Trip reports
Trip to Dungeness & Pett Levels
Sunday, 2 September 2007
The excitement started for me before we reached Dungeness Point; as we were driving through Lydd, I got a text message from Vince who was already seawatching down at the patch, confirming that the White-winged Black Tern see the previous day was still there. This would be a new bird for my British and Kent lists if we saw it. Parking by the old lighthouse we met several others and were soon rushing along the path and up the shingle towards a group of birders already assembled.
The patch itself was busy as usual with a mass of gulls and terns feeding. We picked out several Black Terns and with a bit of help from Vince got onto the White-winged Black Tern, and once seen it was easy to pick up again and we watched it for some time. We spent about an hour and a half at the patch in the most pleasant conditions I can remember for a while (which might have been the weather or the euphoria of a new bird) but most of you know just how cold and windy it can be up there most of the time. There were over 50 Gannets feeding offshore, among the usual gulls were 2 Little Gulls and Vince spotted an Arctic Tern but despite quite a bit of scanning around I couldn't pick it out. We saw 3 Arctic Skuas and watched one persistently chase a Common Tern for several minutes before it eventually gave up and fly west. A Bonxie flew east quite close in and we also saw a single Fulmar. Meanwhile Eddie had been exploring the Observatory moat and located a Black Redstart.
Arriving at the reserve we decided to break with tradition and go the opposite way round the reserve, mainly because Christine had told us that we might see Red Crested Pochard on the pond which can be viewed from the boardwalk, and sure enough there it was, giving a good comparison with common or garden Pochard close by.
There were quite a few Yellow Wagtails about, including many juveniles, Swallows and Sand Martins flew over and raptors seen included Kestrel, Marsh Harrier and Sparrowhawk.
Walking towards the Denge Marsh, there was a moment's consternation when a wader flew over calling and one of the groups (who shall remain anonymous) called a Dotterel. The bird was soon identified as a Golden Plover and the member concerned assured that he had gone completely dotterel.
Next Ron spotted 2 Whinchat on a bramble right next to the path and we were able to get good views of these smart little birds at close range before they flew off. Several Whitethroats were seen diving in and out of the bushes as we approached the Dengemarsh Hide. Cetti's Warblers, which just seem to have started calling again over the last couple of weeks, were heard.
The water levels continue to be very high and we couldn't find any waders but noted Gadwall, Shoveler, Great Crested Grebe, Mute Swan, Canada and Greylag Goose, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Little Egret, Grey Heron and a single Wigeon.
As we hadn't seen any waders all day apart from one plover, after lunch we decided to go to Pett Levels, just the other side of Rye. A good spot with many waders packed into a small area and easy to view from the roadside.
We saw Avocet, Curlew, Dunlin, Turnstone, Common, Green and Curlew Sandpiper, Redshank, Knot, Ringed Plover, Ruff, Bar-tailed Godwit, and Snipe.
Thirteen members joined in for all or part of the day and between us we saw 53 species at Dungeness, with a further 16 added at Pett levels and 3 extra on the way home brought the total up to 72.