Dungeness with the East Grinstead RSPB Local Group

 

Saturday 24^th 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 18^th 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