Grebes and a redhead Goosander (our first of the autumn) provided a fine spectacle as they followed a large gathering of fishing Cormorants around the lakeside margins picking off small morsels. On ARC 200 Golden Plovers and Lapwings, a Ruff, several Marsh Harriers, another two Great White Egrets and a Peregrine over was about the best on offer.
  Moving onto Scotney and apart from the usual feral geese, a few Lapwings and common ducks all was quiet on the front lake and lawn. Outback several Corn Buntings, Linnets, Goldfinches, more plastic geese, four Shelducks, a Green Sandpiper and two soaring Buzzards.

                                 Barney sporting his smart new buzz-cut

  A scan of Dengemarsh from Springfield bridge delivered good views of a Kingfisher, a late  Swallow, more Buzzards and Marsh Harriers, common wildfowl, egrets and two Ravens overhead. After calling in at the allotment a check of Lydd wood revealed a mixed tit flock, but little else.
  Finishing off on the bay a scattering of shorebirds and gulls included at least 20 Mediterranean Gulls.

Pallas`s Warbler

Lade - 0800hrs - Foggy, mild, light airs - With Redwings passing over the cottage around dawn expectation levels rose as we trudged across the shingle towards Mockmill Sewer. A few Skylarks and Mipits filtered overhead and when all of a sudden the sun broke through, burning off the murk, up popped a few passerines to bask in the early morning warmth. The tangle of bramble, blackthorn and nettles contained a goodly number of commoners such as Chaffinches, Robins, Wrens, Dunnocks, Song Thrushes and Blackbirds, plus 10 Stonechats, 10 Reed Buntings, a Chiffchaff, two Cetti`s Warblers, a Green Woodpecker and goodness knows what else. Around 500 Curlews flew to roost on the storm ridges, while Marsh Harrier, Kestrel and a Short-eared Owl hunted the back fields behind the `mirrors`.
  On south lake there was a significant increase in Shovelers and Pochards to over 100 each, plus a Great White Egret, a Kingfisher, two Swallows south and plenty of vocalising Water Rails in the reed beds.

                                Stonechat and Lade south

Dungeness - 1300hrs - At long last a quality bird for the locals to enjoy in the shape of a trapped Pallas`s Warbler. By the time I got my act together (thanks for the call Gill) the bird was still in the moat showing intermittently amongst the sallows in the Heligoland trap. In the bright sunshine the rump appeared particularly conspicuous as it flitted between bushes and the netting within a mini flock of Goldcrests and at least one each of Firecrest and Chiffchaff.
  Perhaps now the rarity gate has been partly opened we can enjoy a late autumn run of rare Siberian migrants. Time will tell...

Autumnwatch...

Lade - mild, overcast, light airs - The past couple of days have seen few new arrivals on the local patch and elsewhere across the peninsula. There has been a slight increase in crests in the garden, a few Swallows overhead and a Great White Egret on south lake to keep the interest ticking along.
Dungeness - 0800hrs - Once again a circuit of the point this morning yielded precious few migrants with a light overhead passage of Goldfinches, Linnets, Mipits, alba wagtails and Skylarks. In the bushes a few Song Thrushes, Robins, Blackbirds, Chaffinches and Goldcrests, plus two Black Redstarts by the Britannia, a Firecrest in the lighthouse garden, a Great Spotted Woodpecker by Lloyds, a Chiffchaff in the moat and two Swallows along the beach by the fishing boats. Offshore just the usual passing Gannets and Brents.
BBC Autumnwatch - I`m sure you`re all aware that its back on our screens, for one week only, with the usual trio of Packham, Strachan and Hughes-Games, plus entourage having pitched up at RSPB Arne in Dorset on the edge of the spectacular Poole Harbour, probably the finest natural harbour in  these islands.
  Having watched the first two episodes there were one or two items of interest, in between the usual infantile comments from our illustrious hosts. The piece on Edible Dormice was a bit of a shocker as I hadn't realised how abundant they have become (probably one million of them!) in my old neck-of-the-woods. Together with that other non-native species, the Grey Squirrel, no wonder breeding bird numbers have plummeted in Chilterns` woodlands (and by the way BBC, Edible Dormice have nothing to do with the "demise of Pied Flycatchers", as they do not and never have bred in the Chilterns, at least not since the Glis has been present).
  Talking of duff gen poor old Martin Hughes-Games got in a right old pickle with his wader names as he floundered around in the Poole Harbour mud looking for roosting "Eurasian Spoonbills". Still, we`ve not got to put up with him for much longer as I hear tell his days are numbered at Spring/Autumn/Winterwatch and this is his last outing, for reasons which are best left untold...
  Anyhow, the Golden Eagle piece was also of interest (the cynic in me thinks that at least now they`ve got a tracker on the poor thing they`ll be able to pin-point where it gets killed - sorry!), along with leprosy in Red Squirrels, Arne reptiles, nasty Asian hornets murdering our native bees and even nastier human hunters shooting `our` Bewick`s Swans on migration.
  With two more episodes to go no doubt there`ll be a few more nuggets to enjoy of what, as a concept, is a very good natural history show, just a shame about some of the presentation.