Dungeness Day

Setting off early and, after a coffee at Maidstone, I was in the sea watch hide by 7.15. Immediately it was fairly obvious that the channel was quiet, with just 3 sandwich terns, several small flocks of common scoter and a great skua through. After half an hour, more spent chatting than seriously watching, I left to check the area around the Observatory. On Monday there had been a fall of over 100 firecrests and I was eager to see if they remained. Didn't have to wait long as 3 were in the lighthouse garden. Moving constantly meant time wasted getting cracking photographs of branches and leaves. A chiffchaff was also present, flycatching. As I walked over to the obs it was clear that firecrests were everywhere. Every small low growing patch of broom appeared to have a resident bird but they remained tricky to get a good photo of and really, I needed better light so the shutter speed could be improved.

chiffchaff in the lighthouse garden

same chiffchaff

dunnock

distant male wheatear

female wheatear outside the Obs

firecrest near the trapping area.

In the moat, at least 10 firecrests and the walk from the lighthouse to the obs gave up another 20 - 30 flitting and calling birds. I caught up with one near the moat at the same time a pair of wheatear flew in on to the mound near the Heligoland trap, where, there were another 4 firecrests!!
A wander back to the car by the power station gave distant views of a black redstart. I had already heard one earlier, but this was my first sighting of this bird for the year. Always a pleasing one to find. At the car, a further 3 chiffchaffs and 2 firecrests.

firecrest

A quick check around the fishing boats gave up a single male wheatear but nothing noted in the gull flock so off to the RSPB Reserve for a coffee. From here, I headed off to Denge Marsh Gully where the resident ravens were seen in flight, another black redstart and plenty of linnets. A fox trotted along the gully with a dead rabbit, but nothing else of note so back to the ARC Pit.

skulking forecrest inside the power station fence

black redstart on the power station perimeter fence

chiffchaff at the car park

fox with rabbit at Denge Marsh Gully

Water levels were high, so just wildfowl and a marsh harrier, with reed buntings and chiffchaff calling before I returned to wander the reserve. Not before noting an inquisitive stoat checking rabbit holes in the sandbanks.
The return path is still flooded, so to Denge Marsh hide and back again. This gave views of barnacle geese, greylags, wildfowl, with a few oyestercatchers in a field but not too much else. Apart, from that is, a firecrest near the Christmas Dell hide.
A check on the gulls roosting and a quick glance on Boulder Wall Farm pool for a reported smew but nothing seen.

small part of the RSPB Resrve gull roost

reed bunting ARC pit

stoat along the path to the Hanson Hide, ARC Pit

Great crested grebes from Scott Hide

dozing pochard from the Scott Hide

little grebe from the Christmas Dell Hide

By now it was getting on and I wanted to be through the tunnel before 5.00pm otherwise it can be an endless return journey. As I headed towards Lydd a snipe flew across the road, last day tick of the trip.
A super day with several year listers:
snipe, great skua, black redstart, wheatear, firecrest, sandwich tern, ringed plover, and raven.


Species List:
little grebe, great crested grebe, gannet, cormorant, little egret, grey heron, mute swan, greylag goose, canada goose, barnacle goose, shelduck, mallard, gadwall, shoveler, wigeon, pochard, tufted duck, common scoter, goldeney, marsh harrier, kestrel,moorhen, coot, oystercatcher, ringed plover, lapwing, dunlin, snipe, great skua, black headed gull, common gull, herring gull, lesser black backed gull, greater black backed gull, sandwich tern, wood pigeon, collared dove, skylark,. pied wagtail, wren, dunncok, robin, black redstart, wheatear, stonechat, blackbird, cetti's warbler, chiffchaff, firecrest, great tit, blue tit, coal tit, magpie, jackdaw, rook, carrion crow, raven, starling, house sparrow, tree sparrow, chaffinch, linnet