Sightings September 2010

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1st A fairly quiet day with just a Redstart, eight Lesser Whitethroats, six Blackcaps and a Spotted Flycatcher of note on the land. There was very little sign of any movement offshore but there were three juvenile Arctic Terns and three Black Terns at the Patch.
2nd A pretty quiet day. The only birds of note on the land were a Grey Wagtail, a Whinchat, three Blackcaps and three Lesser Whitethroats whilst there were five Arctic Terns and three Black Terns at the Patch.

A very confiding Wryneck was seen near Hookers on the RSPB Reserve.

Wryneck RSPB Reserve   020910
3rd A fairly quiet day although a party of four Buzzards flew north and a Pied Flycatcher was seen around the Observatory. The handful of other migrants on the land included 32 Wheatears, four Whinchats and two Spotted Flycatchers. 

The Wryneck continues to give amazing views on the RSPB Reserve and the Great White Egret was still present.

Wryneck Dungeness RSPB Reserve 030910

4th A disappointing day with just a Grey Wagtail, two Whinchats, a Redstart and a Garden Warbler of note in the trapping area. A few Sand Martins and Swallows passed through and four Marsh Harriers and two Merlins were also seen.
5th The highlight of the day was a Honey Buzzard (see image below) which flew over the area at 1115hrs before heading back in land. Other migrants remain fairly thin on the ground but did include four Tree Pipits, four Whinchats, five Blackcaps, 12 Lesser Whitethroats and the first two Firecrests of the autumn.

Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus

Three Great Skuas flew west and there were three Little Gulls, four Black Terns and two Arctic Terns feeding offshore.

6th Five Firecrests were of note in the bushes and 1800 Swallows passed through. A Balearic Shearwater and two Great Skuas flew east offshore.
7th Two Redstarts, four Whinchats and five Firecrests were of note on the land and 18 Grey Wagtails flew through. There were four juvenile Arctic Terns and seven Black Terns at the Patch. Two Arctic Skuas were also hunting offshore.
8th Not a great deal to be seen at the start of the day but a spell of heavy rain from 0800hrs grounded a good number of migrants. The highlights were a Wryneck near the railway station, a Nightingale in the Desert and a Grasshopper Warbler in a patch of Broom near the fishing boats. Numbers were provided by four Tree Pipits, a few Robins, six Redstarts, seven Whinchats, 55 Wheatears, three Garden Warblers, six Blackcaps, 16 Chiffchaffs, 30 Willow Warblers, two Firecrests and nine Spotted Flycatchers. Two Merlins and two Swifts were also seen.
9th A much quieter day with very few new migrants on the ground although good numbers of Swallows and five Grey Wagtails flew south. According to the pagers the Wryneck was still present near the railway station whilst other migrants included a Redstart, 25 Wheatears, two Spotted Flycatchers and a Lapland Bunting. There were two Little Gulls, nine Black Terns and three Arctic Terns at the Patch.

A juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper spent about 30 minutes at ARC in the evening before being flushed by a Marsh Harrier and disappearing..

10th Over 12000 Swallows passed through during the early morning but other migrants were generally scarce with just two Tree Pipits, six Grey Wagtails, two Whinchats, three Redstarts and the highlight of two Lapland Bunting flying over.

Six Black Terns were seen offshore.

Of note from the RSPB reserve, an Aquatic Warbler was seen from the Hanson Hide at ARC where the Pectoral Sandpiper was still present and the Great White Egret was still at Dengemarsh.

11th The day was dominated by seawatching in fresh SW winds and frequent drizzle and where nearly ten hours of observations produced 18 Balearic Shearwaters, a Grey Phalarope, a Pomarine Skua, 25 Arctic Skuas, a juvenile Sabine's Gull and 29 Black Terns west and with another 20 feeding at the Patch.

Coverage on the land was fairly limited but the Wryneck was seen again.

