Redwings 24th and 25th March

The 24th March was overcast and damp. Hundreds of Redwings and a few Fieldfares had descended in to the Desert and the top of the Long Pits. They were incredibly hard to see even though many were singing and they would not allow a close approach. Somehow they knew you were there and went quiet as one.

Redwings in the Desert

Wandering down to the Point from the top of the Long Pits, I was picking up new arrivals with the odd Goldcrest and a few Chiffchaffs, along with a single Firecrest. In the following photo sequence, i've tried to provide similar comparison postures of Chiffchaff and Iberian Chiffchaff from the 22nd March. 

Chiffchaff

Iberian Chiffchaff from 22nd March

Chiffchaff

Iberian Chiffchaff from the 22nd March

Chiffchaff

Iberian Chiffchaff from 22nd March

Goldcrest

Heading on to the RSPB Reserve there were a couple of Avocets on Burrowes and a female Long-tailed Duck which I couldn't find today. The Long-tailed Duck is likely to be the one from Lade and before that from New Diggings, it was last seen on New Diggings on 7th March, then Lade on 13th-14th March and Burrowes on the 17th. As of the 25th there are at least six Goldeneye still present on Burrowes.

Avocet

Female Long-tailed Duck and Drake Goldeneye

Gulls are still making use of the new islands infront of Xmas Dell and Dengemarsh hides. This very large and long billed 2CY Caspian Gull was in from of Dengemarsh hide.

2CY Caspian Gull

2CY Caspian Gull

Pairs of Common Gulls were interested in the islands, hopefully they might breed.

Common Gulls

On the 25th March, the Point was cloaked in a low hazy mist and early messages from Jacob indicated that once again Redwings were in the area along with a Hawfinch. However, the mist layer quickly burnt off and the skies were clear and blue and I could only hear the odd Siskin calling as I walked to the Point and Desert from the top of the Long Pits. My walk recorded a dearth of migrants with only the local Robins and singing Chiffchaffs. A look at the sea was equally disappointing but on walking back to the Bird Observatory there were a couple of Black Redstarts feeding including a stunning male that had been ringed, presumably by the Obs team.

Male Black Redstart

Male Black Redstart 

Male Black Redstart

I headed back home for breakfast and a message on another Kent Whatsapp group stated that a Hoopoe had been seen at Kerton Pit. So it was back out and on arriving at Kerton Road I could a few of the other locals looking for the Hoopoe. In the end we couldn't relocate it but did have a Woodcock and a 2CY Caspian Gull. 

2CY Caspian Gull Kerton Pit

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

Long Pits and Burrowes

 Weather

Daytime low of 14C, high of 20C. North then north-west wind 10 to 22mph by the evening. Dry and cloudy.

As it was a cloudy start to the day I started at the top of the Long Pits and did a walk that looped around the Bus Ride. A couple of Long-tailed Tit flocks in that area also held good numbers of Chiffchaffs with 55+ recorded, along with two Lesser Whitethroats and four Willow Warblers. A great Spotted Woodpecker was also in the willows.

Chiffchaff

Willow Warbler

In the afternoon, news on Birdguides was picked up indicating that the adult American Golden Plover was back on Burrowes seen from Dennis's Hide. The bird had been seen at 14:30 and I was in Dennis's by 15:30. The hide was empty and only two Golden Plovers were with the Lapwings on the nearer islands. I spoke to the folks in the Visitor Centre but there was no other information on the bird, so who knows! Maybe it'll return to Burrowes again.

There was an adult Argentatus race of Herring Gull in amongst the Greater Black-backed Gulls roosting on Burrowes, two Dunlin and a Merlin flew through. Two Black Terns also remain on Burrowes.

Herring Gull race Argentatus

Gadwall female and male

 Weather

Cold at 07:00 6° C, high of 17° C, dry, sunny, clear skies, NW 15 to 17mph, then decreasing to 6mph from midday.

A visit to Scotney Sand Pit early morning found me not having enough warm layers as it felt very cold in the gusty NW wind. The water levels in the Pit are starting to gradually rise but there is still plenty of foraging available for shorebirds. On the track leading to the Pit I had 17 Chiffchaffs indicating that once again a these vocal warblers were moving through the Peninsula and this was backed up with a message of at least 30+ on the east side of the Long Pits. I was hoping for a hirundine passage along this south west part of the area but I only saw a handful of swallows moving over the Pit during the time I was there.

In the Pit were nine Ringed Plovers, two Little-ringed Plovers, four Greenshank, a Ruff, a Sanderling  a Black-tailed Godwit and 10 Dunlin. I met Matthew the landowner of the surrounding arable land but didn't have time to chat as he had to head off to sort out a technical issue with a drilling machine.
I'd be back at the Pit later in the afternoon as Paul Trodd found his second juvenile Red-necked Phalarope there in a week, the other being at Lade South Pit.

Other birds seen at the Pit were Hobby, four Green Sands, 3 Common Sands, Kingfisher a Wood Sandpiper and a late afternoon movement of 1,500 hirundines south west (mostly Swallows and Sand Martins) between 17:00 and 17:30.

On leaving the Sand Pit I headed to Dengemarsh on the RSPB Reserve just in case hirundines were moving through this area and also if the earlier Honey Buzzard that had been seen on the Point decided to move south west. There were many Sand Martins, Swallows and a few House Martins over the area but no sign of any real passage. I did have three Avocets land momentarily before heading off.

Next stop was the Desert and I decided to approach from the north. Whilst wandering and not seeing much Tom Wright found a Red-veined Darter near the Bird Observatory, a new dragonfly species for me. So I headed there and whilst initially it had disappeared another was picked up in the same area.

Looking for Red-veined Darters

On walking back through the Desert to my car I had two Whinchats and a single Wheatear. In the afternoon I was back at Scotney Sand Pit watching the Red-necked Phalarope and the Wood Sand.
Another great day in the area.

Chiffchaff

Wheatear

Red-veined Darter

Whitethroat

Juvenile Red-necked Phalarope

Juvenile Wood Sandpiper

Juvenile Red-necked Phalarope