2nd summer Long tailed Skua at Dungeness

I spent sometime up on the shingle at the fishing boats watching this Long tailed Skua at close quarters tonight. Unconcerned by visiting Birdwatchers, but always keeping an eye on passing Gulls and Sandwich Terns, this was a rare ocassion for me with a very special bird - my second ever Long tailed Skua. When this bird returns north next spring it may well have its dramatic long tail feathers, and will be returning to an Arctic homeland in the company of Arctic foxes and Lemmings at least for the summer.

But as I write, this bird seems in no rush to make it back to the Equatorial waters of West Africa for its winter home. Sadly this Squa has a missing foot, and also should really be west of the British Isles out in the Atlantic on a more standard path south. However, it's healthy and feisty bird, every bit a Squa chasing Terns and stealing prey at will. It may well be the highlight of the year seeing this bird today, so I'd like to thank Martin - aka the Ploddingbirder for placing pics and information, enabling myself and other birders to catch up with a very close Long tailed Skua. Cheers Martin!

Arctic Tern at Dungeness

Back to the fishing boats at Dungeness on Sunday morning for a 2 hour sea watch. My birdwatching was dominated by Swallows accompanied by House Martins and Sand Martins bravely heading off the point and over a choppy channel sea to France, on then onwards to Africa. Passing low over the water in waves, I estimated 40 birds a minute were passing in front of me, inshore. Also travelling south was this Arctic Tern.

Now Arctic Terns are not such a common site for in Kent as their ousin the Common Tern, and this one is an adult bird moulting from its summer plumage to a winter plumage. It has a white an interesting white cheek effect, created by black fringing on the cheek feathers meeting the grey feathering of the underpart plumage. Its loosing its black cap, but still has a blood red beak to sport. The overall effect is distinctive, if a bit scruffy.

The Dungeness Glaucous Gull

On Tuesday afternoon, gale force winds and heavy rain raced through the English Channel forcing the ferrys to stop running, but also providing the opportunity for some off-course seabirds to be seen at Dungeness. When I arrived at the the fishing boats, the wind and driving spray were fiercely present, but sadly any seabird rarities were were few and far between:- well, in fact there weren't any!

Common Terns fed along the stormy tide line with little problem from the wind, and 'Stubby' the second winter Glaucous Gull, and yet to find his true home back in the Arctic, just sat it out feeding on sprats thrown up on to the beach by the waves. Despite sheltering to the side of the boats, I was soaked to the skin in an hour. My camera too, seemed very wet and salty taking pictures at 1600 and 800 iso with just a few keepers to make the trip worthwhile.




Stubby will one day grow out of his adolescent plumage to be dazzingly white with elegant silver wings fitting for his native home in the arctic.



Common Terns feeding on the tideline seemingly little bothered by driving rain and stormforce 7 gales.

Raven over Shadoxhurst - a first summer record

I've had so little time for birding all summer, but gained a little luck today with this splendid Raven circling high over the garden. I'd been trying to put a bit of shine into my 20 year old Citreon zx for most of the day, and looked-up to stretch my neck late in the afternoon to see this near pristine bird. This is my second record only for the village, the first being back in December 2010 in what was a very severe cold spell.

Garden Spotted Flycatchers

For the past 3 days, our new found Spotted flycatchers family are ever present in the garden. And yesterday, as I worked on clearing our weed-choked pond, I was happily accompanied by our flycatchers whizzing just over head-height and feeding young. I think we have an insect/ flycatcher friendly garden judging by their reluctance to move on.

I didn't think I'd have any time to take some snaps, until the end of the day, luckily the birds were still present and approachable.

One of three juveniles begging for food.

Juvenile and Adult - note the Tick on the side of the adult's head.

Fledged Goldcrests

Whilst many of our common garden birds seem to have bred successfully earlier in the summer, and are now generally keeping hidden in the shade for a summer moult, we've had a conspicuous and noisy family of Goldcrests spending most of the day in our high garden spruce.

Its good to see Goldcrests breeding around the garden in any year, but particularly after a very severe winter in which our smallest bird is considered to have taken a heavy toll.

3rd pair of Spotted flycatchers confirmed for Shadoxhurst

Fledglings were being fed Wasps this afternoon

At the back of the garden but more frequently in the Oaks bordering the paddock field behind, a surprising find - Spotted flycatchers feeding fledglings! How on earth did I nearly miss these? The fledglings look too young to have travelled far from the nest site, so I think these birds have bred in the back of someone's garden along Hornash lane. Its great news for a once a common summer visitor, but now sadly rather scarce.