12th An excellent day with a good spread of grounded migrants and a heavy overhead passage throughout the day. The highlights were a passage of raptors which included a Honey Buzzard, ten Buzzards, 16 Sparrowhawks and a couple of Hobbies, the Wryneck still present in broom and gorse near the Old Lighthouse and four Lapland Bunting feeding amongst the Sea Kale on the beach. Overhead passage was dominated in terms of numbers by Swallow with at least 40,000 birds along with 1000 Sand Martins and 1000 Meadow Pipits. Other visible migrants included ten Swifts, five Tree Pipits and eight Grey Wagtails. Migrants on the ground included 170 Yellow Wagtails, five Redstart, four Whinchats, 32 Wheatears, five Sedge Warblers, two Garden Warblers, 35 each of Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler, eight Spotted Flycatchers and three Pied Flycatchers.

There were 23 Black Terns feeding offshore and a Pectoral Sandpiper flew in and then north over the Point.

13th  A quieter day for common migrants with six Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a Tree Pipit, 50 Yellow Wagtails, a Whinchat, three Blackcaps, 70 Chiffchaffs and continuing large numbers of Swallows. There were at least three Lapland Buntings near the Point and most remarkably a party of 18 Glossy Ibis flew south along the coast and out to sea but then apparently quickly returned as they were soon relocated on the RSPB Reserve. There were 15 Black Terns and an Arctic Tern at the Patch.

An unusual capture for ringing was this Cetti's Warbler.

Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti trapped today

Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus flock RSPB Reserve (distant and in dismal weather)

 

The Great White Egret was seen again on the RSPB Reserve.

14th A day of dismal weather but good birds continue to appear. The highlight was a Hoopoe which spent most of the day in a small area of beach near the fishing boats. Five Lapland Buntings were also seen in the same general area.

Hoopoe Upupa epops and Lapland Bunting Calcarius lapponicus   Dungeness

Seawatching produced 14 Arctic Skuas and a Great Skua and there were 20 Black Terns at the Patch.

The flock of 18 Glossy Ibis were still on the RSPB Reserve.

15th Two Lapland Buntings continued to give great views on the Point. In addition, two Merlins and 20 Chiffchaffs were of interest and seven Black Terns were feeding at the Patch.

Lapland Bunting   Calcarius lapponicus

The flock of 18 Glossy Ibis were seen briefly in the morning before they headed off in a north-westerly direction.

16th Two Lapland Buntings were still showing very well at the fishing boats and two additional birds flew NW over the Observatory in the morning. It was otherwise a fairly quiet day on the land with five Tree Pipits, 315 Meadow Pipits, three Grey Wagtails, six Yellow Wagtails and three Siskins passing over and 30 Chiffchaffs in the bushes. There were four Little Gulls, three Arctic Terns and at least 15 Black Terns feeding at the Patch and two Mediterranean Gulls were also seen offshore. Six Arctic Skuas flew west.
17th One Lapland Bunting was showing incredibly well near the fishing boats and a Short-eared Owl was seen over the trapping area. It was fairly quiet for new migrants in the area but they did include five Whinchats, four Blackcaps, 40 Chiffchaffs, a Pied Flycatcher and a Spotted Flycatcher in the bushes. Passage overhead included two Hobbies, four Tree Pipits, 200 Meadow Pipits and three Grey Wagtails. There were at least 15 Black Terns at the Patch and three Arctic Skuas were marauding offshore. An adult Yellow-legged Gull was seen at the fishing boats.
18th Two Lapland Buntings continue to give excellent views on the beach near the fishing boats whilst new arrivals included a Redstart, two Whinchats, eight Blackcaps, 80 Chiffchaffs and four Spotted Flycatchers. A Hobby, a Grey Wagtail and three Siskins also passed overhead.

A Shag, nine Arctic Skuas, two Great Skuas, three Mediterranean Gulls, two Little Gulls and ten Black Terns were seen offshore.

19th One Lapland Bunting was seen on the beach near the fishing boats and other grounded migrants included a Merlin, three Whinchats, three Blackcaps and 65 Chiffchaffs.

Offshore, two Sooty Shearwaters, 23 Arctic Skuas and three Great Skuas and 34 Black Terns were seen.

