Dungeness and Oare Marshes visit: 02.03.14

Setting off before 5a.m. and picking up Gary in Bishop's Stortford meant we were on the beach sea watching at Dungeness at 7. This was after a quick coffee break at Maidstone to get an early caffeine shot. Upon arrival, a stiff breeze but clearly good bird movement with over 40 common scoter west, little and Mediterranean gulls heading to the patch. A few kittiwakes, too before 2 guillemot landed on the sea in front of the sea watch hide. Several red throated divers and numerous great crested grebes were seen before we headed into the breeze to walk to The Patch hide. Hundreds of gulls present, both over the water and roosting on the beach, but the wind made for tricky viewing as the scopes were not remaining still.

Dungeness sunrise

We then donned wellies for a wander around the Trapping area in search of an elusive Humes leaf warbler. The whole area was very flooded and without precise directions we were hoping for a bit of luck. Great and blue tits were noted but no warbler. Green woodpeckers called and magpies, chaffinches, blackbirds, robins and dunnocks got on to the list. Back to the car where we met up with Therese and Stuart http://theresegoesbirding.blogspot.co.uk
From the lighthouse we headed for the fishing boats and the glaucous gull. Several folk were about, but no sign, so off to The Hanson Hide on the ARC pit. En route, we stopped at the causeway, picking up great white egret, smew and black throated diver. All good birds. Into the Hanson Hide, more smew but water levels meant no waders apart from a couple of oystercatchers. Reed bunting and cetti's were added along with the regular selection of wildfowl.

goldeneye

ARC pit flyby grey heron

great white egret

take off: ARC pit mute swan

pochard

distant smew

We then headed for the Reserve and topped up on coffee and corned beef bread buns. All good sustenance before a wander all the way around the reserve. Marsh Harrier and more regular wildfowl were noted from the hides, with greylag, brent and canada geese from Dengemarsh Hide. A search for the rarely seen penduline tit drew an expected blank before a distantly high bird over Lydd attracted my attention. So far off i.d. very tricky, but, by the way it circled and swooped down, putting up a flock of starlings, I would wager it was a peregrine.
Upon arriving back at the Visitors' Centre we checked the Dennis Hide. A black necked grebe had been reported and, after 10 minutes of searching the far side of the pit, Gary noticed it some 15 metres from our hide! Good bird to see so close and another year lister for me.

black necked grebe

Black necked grebe and tufties

reed bunting: Dungeness RSPB car park

From here, we popped down the road towards Lydd for the glossy ibis. This was showing well in a muddy field that also had an emu wandering around! Then, back to the fish hut to check for the glaucous. Still no sign, so off to Oare for a quick check and maybe an owl or two at dusk.

glossy ibis

The water level at Oare was extremely high and so all the waders were on the tidal mudflats. On the Reserve some superbly plumaged pintail, more wildfowl and geese. On the mud we added avocet, redshank, curlew and lapwing to our day total, before returning to home, arriving back 14 hours after we had set off. A superb day.

pintail drake: Oare Marshes

Species list: (year listers in bold)
black throated diver, black necked grebe, great crested grebe, little grebe, gannet, cormorant, little egret, great white egret, grey heron, glossy ibis, (10 sp) mute swan, greylag goose, canada goose, brent goose, shelduck, mallard, gadwall, pintail, shoveler, wigeon, (20 sp) teal, pochard, tufted duck, common scoter, goldeneye, smew, marsh harrier, common buzzard, kestrel, peregrine, (30 sp) pheasant, moorhen, coot, oystercatcher, avocet, lapwing, dunlin, redshank, curlew, black headed gull (40 sp) common gull, mediterranean gull, herring gull, lesser black backed gull, greater black backed gull, little gull, kittiwake, guillemot, wood pigeon, stock dove, (50 sp)collared dove, green woodpecker, skylark, pied wagtail, wren, dunnock, robin, song thrush, mistle thrush, blackbird, (60 sp) cettis warbler, great tit, blue tit, long tailed tit, magpie, jackdaw, rook, carrion crow, starling, house sparrow, (70 sp)chaffinch, linnet, goldfinch, greenfinch, reed bunting,