21/09/2014 Dungeness with Paul and Group

Sunday 21st September 2014
Dungeness
Paul and Group  8 a.m.

We were after migrants today hence the early start at Dungeness Power Station.  The weather was much chillier than recently and a windproof jacket was the order of the day.  With north-easterly winds again today things were in favour of our quest for migrants.

However there were no rare migrants around, reflecting the unusually low count in the south east for September.  We did make the most of the situation and had a lovely day out, seeing over 60 species.  The highlights were:-

• a Glossy Ibis seen at the ARC site was most welcome.  We had to switch to the screen hide to catch site of this lovely visitor.  It was accompanied by up to 10 Ruff, a Red-crested Pochard and a super Black-necked Grebe.
• There were 4 Great White Egrets on the site and we managed to see 3 of them including some smashing views of them in flight.  From the same hide, on Denge, we also saw a couple of Kingfishers making it 5 seen in the last week or so around Sussex and Kent.
• the Marsh Harrier count was high, as you would expect here at Dungeness.
•  the highlight for the sea watch was the distant Arctic Skua and the Little Gull seen among the many gulls at "the patch".
• there were scores of Yellow Wagtails at Scotney Court and on the "midrips".  Also present on Scotney were huge numbers of feral Barnacle Geese.  On the midrips there were good numbers of waders including Knot and Sanderling as well as numerous Sandwich Terns. 

A lovely day out with friends!

Today's species list:
Mute Swan
Greylag Goose
Barnacle Goose
Brent Goose
Shelduck
Wigeon
Gadwall
Teal
Pintail
Garganey   (10)
Shoveler
Mallard
Tufted Duck
Red-legged Partridge
Great-crested Grebe
Black-necked Grebe
Gannet
Cormorant
Great White Egret
Little Egret   (20)
Grey Heron
Glossy Ibis
Marsh Harrier
Sparrowhawk
Common Buzzard
Kestrel
Coot
Oystercatcher
Golden Plover
Grey Plover   (30)
Lapwing
Knot
Sanderling
Dunlin
Ruff
Common Snipe
Black-tailed Godwit
Curlew
Arctic Skua
Little Gull   (40)
Black-headed Gull
Herring Gull
Common Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Sandwich Tern
Kingfisher
Green Woodpecker
Sand Martin
Swallow
Meadow Pipit   (50)
Yellow Wagtail
Pied Wagtail
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Starling
Chaffinch
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
Linnet
Reed Bunting   (60)
Red-crested Pochard