Dungeness Nature Reserve Bulletin
1 August 2008
Bird news (July 2008)
This month a pair oftwo juvenile marsh harriers have successfully nested on the reserve and the juveniles fledged from one of two nests on the reserve. have been spotted out and about. This is the second year that marsh harriers have nested on the reserve and all being well they will nest do so again next year. Other raptors spotted included hobby and peregrine falcon. One peregrine (probably a juvenile due to its playful nature) gave a dazzling acrobatic display in front of the Visitor Centre.
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Marsh harrier |
Another of the month’s highlights was a pectoral sandpiper seen on from the ARC hide. These are rare visitors to the reserve with only 26 sightings ever recorded. Common, green and wood sandpipers have regularly been spotted throughout the month. Besides the sandpipers A wide variety of other waders have been spotted besides the sandpipers including little stint, dunlin, ruff, black- tailed godwit, whimbrel, curlew, and greenshank and turnstone. A count of 21 little ringed plovers on 29th was approaching a reserve record. On the 27th a solitary snipe was spotted in the morning and then managed to avoid being spotted for the rest of the day.
Unusually for this area, ravens have been seen flying over the reserve on two occasions. On the 23rd four ravens were seen and birds flew north on the 23rd and three were seen on the 26th. Another rarity for the reserve - a golden oriole - was spotted on the 1st of the month.
Throughout the month, good numbers of swifts, house martins and sand martins have been seen. On some days, the number of swifts especially was quite a sight. By the time you read this, most of them will probably be well on their way to sub-Saharan Africa.
Juvenile mistle thrushes were seen around Boulderwall Farm mid-month and a willow warbler was seen on 31st.
Management news
Much of the reserve management work during July has been relatively low key, with visitor trails being maintained, several fields being mown and periodical pumping of water onto the flood at Dengemarsh to encourage migrant waders. To increase the amount of clover and other wild flowers across parts of the reserve (a vital food source for our rarest bumblebees, moths and other invertebrates) our volunteers have been busy collecting clover and vetch seedheads and distributing them to other areas on site. Additionally, to increase floral variety, we have had cattle grazing the margins and causeways of the New Excavations lakes.
Moth trapping on site brought a couple of nice surprises: a scarce chocolate-tip (not seen on the reserve since 1996) and a peach blossom (only the second reserve record). The photos show that moths aren’t all boring brown things!
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Scarce chocolate tip |
Peach blossom |
RSPB Dungeness Nature Reserve
Tel: 01797 320588
mail: dungeness@rspb.org.uk
