Friday 24th.April 2009

Firstly , a day late , but a fungi named after our patron Saint George , shot today at Dungeness .Secondly , for anyone thinking of a visit to RSPB Dungeness , take mosquito repellant , the place is alive with them . Having said that , don't let it put you off , Carol and I had a really magical day there today . Even before we arrived , I pulled over between Camber and Lydd , and within a couple of minutes , had Common and Lesser Whitethroat and Sedge and Reed Warbler , all in a small section of ditch and scrub alongside the road . Anyway , arriving at the reserve and turning onto the single approach , it was obvious that the place was full of migrants . Sedge and Reed Warblers in the ditches and every bit of scrub seemed to have it's own Common Whitethroat , the song was incessant . There were also plenty of Reed Buntings , and one pair were obviously nestbuilding , well the wife was , hubby had taken up a supervisory roll , making sure everything was being done properly . The next migrants we came across were a small flock of Whimbrel numbering about 8/9 feeding in one of the sheep pastures . We were serenaded by Warblers and Buntings all the way up to the visitor Centre , where we were welcomed by a pair of Herring Gulls who were relaxing on the shingle bank . We had a look at what was about on the notice board , hoping that we might see one or two of those listed . Starting along the track , one of those listed , in fact four Yellow Wagtails were feeding on the bank . Out came the camera , and off they flew , as usual . One flew further down the bank and came to rest . I closed the gap and took a very long shot , just before he flew . I thought at the time , there was something strange about it , but with the strong sunlight , I couldn't see the LCD display very well , and it wasn't till this evening when I was editing the photos , that I realised it was in fact a Blue Headed or Channel Wagtail . This grainy shot is full enlarged to be able to see the bird properly . I checked the RX Website tonight , and they have reported the bird there today . A look in the next hide revealed very little except for 3 Greenshank feeding on the edge of a small island , well away from the hide . As we exited the hide and carried on the path , a male Marsh Harrier appeared from behind the shingle bank in front of us , but as quickly as he came , he turned and disappeared back over the bank he came from , but for 2/3 seconds , a wonderful sight close up . The mossies were getting more and more as we went round , and just after passing the next hide , Carol asked what that lump in the field was , as she thought she saw it move . With binoculars I could see a pair of Brown Hares . I hurried on to where the track came closest to them , and started shooting . One minute they would be running towards the camera , the next , they would be running away from the camera , and every now and again , the one that I think was the female , would turn on the other , a male I think , and he would have to take evasive action . I would have stayed longer watching their antics , but I was being eaten alive . If John/Go Wild in Kent reads this , I couldn't put your approach theory into practice as there was a ditch between us . Very shortly after moving on and very close to Strawbery Dell Hide , I had another two year firsts , with a sudden burst of song from a Bramble patch , that of the first of at least five Nightingales we heard on the site today . No sooner had he stopped singing , I was confronted by a pair of Small Coppers sparring on the wing . In between rounds , I managed another first for the year . Carol then found some caterpillars on a Bramble patch . They turned out to be those of the Brown Tail Moth , living in their tent . Fortunately , Carol didn't touch them as they can give you a nasty rash that can last 2/3 days . We found lots more tents on our way round . By the time we reached Hooker Pit we were on to our 3rd.Nightingale , and as we sat listening , a Cuckoo called quite close to us . I made my way to the viewpoint and just before getting there , saw the Cuckoo flying low , and managed a shot , just before it flew out of frame . It landed in a Willow , but quickly got low down , but still calling . After a while , it flew out and settled briefly at the top of another Willow . From here he disappeared again , but kept calling . It did show once more after a while , but it was part hidden by branches .We sat waiting to see if it would show better , but it didn't , but what did happen was a Bittern started 'booming' from the large reedbeds around the pit . We still haven't seen a Bittern , but we have heard them booming a couple of times before . On the way back to the visitor centre , a very photogenic Sedge Warbler posed for a shot . Almost at the road , Carol spotted a large raptor high in the blue sky , with the binoculars the golden head identified a female Marsh Harrier , unfortunately too high for a shot . Leaving aside common birds seen , we also saw / heard Swallows , Cetti's Warbler , Mediterranean Gulls , Skylarks and Red Legged Partridge . Also seen was my first dragonfly of the season , a freshly emerged Hairy Dragonfly .

Carol was flagging a bit by now , but with the promise of a bag of chips in Rye , she agreed to a quick visit to Rye Harbour before setting off for home . The tide was wrong for the scrapes , so it was a quiet walk to the river mouth . A few Common Terns were fishing in the river and a few Linnets on the fence line . Where the track turns right onto the roadway used by the Environment Agency lorries , the spot where I usually find Wheatear and Yellow Wagtail , there was no sign , just a lonely looking Lapwing . Dispondant , we started along the beach road , when a movement out of the corner of my eye , proved to be the Wheatear we had hoped for , a male .

He was catching insects , but would not come any closer than the top of his ridge . As we walked the beach road , Common Terns were constantly to and fro from the sea to their breeding colony on the Ternery Pool . What with a mix of Terns and Black Headed Gulls on one island and all Black Headed Gulls on another , the noise was amazing . Other less common birds seen here included Pied Wagtail , Mistle Thrush , Oystercatcher ( pictured ) and House Sparrow , who was waiting to greet us back in the car park .

I was going to write this up tomorrow , but I thought I'll have forgotten most of it by then , so I've done it while it is still fresh in memory . A super day with some super birds .