Spring?

15 the flock of Waxwings still present in Hestia Way at 07.30 this morning, on my return at 16.30 the flock had grown to 50+ birds.

The first day of spring at Dungeness was once again cold with light NE winds and visibility getting steadily worse during the day. 

Sea watching from the Fishing Boats 08.40-09.50 & 14.45-15.05: The Patch c10.30-c11.15

Red throated Diver: 6E  2W                      Little Gull: 6E                   

Fulmar:  1W                                            Kittiwake: 8E

Gannet:  137E                                          Mediterranean Gull: 1E

Brent Goose:  219E                                 3w Glaucous Gull: 1 on beach 

Canada Geese: 4 on sea                            Meadow Pipit: 6 in

Shelduck: 1E                                            Rook: 5 out

Common Scoter: 3W                                Jackdaw: 5 out

Teal: 3E                                                   Harbour Porpoise: 8+

Merlin: 2 in

Dunlin: 18E

Curlew: 7E

Oystercatcher: 12E

Ring Plover: 2 on beach

Just for Steve Gale 1 of 2 at Dungeness today

 Highlight today was the first 2 Wheatears of the year on the beach. The settling beds at the power station held 1 Black Redstart, 3 Meadow Pipits, 3 Pied Wagtails and a Grey Wagtail which I missed (grounded Grey Wagtails are scarce at Dungeness).
Burrowes Pit was very quiet with a red head Smew and 4 Goldeneye the pick of the bunch.
New diggings held the usual Great White Egret and duck Red Crested Pochard was still present. From the causeway 3 Smew (1 drake) could be seen on the ARC and a Marsh Harrier over the road but little else of note.
From Hanson another Marsh Harrier, 3+ Goldeneye, another red head Smew and 2 Peregrines stooping over the lake.

            A couple of record shots taken from the car this afternoon while blocking the road!

Out and about

 15 Waxwings still at 07.20 this morning in Hestia Way J/of Forum Way, Ashford just a few hundred yards from home. They were coming down to feed in the low Cotoneasters on the corner and are tolerant of close approach provided you stay in the car,  5 were still there late afternoon.

14 of the 15 present this morning

There was little sign of off shore migration this morning at a still bitterly cold Dungeness with just a few Brent Geese  Red-throated Divers and Gannets seen. A single Sandwich Tern at The Patch among the usual gulls  and 2 Ravens at the power station. Still no Wheatears at Dungeness.
On New Diggings a single Great White Egret. At the south end of the ARC Pit 5 Smew(1 drake) among the dwindling numbers of Tufted Duck, Pochard, Shoveler and Teal.
A quick look at Burrowes Pit from Dennis's hide was disappointing as it was from the visitor centre.
A wander up to the Tower and around the pits found 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Marsh Harriers, 2 Bitterns flew over the track, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 2 + Cetti's Warblers singing and the seemingly resident duck Red Crested Pochard. From the the Screen 6 more red head Smew, 2 more Bitterns and a Great White Egret. In the Willow Trail a Firecrest still with Long-tailed Tit flock and a single Chiffchaff, also a Marsh Harrier over. (SB had a Hawfinch fly over the track to Hanson earlier this morning).
A trip out onto Walland Marsh with MH this afternoon where we spent a while at the seed dump in Tickners Lane. While there 30+ Yellowhammers, 50+ Chaffinches, 10+ Reed Buntings, a Corn Bunting and some winter thrushes came to feed but no sign of the Brambling.
The Bayland Farm feeding station held the usual Tree Sparrows and finches, close by a Black Swan was with some Mute Swans was the only wildfowl interest now that the Bewicks, Whoopers and Geese have left. A slow drive along |Caldicott Lane looking for Owls and Grey Partridge drew a blank, but we did manage 2 Red-legged Partridges.  

