Dungeness 18th Sep

My first full day out at Dungy for a while. Generally a lot of dragonflies around all over the reserve and ARC. A look at Firth and Makepeace hides did not show anything of note. Denge showed 1 sparrowhawk, 2 marsh harriers and the great white egret was visible from the track. Back to the visitor centre for my rich roast, showed a ringed plover, and a peregrine, dring at the end of one of the shingle bars.
Over to ARC where there were 9 little egrets, 5 dunlin, approx 50 golden plover, 1 quick glimse of a peregrine, 7 pintail - I did firstly identify them as all females but have now realised some were males in eclipse plumage - 1 bar headed goose, 2 hobby, 1 common sand, 1 ringed plover and 1 redshank. The pectoral sandpiper - probably the same one staying around from the main reserve last week - was found trying to hide itself between two dunlins, showing that they are remarkably similar, main differences being leg colour and abrupt ending of breast streaks.

Count for the day 57

Pectoral Sandpiper in middle of two Dunlin

 

Migrant Hawker