NEWS FROM DUNGENESS  

February

Red-throated divers were seen on three occasions during the month and three Slavonian grebes could be found around the site with the most reliable being the one that had spent most of the winter on the New Excavations.  Single bitterns were seen by a lucky few, either from the Hooker’s pits viewpoint or the ARC hide.  Bewick’s swans dropped in occasionally with a maximum of 30 seen on the 11^th.  Two tundra bean geese appeared on the 19^th and remained in the Denge Marsh area until the 24^th.  Barnacle geese present from mid-month were thought to be wild birds and not part of the local feral flock.  Numbers of smew and goosander slowly dwindled as the month progressed but males and females of both species could still be found at the month’s end.  Marsh harriers continued to delight on most days but there were only two sightings of hen harrier. 

The noisy cries of oystercatchers returned to the reserve on the 3^rd.  For me this is always the first sign of the changing season although for one local birder the sight of a swallow at Jury’s Gap on 14^th probably fulfilled the same function. 

Unusual gulls provided some interest throughout the month.  These included two different glaucous gulls, up to three Caspian gulls and four yellow-legged gulls, a little gull on the 3^rd and a Mediterranean gull on the 9^th.

Passerines included rock pipit on two dates, two water pipits from 18^th to 23^rd, Dartford warbler mid-month, fieldfares (10^th and 11^th) and the first white wagtail of the year (29^th).  On still days bearded tits put on a fine performance near the Hooker’s pits viewpoint with twenty plus birds seen on the 13^th.

A lot of the work we carry out on the reserve is not always immediately obvious to visitors. One such piece of work was removing a shingle causeway on the New Excavations to open up the area and prevent it being too ‘compartmentalised’. Also, it should stop predators having easy access through the middle of the area and has created some additional reedy margins, ideal for reed-nesting birds and (hopefully) for feeding bitterns!

March

This is a transitional month in the bird world with the first summer migrants arriving and some of our winter visitors seemingly reluctant to move off to their breeding areas.  It can also be a frustrating month as early migrants tease us into thinking that spring is here. 

A sand martin attempting to feed over the ARC pit on the 1^st broke our earliest ever record for this species by one day, a decision it may have regretted as the early March weather lived up to its reputation by exhibiting lion-like qualities!  There were further sightings over the next couple of days and then nothing until mid-month when our first wheatears also appeared.  

The first garganeys (two birds) of the season were spotted on the 18^th on the lake near Boulderwall Farm and there were five subsequent sightings of single birds, either on Burrowes pit or Denge Marsh.  A blackcap was also seen on the 18^th and 19^th before moving on.  However, it was not until the end of the month, as the weather warmed up a little and the wind shifted that we saw our first swallow and yellow wagtail (30^th) and the 31^st produced three sedge warblers at Hooker’s pits, Christmas Dell and the ARC site.  Goldcrests and firecrests were also present with one of each species seen near the Willow Trail on the 30^th and three of the latter in Christmas Dell on the 31^st. 

                                        Garganey                                                                        M. Howes

Other passerine sightings of note included grey wagtail (a single bird present near Makepeace hide for three days), fieldfares and redwings (two sightings each), black redstart on three dates, a fine water pipit in front of Firth hide on the 29^th and a male brambling near Boulderwall Farm on the 19^th.  Among our wintering ducks, goldeneyes remained in small numbers throughout the month but the last smew was seen on the 8^th and the last goosander on the 9^th. 

The long-staying Slavonian grebe remained in the Scott hide area throughout the month, gradually attaining its summer plumage.   Three black-necked grebes put in a brief appearance on the ARC pit on the 7^th, great crested grebes were present in good numbers, entertaining us with their elaborate courtship displays and the bizarre call of the little grebe could be heard emanating from the reed beds around the trail.                               

Wader sightings were few and far between, largely due to the high water levels, with the only migrant sightings of note being a jack snipe on the 2^nd and an avocet on the 9^th.  Gulls seen included a glaucous gull (2^nd and 7^th), an Iceland gull (11^th), yellow-legged gull (on four dates), Caspian gull (up to three birds), Mediterranean gull (four sightings) and a single first winter little gull at Denge Marsh on the 29^th.

March is the month when any remaining habitat management work needs to be completed so that we avoid disturbing potential breeding birds.  The islands on Burrowes pit all had a ‘short back and sides’ to make them attractive to nesting gulls and terns.  Additionally, we set out 23 decoy black-headed gulls as an extra lure, so make sure you have a really good look before reporting any potential Mediterranean gulls to the visitor centre!

By month-end all our grazing meadows were as ready for breeding lapwings as they could be and the anti-predator electric netting went up again this year to prevent access to much of the western shoreline of Burrowes pit. 

April

Migration goes on apace, with greater numbers of birds of more species arriving in this month than any other.  By the end of the month nearly all our migrant species have arrived.  Passerine species in particular pass through in large numbers and by the month end even the first swifts have appeared.

