A fall of Yellow Wagtails at Dungeness!

Time was short today, with only the morning allocated for birding!

Ninety miles and an hour and a half later we arrive at Dungeness around 6.30am.

Driving along the road towards the lighthouses there was no indication of any big numbers of birds around, but as we neared the first of the lighthouses birds began to fly up from every piece of waste ground around us.

The majority of the birds were Yellow Wagtails, an estimated count from Dungeness Obs was c500! mixed in with these were double figures of Whinchats. Common Whitethroats seemed to be in most bushes as we scanned along with the odd Willow warbler.

The area before and after the cafe held the biggest numbers, but a walk around the moat again produced big numbers of yellow Wagtails. 

Whinchat

Whinchat

Yellow Wagtail

Three Black Redstarts were found on the garden fence of the house leading to the Obs along with more sightings of Whinchats.

A brief sea-watch produced large numbers of Gannet and good numbers of Sandwich Terns. Common Terns were also seen but in smaller numbers as were Kittiwakes. A single Great Skua was a welcome year tick, managing to pick the bird up after it had just knocked a Gannet out of the air and into the sea! Several Swifts were also noted out at sea along with a solitary Common Scoter.

As we headed back past the lighthouse gardens, Brian finds a Pied Flycatcher perched up among the vegetation. (Another year tick). As the predicted rain arrived we managed to find a second Pied Fly from the single track road near Lydd Ranges along with one of the local Ravens.

Last stop before heading home was a quick scan from Hanson Hide across Arc Pit producing three Wood Sandpipers (one unfortunately with the use of only one leg) as well as a single Common Sandpiper and a Little Stint. 

Another great mornings birding!