Day at Dunge

 With up to 10 Black Terns, a White-winged Tern and a Pectoral Sandpiper on the Birdguides all week, a fantastic weather forecast and with all the usual good stuff the site has to offer it seemed reasonable to head to Dungeness for a visit. I managed to get up early and arrived at the Arc Pit car park at 6.45AM, Margie deciding to stay tucked up in bed! I had missed the sunrise but it was still a cracking sky and as I was kitting up a couple of Cattle Egrets flew by, which I considered a good start!!

Cattle Egret

Took the scope around to the Hansen Hide, the Pectoral Sandpiper was on show, but distant and a Common Sandpiper was also present amongst the commoner stuff! The highlight was probably the hundreds of Swallows and Martins feeding over the water, I didn't even bother to try and get pictures!!😀 I was pretty much surrounded by Hirundines for the rest of the day, definitely building up to leave!

Pectoral Sandpiper in amongst the ducks who were largely indifferent 

The light gave for some quite nice pics of the locals

Tufted Duck

Young Swan

Both the Sandpipers

Common Sandpiper

Little Egret

Shame the Pec Sand didn't come a bit closer

Normally I would head to the Point while I waited for the reserve's gate to open, but it was such a nice day and the lack of wind suggested Seawatching would be pointless, I decided to walk from the Arc to Burrows, where the Terns were reportedly doing their thing, via Dengemarsh . I know what you're thinking, "are you mad?" 😂 Such a long walk would kill a lesser man but for someone just 6 ounces off their BMI it would be no problem, obviously I left the scope in the car and decided to ditch the woolly hat as the day warmed up nicely. The decision, paid of big time, with a lovely Whinchat just 100yards onto the reserve! Lots of small birds along the walk to Hooker's ramp, Linnets, Goldfinches and Reed Buntings as well as Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Lesser Whitethroat!

Whinchat

Photo-bombing my Spider's Web pic!

Linnet

Egyptian Geese 

Reed Bunting

Juvenile Goldfinch

Kestrel

 At Hooker's Ramp, there were Beardies calling all around, though they refused to pose for pics, a Sedge Warbler did pose, but couldn't get any pics of the Chiffies and Blackcaps which were in the surrounding bushes. Nice fly past by a Great White Egret was probably the highlight!

Great Egret

Sedge Warbler

Pair of Swans, wouldn't do the heart thing!!

Called by the lure of the Terns I didn't linger long, figured I'd have another crack at the Beardies on the way back. Between Hooker's and Dengemarsh, there was a bird sat high in a tree that had me scratching my head, until I realised it was a Wheatear!! 

Wheatear atop a tree

Couple of Great Crested Grebes one in Breeding one in Non-breeding plumage

Dragonflies were starting to appear in numbers, were absolutely loads buzzing about by the end!

Great Egret

I arrived at Burrow's Pit and after a bit of faffing around picked up a couple of Terns dip feeding over the water, the light was terrible and it a few minutes to ascertain that these were Black Terns, sadly the White-winged Tern was not seen all day, the perceived wisdom was it had buggered off taking most of the Black Terns with it.😢😢 I attempted some pictures but the afore mentioned conditions and the blighters staying in the middle of the pit made it pretty difficult. Managed to get a few pics of the Chiffchaffs flitting about in the nearby bushes as well!

Black Tern

Chiffchaff

Reed Bunting

 Poor results, but huge fun watching them feeding, several other birders present by now, as we stood, watching the Terns, a Merlin flew over, always good to see but I failed to get a pic, I also failed to get a pic of the Kingfisher that flew past  I blame the long walk for dulling my reactions!! I retraced my steps with a view to picking up the car and heading to the point to have a look at the sea and hunt for some Black Redstarts. A bit of a Raptorfest with, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel seen on the walk and Marsh Harrier and Buzzard seen back at Hookers where the Beardies finally showed well enough for a poor picture. Can't believe with the sheer volume of Dragonflies I never saw a Hobby!!

Kestrel

Blue Tit, nice to see quite a few resident birds

Sparrowhawk

Bearded Tit (male)

Bearded Tit (female)

Another Great Egret

Marsh Harrier

Common Buzzard

Kestrel

Robin

Some views from Hooker's Ramp! Very peaceful and pleasant in the lovely sunshine.

At this point another birder told me a Glossy Ibis was on the Arc pit, so I headed back to the car, on the way I spotted some Cattle Egrets in with some cows, again fairly distant. 

Juvenile with dark bill

Raven

As I reached the car, news came out over Birdguides that an American Golden Plover had been found on Burrow's Pit from Dennis Hide, a bit of a dilemma, I decided to nip in and see the Glossy Ibis first before heading to the reserve, bit risky as the rarer bird could well bugger off but neither were Lifers so I took the chance!!

Glossy Ibis

Common Sandpiper, no sign of the Pec Sand on this visit

 With part one of the plan successfully completed, I headed back to the reserve, luckily the bird had remained and I managed great Scope views of the American visitor once again pretty distant, think today's theme has been distance!!

American Golden Plover, ( The greyer bird next to the Golden Plover although that is only helpful if you know what a Golden Plover looks like!!)

Obviously back on Burrows I decided to have another play with the Terns. Hoping they would be a bit closer, they weren't!!! Quelle Surprise!

Black Tern

By now, I was absolutely knackered so headed home!! Didn't go to the Point, didn't even stop off at Scotney and see the Red-necked Phalarope! Another superb day at RSPB Dungeness, it never disappoints!!! Though it was a shame the White-winged Tern couldn't hang around another day but you can't have everything thing and the AGP was an excellent surprise!!!