Tuesday 14 October 2014

A fall of Ring Ouzels & a Yellow-browed Warbler

Lade - 0800hrs - mild, drizzle, w 3 - A slow start to a dreary old day weather wise with a trickle of overhead migrants comprising Mipits, Skylarks, Goldfinches and three Swallows. Still hundreds of Coots and wildfowl on south lake, plus Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and Marsh Harrier hunting behind the `mirrors`.
Birdwatching Break - Picked up two of our regular visitors (Ray and Stuart) from Ashford station who were down for a three day stay at Plovers; to be greeted by three Grey Wagtails flying around the taxi rank!
Faggs Wood - A brief stop for lunch in the car park yielded a decent range of woodland birds including Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Long-tailed and Coal Tits, Goldcrest and Jay. We crossed the Marsh via Warehorne Bridge noting 10 Kestrels and three Buzzards along the way, plus the usual Tree Sparrows and finches on the feeders at Midley.
Dungeness - With news breaking of a large fall of Ring Ouzels we headed straight for the point where we eventually saw up to 20 individuals on the edge of the Desert, Trapping Area and in the moat, where we had the best views. Several of the adult males showed really well around the moat before flying off clacking loudly. Throughout the afternoon large flocks of ouzels came and went across the DBO recording area with a total count somewhere in excess of 500!
Whilst working the moat we were fortunate enough to see a Yellow-browed Warbler that had been trapped earlier, following a call from PB (once I`d realised the volume on my phone was turned off... many thanks and apologies to those who tried to contact me earlier and got no response).
Also seen around the point: plenty of Robins, ten Blackbirds, three Song Thrushes, five Kestrels, 10 Mipits, five Stonechats, three Wheatears, two Swallows, five Pied Wagtails, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Black Redstart.



                                               Ring Ouzels, Dungeness

                                            Yellow-browed Warbler, Dungeness

Boulderwall - Crossing the causeway road a Great White and two Little Egrets were on New Diggings while the Cattle Egret showed a treat close to the access road in the field by the old farmhouse, as usual feeding amongst the hooves of the suckling herd.
Scotney - In fading light we tried for the reported Bonxie but without success. All the expected wildfowl were on site but there was no sign of any Golden Plovers.
A cracking afternoons birding at Dungeness for the guests with Ring Ouzels, Yellow-browed Warbler and Cattle Egret the undoubted highlights.

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