Thursday 28 March 2024

28/03/2024

 06.00-09.00 with RW,TH, PT,DW  from the sea watch hide. Wind SSW 6-8 Temp 7°

Brent Goose: 139E (9 parties)
Common Scoter: 393E   12W
Red-breasted Merganser: 2W     
Great-crested Grebe: 2 present 
Oystercatcher: 4E   
Curlew: 3E
Kittiwake: 18E    
Black-headed Gull: 9E
Mediterranean Gull: 6E
Common Gull: 93E
Great Black-backed Gull: 44E
Herring Gull: present n/c
Lesser Black-backed Gull: 5E
Sandwich Tern: 19E  
Guillemot: 1E  
Auk sp: 16E    
Red-throated Diver: 96E    2W   
Fulmar: 4E    1W
Gannet: 183E   8W
Cormorant: 16 around
Harbour Porpoise: 2
Grey Seal: 1

Late morning/Early afternoon the wind strengthened to force 8-9 SSW with squally showers
around 13.30after a very quiet hour the first of 17 Manx Shearwater appeared quickly followed by a procession of Arctic Skuas, making a very enjoyable afternoon in the relative comfort of the hide.
12.20-16.20 with RW,CP  from the sea watch hide

Brent Goose: 25E (2 parties)
Common Scoter: 131E   
Kittiwake: 28E   
Little Gull: 3E 
Mediterranean Gull: 2E
Great Black-backed Gull: 83E
Sandwich Tern: 34E
Arctic Skua: 23E  
Guillemot: 1E  
Auk sp: 39E    
Red-throated Diver: 27E      
Fulmar: 5E    11W
Manx Shearwater: 7E    10W
Gannet: 159E   27W

The only other news from the peninsular was the continuing presence of a Great Northen Diver and a 1st summer Little Gull on Burrowes.

Wednesday 27 March 2024

27/03/2024

Great Skua past the hide this morning

06.00-10.00 & 13.20-15.30 with RW,DW,CP,JY from the hide. Wind SE  3-4 veering S 6-7 Temp 8°-11  

Brent Goose: 960E (42 parties)      1W
Shelduck: 2E       
Shoveler: 6E
Eider: 1E   (duck)
Common Scoter: 729E   9W  
Red-breasted Merganser: 1E drake 
Great-crested Grebe: 9E   15 present 
Oystercatcher: 1E   
Curlew: 23E
Kittiwake: 146E    
Black-headed Gull: 28E 
Mediterranean Gull: 14E
Common Gull: 282E
Great Black-backed Gull: 46E
Herring Gull: present n/c
Lesser Black-backed Gull: 4E
Sandwich Tern: 190E    11W 
Common Tern: 1E first of the year
Arctic Skua: 3E   1 o/s
Great Skua: 1E  
Guillemot: 6E    1W
Auk sp: 78E      18W
Red-throated Diver: 251E    6W   
Black-throated Diver: 1E
Great Northern Diver: 1E
Fulmar: 6E   1W 
Gannet: 412E   36W
Cormorant: 30 around
Peregrine: 1 out to sea presumed local bird hunting
Harbour Porpoise: 2
Grey Seal: 1
More Brent Geese past today
 Elsewhere a handful or Hirundines dropped in to the lakes this afternoon when the showers came throug, otherwise nothing else was seen.

