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| The 2006 Annual Report is now available and costs £7.50 (inc. p&p) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1st | Seawatching
produced some movement in both directions with 35 Manx
Shearwaters moving west and four Arctic
Skuas moving east. Three Great Skuas
were also seen and there were at least 600 Common
Terns at the Patch.
It was also quiet on the land with singles of Hobby, Merlin and Garden Warbler of note and 70 Swallows also passing through. |
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| 2nd | The
highlights of the day were a Black Kite
which flew over the Long Pits at 1000hrs and an
adult Long-tailed Skua which flew east at
0655hrs. The first Whinchat of the year was
seen.
Other seabirds included a Shag, two Velvet Scoters, 600 Bar-tailed Godwits, eight Arctic Skuas, two Great Skuas, four Mediterranean Gulls and six Black Terns. Land migrants were generally thin on the ground but three Marsh Harriers, two Merlins, a Hobby, two Common Sandpipers, 100 Swallows, nine Yellow Wagtails, 27 Wheatears and three Blackcaps were noted. |
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| 3rd | Prolonged
seawatching through the day eventually produced 26
Pomarine Skuas along with a Black-throated
Diver, two Manx Shearwaters, a Little
Ringed Plover, 45 Grey Plover, seven Knot,
16 Whimbrel, ten Arctic Skuas, a Great
Skua, two Mediterranean Gulls, 54 Little
Terns and four Black Terns.
On the land, a Hobby, 65 Swallows, a Whinchat, four Lesser Whitethroats and a Firecrest were of note. |
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| 4th | A
day with an excellent variety of uncommon to rare
birds but very little of it staying in the area
for more than a few minutes. The best bird on the
land was a Red-rumped Swallow (seen by just
one observer) followed by a Golden Oriole
heard singing briefly (but not seen) in the
trapping area and a Serin which flew in
over the seawatch hide. The first Spotted
Flycatcher of the year was also seen in a
private garden and singles of Marsh Harrier,
Hobby and Tree Pipit flew over the
area. A Redstart was seen in the Desert.
Seawatching produced at least 46 Pomarine Skuas during the day along with ten Arctic Skuas and a Great Skua. Also of note were four Velvet Scoters, 65 Grey Plover, 29 Knot, 66 Sanderling, 75 Whimbrel, a Greenshank, seven Little Gulls, a Roseate Tern, 40 Little Terns and 19 Black Terns (with another six at the Patch in the evening). |
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| 5th | A
similar
day to yesterday with several uncommon to rare
birds but very little of it staying in the area
for more than a few minutes. The best birds on the
land were a Bee-eater heard over the
trapping area in the morning, a Wood Warbler
singing briefly at the north end of the area and
two Golden Orioles
seen at the Long Pits. Overhead, a Marsh
Harrier, a Hobby, three Turtle Doves
and 130 Swallows were of note.
Seawatching produced at least 38 Pomarine Skuas during the day along with six Arctic and a Great Skua and 13 Black Terns (with another six at the Patch in the evening). |
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| 6th | A
Serin was the bird of the day but yet again
seen by only one observer. Other migrants on the
land were almost non-existent with just a Hobby,
two Greenshanks, a Turtle Dove, a
few Swallows and a Siskin of
interest.
Seawatching produced 11 Pomarine Skuas before 0850hrs and a steady passage of waders throughout the day including 143 Grey Plovers, 39 Knot, 37 Bar-tailed Godwits and 65 Whimbrel. By the end of the day Black Terns numbers at the Patch had increased to 18. Further sightings from the RSPB Reserve involved a Black Kite at 0630hrs and a Purple Heron at about 0930hrs. |
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| 7th | Bird
of the day was a completely unexpected Rough-legged
Buzzard which flew in over the Observatory at
1230hrs and then lingered in the area until flying
off west at 1515hrs. This is the first Dungeness
record since 1995.
A Golden Oriole was also heard in the trapping area along with singles of Marsh Harrier, Turtle Dove and Tree Pipit. Seawatching was fairly quiet with three Pomarine Skuas and 18 Arctic Skuas east during the day (not sure what happened to all the Pomarine Skuas seen off Seaford earlier in the day but they did not come past here). Other interesting birds moving east included a Black-throated Diver, five Velvet Scoters, 67 Grey Plover, a Mediterranean Gull, 535 Common Terns and nine Black Terns. There were also seven Little Gulls and 13 Black Terns feeding at the Patch during the morning.
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| 8th | Migrants
were thin on the ground yet again but did include
five Common Sandpipers on the Long Pits, a Turtle
Dove, a Tree Pipit, a Coal Tit,
50 Chaffinches and six Siskins. An
early morning search for a bird making a strange
call emanating from the trapping area and first
heard from the Observatory resulted in the finding
of this stunning Golden x Lady Amherst Pheasant
hybrid.
Seawatching provided more interest with a final day total of 55 Pomarine Skuas although other birds passing through were generally scarce but did include 96 Grey Plovers, 53 Knot, a Greenshank, another two Common Sandpipers and two Mediterranean Gulls. Seven Black Terns were feeding at the Patch. |
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| 10th | Little to be seen although coverage was limited. A Little Ringed Plover flew over the area and three Pomarine Skuas and two Arctic Skuas were seen offshore. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11th | Virtually
the only migrant in the area was a superb male
Red-backed Shrike at the southern end of the
Long Pits for about ten minutes during the
morning.
Six Pomarine Skuas and three Arctic Skuas were seen during a three-hour seawatch in the evening. |
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| 12th | Seven
Pomarine Skuas were reported during the day
but not much else was moving offshore and three Mediterranean
Gulls were feeding at the Patch.
