Little, Mediterranean and Caspian Gull, Dungeness, 28/9/2013

Grey cloud, East wind, dull at Dungeness !

09.00 hours

Sparrowhawk, on a concrete post by the Power Station
Peregrine Falcon, terrorising the Pigeons over the Power Station

From the beach near the Patch

Little Gull, 1st winter
Mediterranean Gull, 1st winter


Little Gull, 1st winter

Mediterranean Gull, 1st winter

Breakfast,

then returning to the fishing boats for the afternoon session, Mick finds
***Caspian Gull, 1st winter in the Gull roost on the shingle

After a brief distant study, the Casp flew off,

Caspian Gull, 1st winter ( ''super crop'')

The light deteriorated, with no further sightings of the Caspian !

Three super birds, a very poor day for photography !

Yellow-legged Gull, adult winter, Dungeness, 22/9/2013

Mick and myself had a rather later start than usual,

Dungeness, 10.00 hours, the tide is coming in, there is very few gulls out on the mud, the highlight was to watch the lifeboat being launched !

Sanderling, 6

Lesser Black-backed Gull, adult winter

after an early breakfast, out to the fishing boats,
lots of good company today, DM, DW, MC, SH, (all hoping for a Caspian ! )


Artic Skua, 6+
Sandwich Tern, lots
Common Scoter, c 100
Great Crested Grebe

Swallow, 100's
Sand Martin and House Martin

Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1st winter

Few Gulls and the poor light made flight photography a waste of time,
with only Herring Gull and Great Black-backed Gulls to look at !

Great Black-backed Gull, 1st winter

Great Black-backed Gull, 1st winter

Great Black-backed Gull, 3rd winter

Great Black-backed Gull, 3rd winter

Great Black-backed Gull, 3rd winter

Great Black-backed Gull, 3rd winter

Great Black-backed Gull, 4th winter

Great Black-backed Gull, 4th winter

Great Black-backed Gull, adult winter

16.30 hours, all the company has gone home,
a Yellow-legged Gull, adult winter, rather distant in poor light finishes our day !

Caspian Gull, 1st winter, Dungeness, 21/9/2013

08.00 hours, Dungeness

by the lighthouse

Linnet, 30+
Meadow Pipit, 30+
Swallow, 100's heading south


it's low tide, a walk out on the mud, nothing came close for a photograph !

Caspian Gull, 1st winter

A circuit of the RSPB reserve

Ruff, 5
Black-necked Grebe, 5
Great White Egret
Great Crested Grebe
Wheatear, 1
Chiffchaff
Long-tailed Tit
Sand Martin, 100's
Whinchat, 1
Kestrel, 1


Black-necked Grebe

Great White Egret

Breakfast, then out to the fishing boats for the afternoon


Sandwich Tern, many
Artic Skua, 4+ chasing the Terns
Brent Geese, 100+ West


Sandwich Tern

Brent Geese

Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1st winter

Great Black-backed Gull, adult winter

As the afternoon progressed, the grey cloud increased, poor light, early finish !

Caspian Gull, 2nd winter, Dungeness, 15/9/2013

Andy Lawson has joined Mick and myself for a day at Dungeness

07.30 hours, it is a very nice morning with good light,
the weather forecast for the afternoon is strong SW winds and rain, ideal for sea watching ! (not my scene !)

AL and Mick head off for a sea watch,
I spend my time around the lighthouse, gorse and moat area.

Wheatear, 6+
Lots of Yellow Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler


Northern Wheatear

Yellow Wagtail

Northern Wheatear

About 11.00 hours, we head off towards Galloways Road, noting a Merlin fly by as we crossed the causeway, also a Whinchat at Galloways.

AL gets info that an Ortolan Bunting has been seen in the gully at Denge Marsh, we are there in 5 mins, to meet 'half of Kent' looking for an Ortolan ! A half hour here, I saw a few Chiffchaff but
no Ortolan !

next !  ''Breakfast time'',

Then out to the fishing boats to look at the Gulls.

The light is not good, grey cloud !

Herring Gull, 1st winter

Lesser Black-backed Gull, adult winter

Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1st winter

Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1st winter

Great Black-backed Gull, 1st winter

Lesser Black-backed Gull, adult winter

Great Black-backed Gull, 1st winter

The weather has deteriorated !  Light is grim ! Wind, strong, and the rain is threatening !
I am near ready to give up !

AL calls Caspian Gull !

Caspian Gull, 1st summer going into 2nd winter

Caspian Gull, 2nd winter

Caspian Gull, 2nd winter

Caspian Gull, 2nd winter

Caspian Gull, 2nd winter

Caspian Gull, 2nd winter

Caspian Gull, 2nd winter

Caspian Gull, 2nd winter

Caspian Gull, 2nd winter

The rain starts, Mick and myself run for the car !
Andy continues for a sea watch for another half hour,
I am happy to be in the car !