Tuesday 26 March 2024

26/03/2024

Some of the 1,000+ Brent Geese past the hide this morning
 

06.15-11.15 with RW,DW, CP from the sea watch hide,  Wind SE 3-4 Temp 8° 

Brent Goose: 1,016E (32 parties)
Shelduck: 7E       
Shoveler: 15E
Teal: 4E
Eider: 6E   5 drakes
Common Scoter: 1,707E   26W
Red-breasted Merganser: 3E     
Great-crested Grebe:13 present 
Oystercatcher: 4E   
Curlew: 2E
Kittiwake: 4E    
Black-headed Gull: 6E  2W
Mediterranean Gull: 3E
Common Gull: 7E
Great Black-backed Gull:  present n/c
Herring Gull: present n/c
Sandwich Tern: 9E    2W   
Guillemot: 3E   2 present   
Auk sp: 16E      2W
Red-throated Diver: 105E    5W     3 present
Great Northern Diver: 1E 
Fulmar: 2E    
Gannet: 64E   14W
Cormorant: 41 around
Carrion Crow: 3 out
Harbour Porpoise: 4
Grey Seal: 1
Another hour this afternoon added little to the above. The ARC from Hanson was very quiet apart from a few Chiffchaffs and a couple of reported Sedge Warblers. On Burrowes this afternoon a 2nd cal year Little Gull, some Goldeneye and a Great Northern Diver. From the double bends at Scotney an adult Little Gull was best I could find, then the rain really set in.

Monday 25 March 2024

25/03/2024


Brent Geese passing the sea watch hide this morning

06.30-11.00 & 13.30-15.30 with RW,DW, SM, JY et al from the sea watch hide. Wind SSE 5-6 Temp 9° 

Brent Goose: 1,953E (43 parties)
Shelduck: 2E       
Shoveler: 15E
Teal: 14E
Common Scoter: 268E  
Red-breasted Merganser: 9E     
Great-crested Grebe: 6E   12 present 
Oystercatcher: 9E  
Dunlin: 12E 
Curlew: 1E
Kittiwake: 24E    
Black-headed Gull: 5W
Common Gull: 61E
Great Black-backed Gull:  present n/c
Herring Gull: present n/c
Lesser Black-backed Gull: 15E
Sandwich Tern: 91E   12W     
Guillemot: 5E   2 present   
Auk sp: 52E      14W
Red-throated Diver: 147E    6W 
Black-throated Diver: 2E
Fulmar: 6E      1W
Gannet: 73E    31W
Cormorant: 46 present
Harbour Porpoise: 4
Grey Seal: 1

Very little news from elsewhere on the peninsula, just the 2 x 2 cal year Little Gulls still on Burrowes.

Sunday 24 March 2024

24/03/2024

Probably the poorest watch of the year so far! Conditions look better as week goes on🤞

 06.30-08.30 with SO from the sea watch hide, Wind WNW 6  Temp 5° 

Brent Goose: 11E
Great-crested Grebe: 2E   1 present 
Black-headed Gull: 1W
Mediterranean Gull: 1E    
Common Gull: 1E
Great Black-backed Gull:  present n/c
Herring Gull: present n/c 
Sandwich Tern: 1W
Guillemot: 1E   1 present
Auk sp: 8E      
Red-throated Diver: 10E   1W     1 on
Gannet: 14E   5W      
Cormorant: 1E  (c2 mile offshore high) 13 present
Black Redstart: 1 present
Meadow Pipit: 2 in off
Carrion Crow: 1 in off
Harbour Porpoise: 2+
I think the Black-throated Diver and one on the Great Northern Divers have finally departed, just the one GND has been seen since Friday. A bit of an arrival of Wheatears and Willow Warblers this weekend but no exceptional numbers. A couple of Sedge Warblers on the reserve and the first Garganey there today, SM found a Garganey yesterday on the sward at Scotney. 
The Glossy Ibis looked stunning while it was touring the hay fields in the afternoon sun


This Garganey flashed across the footpath just in front of me at head height as walked between Scott and Christmas Dell, by the time I got my camera up and on to it, it was already dropping into hay field 3.
The same bird very distant at the bottom of hay field 3
One of several White Wagtails around this weekend
Yesterdays Slavonian Grebe on the ARC was sadly gone today
3 Black-necked Grebes yesterday on the ARC , just 2 today
At least 2 Little Gulls were present on Burrowes this afternoon

Friday 22 March 2024

22/03/2024

Great-crested Grebe with Stickleback from Hanson late morning

This mornings sea watch was probably the poorest watch of the year so far!

