Sunday 6 February 2005

6th February 2005 Bulverhythe, Northpoint, Scotney, Dungeness, Rye Harbour. Wind light S becoming calm, overcast becoming sunny


Red-throated Diver 2W Bulverhythe, 5 Dungeness Point
Slavonian Grebe 1 w/p Northpoint
Black-necked Grebe 1 w/p ARC Pit
Little Grebe 5 Scotney
Great Crested Grebe 15 on sea Bulverhythe, 1 ARC Pit, 2 Dungeness Pt
Fulmar 1E
Cormorant c.50 Castle Water colony
Bittern 2 Rye – ex. views especially of one that crossed a cutting in front of us.
Little Egret 23 Castle Water roost
Mute Swan c.40 Denge Marsh
Whooper Swan 7 ad. Denge Marsh
Bewick’s Swan 40 Old Romney
Hybrid Goose sp 4 Emperor look-alikes - Scotney – dark legs, white head extending onto neck – hybrid Barnacle x Brent or Barnacle x Snow Goose perhaps.
Greylag Goose 4
Canada Goose c.60 Rye
Barnacle Goose c.20 Scotney, c.5 Rye
Brent Goose 5 Scotney
Gadwall 4 ARC Pit
Pintail 2 ARC Pit
Shoveler 4 Lade Pits
Pochard c.25
Red-crested Pochard 2 pair Dungeness Reserve – drake briefly dived on two occasions!
Scaup 2 pair Scotney
Lesser Scaup 1 drake Kent end of Scotney – distant view though profile and grey mantle distinctive
Tufted Duck 2 Northpoint, 4 Scotney
Goldeneye 5 ARC Pit
Smew 5 Northpoint (2 drakes), 1 drake Scotney
Ruddy Duck 30 ARC Pit, 30 Lade Pit
Kestrel 1 roadside
Red-legged Partridge 6 Denge Marsh
Water Rail h Rye
Moorhen 5
Coot 25 Northpoint, 40 Northpoint
Golden Plover 1 Northpoint, 20 Rye
Lapwing 200 Northpoint, 100 Rye
Purple Sandpiper 2 Bulverhythe
Turnstone 5 Bulverhythe
Redshank c.5 Northpoint, 2 Scotney
Black-tailed Godwit 1 Northpoint
Curlew c.50 Northpoint
Ruff 4 Northpoint
Yellow-legged Gull 1 2nd-w Northpoint. Pure white head, bill pink base with black subterminal band. Coverts dark centred with pale fringes, tertials primarily dark muddy brown with pale fringes, primaries black. Appeared short-legged. In flight dark brown underwing coverts, white rump and broad terminal black band to tail.
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2 Scotney
Great Black-backed Gull c.40 Dungeness Pt.
Kittiwake 2 Dungeness Pt
Glaucous Gull 1 1w Dungeness Point. Prolonged flight views. Uppersides of primaries grey not particularly white looking. Brown underwing coverts contrasted with pale cream flight feathers. Large bill primarily pink with black tip. Eye dark. Head and underparts a smooth velvety brown. Undertail coverts barred. Upperwings mottled brown. Tail above had grey centers to feathers. Vague darker trailing edge formed by darkish tips to primaries.
Auk sp. 5W Bulverhythe, 5W Dungeness Pt
Stock Dove c.70 Rye
Wood Pigeon c.50 Denge Marsh
Long-eared Owl 2 Rye at daytime roost
Barn Owl 1 Dungeness RSPB hunting along entrance track at 1pm. Superb.
Little Owl 1 Rye
Green Woodpecker 1 Dungeness RSPB
Meadow Pipit 3 Bulverhythe
Pied Wagtail c.120 Castle Water pre-roost gathering
Stonechat 1 Dungeness Pt
Fieldfare c. 10 Denge Marsh
Cetti’s Warbler 1 glimpsed in flight across a channel at Castle Water 2h
Bearded Tit h Castle Water
Reed Bunting c.3 Rye