A day out at Dunge

Saturday started with my alarm going off at an ungodly hour to meet Adam at 6:30 in Sandwich. We arrived at Dungeness at first light and we were going to start at the fishing boats but we got out the car for 2 minutes and got soaked. With this we jumped back in the car and swiftly moved on to the ARC Pit. On the South end of the pit a Great White Egret was in amongst wildfowl and a single Little Egret. From the hide we picked up Shoveler, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Wigeon, Grey Heron, Great Crested Grebe, Great Black Backed Gull, Cormorant, Smew, Goldeneye, Coot. On the way out we picked up Marsh Harrier, Tree Sparrow and Green Woodpecker. On the New Diggings we saw only 1 Black-Throated Diver of the 2 reported and another redhead Smew.

We then moved back to the fishing boats in search of Caspian Gull but no luck there. There were hundreds of Great Crested Grebes and Guillemots on the sea along with fishing Gannets offshore. After this we went on to the trapping area where the Hume's Warbler was reported. After wading around for a while we went to the spot where Adam had it on the Sunday before. We waited but nothing so we moved around and then sods law says that it will turn up there. We heard it call but luckily Michael was still wading around in the area and located it. We then moved round and all picked up on it. A lifer for me and I believe for Harry too.

We popped in to the RSPB centre on our way to Scotney. A Pintail was the only new bird for the day. At Scotney we stopped at the first road in search of Long-Tailed Duck but couldn't pick it out. We then stopped at the entrance to the farm and a fellow birder kindly showed us the Long-Tailed Duck in his scope. After this brilliant bird we moved on to the next. We stopped at the bends and in amongst the Greylags there were 8 White-Fronted Geese and 2 Bean Geese. Bean goose being another lifer for me. On our way home we checked the marshes for Bewick Swans and there 40 together.

Bean Geese