Monday, 26 September 2022

Dungeness with the East Grinstead RSPB Local Group

 

Saturday 24th September 2022,

Dungeness, Kent

EGRSPB Local Group

(11 members present)

 

 

Trip Report

One week on and I was back at Dungeness, this time with the East Grinstead RSPB Group.  We saw 66 bird species, with obviously lots of overlap with the week before.


However, there were a couple of new sightings of note:-

  • this time the little stints were showing well on one of the islands on the ARC Pit - too far to get a decent photograph but very easily picked up in the telescope.
  • by way of a bonus, a friendly birder in the hide directed us to a first winter Caspian gull.



  • the black redstart was still there - again, on the boundary fence of the power station.





 

 

A repeat visit but one that was well worth the effort.

 

  Year total = 210

 

 

Bob Hastings

26/09/2022


Dungeness with the Ashdown Bird Group

Sunday 18th September 2022,

Dungeness, Kent

Ashdown Bird Group

(10 members present)

Trip Report

We met up at the visitor centre and then worked our way around the main reserve in a clockwise direction.  After lunch we relocated to the ARC pits after which 4 members decided to call it a day whilst the remaining 6 drove round to the seafront taking in the area around the seawatching hides and the power station.  

 

 

The main focus of the trip today was probably the RSPB site itself.  Many changes have been made since the pandemic and some of them have caused quite a stir in the birding fraternity. 

The controversy centres on three hides that were demolished, two of which were subsequently replaced with open viewpoints or Lookouts as the RSPB prefer to call them.  Local birders argue that these do not provide enough protection against the harsh weather conditions that the Dungeness peninsula is notorious for and furthermore they point out that close observation of birds is nigh on impossible due to increased noise and movement by the users.  It is very difficult to argue against this view based on our experience today. 

On the positive side, the RSPB have done some sterling work.  On the ARC pits a big effort was made to raise the level of the islands and this seems to have been very successful.  Too often in the past the islands became submerged in very wet weather causing the birds to relocate.  Work is also about to begin to create  more islands on Burrowes Pit, as the first stage in the Makepeace Hide replacement Project.  This is a massive development and one that should go some way to unifying the opposing factions.

 

 

On the birding front, we managed a very respectable species count of 71.  The main highlights are listed below:

  • 6 species of raptor were seen.   Those who arrived early saw a hobby and a couple of sparrowhawks. Later on we added kestrel, buzzard, marsh harrier and peregrine.


sparrowhawk

  • All 3 species of egret were seen including at least 9 cattle egrets.


 cattle egrets

 

  • We managed to find one definite migrant bird when this lovely whinchat showed up on the top of the bushes as we approached the visitor centre for lunch.

 

whinchat

  •   Pick of the birds seen at the ARC Hanson Hide were these gorgeous golden plovers.  Also seen was a cracking wood sandpiper. 

 

 

golden plover

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

The late afternoon visit to the seafront produced this welcome bonanza:-

 

  • 2 black redstarts on the power station boundary fence.  A grey wagtail also showed up but was too quick for our cameras.

 

 

black redstart

 

  •  some entertainment from the gannets, including a frenzied flying display close to the shore.

 

gannet


  •  2 peregrines quietly observing events from the upper tiers of the power station.

 

peregrine 1

 

peregrine 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We didn’t see everything we came for - there was no sign of the little stint or the glossy ibis for example.  Nevertheless it was another excellent outing and everyone went away well satisfied with the day’s events.

 

  Year total = 208 

 

 

Bob Hastings

25/09/2022

 


All photographs courtesy of Alison Playle.

Species List

Name:

 

Name:

 

Black Redstart

1

Linnet

37

Black-headed Gull

2

Little Grebe

38

Blue Tit

3

Magpie

39

Buzzard

4

Mallard

40

Canada Goose

5

Marsh Harrier

41

Carrion Crow

6

Meadow Pipit

42

Cattle Egret

7

Moorhen

43

Cetti's Warbler

8

Mute Swan

44

Chaffinch

9

Peregrine

45

Chiffchaff

10

Pied Wagtail

46

Common Sandpiper

11

Pintail

47

Common Tern

12

Pochard

48

Coot

13

Raven

49

Cormorant

14

Reed Bunting

50

Dunlin

15

Ringed Plover

51

Dunnock

16

Robin

52

Gadwall

17

Sand Martin

53

Gannet

18

Shoveler

54

Golden Plover

19

Snipe

55

Great Black-backed Gull

20

Sparrowhawk

56

Great Crested Grebe

21

Starling

57

Great Spotted Woodpecker

22

Stock Dove

58

Great Tit

23

Stonechat

59

Great White Egret

24

Swallow

60

Green Woodpecker

25

Teal

61

Greenfinch

26

Tufted Duck

62

Grey Heron

27

Wheatear

63

Grey Wagtail

28

Whimbrel

64

Greylag Goose

29

Whinchat

65

Herring Gull

30

Wigeon

66

Hobby

31

Willow Warbler

67

House Martin

32

Wood Sandpiper

68

House Sparrow

33

Woodpigeon

69

Kestrel

34

Wren

70

Lapwing

35

Yellow Wagtail

71

Lesser Black-backed Gull

36

 

 

 

 

Species count = 71