06.30-08.30 with RW from the sea watch hide.  Wind WSW5  Temp 10° light rain 

Brent Goose: 4E
Common Scoter: 19E   
Great-crested Grebe: 2 present 
Oystercatcher: 3E
Kittiwake: 9E 
Mediterranean Gull: 3E     1W
Great Black-backed Gull:  present n/c
Herring Gull: present n/c
Sandwich Tern: 5E   
Guillemot: 9E   3W
Auk sp: 34E       25W
Red-throated Diver: 36E   2W   
Gannet: 92E   17W      32 present
Cormorant: 14 present
Peregrine: 3 tussling over power station, intruder chased SW out to sea.
Harbour Porpoise: 4

My first 3 Swallows and a Sand Martin of the year over misty ARC this morning, also my first Kingfisher of the year there, a couple of Siskins flew through and a few Chiffchaffs were obvious new arrivals. The Black-throated Diver was also there but flew over onto Burrowes mid afternoon.
A fly catching first summer Little Gull on Burrowes this afternoon

A fly catching Black-headed Gull with a near adult Little Gull on Burrowes this afternoon
What I consider to be a "Littoralis" Rock Pipit fly catching on the raft in front of Dennis's Hide this afternoon
Great Northern Diver on Burrowes this afternoon
Drake Goldeneye on Burrowes in the rain


Thursday 21 March 2024

21/03/2024

Wheatear behind the boats today
A very poor sea watch for us this morning.
06.30-08.30 with RW, TH, DW  from the sea watch hide. Wind NE 1-2 Temp 9°  

Wigeon: 3E
Teal: 5E
Common Scoter: 29E   4W    
Great-crested Grebe: 4E      5 present 
Oystercatcher: 4E
Kittiwake: 1E    2W  
Black-headed Gull: 100E     
Common Gull: 22E
Great Black-backed Gull:  present n/c
Herring Gull: present n/c
Sandwich Tern: 4E   3W  
Guillemot: 8E   
Auk sp: 26E       8W
Red-throated Diver: 27E   2W
Fulmar: 1E     
Gannet: 192E   
Cormorant: 35 present
Harbour Porpoise: 2
Glossy Ibis around the hay fields late morning. This bird looks to be a new arrival as the long staying bird is not as colourful and has the juvenile pale flecking around the neck.
An influx of Little Egrets onto the Hayfields today
A wander around the hay fields with Colin and Richard in gloomy conditions saw 2 Corn Buntings at Springfield Bridge, a Great White Egret and probably the 2 Water Pipits in Denge Marsh Flood, on hayfield 3 c10 Common Snipe, 2 Pintail and the Ibis of any note, several Bearded Tits were seen in the reeds and Bittern was heard briefly but it generally very quiet.
This afternoon in hindsight a wander around the Scotney sand pit was probably a mistake, visibility was very poor in the mist, the wind had picked up and it was cold, apart from mewing Mediterranean Gulls little was seen.

Wednesday 20 March 2024

20/03/2024

Oystercatchers passing the sea watch hide this morning
Meadow Pipit on the wall behind the sea watch hide

Enough on the sea watch this morning to keep my interest for a couple of hours.
 06.30-09.00 with RW, OL, DW  from the sea watch hide.  Wind S 1-2 Temp 11° 