20th The Lapland Bunting at the fishing boats continues to show extremely well, (if it is not immediately obvious try looking underneath any parked cars in the area) and a second bird was seen at the Long Pits. Migrants on the land were otherwise pretty scarce with just a Merlin, a Redstart and two Whinchats of interest.

At sea, a party of eight Sooty Shearwaters flew west whilst two Arctic Skuas, two first-winter Mediterranean Gulls and 12 Black Terns were lingering offshore.

21st Two Ravens flew over the area in the morning and the Lapland Bunting was still on the beach near the fishing boats. Migrants on the land were fairly scarce apart from 60 Chiffchaffs but included a Whinchat and seven Blackcaps and  whilst two Hobbies, five Grey Wagtails, 2000 Swallows and 500 House Martins passed overhead.

Eight Arctic Skuas and 22 Black Terns were lingering offshore.

22nd 2600 Swallows flew over and four Whinchats, four Lesser Whitethroats, 24 Blackcaps, 60 Chiffchaffs, a Firecrest, a Spotted Flycatchers and 21 Reed Bunting were seen in the bushes. The Lapland Bunting was still present.
23rd Fresh SW winds produced 11 Balearic and two Sooty Shearwaters, three Avocets, a juvenile Long-tailed Skua, three juvenile Sabine's Gulls and 18 Black Terns at sea.

3000 Swallows flew over and three Whinchats and a Firecrest were seen on the land. The Lapland Bunting was still present.

24th Singles of Hobby and Turtle Dove, three Whinchats and 45 Chiffchaffs were seen on the land and the Lapland Bunting was still present.

A Long-tailed Skua, 40 Arctic Skuas, 38 Mediterranean Gulls and a juvenile Sabine's Gull flew west and a first-winter Caspian Gull was seen at the Patch.

25th A Sooty Shearwater and 14 Arctic Skuas flew west and an adult Caspian Gull and 17 Black Terns were seen at the Patch.

A Hobby and a Rock Pipit were seen on the land and the Lapland Bunting was still present.

A Pectoral Sandpiper was also found at the ARC Pit.

26th

Four Long-tailed Skua and 23 Arctic Skuas were seen offshore, a Rock Pipit was seen on the land and the Lapland Bunting was still present.

The Pectoral Sandpiper was still at the ARC Pit.

27th

There was a decent arrival of birds on the land with three Great Spotted Woodpeckers, three Redstarts, a Ring Ouzel, 11 Song Thrushes, eight Blackcaps, 53 Chiffchaffs, 230 Chaffinches and 19 Reed Buntings and three Lapland Bunting of note.

A Long-tailed Skua was seen offshore.

Two Pectoral Sandpipers were seen at the ARC Pit.

28th Another decent arrival of migrants with nine Ring Ouzels, 21 Song Thrushes, eight Redwings, two Garden Warblers, ten Blackcaps, 120 Chiffchaffs, a "continental" Coal Tit, a Brambling, 52 Goldfinches,12 Siskin and 31 Reed Buntings.

Of note elsewhere, two juvenile Buff-breasted Sandpipers were found at Scotney Pit and one of the Pectoral Sandpiper was still at the ARC Pit. The
29th A good movement of seabirds with 1800 Brent Geese, 86 Wigeon,12 Pintail, single Manx and Balearic Shearwaters, 11 Grey Plovers, 136 Dunlin, a Pomarine Skua and a juvenile Sabine's Gull flew west.

Migrants on the land included a Short-eared Owl, 1200 Swallows, nine Tree Pipits, 323 Meadow Pipits, three Whinchats, eight Ring Ouzels, 50 Chiffchaffs, 15 Siskins and 27 Reed Buntings.

The two juvenile Buff-breasted Sandpipers were still at Scotney Pit.

30th A small arrival of migrants included two Redstarts, four Ring Ouzels, 13 Blackcaps and 30 Chiffchaffs.

One of the Buff-breasted Sandpipers was still at Scotney Pit.