Author: Jamie Partridge

A text from Phil Chantler first thing today saying he’d found 3 Dotterel (1 ad + 2 juv) in a field just inland was a warmly received. I didn’t end up going for a look till this evening and thankfully the birds were still present. Abit of a wait but they allowed close views and I even had to wait for them to move away (in a rai shower) before standing up to leave.

In other news, today was more about numbers than scarcity for me with lots of common migrants across the patch, highlights were 10 Whinchat, gropper, Garden warbler ,Spotted flycatcher, Swift, c100 Swallow, c40 Sand martin, few sedge and willow etc.

Rich B and I had a distant Honey Buzzard over the castle on the 25th, it likely came off the sea but we cant be sure, my 17th coastal HB this year, I wonder if i can get to 20…

Again the blog has been rather dormant, not without effort and coverage mind, Since the past post Ive had mostly quiet mornings, the odd Tree pipit or falls of Lesser Whitethroat or blackcap for example. The 22nd yielded 3 Pied Flys, Spotted flycatcher, 5 Whinchat,5 Wheatear, 6 Tree pipit, Hobby, c10 Yellow Wagtails, Sedge and Reed also a Grasshopper Warbler, The latter species was well represented on the 24th in the fennel field with at least 3.

Today however was fairly quiet in the bushes despite the tantalising SE wind, bar 4 Whinchat, Tree pipit, another Grasshopper warbler, a few willows and minimal sand martin movement (25 birds NE) but I was delighted to pick up a juvenile Honey Buzzard, circling over East Cliff (my house) then Dover Castle and eventaully Foxhill down where I stood. It was associating with a Common Buzzard, one of 5 that had made this move during the raptor watching session from 10am-1pm. A single juv Kestrel flew in off the sea also.

Almost a month since my last post, although I have been fairly active, there has been little to report beyond common migrants. Only 2 Days of suitable ‘Raptor Arrival Weather’ since the 18th of last month, these days were spent looking South over the harbour and although no Honey Buzzards were seen, 3 Marsh Harriers and 6 Kestrels were counted over both days, all picked up out over the water and all seemingly juveniles.

Good numbers of common migrants have been counted since the final days of July with higher numbers of Willow Warblers than I can remember since moving here. Today saw the first Pied Flycather of the autumn – the highlight of a small cncentrated fall in Langdon hole, once the fog cleared.

Other notables were a Spotted Flycatcher, Common Redstart, Black Redstart, c35 Willow Warblers, 2 Whinchat, 2 Wheatear 3 Sedge and 5 Reed Warblers & a Hobby.

As the dates creep towards the 3rd week of August I will be turning more attention to the cliff tops and less to inland Woodland birding.

A light SSW meant again that I was in place for Raptor O’clock above the Harbour (Im sure you’re getting tired of this, though I’m certainly not!)

A thick Sea fog cleared by 10.40, revealing crystal clear viewing conditions South to Calais. The First Honey Buzzard of the day came in high at 10.55am, arrving from the Langdon Hole direction and picked up over the Eastern docks/Tramway, a female.

The Second Honey, another female, arrived at 13.15. Again from a South Easterly direction and picked up over the Eastern docks, in perfect blue skies whilst Amy and I had a picnic lunch.

Both similar ‘types’ of female HB, although the outer primary bars are distinctly different and the second bird was missing a tail feather.

That puts me on 15 so far this year.

Ive seen several juvenile Yellow–legged gulls so far this july, but mostly whilst fishing, so no camera to hand! Surely more to come though.

Light Southerly winds again and plenty of time for staring out to sea. A long stint from 09.30 – 16.00 with all of the raptor action from 11.30 – 14.05.

Starting off looking from Langdon hole I picked up the First two Honey Buzzards perhaps 2km out over the water, coming in together from the direct South. Wing beats in tandem they arrived over the Eastern Docks and continued North over the Tramway and National trust car park.

This female was closer than the male below. They arrived at a good height, barely needing to gain any elevation once above ground and not a single Gull alarm call heard.

Next a Marsh Harrier arrived from the SE at 12.10, characteristically in constant active flight as they all seem to be when over the water here. 2 more Honey Buzzards at 12.25, appearing over the breakwater perhaps 100m apart. I ran west along the tramway to intercept them but both birds (females, one dark one paler & barred) were heading more West than North so fairly distant views only.

Another Marsh Harrier and a Hobby came in fairly low between then and 14.05 when I picked up the 5th and final Honey Buzzard of the day, way out to the South.

The later the day gets – the better the light is for viewing over the channel and this bird was far out enough to take nearly 10 minutes even to get into Harbour airspace.

A cracking pale morph male, eventually coming in straight over my poistiton above the harbour 500m west of where I’d been standing previously.

Very happy with that and excellent views ensued as the bird circled over the headland behind me. 5 birds in off the sea is my best day count to date, beating several days of 3 in the past. I believe the day record here is 6 birds, held by Colin ‘hook beak’ Johnson. This bird is the 13th Ive seen this year, my best previous year’s total being 8.

45 Swift, 15 Swallow and 3 Whimbrel flew SW earlier in the day.

It should be noted that I am spending alot of time looking, but it does seem to be a good Summer for Honey Buzzard arrivals, or at least a prolonged period of the correct weather. Another day of light winds but this time even better direction (SSW) resulted in another female HB arriving in off the sea, this time making landfall over the Eastern docks.

