Reports 2009-2010

RSPB Dungeness Saturday 10th October

We had four people joining us for the first time on this trip. The weather once again was good to us.

Setting off around the RSPB reserve we saw many willow warblers which were presumably having their last big feed before setting off across the channel on migration.

On the main lake two female and a male pintail were with the more common, expected ducks. Two marsh harriers were also seen.

Continuing around the reserve we saw a scaup with a few tufted duck on one of the small lakes.

We continued to the Denge Marsh hide, which proved to be the most productive of all. This overlooks a lake with grass banks and some muddy areas. Here we saw many snipe, a couple of curlews, some black-tailed godwits and redshank. A few golden plovers were among the lapwings. In the field a large flock of greylag geese were feeding. Returning to the visitors centre, a peregrine was seen overhead.

We left the reserve to go to the Hanson ARC Hide across the road from the main entrance, which is an extension to the original reserve.

This is very productive for waders & gulls.

Here we saw ruff, dunlin and curlew sandpiper. As we were about to leave to go to `The Patch’, a glossy ibis flew in.

Walking along the shingle ridge to the patch, a first year gannet flew by. At the patch , sandwich terns were seen together with a great skua which was chasing the gulls to make them disgorge their food.

Dave Jones (photographs - Stuart Harrison)