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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More Crossbills

As it was such a lovely day I decided to revisit Hemsted in the hope of getting some good pics of the Parrot Crossbills. DW phoned to say they had the same idea so I arranged to be picked up. When we got there it was a surprise to see about 15 cars parked and a couple of groups standing round. We strolled along the track and wandered down to the break in the trees but it was an hour or more before any crossbills showed. A group of Common Crossbills flew into the pines by the track and dropped down to drink and there were a few feeding around the tops of the pines at the other end but no sign of the 2-barred or any Parrots.
As we stood around a Clouded Yellow flew around and settled in the track, being disturbed by 2 horses.


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Autumn is really here

We needed to get out so we decided to go for a walk around Park Wood as we hadn't been there lately. Arriving in the car park there were only 2 other cars so we expected a quiet walk but it was VERY quiet, we only heard 2 robins and a jay. The foliage was turning to autumn colours making a colourful carpet, there were plenty of fungi, which I struggle to identify apart from the Fly Agaric, and some lovely sweet chestnuts that we foraged as we went.

























































































The results of our foraging





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Crossbills Again

The weather this morning was wet, wild and windy but it did ease and improve by lunchtime so I decided on a further visit to Hemsted with DW and MC. Arriving at the parking area we were surprised to see 9 cars there.
A wander along the track and a chat to the birders who pointed out some Parrot Crossbills in the top of the trees across the clearing. While we were looking at them some crossbills flew over. Eventually the Two-barred Crossbill was found among a group at the top of the pines beside the entrance track.














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Jack Snipe

Saturday started off murky and damp with very little to be seen across the marsh and not much at the observatory. A call alerted us to a Jack snipe at Hanson Hide so we drove round and there it was standing very still and just bobbing occasionally. On the flood were several Golden Plover, Lapwing and ducks and the Glossy Ibis showed off and on distantly on the far side of the lake.

We drove down to the visitor's centre and walked on to Firth hide where there had been a report of a Yellow-browed Warbler but it didn't appear, however, a Cetti's called and several Chiffchaffs flitted in and out of the bushes.

Crossbills x3

Not being able to get to Hemstead since Wednesday I looked forward to going on Friday afternoon. As we approached the gateway there were so many cars parked along the roadside that we decided to go down to,the next gateway, which was empty, and walk in from there. We saw a goldcrest and heard a robin but no crossbills as we walked along the rides towards the clearing. Just as we got to the main ride we met DT who told us about the sightings of possibly 10 parrot crossbills, but no 2-barred, had just flown away. There were several fungi including this 'Lawyer's Wig'


Wandering down the track towards the crowds of people standing around we waited for an hour or so, chatting and catching up with the gossip as different groups of common crossbills flew around, the largest group numbering about 40, before news came that the 2-barred had been seen flying into the forest from the other side of the trees. We decided to stay and wait for the flock to work it's way through and soon a small flock of crossbills flew around, alighting in fir tree tops and the oak tree and then a 2- barred crossbill was located in the trees to the left of the entrance track. Good scope views but no chance for a photograph, even moving closer. It was sighted a few times after that and heard flying over among a flock of about 40 common crossbills.





A small group of crossbills flew to the western edge of the clearing and these proved to be 5 parrot crossbills which spent a little while ripping cones off the trees and tearing them to pieces before flying back towards the trees above the drinking pool but couldn't be re-located.
When I got home and checked my pictures I found that I had managed to catch the 2-barred in flight, not the best picture I've ever taken.


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