Picked up out over the Channel (just how I like them) it cruised in fairly low and gave distant but prolonged views as it avoided the usual Gull protest.

I also had a female Honey Buzzard over Dover the day before, picked up over the old Marina it came in over Snargate street and circled over st James before heading North, I texted Colin J who managed to see it over his House in Temple Ewell. This and today’s bird puts me on 8 for the year. A heatwave on the continent could be a reason for this push but I also believe that many birds are just late migrants, non breeders and not attached to any particular territory – these birds are opportunistic and with the correct conditions they will make the sea crossing. Also with woodlands in Calais being fairly chocka block with HBs they will likely be escorted away by the territory holders.

In other news my first Green Sandpiper of the Autumn flew SW at first light, 3 Flocks of Crossbills (10,3,c20) also flew the same direction during the morning. 15 Swallow, 5 House martin and c250 Swift also SW.

Sadly it seems to be a poor Year for Peregrines with at least 2 of the Nests I watch failing to produce young and the only successful nest fledged only one juvenile.

Back from a Swiss work trip for a few days now, my first venture up the cliffs was on the 25th, where light SW winds and a Sea fog yielded a juv Black Redstart in Fan bay and my first Cuckoo of the year on Lighthouse down and a Clouded yellow near the Lighthouse.

The Sea fog has been a daily feature since but it had shifted out into the channel first thing today with the light Northerlies, these swang round to the South at 9am – Perfect wind for Raptor Arrivals but brought with it the fog again.

A break in said fog at 10.25 allowed me to pick up a nice Male Honey Buzzard coming in high over Langdon Hole, it must have set off at extreme height as it glided in higher than most arrive here, with a few lazy flaps it continued North.

My sixth this year in off the sea here, which is the first time I’ve reached six individuals before the end of June.

A Hobby at 12.10 arrived as the fog was clearing a group of 8 Sand Martins, 21 Swifts and a 3cy Yellow Legged Gull Flew SW but little else and I gave up and went for lunch at 2pm, slightly sunburnt. 2 Hummingbird Hawkmoths around my perch during the day and a huge number (1,000s) of Large Whites were moving South West first thing.

Over a week since the last spell of decent Raptor arrival weather (see previous post) Amazingly todays long awaited light SE winds are the first from this direction since April. With them came a plume of warm air and with that shift in temperature, a sea fog had developed. Mostly cleared by 11am by which time Colin & Kevin J had a male Honey Buzzard arrive at South Foreland (10.35). Buoyed by this news and hoping my efforts at the other end of the patch would be rewarded I was very happy to pick up my first Honey Buzzard of the day just after 11.40 – a female picked up over the water gunning NW over the Eastern arm of the Harbour.

Drawing some attention but moving at speed she continued inland up the Jubilee way.

Things this side of the channel were clearing further and I spent the next 2.5 hours staring out to sea before giving up and heading for lunch at 2pm

During the walk back I decided to have a final scan over the harbour before I reached my street and picked up another female Honey Buzzard at 14.10, coming in over the Eastern ferry entrance and heading straight for me.

The Peregrines went bonkers but she managed to get above East cliff and headed North.

Tomorrow I head to Switzerland for a couple weeks of work so am calling time on spring here. Its not been bad really, some things lacking but others in relative abundance aswell as some memorable birds. Alot of effort put in and some dire moments but I love the place and feel more connected than ever to it.

Light NW winds switching to the S and SSW from 10am. I decided to stare out to sea from the Langdon end of the patch today. Mostly bright skies over the Channel with cloud hugging the coast, which helped with heat haze.

In place above the Eastern docks by 11am. The first Marsh Harrier of the day arrived high at 11.30. The next raptor was, an ever hoped for Honey Buzzard, picked up directly south powering in just above the horizon at 12.10.

A dark, barred female – It circled over the Eastern docks gaining height and drifted West of my position, eventually continuing NW towards the castle.

Another Marsh Harrier (my first male of the year) came in high just after but at 12.40 I picked up a distant Honey Buzzard circling over the Southern mouth of the Harbour. Sadly it made landfall over the Western docks, coming in infront of Shakespeare cliff (below).

2 similarly sized but unidentified Raptors followed a similar line to this but arrived even further West over the next 20 minutes, by which time the heat haze had become an issue and I just couldnt be 100% sure what they were.

3 More Marsh Harriers (below) came in off before I left at 3pm bringing their total to 5 for the day.

I do love seeing Birds of prey arrive like this.

Very light SW winds and a significant sea fog by 7 am. Phil C texted to let me know he had a Honey Buzzard in off at Hope point at 6.43 am.

Rich B and I birded our way to South Foreland and back and decided the fog was too much of a problem by midday so planned to give up. Just as we were saying our goodbyes on Foxhill down the silhouette of a Honey Buzzard appeared over the harbour and flew West, presumably in off over the Eastern docks.

A white morph male, just at the last minute meaning I haven’t gone without seeing one here this May. The bird circled around abit over Broadlees bottom and eventually continued inland, lovely. This is the 30th individual that ive seen here.

A singing Black redstart in town today, 2 Hawfinches & a Hobby on the 28, Hen Harrier and Marsh harrier on the 23rd, a Spotted Flycatcher on the 24th are the notable birds since my last post.