White-winged Black Tern

Sort of co-found a juvenile White-winged Black Tern on Burrowes this morning with Peter Eerdsman who thought he had seen it earlier from the visitor centre. This is the fourth one I have found/co-found since moving to the peninsular in 2019. When Peter and I were checking the id it had landed amongst the resting Common Terns on the muddy area in front of the Firth lookout. Once the news was put out it moved towards the back of Burrowes and began feeding, never coming too close.

Juvenile Black Tern on Burrowes too.

Juvenile White-winged Black Tern

Juvenile Black Tern

Juvenile Black Tern

Almost a wader fest

On the RSPB reserve during the evening and a great couple of hours watching a selection of waders in front of the Firth lookout. It is so easy to flush the birds feeding and resting in front of the lookout, real shame the hide couldn't be replaced but i've got used to the lookout now, taken a while.

Greenshank

Snipe

Little Stint

Snipe and Greenshank

Green Sandpiper

Wood and Green Sandpipers

Starting the day at ARC, I could hear Green Sandpiper calling as I walked towards Hanson Hide. On looking out there was a loose flock of seven birds with five together on the closest island.

Green Sandpipers

I could also hear a Wood Sand calling and after a short while it landed close to the hide amongst the recently cut reed.

Wood Sandpiper

On August 10th, I went to the Fishing Boats in the afternoon as an easterly breeze had picked up and you never know a few birds might be going past. However, it was not to be but  luckily Martin turned up with a loaf of bread and we were soon enjoying the gulls tearing the pieces of bread apart and joined by a lovely juvenile Yellow-legged Gull.

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull

Turnstone at the Fishing Boats

On Aug 10th, three juvenile Black Terns were on Burrowes Pit.

Juvenile Black Tern

On Aug 5th, I picked up this fledged juvenile and adult female Shoveler still together at ARC. I reckon that they had bred on the reserve as I find it unlikely that they would have flown in from elsewhere and stayed together. I think this is the second Shoveler brood at ARC this year as previously in July I had seen four well grown juvenile Shoveler but couldn't find an accompanying adult.

Juvenile and Adult female Shoveler at ARC

Spotted Redshank

The evening of the solar eclipse, which from the reserve seemed to be a bit of a damp squib.
Spotted Redshank is an annual passage migrant to the area but in low numbers and always a delight to see. This one was in front of Firth.

Spotted Redshank

Greenshank

There are quite a few yellow wagtails feeding on the islands at Burrowes. This one was closer on the mud in front of Firth.

Wood Sand and Pied Fly

Finally a close Wood Sand at ARC this morning although trying to get photos was made difficult due to the height of the reeds in front of Hanson hide.

At midday, Owen made a quick 10 minute check at the top of the Long Pits and found three Pied Flycatchers and later Martin found a fourth. By the time I could get there I could only find one but it was a showy individual.

I called in to ARC on the way home after the RSPB had cut the reeds in front of Hanson and whilst the islands were still relatively bird free resulting from the disturbance there was a flock of three Green Sandpipers and two Wood Sandpipers which you could easily see now the view from the hide was less obscured.

ARC - Another odd Duck

I've noticed this duck on a few occasions recently from Hanson hide but never been able to get a good look until today. I think it is a hybrid of some flavour with quite a bit of Pochard in there and i'm not sure what else?

Answers on a postcard or left as a comment!

Update 13th August - Its a Pochard x Pintail hybrid

Dungeness - July

 So far behind in processing my photos. Selection of July highlights. 

Curlew Sandpiper

Female Red-crested Pochard

Lesser Emperor

Bittern

Green Sandpiper

Black Tern

Eclipse Drake Garganey

Eclipse Duck Garganey

Likely radio-active material from on-going power station de-commissioning. Maybe on its way to Sellafield?

Bar-headed Goose - this was a five goose species morning from Hanson - far too many in my opinion

Male Ruff

Sandwich Tern family

Hobby

Little-ringed Plover

In Lightroom there is a feature called 'assisted culling'. I haven't used it on this photo but i'd like to on these Canada Geese stomping all through the Common Tern colony!

Six of the 11 Wigeon that appeared on Burrowes on 14th July

Common Tern

I reckon this female Marsh Harrier must be a mature lady given the large pale areas on her forewings

A flock of 21 White Storks drifted over the RSPB reserve on the 31st.