Gulls

With a light SE wind this morning hopes for some off shore migration were high. At 08.00 I approached the sea watching hide just as AJG came out shaking his head. The next hour was one of the slowest sea watches I have had at Dungeness:
Red-throated Diver: 10E   35W
Great Crested Grebe: c300 off shore
Gannet: c15 feeding off shore
Brent Geese: 21E
Common Scoter: 34E
Sandwich Tern: 2E   1W
Auk: 16 W
Harbour Porpoise: 1+

1w Caspian Gull

As I could see 100s of Gulls at The Patch I made my to the hide seeing a Black Redstart on the power station perimeter wall on the way. DW was already in the hide and immediately pointed out a 1w Caspian Gull and 1 of 5 Yellow-legged Gulls present. In the next hour a few more Brent and RT Divers went through while we tried to get the codes off a number of colour ringed Gulls.

2w Yellow Legged Gull

As I drove across the causeway 2 Great White Egrets could be seen on the New Diggings. Walking along the track to Hanson a Marsh Harrier flew over , a Cetti's Warbler sung from a reed bed and Water Rail squealed. From the hide a near summer plumaged Black-necked Grebe (my first of the year) was with a flock of Shoveller and Teal all of which were picking insects off the lake surface. Also there 6 red head Smew, 6+ Goldeneye, 2 Bitterns flew across the lake and a Kingfisher made a couple of passes in front the hide.

Over the road on the reserve the fields by the entrance track still hold good numbers of Curlew, Wigeon and Lapwings. On Burrowes 1 Great White Egret, 4 more red head Smew and 6+Goldeneye were of note.

Back at the ARC the duck Red Crested Pochard flew into its usual lake, a Great spotted Woodpecker was by the track to The Screen hide, where 2 Great White Egrets showed well also a drake Smew was seen and 2 Chiffchaffs were calling in the Sallows behind the hide.

Back at The Point another hour sea watching with MH 15.00-16.00 saw:

Red-throated Diver: 57E  8W

Sandwich Tern:  8E  2W

Guillemot: 6W

A few each of Gannet and Kittiwake feeding off shore.

The Tickners Lane Seed Dump held 24 Yellowhammers, 5 Corn Buntings, 12 Reed Buntings and 20+ Chaffinches. Still many winter thrushes on the marsh.  

Sawbills

With yesterday being a wash out I spent most of the day watching 6 Nations Rugby (the less said about England's performance the better). Hoping that this morning would be the day migrants would be moving, I arrived at the sea watching hide full of expectations only to have my hopes dashed by the look on AJG's face. In a couple of hours watching from the hide the highlights were 3 Eider, 7 Red-breasted Mergansers, 4 Sandwich Terns and a few each of Brent Geese, Red-throated Divers, Common Scoter, Gannets, Kittiwakes and Auks.

A quick look from the south end of the ARC saw the usual Shoveler, 3 Goldeneye, a Marsh Harrier and 2 Great White Egrets on New Diggings.

On the way in to the reserve along the entrance track lots of Curlews probing for worms, still good numbers of Wigeon present and another Great White Egret.

On Burrowes from Makepiece hide, the blue flash of a Kingfisher zipping across the lake, over one the the several flocks of Coot and through the bathing Gulls, which hosted a 3rd year Yellow-legged Gull and later the the 3w Glaucous Gull which came in to bathe before going back to the beach. Among the common wildfowl present were 2+ red head Smew, 5+ Goldeneye and a red head Goosander, also present were 2 Marsh Harriers hunting over the southern bank.

By the track on the way out of the reserve a Bittern flew over the newly cleared island and another flushed from the reed bed by Boulderwall Farm.

                                                      Curlew eating worms.
A visit to a full Hanson Hide in the rain was uneventful with highlights being 5+ red head Smew, 2 of which showed well and 4 more Goldeneye. With rain now becoming persistent it was time to come home.

Eider

09.30-10.45 from the seawatch hide rain with strong SW wind.

