A couple of additions

On Sunday I made a brief visit to Dungeness and driving out of Hamstreet at 5:30 a lovely Barn Owl was flying along the ditch at the side of the road looking for its breakfast. The visit to Dunge proved to be a non event, an hour and halfs seawatching from 05:45 - 07:15 produced Gannets and Common Terns, and that was it. With the wind and overcast weather early on there was very little else around so I went home. Yesterday I had a meeting to attend to which meant I had the novelty of catching the train. Heading up to Hamstreet station via the footpath along side the bridge a Turtle Dove was calling. I spent a few minutes locating it in the tree before then rushing for the train I nearly missed!

Mad 45 minutes at Dung

Day off today and before catching up on all the chores I decided an early start at Dung to kick the day off. Arrived at the point at 5:45 and with Martin and the others off to Holland I had the place to myself. I had only just got my scope up and the birds started flowing and for the next 45 minutes I had the following. 4 Arctic Skuas (east) all close in 21 Little Tern (east) 12 Sanderling (east) 111 Scoter (east) 40 Scoter (west) 2 Swallows in 1 Hobby in 6 Oystercatcher (east) 1 Arctic Tern (east) Many Common Tern, in the hundreds Many Gannets Then at 6:30, nothing, apart from a few scoter (included above, Common Tern and Gannets it all went quiet. I hung around for another hour and a couple of others turned up but we all gave up. Looked around the moat, had a Black Redstart and a few of the now resident Whitethroats but not much else around. About half an hour after I left someone reported a Serin but missed that one. Not a bad morning, much better then I expected.

The migrants start to appear

Started the day off early before work in one of my Tetrads undertaken the 2nd visit of my Nightingale survey. Of the five I found last week only four were in place but I had two new ones so one I assume had moved, but at least I am now at six for that area. This evening after work I had planned to go to Dung for a few hours and this was more anticipated throughout the day with the news of the Melodious Warbler, would I see it. Finally got to Dung and the Melodious hadn't been seen for an hour after the owner had visited his garden. Nice views of a male Redstart and finally, half an hour later the Melodious appeared. I was informed of a couple of Whinchats and a Pied Flycatcher over by the power station so decided for a walk over to there and around the obs. On the way down the road a Spotted Flycatcher but not much else. Around the moat a 4 Wheatears, 2 Whitethroat, a female Blackcap, 2 Whinchat and a nice Garden Warbler. A quick sea watch picked up 1 Black-throated Diver flying east and a Gannet, quite a few Common Terns but not much else. A visit back to the lighthouse garden and good views of a Spotted Flycatcher but did not see the Melodious Warbler again. Not a bad few hours