A handful of birds on the land included a Firecrest, two Coal Tits, 40 Chaffinches and nine Siskins. A Greenshank and two Turtle Doves also passed through. |
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| 13th | Another
day of quality rather than quantity with a Stone
Curlew in the desert area and a Red
Kite flying NW over the area around
mid-morning. Two Pomarine Skuas also flew
east in the early morning.
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| 14th | A quiet day. At sea, a Black-throated Diver, 12 Knot, 16 Whimbrel, four Arctic Skuas and 11 Little Terns flying east were of note and there were six Black Terns at the Patch. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15th | Despite what appeared to be reasonable fall conditions this morning there was very little to be seen. Six Gadwall and three Pomarine Skuas flew east and there were seven Black Terns feeding offshore. Three Common Sandpipers were also seen at the Long Pits. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16th | Similar conditions to those of yesterday today resulted in a small but varied arrival of migrants. The highlight was a singing Golden Oriole at the Long Pits for a time during the morning but other significant records included a male Hen Harrier, a Hobby, a Ruff, a Common Sandpiper, 81 Swallows and 16 House Martins, seven Tree Pipits, a Redstart, three Garden Warblers, three Willow Warblers and seven Spotted Flycatchers. A Grey Partridge and 17 Corn Bunting were also seen. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 17th | A dull, damp day produced very little in the way of migrants. A Pomarine Skua, two Arctic Skuas and four Knot flew east. Two Hobbies were seen over the area and two Lesser Whitethroats and singles of Blackcap and Willow Warbler arrived. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18th | A much brighter day but with a cold and strong NE wind again failed to produce very much. Two Hobbies were seen in the area and a Manx Shearwater, an Arctic Skua and two Black Terns flew east. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 19th | The highlight of the day was a colour-ringed second-summer Caspian Gull on the beach at the Patch during the early morning where two Black Terns were also present. Migrants were scarce on the land but did include 36 Swallows, a Yellow Wagtail, a Garden Warbler, six Siskin and a Corn Bunting. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 20th | There was a steady easterly movement of Fulmars and Gannets and also two Arctic Skuas during the morning and a first-summer Mediterranean Gull and two Black Terns at the Patch but very little else to be seen. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 21st | A Pomarine Skua, a Little Gull and 330 Common Terns flew east and there were four Black Terns at the Patch. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 22nd | Despite an overcast sky and light south-east winds during the morning there was very little evidence of any migration and nothing of note was seen. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 23rd | The highlight of the day was a Red Kite which arrived from the south at about 1125hrs and then circled over the point for about ten minutes before heading off NW. It was otherwise very quiet on the land with just a Hobby of interest but there were a few birds offshore including three Arctic Skuas, a Little Gull and four Black Terns and late in the day, a dark-phase Fulmar. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 24th | A Common Sandpiper and a Pomarine Skua flew east in the morning and an Arctic Skua was lingering offshore. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 25th | Heavy
overnight rain and strong NE wings grounded just a
handful of migrants but the quality was high with
a Red-breasted Flycatcher found in the moat
(and subsequently trapped and ringed) and in the
evening, an Icterine Warbler in the garden
of Southview Cottage. Other migrants were
generally scarce with just two Hobbies, a Redstart,
two Willow Warblers and five Spotted
Flycatchers of note.
Seawatching was generally quiet but did produce a group of three Pomarine Skuas flying east at 0645hrs and also a couple of Manx Shearwaters. A first-summer Mediterranean Gull was feeding off the fishing boats in the evening. |
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| 26th | More strong winds and heavy rain. Several hours seawatching produced 13 Fulmars, two Knot, 32 Sanderling, a Ruff, five Arctic Skuas, a Great Skua and 1500 Common Terns flying east along with a Roseate Tern, six Black Terns and a Little Gull at the Patch. Observations on the land were made very difficult by the weather but three Spotted Flycatchers were seen. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 27th | More
strong winds and heavy rain overnight resulted in
a small arrival of migrants with a Hobby,
45 Swifts, 25 House Martins, a Tree
Pipit, a Sedge Warbler, several Reed
Warblers and six Spotted Flycatchers of
note.
The Patch was also productive with a Roseate Tern, 11 Black Terns and two Little Gulls feeding there.
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| 28th | Violent
thunderstorms overnight failed to deliver very
much on the ground but in freshening winds
seawatching produced six Manx Shearwaters,
180 Fulmars, four Pomarine Skuas,
nine Arctic Skuas, a Roseate Tern
and two Black Terns passing east with a
third Black Tern and two Little Gulls
at the Patch.
Of greater interest, a Black-winged Stilt was seen throughout the day on the RSPB Reserve, usually on the Dengemarsh flood, but on at least one occasion moving to ARC.
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| 29th | A disappointing day with just a Hobby over the sea, an Arctic Tern at the Patch, a Grey Wagtail flying north, a Garden Warbler in the trapping area and a Firecrest in the Lighthouse Garden of note. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 30th | The highlight of the day was a Honey Buzzard which eventually flew south at about 1230hrs. Other migrants were few and far between but included five Hobbies and a Spotted Flycatcher. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 31st | Bird
of the day (for one lucky observer) was a Hoopoe
which came in over the sea from the south and
landed briefly on the beach at c0800hrs before
quickly heading inland and disappearing. The only
other migrants on the land appeared to be a Hobby
and a Spotted Flycatcher.
There was no sign of any movement offshore although a Roseate Tern at the Patch was reported to the pagers. |
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