Dungeness

We've been trying to get to Dunge since 2nd January but my family commitments have prevented us travelling but on 15th January we decided to make the effort in a rare window where my diary was clear enough of caring/babysitting/school runs and general home work.

We set off early arriving at Dunge for first light and set about a sea watch in very strong south westerlies. None of the locals had braved the head on winds. Lot's of Gannets, Kittiwakes and Auks delivered our first year ticks and a continuous movement of gulls failed to deliver anything of note. Large numbers of Cormorants moved through but little else apart from a couple of Teal and a few Red throated Divers.

At ARC pit the Jims had a fly in Bittern which I missed and with water levels really high there were no waders to scan just a large raft of ducks which held nothing unusual. At Boulderwall farm we found a Glossy Ibis and a pair of Raven feeding on a carcase. 

Glossy Ibis

Glossy Ibis

Kestrel at ARC

At Scotney we ticked the feral Barnacle Geese before a drive around Walland marsh were we found 34 Bewicks and a small distant herd along with 3 Whooper Swans.

On the way home we gave the Pallas's Warbler at Swalecliffe a go and managed to hear it but failed to see it. On the beach we searched for a reported Purple Sandpiper but failed. During the search we year ticked Ringed Plover with over 50 birds present along with Dunlin, Sanderling, Redshank, Oystercatchers and Turnstone.

Year list now 132