Dungeness and Me

Dungeness has to be my favourite birding hot spots on the mainland, and never fails to impress, even on the most quietest of day's there's always something to see, of late it seems one of the best sites in the country to see Great White egret and Bittern both very rare and scarce at most other sites.

Over the years Ive seen a great number of birds here: Little Bittern, Night Heron(s), Glossy Ibis(s), Purple Heron, King Eider, Oriental Pratincole, Kentish Plover, Baird's Sand, Audouins Gull, Laughing Gull, Gull-Billed Tern, Crested Lark, Subalpine Warbler, Dusky Warbler, Penduline Tit, Short-toed treecreeper, and that's off the top of my head + loads of scarce Hoopoe's, Red-rumps etc etc.

My first ever trip back in the mid 80's on a YOC coach trip I pulled out a juv Red-backed Shrike and many years later a Serin, early one May when all seemed quiet still managing a find a male Pied fly, singing Wood warbler and a flock of Dotterel calling in-off, So dunge has always been and always will be a special place.

So today no different, a spur of the moment jaunt down to dunge and arriving at dawn with a Barn Owl along the A2070 for starter's, arriving at the ARC pits one of the first birds seen was a mighty Great White Egret on the far side, scanning the pit several pairs of Goldeneye and five red head Smew and a brief Bittern made up for a great start.

Some entrance track Tree Sparrows and another fly-bye Great White Egret before heading to lade gravel pit where I added both drake Scaup and Merganser.

Onto the fishing boats where the wintering 3w Glaucous Gull showed well, the sea was alive with gazzilions of Gt crested grebes, auks and red throats.

Walland marsh held several Tundra Bean geese amongst some White-front and greylag with some Bewick's in for good measure.

So back home in time for lunch and a great tally of birds, cant wait till my next dunge trip.........