`Pink` Moon

Lade - Lockdown Day 16 - warm, dry and sunny, E2 - Another cracking day of weather but not so for migrants as when its clear and still the night before they tend to carrying on inland, by-passing the coastal plain. Around the local patch Reed Warbler, Chiffchaff and Blackcap in song, along with Goldfinch, Linnet, Greenfinch, Reed Bunting, Skylark, Meadow Pipit and Stonechat. As the morning warmed up a Red Kite passed over the airfield where it got the full treatment from the local Buzzards.
  On the beach plenty of Sandwich Terns, several Mediterranean Gulls and a Wheatear near the toilet block, which was species number 90 for the Lockdown List. Waders noted include 135 Curlews, 110 Oystercatchers, 155 Sanderlings, 30 Knots, 10 Ringed Plovers, 10 Turnstones and two Grey Plovers.
  For the second night running the garden moth trap was barren.

                               Sanderlings and Turnstone, Lade beach


  This afternoon, whilst queuing up outside Aldi supermarket in Hythe two Common Buzzards drifted along the distant hills, while Chiffchaff and Blackcap sang from Jewson`s yard.

                                   Last night`s `Pink Moon`

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.