Clouded Yellows

 Lade - warm, dry and sunny - On the local patch this morning the highlight was a stunning Clouded Yellow butterfly that eventually settled on the shingle by the main track; typically, several others were noted on the bird reserve later. Around the ponds a small mixed flock of Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Lesser and Common Whitethroats kept us busy, while a smart juvenile Ruff settled briefly on the island on south lake.

                     Clouded Yellow and Ruff, Lade

                                  Whitethroat

  With the circular trail open on the bird reserve, and Makepeace hide accessible, a check of Burrowes drew a blank for waders, although a work party was in progress clearing vegetation from the one of the islands. However, there were plenty of common warblers to sift through in the bushes around the car park and elsewhere with Blackcap, Cetti`s, Sedge and Reed Warblers added to the Lade list earlier. Otherwise it was very quiet around the main body of the reserve. We ended the bird tour on 104 species for our guests, including a good selection of waders, warblers and chats. 

Rye and Pett

 Rye Harbour - hot, dry and sunny - For a change of scene we spent the morning on the beach reserve at Rye Harbour in sweltering weather conditions. The main track down to sea was closed due to ongoing groundwork for the new visitor centre, although all the hides were open with the usual precautions in operations. Waders noted included 50 Curlews, 20 Dunlins, 10 Redshanks, two Whimbrels, two Little Ringed Plovers and a Common Sandpiper, plus more Curlews on the beach along with Oystercatchers and 50 Sandwich Terns. Also noted two Wheatears, 20 Dabchicks and a steady flow of Sand and House Martins south.

                      Pett pools

  In the afternoon we had a run down to Pett pools where the highlight was a large flock of Sandwich Terns that provided a fine spectacle coming and going off the sea with fish for the juveniles. Also present by the pool, 50 Curlews, Redshank, Bar-tailed Godwit, Little Egret and 20 Dabchicks on the water, while a Fulmar was noted at Cliff End. On the way home we called in at ARC where the Glossy Ibis was still present, plus 50 Knots, 30 Golden Plovers, Bar-wit, Dunlin and two Ruffs.

  

Chats and Starts

 Dungeness - warm, dry and sunny, w 3 - We started the day at the point checking the bushes for grounded migrants. Half a dozen Blackcaps, Willow Warbler, Lesser and Common Whitethroats and several Stonechats and Wheatears were noted in and around the moat, while a mixed flock near the war memorial comprised six Black Redstarts, eight Stonechats, four more Wheatears, Common Redstart and Common Whitethroat. Also noted three Kestrels, Siskin and Grey Wagtail over calling and various flocks of Linnets and Starlings.

                                 Black Redstart and Whinchat

  A brief look at the front fields at Scotney delivered several Yellow Wagtails and all the usual feral geese. Moving onto Dengemarsh, and despite the wind picking up, two Whinchats and Meadow Pipits noted along the hayfield fenceline, plus up to 50 Yellow Wagtails on hayfield 2 amongst the cattle. Also several each of Great White and Little Egrets, three Marsh Harriers, Buzzard and Kingfisher, while at Boulderwall at least three Cattle Egrets were seen amongst the stock. We finished the day at the point with a seawatch from the concrete road where 100 Sandwich Terns, 10 Gannets and two Mediterranean Gulls were on the move.

Wildfowl and waders

 Lade/Dungeness - warm, dry and cloudy, sw 3 - A pleasant afternoon`s birding in the company of Clare and Peter started and finished by scanning the bay from the Tavern viewpoint either side of high tide. The Curlews had already gone to roost, but we had close views of 300 Oystercatchers, 50 Knots, 100 Dunlins, 50 Sanderlings, Bar-tailed Godwit, Ringed Plover and Turnstone, plus seven Shelducks, 150 Sandwich Terns, Little Egret and Mediterranean Gull.

                     Juvenile Swallow, Screen hide 

  The majority of the afternoon was spent at the ARC where the bushes held small mixed flocks of tits and warblers, including Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat. Hundreds of Sand Martins and Swallows swarmed over the lake along with 20 Common Terns and a few Sandwich Terns, while hundreds more common diving and dabbling ducks included a few Pintail and Wigeon. Two Black-necked Grebes hugged the far reedbed over by Hanson hide and the Glossy Ibis showed well with both Great White and Little Egrets. Waders included 50 Golden Plovers, five Little Ringed Plovers, Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwits, two Snipe, Common Sandpiper, Dunlin and a smart Little Stint. On the Desert behind the water tower two each of Whinchat and Wheatear were noted, plus Green Woodpecker, Sparrowhawk and two late Swifts heading south.

Passage migrants

Lade - warm, dry and sunny, light airs - Fine weather across the weekend delivered a decent range of common passage migrants through the local patch including Willow Warblers and Lesser Whitethroats, Swallows and Sand Martins, Wheatears and Whinchats, Yellow Wagtails and Meadow Pipits, along with a few Grey Wagtails and Tree Pipits, plus the first Black-necked Grebe of autumn on south lake amongst hundreds of diving ducks, grebes and Coots. The margins attracted several Little Egrets and a couple of Redshanks and a Common Sandpiper, while a Kingfisher `whistling` around the willow swamp was also the first of the season. Bird of the day though was distant views of a Short-eared Owl quartering the shingle ridges before disappearing behind the `mirrors` towards the airfield.

                     Wheatear, Lade Desert

                      Little Egrets, Lade bay (by David Scott)

  The bay continues to attract plenty of passage waders and Sandwich Terns. Little Egrets are not a bird normally associated with salt water, although in the past I have noted them feeding along the gryones at Littlestone. However, three off Greatstone beach on Friday was unusual, as seen and photographed by DS.

Knots on the bay

 Lade - warm, dry, cloudy, sw 4 - The past few days on the local patch has seen some impressive movements of hirundines over the lakes, mostly Swallows, plus a couple of tardy Swifts. Little Egrets and Grey Herons are taking advantage of the numerous shallows in which to fish, while Tufted Duck numbers have risen to over 300. The bushes continue to attract smart Willow Warblers, Common and Lesser Whitethroats and there was even one of the latter in the garden fir trees yesterday. Overhead, and grounded on the Desert, Yellow Wagtails and Meadow Pipits are on the move during the morning, along with the occasional Grey Wagtail and Tree Pipit, so fairly standard early autumn fare.

                     Basking Foxes yesterday by the lakes

                     Knots and Bar-tailed Godwit on the bay

  On the beach this afternoon on a falling tide 320 Knots feeding close to shore provided a cracking spectacle along with a few Bar-tailed Godwits, Ringed Plovers and Turnstones. Further out a flock of 55 raucous Sandwich Terns loafed on the sands. 

Wryneck, again!

 Lade - warm, dry and sunny - The past few days have seen a cool northerly airflow sweep across the peninsula making for difficult birding around the local patch. However, a few Tree Pipits and Grey Wagtails were noted amongst the more numerous Meadow Pipits and Yellow Wagtails, while three Swifts nipped through yesterday.

                   Wryneck, DBO

  This morning a tour of the point with Lucy was fairly pedestrian with just a couple of Wheatears, a Black Redstart and another Swift the highlights; until, that is, news came through from the Obs of a Wryneck that had just been trapped in the moat, providing slightly better views than the skulker at Galloways last Friday. As always, is was superb to see its cryptic plumage close up, while it also performed the characteristic neck stretching exercise this species is notable for when in the hand.