Dungeness

28th April 

Dungeness 06:15 - 12:30

Foggy to start with poor visibility, clearing out with occasional sunny intervals, mod SW wind

I got to the all ready busy sea watch hide just in time to see 4 Arctic Skuas pass in the fog up Channel, a good start to the day but that was about as good as it got. The fog hampered viewing with only the Cardinal Buoy just about clear of the fog. A 3 hour watch produced 8 Arctic Skuas, Hobby in off, 100+ Scoter, 3 Brent Geese, 3 RT Divers, 4 Fulmars, 7 GC Grebes, Common and Sandwich Terns, a few Arctic Terns, 5 Swallows and a single House Martin in off.

A Peregrine landed briefly on the power station and 2 singing Black Redstarts also around the power station. A pair of Wheatear were between the moat and trapping area, the trapping area was quite with just 6 Lesser Whitethroats, 2 Cetti’s, 1 Willow and 1 Sedge Warbler and a few Blackcaps and Chiffchaff. A Slow Worm was under one of the corrugated tins and the only Butterfly was a Small Copper.

A look along Dengemarsh road saw 4 Yellow Wagtails and a Marsh Harrier.

Warblers

Sevenoaks NR  06:15 - 09:15

Arrived at the reserve in hope of seeing some spring migrants which so far this year have been thin on the ground. With a chilly NW wind and extensive cloud cover I didn’t expect to see much, first bird of note was a female Sparrowhawk skimming the tops of the trees quickly followed by a male. As I approached the Tyler hide a small group of Siskins flew over with a couple of calling Lesser Redpolls mixed in, not much of note from the hide the usual Teal, Gadwall, Shoveler, Wigeon and several Great-crested Grebe including a mating pair. 

The walk round to Tower hide was very unproductive except for a singing Chiffchaff and nothing from the hide itself, except for a Shelduck and a noisy gaggle of Canada Geese, by the time I left the hide the clouds had dispersed and the sun was starting to warm the morning up. I took another look from Tyler hide on the way back and as I scanned the islands I heard the unmistakable call of a Little Ringed Plover after several minutes more scanning I found two Little Ringed Plovers feeding on a distant island 

The sun seemed to have the desired effect and the trees between the hide and the visitors centre were now alive with Warblers, several singing Chiffchaff, 5 Blackcaps and 3 Willow Warblers we’re feeding on the insects that the sun had brought out. I stood there for some time watching and listening to these newly arrived birds, it finally felt like spring

Yesterday a family trip down to Margate saw a Black Redstart on the cliffs by Botany Bay and an Osprey flew over Margate seafront being escorted away by the local Gulls