Red-throated Diver: 132E

Red-necked Grebe: 1E

Great-crested Grebe: 100+ off shore

Gannet: 62E

Fulmar: 1E

Brent Goose: 62E  3W

Eider: 4E all ad drakes

Bonxie: 1E

Auks: 136E   26W

On the ARC Pit from Hanson very few wildfowl the best being 3 Goldeneye and a single Great White Egret.

From the causeway 2 Great White Egrets on New Diggings and another at the south end of the ARC also 5 red head Smew and a Ringed Plover.

The biggest flock of Eider I have seen in a long while.

Back at the beach this time from the fishing boats 12.15-13.30:
Red-throated Diver: 24E    7W
Great-crested Grebe: 100+ off shore
Gannet: 27E
Brent Goose:  31E
Eider: 20E    single flock  16 drake 4 duck
Kittiwake: 16 off shore
Little Gull: 1 off shore
Auks: 148W   37E   mainly Guillemots

At Scotney little of note. On windswept Walland once again no sign of the Bewick or Whooper Swans but still plenty of winter thrushes.

Buzzards

 07.20 this morning and 6 Waxwings still in their favourite Alder Tree looking stunning against the blue sky, I couldn't resist taking a couple more snaps of them.

 A quick call to AJG let me know that there was little sea passage at Dungeness this morning, so I diverted to Park Wood to see Marsh Tits and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers and failed on both accounts. However all the other usual woodland birds were seen as well as 2 Common Buzzards and a Raven Kronking over the wood. Also I noted the shoe tree has had some additions!

                                            A Shoe Tree what is that about?
Moving on to Dungeness a text about a Jack Snipe by the track to Hanson had me stop at the ARC car park, where nobody had seen it or new anyone who had. As I was there I wandered up to the tower and round the pits where 5 Common Snipe, Several Cetti's Warblers, Reed buntings and 2 Green Woodpeckers were seen. Overhead 7 Common Buzzards and a Marsh Harrier spiralled up into the stratosphere and 2 more Marsh Harriers displayed over the fishing pits and a Bittern flew over to Boulderwall. Back at the car park 30+ Tree Sparrows were in the bushes.
An hours sea watch 12.30-13.30:
Red-throated Diver: 93E  2W
Gannet: 63E
Brent Goose: 18E
Shelduck: 2E
Common Scoter: 7E  5W
Kittiwake: 17E
Auk sp: 35E  16W
3W Glaucous Gull on the beach.

                                                    Pre-Packed fresh Lamb!
 A couple of hours spent this afternoon with MH, we went to Dengemarsh Hide which was predictably quiet the highlights being 6 Barnacle Geese and 2 Marsh Harriers. From there we went round to Brickwall Farm where the the highlight was the polythene coated lambs, never seen that before.
A drive along Caldicott Lane drew a blank on Little Owl and Grey Partridge, so we made our way to the Screen hide seeing the female Red-crested Pochard on its usual lake, From the hide 2 Bitterns one of which fished in the open, a Great White Egret, 10 Smew (2 drakes), 6 Goldeneye, a Chiffchaff and 2 more Marsh Harriers.

Driving back across Walland I was unable to find any wild Swans. There are still plenty of winter Thrushes in the fields and the feeding station at Bayland Farm was alive with Tree Sparrow and Finches. At Midley a Barn Owl flew across the road, at Tickners Lane seed dump 16 Corn Buntings, 20+ Yellowhammers with a few Reed Buntings, also 20+ Chaffinches and to finish the day 2 more Common Buzzards. Where else in Britain can see all this and more in a day! 

Beardies

20+ Waxwings still in Hestia Way, Ashford this morning as I made my way to The Point. An hour from the sea watch hide saw 200+ Red-throated Divers moving east, along with the usual Gannets and Auks, a few Common Scoter and Wigeon and a single drake Eider flying west.

At the ARC a walk to the pines found the duck Red-crested Pochard on its usual lake, several Reed Buntings and Cetti's Warblers singing, a Bittern and 3 redhead Smew from the Screen hide (the half that wasn't full of snow). At the pines 2 Marsh Harriers displaying over the airport pits but little else.

