Dungeness ... Monday 16th August 2010

A visit to Dungeness proved to be the right decision, with plenty of good birds present.

Heading first towards The Patch, the power station proved productive with at least 12 Willow Warblers, a Whinchat, 2 Black Redstarts, a Common Whitethroat and 2 Wheatears present and, perched on the building, there were 2 Peregrines. Not a bad start to the day.


PEREGRINE

At The Patch there were 3 juvenile Black Terns, 2 juvenile Kittiwakes, 10 Sandwich Terns and at least 100 Common Terns.
Next stop was the ARC Pit where, at the southern end of the pit, a juvenile Buff-breasted Sandpiper was showing well. Also present at the pit were 5 Common Sandpipers, a juvenile Ruff, a juvenile Black Tern, one Greenshank, 2 Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plovers and at least 75 Sand Martins.


BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER


RUFF


BLACK TERN

On to the main reserve. One adult Purple Heron showed along with 4 Greenshanks, 2 Marsh Harriers and 6 Common Terns.
This was turning out to be a case of being in the right place at the right time.
I headed back towards the power station and, on a patch of gorse near the old lighthouse, there was a gathering of birders watching a juvenile Red-backed Shrike. This bird certainly hadn’t been present earlier in the day.


RED-BACKED SHRIKE

Also in that area were 2 Whinchats, a Pied Flycatcher and a Wheatear.


WHINCHAT

By the power station there was another Pied Flycatcher and 3 Willow Warblers and back at The Patch there were now around 300 Common Terns, 3 juvenile Black Terns, an adult winter and 2 juvenile Little Gulls plus 2 juvenile Kittiwakes.


PIED FLYCATCHER


LINNET


WILLOW WARBLER

A drive round to Dengemarsh produced a Hobby and that is where I decided to call it a day.
A superb day’s birding.


VIDEO of today's best birds.

(Apologies for the shaky videos, there was a strong offshore wind blowing.)

Paul