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