At Boulderwall 30+ Tree Sparrows, over the fields behind c150 Golden Plover, c500 Lapwing, c100 Curlew and a myriad of Starlings put up my a marauding Merlin. Another Bittern flushed from beside the corral dived into a nearby reed bed. 

At the back of Hookers 2 more Marsh Harriers displaying, c150 Stock Doves and a lone dark bellied Brent Goose with some Greylags. In the reed bed no sign of the Penduline Tits but some Bearded Tits were compensation. Scotney was again an avian desert.

 On Walland 36 Bewick Swans and a single Whooper Swan with a few Mutes and a Black Swan. At Bayland Farm a Common Buzzard over also 2 more Marsh Harriers. In the bushes 20+ Tree Sparrows and 4 Yellowhammers with the usual finches.

Faggs Wood

 The Waxwings were still in Hesta Way this morning.

 Faggs Wood, hard to believe that in 6 weeks 20+ Nightingales will be singing here.

 As Dungeness was cut off this morning I spent a few hours in Faggs Wood car park snapping from the car. A short trip to the RMC at Kenardington let the Chelsea tractor earn its keep. Once there highlights were a Kingfisher and a pair of Bullfinches.

Out in the cold

Early this morning 40+ Waxwings were still in Hesta way, Ashford in the gloom as I made my to Dungeness. 

 An hours watch from The Point in the comfort of the car was uneventful. Very little was moving in the freezing conditions and in the snow showers visibility was very poor.

Ringed as a pullus on 05/07/2012 southern Norway

 On the beach few gulls in the roost, highlight colour JP939. The Great Black Backed Gull that is unable to close its wings properly was a having a hard time in the easterly gale, it does not seem to have the intelligence to find a sheltered spot to roost in.

 On the ARC Pit from the screen hide a fairly unique sight of 8 Great White Egrets together, sheltering from the snow and wind. With another on Lade Pit per PT breeding this year at Dungeness must be a distinct possibility. Also from the screen 10 Smew ( drakes)  and a Bittern, the duck red-crested Pochard still on its usual pit.

On a frozen Walland I was unable to find any wild Swans or Geese, a flock of 31 Ruff with Lapwings and 10 Snipe were feeding on a cut turf field.

Gulls, Divers, Auks, Pendulines and Sand Martins

At The Point a very busy sea watch this morning with 1000s of birds moving, though not much variety. Coverage was from 06.30-13.15 (AJG,DW,SC,MC)  Highlights were:

Red-throated Diver: 1,100+ E

Sandwich Tern: 35+ E

Little Gull: 36 W

Mediterranean Gull: 2 W

Auks: 5,000+ W  mainly Guillemots

3W Glaucous Gull: 1 on beach

3W Caspian Gull: 1 on beach

near adult Yellow Legged Gull: 1 on beach

                                              Caspian Gull

                                                  Glaucous Gull

                                          Yellow-legged Gull

                                                      Optimist

                                           Record of 1 of the 2 Penduline Tits
 The sea watch was cut short by a text from SB saying 2 Penduline Tits were  showing beside the track to Lydd. From the visitor centre 4 Sand Martins were hawking over Burrowes and 5 red head Smew were also there.
 A stop at the south end of the ARC found a White Wagtail (thanks Neil) also 5 Smew (2 drakes) and 2 Marsh Harriers.
Back on the reserve 2+ Great White Egrets from the entrance track and 2 more Marsh Harriers, the drake Red-crested Pochard was back on the discovery pool early afternoon.
On Walland 30+ Bewick Swans and the Whooper Swan still present this afternoon.
The Harrier roost count late this afternoon was disappointing at the reed bed I was covering, as once again no birds roosted. Water Rails were squealing and Fieldfares were going over to roost as several Marsh Harriers flew over to other roost sites as did 2 Common buzzards.