During the early part of the month there were up to three Slavonian grebes recorded and two black-necked grebes. At least two male garganey, perhaps three, were present at Denge Marsh.   A hen harrier was seen on 8^th and 24^th and marsh harriers peaked at five on 12^th.  A common buzzard flew over on the 5^th, a merlin was seen on 12^th and single hobbies on 3^rd and 10^th.  Peregrines were seen occasionally and single ospreys passed over on their way north on 10^th and 16^th. 

There was a good variety of waders present although numbers were not high. Two avocets were recorded on 3^rd with grey plover on 6^th and 8^th and up to four knots on three dates.  Other waders included occasional dunlin, the first little ringed plovers of the season (8^th), ruffs on 5^th and 17^th, six black-tailed godwits on 3^rd and single bar-tailed godwits on 16^th and 19^th.   Whimbrels were recorded from 13^th, building to a maximum of 13 on 18^th, three greenshanks were seen the same day and one the next.  There was a green sandpiper on 14^th and singleton common sandpipers on 18^th and 19^th.

The first tern was a single Sandwich tern on 1^st followed by five on 22^nd and lower numbers on a couple of other dates. There were daily common terns from 20^th and 30 Arctic terns on 23^rd with a few remaining until the following day.  Four little terns were seen on 24^th and a few delightfully elegant black terns passed through in small numbers towards the end of the month.

The first cuckoo was heard on 19^th, and swifts turned up on the 25^th.  Hirundines passed through in small numbers as the month progressed.  Single ring ouzels were seen on two occasions but the highlight of the month was the male white-spotted bluethroat found on the western edge of Hooker’s pits on the 8^th. 

Following the first sedge warbler sighting on 31^st March other warblers arrived in good numbers throughout April.  The first dates were as follows: willow warbler (4^th); reed warbler (9^th); common whitethroat (12^th); lesser whitethroat (21^st).  Single blackcaps were recorded on 6^th, 8^th and 22^nd and a grasshopper warbler was heard near the Hanson-ARC hide on 26^th.

A coal tit near Boulderwall Farm on 5^th was an unusual record.  Less unusual for the reserve were the tree sparrows now firmly re-established as a breeding species.  In addition to the ten or more pairs in the Boulderwall Farm area there were regular sightings of a pair in the bushes near Hide 1.

                                       Coal Tit                                            R. James

On the management front, most of the month was spent on monitoring work.  Breeding birds were surveyed, including ducks, great crested grebes, lapwings, wheatears, bearded tits, Cetti’s warblers, reed buntings and redshanks.  As with many sites and, as with previous years, there are gains (Cetti’s warbler), losses (redshank) and levels maintained (lapwing and mallard).   Other wildlife was also surveyed, with our residential volunteers doing a lot of work on medicinal leeches and great crested newts.

May

With ten species of raptor, 23 species of wader and a smattering of minor rarities recorded, May provided some excellent birding. Highlights during the first week were provided by a ring ouzel and common buzzard on 4^th and a purple heron and black kite on 6^th.  The 7^th produced an even more unusual sighting in the shape of a rough-legged buzzard.  Only the 7^th record for the reserve, it was also the first May record.  Hobby numbers increased throughout the month with a maximum of 15 seen on 27^th, mostly in the Denge Marsh area but also over the pits near Boulderwall Farm.  Other raptors to cause a stir were single red kites (13^th and 23^rd) and an osprey (15^th). 

A wood sandpiper was spotted on 13^th and a curlew sandpiper was at the ARC pit on 19^th.  A spoonbill was also at the ARC pit that day and a pair of garganey gave excellent views from the viewing screen.  Single Temminck’s stints were seen on 12^th and 17^th and little stints on 22^nd and 26^th.  A few lucky folk who had been at the viewing screen watching the Temminck’s stint on 12^th were also treated to a brief sighting of a bee-eater flying over the bushes on the opposite side of the track.  There was a second sighting of spoonbill on 26^th, from Makepeace hide, and there was much excitement when a black-winged stilt turned up on Denge Marsh on 28^th.  This latter bird remained in the area into the following day although it was rather elusive.      

Amongst our resident species the highlight of the month was provided by the fledging of our first tree sparrows of the year, with three youngsters being seen near Boulderwall Farm on 26^th. 

Monitoring work on our breeding birds continued throughout the month. Early indications were that lapwings were not faring well. We tracked the fortunes of nearly twenty individual nests, from egg laying, through incubation and to hatching.  About a third of these nests produced young, the others being lost to either mammalian or avian predators.  Unfortunately, we suspect many young chicks were also lost due to the cold and wet weather, which was not ideal for youngsters at such a vulnerable stage.

June

A period of warm and settled weather in the second week of the month brought in several exciting species.  A ring-tail Montagu’s harrier and a female red-footed falcon showed off in the Denge Marsh area on the afternoon of the 8^th whilst on the 10^th a great white egret spent the day commuting between Denge Marsh and the lakes by the access track.  One sharp-eyed observer also spotted a white stork but, frustratingly, it vanished before anyone else could see it.