Black-necked Grebe

The six Pink-footed Goose were back on Boulderwall Fields this morning and later re-located with a Greylag flock to Lydd Fields viewable from Dengemarsh Road. A glorious blue sky day with a light northerly breeze made photography tricky. Still plenty of displaying Goldeneye on Burrowes and New Diggings and the long staying Long-tailed Duck still on New Diggings. A single Water Pipit was feeding on Hayfield 2 and Richard found a Black-necked Grebe on Dengemarsh where a female Pintail was also present. Lapwing numbers appear to be building with a count of 1,114 across the reserve today.

Water Pipit

Water Pipit

Pintail (female)

Pintail is an annual visitor to the reserve but usually in low numbers.

Black-necked Grebe

Bleck-necked Grebe

Wind W turning N by midday, low 11C, high 13C, rain showers, low cloud all day. Rain easing by late afternoon. 

After a night of rain showers and recent days of heavy rain showers the water levels on the RSPB Pits has now covered the emerging shingle on ARC and Burrowes pits, leaving little room for roosting gulls.

Only the vegetated islands now visible from Hanson hide, even the Cormorant island can only fit 10 at a squeeze.

The new islands created on New Excavations as viewed from Xmas Dell hide. So far Lapwings are taking advantage of the islands to roost and good numbers of Snipe are foraging on vegetation created by the reed clearance.

Messages indicated that a moderate fall of Chiffchaffs had again occurred in the area so I headed for ARC with a view to check the willows and scrub. Between the car park and the Pines I had 37 Chiffchaffs, singles of Firecrest and Goldcrest and two Blackcaps. Then along the Hanson track a further 29 Chiffs and two more Blackcaps. Overhead a light movement of five Reed Buntings and 10 Meadow Pipits heading west. From Hanson hide, 70 Lapwings, 244 Shoveler a single Pintail, five Snipe a single Black-tailed Godwit, the Glossy Ibis, a Kingfisher and a Black-necked Grebe. A mixed foraging flock c.200 hirundines over the pit.

On Burrowes the number of Teal has increased since Monday's WeBS count to 98 with 237 Lapwing on Burrowes and Xmas Dell. Numbers of hirundines were building on Burrowes with c.500 birds, mostly House Martins and the odd Swallow and Sand Martin. I did an hours count (12:45-13:45) from Xmas Dell with 1,053 House Martins, eight Swallows and 11 Meadow Pipits west.

Snipe

Lapwings roosting on New Excavations Islands

Black-necked Grebe

Chiffchaff

 Weather

Gusty ENE wind with clear skies. A couple of heavy showers midday with cloud forming. Humid and warm 25C.

Early morning 1,000's of hirundines mostly Swallows along with Meadow Pipits moving at the Point but by the time I got there at 9:30 the movement had stalled and I recorded 318 Swallows and 64 Meadow Pipits by 10:00 heading east out to sea then south-west. I had a Grey Wagtail around the Fishing Boats and a single Wigeon and Brent Goose going west offshore plus a Hummingbird Hawk Moth along the shoreline.

I then headed to the RSPB reserve where the Visitor Centre was closed due to staff shortages. A look at Burrowes from Dennis's hide picked up an adult Yellow-legged Gull and a 4th CY Caspian Gull and there were loads of hirundines over Burrowes but it was difficult to discern any migration rather than feeding bird. I wandered to Xmas Dell hide at which point it became clear that hirundines were on the move and I had an impressive movement of 2,529 swallows and 160 House Martins heading east between 11:55 and 12:16. A flock of 21 grounded Meadow Pipits were around Scott Lookout. A count of 406 Lapwings at Xmas Dell and Burrowes.

Next stop was ARC where I joined up with Martin and a wander to the Water Works and a winter plumaged Black-necked Grebe was a good find at the Pines inlet but little else.

After a litter pick at the ARC car park, I called it a day. A flock of 80 Rooks going to roost over Lydd High Street this evening.

Caspian Gull 3rd Winter

Adult Yellow-legged Gull

Black-necked Grebe