Dungeness 17/09/26

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When I arrived at Dungeness this morning it was raining hard so my plan to start with a seawatch wasn't going to happen. Instead I went to the RSPB reserve making use of the hides/lookout there. The terns that had been present on recent visits were now absent, and waders were limited to Dunlin and Ringed Plover. Fortunately, the rain stopped whilst there.

I drove round to park near the old lighthouse and was surprised to see a couple of what seemed to be semi-tame foxes close to the cars. Someone put down a plate of food for them and they were joined by two more foxes. The foxes seemed to be young animals probably born this year, all very approachable and no doubt accustomed to being fed in view of their behaviour!

I was the only person at the seawatch hide, though I think others were viewing from the fishing boats. There was a big movement of terns flying west after the rain, numbers difficult to estimate though certainly in the hundreds. They were accompanied by several Arctic Skuas. I also saw two Balearic Shearwaters and what I think was a Black Tern. After an hour the numbers of terns started to tail off so I left and headed to the Observatory.

I walked the moat and nearby area to the west finding a Wheatear and a fairly showy Willow Warbler by the power station road. Walking back towards the moat I was sure I heard a Dartford Warbler so sat down and waited to see if it appeared. It called several more times before flying out of the moat towards the clumps of broom just behind me. It perched briefly on a couple of bushes allowing a few photographs.

Next to the ARC pit which had five Little Gulls (one adult, four juvs) and a juvenile White-winged Tern. The latter is thought to be a different individual to that recently on the RSPB reserve and which disappeared about a week ago. A Garganey was present amongst the many ducks, while a Ruff and Great White Egret were also seen.

Four foxes

Juvenile Willow Warbler 



Dartford Warbler 


Adult Little Gull


Juvenile White-winged Tern 


Great White Egret 




 


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