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Sunday 23 September 2012

Tuesday 31.07.12 Dymchurch and Hythe Gravel Pits aka Nickoll

Early morning stroll into Dymchurch gave me a pair of Mistle Thrush and a Chiffchaff.
Mid afternoon visit to Hythe Gravel Pit hoping for ducks etc and found nothing except Herring Gulls and 1 Cormorant odd as Dungeness is not far away has everthing.
The dykes on the return journey gave uo 3 mallard and a pair of Moorhen with chicks . an unproductive 2 hours

Sunday29.07.12 Dymchurch-Dungeness

Early morning bike ride along to Fort Redoubt very high tide so no beach a couple of Sandwich Terns , Blackheaded Gulls, herring Gulls and little else.
Late afternoon visit to Dungeness hoping to see the 4 reported Garganey on Arc. No garganey but Hobby/Common Sand/Dunlin/Ringed Plover /black Tailed Godwit and Hundreds of sand Martins this can only meanearly migrationdue to a lack of breeding ?

26.07.12 West Hythe Military Canal

A mid morning stroll with the temperature at 26 decide the shade of the canal would be welcome. Dragonflys/Damselflys were everywhere . At last managed a Great Tit but no sign of Kingfisher.
Returning via the marsh a Marsh Harrier was seen soaring over.

thursday 09.08.12 Dymchurch

An early morning sea watch from home produced my first gannets may of them diving for a shoal of fish just offshore. This was followed by 2 shearwaters flying east-west I assumed were Manx but after checking the Dungeness Web site ther have been daily sightings of Balearic Shearwaters so I bow to their ID and accept a new species to my Kent list

Wednesday 08.08.12 Dungeness

An invite from Phil Sharpe to join him on a visit to Dungeness was a welcome distration from my daily routine so met at the Power Station at 9.30 am on what was supposed to be a glorious sunny day but the sea mist held until lunchtime.
The patch was its usual busy self but did not see the reported Black or Artic terns but a little gull was present and a short visit from an Artic Skua caused a stit amongst the usual occupants.
Porpoises were present in good numbers but I noticed a larger species and a short time later Phil saw what could only be Dolphin jump out of the water.
Moved onto Arc where a Curlew Sandpiper in near summer plumage was present as well as Common Sand ,garganey and Black Tailed Godwit.
A walk round the reserve followed by now the sun which was now getting hotter .Bird numbers were low but a great day for butterflies even a Brown Argus