Sunday 19 January 2020

First trip to Dunge this decade

I last visited Dunge way  back in May last year so it was nice to return today where we enjoyed a very brief and very cold sea watch that provided us a couple of year ticks with Razorbill and Gannets. Also noted were lots of Guillemot, seven Red-throated Diver and a couple of Kittiwakes but otherwise it was very quiet with no sign of Black Redstart, Peregrine or Raven around the power station.

Great White Egret on ARC pit
We moved on to the reserve where we failed to find a single Tree Sparrow with only House Sparrows on the feeders by the farm which was disappointing as we've connected with Tree Sparrow here on every previous visit. We had a Great-White Egret on ARC and another on the small pool by the farm. A drake Smew was a welcome surprise on the the next pool down the track and then a walk out to the viewpoint at Hookers gave us our first Cetti's Warbler and Bearded Tits. Marsh Harriers and a large mixed flock of Lapwing, Golden Plover and Curlew the only other thing of note.

Hythe (Purple Sandpipers on this rock groyne)
The journey home was broken first by a stop at Hythe were we quickly found two Purple Sandpiper on the farthest of the beach rock groynes and then a stop at Chatham Marina were we found a couple of Shag on pool 2.

The year list moves on to 155 and equals my best ever January total.

Shag at Chatham Marina
Shag

Shag



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