Dungeness Point

The moth trap on Friday held my first Dark Swordgrass, another Feathered Thorn and a very late Lesser Yellow Under-wing with a Yellow-line Quaker and Common Marbled Carpet on Saturday and a Red-green carpet on Sunday.
The drive across the marsh was very quiet with just a few Mute swan flocks. No sign of any Bewick's yet.
There were only a few Gannets on a sea watch from the boats so we headed back for lunch. Following a phone call telling us about a Purple Sandpiper further east along the beach so we drove round and parked up then walked across the shingle. We found 2 Purple Sandpipers and some Sanderling among the Turnstones. They were very confiding and pottered along, feeding as they went, letting us get some reasonable photographs.
I wandered back along the tideline looking at all the battered shellfish among the bits of crab, masses of starfish and some seamice, showing how rough the sea has been.
A big, black cloud threatened so I returned to the car just in time to avoid the lashing rain that blew across the shingle.
We went round to the RSPB reserve and found the Glossy Ibis feeding in the field by the entrance track just past Boulderwall, giving very good views before it disappeared into the reeds. A fox trotted confidently round the car park area, finding something to eat under the feeders .

 

Monday morning had a short spell of Raptor activity with 3 buzzards flying inland over the reserve and a Hen-harrier flying out to sea from the boats.


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A wild week

It has been very interesting in the moth trap this week. I don't often run it this late as we don't usually get many moths but this week has seen lots of Nov/Autumnal moths, Feathered Thorns and the odd Common Marbled Carpet but the highlight was a Figure of 8, a Grey-shoulder Knot and a Merveille du Jour.









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