Brent Goose: 117E (5 parties)
Shelduck: 14E     
Shoveler: 26E
Pintail: 3E
Common Scoter: 147E   4W    
Great-crested Grebe: 2E      6 present 
Oystercatcher: 22
Ringed Plover: 1E  
Whimbrel: 2E 
Kittiwake: 2E  
Black-headed Gull: 96E     
Mediterranean Gull: 1E 
Common Gull: 19E
Great Black-backed Gull:  present n/c
Herring Gull: present n/c
Sandwich Tern: 5E   1W  
Guillemot: 3E   
Auk sp: 3E       4W
Red-throated Diver: 93E   
Fulmar: 2E     
Gannet: 26E    4W
Cormorant: 46 present
Harbour Porpoise: 4
After the sea watch Owen and Richard picked me up in the truck which was loaded with Tree Sparrow nestboxes which were kindly supplied by Paul Trodd, John Young and Dungeness RSPB. We made our way out onto the marsh with permission from the farmer and installed the boxes to the accompaniment of Tree Sparrows tu-wicking around us. There are now 25 boxes for this colony, hopefully they will all be used like the first batch we put up last year.
While having lunch at home there was a kettle of 12 Common buzzards over me
White Wagtails at Springfield Bridge this afternoon

Corn Buntings at Springfield Bridge this afternoon

Black-necked Grebe on Dengemarsh this afternoon
One of two Water Pipits on Dengemarsh Flood this afternoon
Water Pipit over Dengemarsh Flood


Tuesday 19 March 2024

19/03/2024

Black Redstart in the power station behind the hide
 06.30-09.00 with TW, RW, PT from the sea watch hide

Brent Goose: 81E (9 parties)
Shelduck: 2E        1W
Shoveler: 7E
Common Scoter: 36E       
Great-crested Grebe: 2E    1W    4 present 
Oystercatcher: 8E   
Kittiwake: 3E    17W 
Black-headed Gull: 10E     1W
Mediterranean Gull: 11E 
Common Gull: 26E
Great Black-backed Gull:  present n/c
Herring Gull: present n/c
Sandwich Tern: 3E     
Arctic Skua: 1E DP
Guillemot: 4E   2 present   
Auk sp: 42E       11W
Red-throated Diver: 44E    7W 
Fulmar: 1E      2W
Fulmar: 1E
Gannet: 33E    5W
Cormorant:  present n/c
Harbour Porpoise: 1
Black-throated Diver on the ARC from the Axell bus stop
It has been generally very quiet on the peninsular, a small arrival of Wheatears and Chiffchaffs with the odd Black Redstart and Firecrest. The only addition on the reserve was a 1w/s Little Gull on Burrowes.

Saturday 16 March 2024

16/03/2023

  With a gentle NW breeze blowing I wasn't expecting an exciting sea watch, it didn't disappoint.

06.30-08.30 with SO from the sea watch hide.  Wind NW 1-2 Temp 9°

Brent Goose: 134E (9 parties)
Shoveler: 1E
Common Scoter: 17E   1W     
Great-crested Grebe: 1W    8 present 
Oystercatcher: 5E    1W
Black-headed Gull: 12E     
Mediterranean Gull: 1E 
Common Gull: 6E
Great Black-backed Gull:  present n/c
Herring Gull: present n/c
Sandwich Tern: 2E     
Guillemot: 12E   2W  16 present   
Auk sp: 4E       
Red-throated Diver: 26E    42W 
Fulmar: 1E      2W
Gannet: 37E    24W
Cormorant:  present n/c
Carrion Crow: 6 in off
Harbour Porpoise: 4
A brazen Mink at Denge Marsh early afternoon


A pleasant wander around Denge Marsh and the reserve late morning/early afternoon with Colin Turley in warm sunshine was mainly uneventful, apart from an encounter with a brazen Mink that literally trotted along the bridleway towards and past us by just a few feet. From Denge Marsh hide the Black-necked grebe was showing fairly well and 2 Goldeneye but not much else. Christmas Dell was as usual very quiet, though the new island creation works looks very promising, time will tell. Another Black-necked grebe and a great Northern Diver were the highlights from the old Makepiece viewpoint, plenty of Black-headed Gulls were dipping for insects but sadly no Little Gull. 
Elsewhere the Black-throated Diver was at southern end of the ARC, a few Wheatears were seen around the peninsular, also a few Chiffchaffs and Redwings but no big arrival.
Great Northern Diver on Burrowes
These 2 Common Gulls have been loafing at the northern end of Denge Marsh Flood for a few days now