Cetti`s Warblers

Dungeness RSPB - warm, dry and sunny, NE 3 - Perfect weather for a spot of survey work on Cetti`s Warblers, of which 18 singers were located, mostly across Dengemarsh; but only one seen quite well from the ramp. Also in the Hookers area several `pinging` Bearded Tits and displaying Marsh Harriers, plus a `booming` Bittern to go with two others elsewhere on the reserve. At least four Garganeys were at the back of the lake from Dengemarsh hide with another two on Gun Club pool. On the hayfields four Redshanks, 80 Teal, two Shelduck and a Black-tailed Godwit. Burrowes still had six Goldeneyes and a pair of Pintail amongst hundreds of Shovelers, Wigeons, diving ducks and Coots.

                                  Dennis`s Lookout

                                  Firth Lookout

                                 Makepeace Lookout

                                 Peregrine, Dungeness

                                 Flock of egrets on ARC

Hide Update

The old Firth and Makepeace hides were cleared away this week leaving wide, open lookout points at both locations, although the latter has been left with two temporary screens until its replacement sometime in the future. Next week a new structure is due to be erected by hide specialists Gilleard at Firth to give some shelter. Also this week the lookout point beside Dennis`s hide has been opened up. Over the road on ARC work on repairing Hanson hide is almost complete and according to Craig the hide will reopen shortly, most likely in early April, although the willow trail will remain closed for some time yet.

Garganeys

Scotney - warm, dry and sunny, light airs -  It has been the best spring since I`ve lived down here for  Garganeys with small flocks regularly noted on seawatches this month and a scattering of birds on local wetlands. Today was no different with a smart drake on the main roadside lake amongst the Wigeon, Gadwall and Teal and another one on the first lake past the farm. Outback two Avocets were on the island lake plus my first Little Ringed Plover of spring. Also noted, Peregrine and Raven on the pylons, four Buzzards, four Redshanks, two Curlews and 20 Mediterranean Gulls. Passerines were few and far between though with only a handful of singing Skylarks and a pair of Tree Sparrows by the farm house of note.

                                 Tree Sparrow, Scotney

A pit stop at the bird reserve revealed a pair each of Garganey and Glossy Ibis on Cook`s Pool with five more Garganeys reported on Dengemarsh (MC). At the southern end of ARC a mixed flock of 10 egrets were feeding just out from the causeway road.

Passage wildfowl

Dungeness - 0600 -0830hrs - warm, dry, hazy light SE 2 - A most enjoyable early morning seawatch from the hide along with the usual suspects (CP, JS, MC, JY et al) and notable for a decent range of wildfowl moving up-Channel. Flocks of Common Scoter and Brent Geese (some of which could be heard braying) numbering in the hundreds had various ducks attached including double figures of Pintail and Shoveler, plus several Garganey. A steady passage of Red-throated Divers also kept the interest ticking over along with a dribble of Gannets, Sandwich Terns, seven Oystercatchers, two Red-breasted Mergansers, a Fulmar, a Mediterranean Gull and, best of all, a flock of seven Avocets close to shore. No doubt a full report of today`s seawatch will be posted on Trektellen later on.

                                 Brent flock with dabbling ducks in the mix

                                  Red Kite over Lade

I checked Lade late morning but the lakes were very quiet. However, on the walk back to the car the local HG`s went into melt down and sure enough it wasn`t long before a cracking Red Kite flew over the caravan park with the mobsters in hot pursuit; the kite was seen a few minutes later passing over Littlestone airspace (MH). I also had one yesterday afternoon over NR from the back garden, again courtesy of the Herring Gulls. 

Harriers

 Walland Marsh - warm, dry and sunny, light airs - The weather was set fair for our final harrier count of `winter` (in company with CP) where 13 Marsh Harriers came to roost in three separate areas of the  reedbed over a 30 minute period; a Barn Owl was also in view for the best part of an hour. Also noted: two Ravens, a Snipe, several Reed Buntings and Skylarks, calling Cetti`s Warbler and Water Rail, but very little else. 

Glossies and Garganeys

Dengemarsh - warm, dry and sunny, NE 3 - A superb mornings birding commenced at Cooks Pool on the Boulderwall fields where the regular pair of Glossy Ibis were joined by a third bird. Also on the fields a Great White Egret, several Curlews and the usual range of ducks and feral geese. The skies over Hookers were alive with Marsh Harrier activity with sky-dancing, calling and talon grappling, the full works from four different adult birds. Water Rail, Cetti`s Warbler and Bearded Tits were all heard. from the ramp. As I approached the hide six more Glossy Ibis flew overhead towards the hayfields where they eventually settled at the Scott end. From the hide my first two drake Garganeys of spring roosted on the far side of the lake amongst various Shelducks, Teal, Wigeon, Lapwings, a Spoonbill and a Little Egret.

                                  Displaying Marsh Harriers

                                  Terrible pic of a drake Garganey!

Buzzards and Kites

North Downs - dry, sunny, NW 2 - 0845 - 1200hrs - The day started in fine style with a stunning little Chiffchaff briefly singing in the garden birch tree just outside the kitchen window. Undoubtedly an over night migrant and a first for the garden, what a trill - I`m easily pleased! However, for a change of scene together with CP we headed north for a spot of raptor watching on the downs, the first time we`d been there for three years, for obvious reasons. The weather was perfect with blues skies and a light northerly airflow. Throughout the morning we were constantly serenaded by `larks ascending`, in the words of RVW, and the contrasting `yowing` of up to 50 Mediterranean Gulls soaring high overhead and feeding on surrounding fields alongside a hundred or more Common and Black-headed Gulls. Other overhead passerines during our watch included a flock of 20 Fieldfares, hundreds of corvids, 20 Blackbirds and a trickle of Yellowhammers, Pied Wagtails, Chaffinches and Redwings, plus at least five Ravens, several of which performed their spectacular tumbling display flights overhead. Non-passerines of note included 200 Woodpigeons, Red-legged Partridge, Stock Dove, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers.

                                  Mediterranean Gulls in the wild blue yonder

And so to the main event. BOPs were in view throughout the morning with the first hour being the most productive with at least 20 Common Buzzards thermaling over the wooded countryside providing us with plenty of plumage variations to sift through; including one that had a stunning white rump akin to a ringtail harrier. Also, up to three Red Kites, five Sparrowhawks and three Kestrels making for a very pleasant morning`s birding indeed. 

Black-necked Grebe

 Dungeness - mild, cloudy, SE2 - En-route to the visitors centre and a pit stop at Boulderwall fields revealed two Glossy Ibises and a roosting Spoonbill behind Cooks Pool, where six Water Pipits had been seen earlier (JY). A guided walk for RSPB around the circular trail produced all the the usual suspects including a `booming` Bittern, displaying Marsh Harriers, a pair of Ravens, two Ruff, a Sparrowhawk, a Great White Egret, plus vocalising Bearded Tits and Water Rails from the ramp overlooking Hookers. Burrowes was covered in hundreds of Shovelers (c500), 200 Wigeons and 10 Goldeneyes with another one on Dengemarsh alongside a Black-necked Grebe in non-breeding plumage. At least12 Cetti`s Warblers were in song along the way with similar numbers of Reed Buntings.

                                  Singing and preening Wren

                                 Great Crested and Black-necked Grebes, Dengemarsh

Elsewhere today, the Cattle Egret flock was still at Cockles Bridge paddock, while during the morning the seawatchers` at Dungeness logged a notable passage of 31 Garganeys up-Channel (MC et al).