I led today’s Kent Ornithological Society Field Outing to Dungeness, 21st August, and we had a great day out. Once again we had seasoned regulars with two newbies, experiencing a day that 84 species were recorded.
We started at the ARC Pit watching 3 Black-necked Grebes, 3 Great White Egrets and a Glossy Ibis before moving onto Burrows Pit where we had 4 Golden Plovers in breeding plumage, numerous Sand Martins and a Common Sandpiper. The Hay Fields produced 6 Greenshank, 2 Common Snipe and several Yellow Wagtails feeding around cattle’s feet. Kingfisher, Raven, Green Sandpiper were added before we left for Greatstone going on a wader hunt. We arrived just as the tide was starting to ebb and we walked up along the beach towards Lade Sands, the star find was by Dave Perrin who picked up the Little Stint amongst a myriad of shorebirds such as Dunlin, Sanderling, Ringed Plover, Turnstone and Curlew. There were single Whimbrel and Bar-tailed Godwits. Gulls and Terns were much in evidence.
We finished the day off by the fishing boats seawatching and I wasn’t that hopeful as there was little wind and a low tide. How wrong I was as the calm sea gave us many Porpoises and good views of a Balearic Shearwater, 2 Arctic Skuas, 17 Common Scoter and 100+ Sandwich Terns. Our final interesting sighting was 50+ Mediterranean Gulls picking what looked like small fry from the tideline just offshore. Thanks to Lyn who co-led the day and I look forward to our next day out.