Not Medway, but worth it anyway.

I spent two nights down at the Obs in Dungeness this week and thankfully they proved to be just at the right time. On the way down I thought I'd swing by the ARC to see if the Red-backed Shrike was still about on the 9th. When I got to the Water Tower, it hadn't been seen for more than 20 mins, so I stood with the only three other birders and waited. Sure enough within 20 mins of arriving, one of the other guys picked it up poking its head out of a bush. We then watched it for the next 30 mins or so before it seemed to disappear. I picked it up sitting with its back to us in the sun under the firs. I left with the bird still there. As I left, I passed Dave Walker on his way to see it. He got some fantastic photos, one of which is now on the Obs website.

I then headed round to the Obs, dropped my stuff off and went for a stroll. There wasn't much about, but I did connect with the Glaucous Gull out by the fishing boats (poor record shot taken!). A couple of Black Terns passed by feeding at sea and I headed in. Dave had the moth trap out, so I was expectant for the morning with Purple Cloud and Dusky Hook-tip recorded earlier in the week.

Up at 5am for a seawatch, hoping for Poms, but alas I only managed 2 Arctics and 2 Little Terns of note. I gave up after an hour and a half and went in for breakfast just in time to go through the trap. I added 17 new Macros for my Life List and a load more NFY's. Despite being Na, Light Feathered Rustics totalled about 280!!! We also had Fox Moth, White Spot, Sharp-angled Peacock, Puss Moth, Cream-spot Tiger and some others brought across from another trap.

Then it was time for a bimble around the trapping area. Not much in the way of grounded migrants, but Dave found the first Whinchat of the year. Also, Garden Warbler, 3 singing Lesser Whitethroat and not much else. I had a quick look at Birdguides and saw at least 2 inland Roseate Terns, so my thinking was that if Berkshire has a Roseate, why wouldn't Dunge? With this blind optimism I headed for the patch. Within minutes of going through the terns on the beach I picked out a beautiful Roseate Tern in spring plummage with a very slight pink flush to the breast. The streamers were phenomenally long (they can just about be made out from my poor photos).

I passed Dave again at the seawatching hide and he headded down for the Roseate. I went off to Denge Marsh Road hoping that the Purple Herons had simply been hiding for three days! No such chance. But a Merlin passed through and several Hobby's overhead. Then off to ARC. This time, there was no one in the Hanson Hide, which was weird. So I checked Birdguides and saw a Collared Pratincole had been seen an hour and a half ago over New Excavations. I dashed off to the visitor centre just as it was radioed in that the bird was up again! More running and I got some glimpses through the bins to bank it before walking the rest of the way round to the Christmas Dell hide where I got amazing views with 20 or 30 other people. It did spend loads of time of the ground out of sight, but in the air it was magnificent. Then I headed back to the Obs picking up three Little Gulls at the far end of ARC. I went for an eveing stroll round the trapping area and found two each of Grey Partridge and Red-legged Partridge. Having just eaten dinner, Phil's radio crackled into life at about 8pm that a Crane was in the air over the back of Christmas Dell hide!!! We headed round to Denge Marsh Road with another guy and picked it up in a field. Pretty decent views given the fading light. Sadly, niether the Crane nor the Prat were seen the next day.

Having left Dunge really satisfied, two Red-rumped Swallows turned up! Still, you can't have it all...




Glaucous Gull by the Fishing Boats



Roseate Tern at The Patch


White Spot



Puss Moth


Fox Moth