Our recent September 2020 Field Meetings were a success being our first since the new booking rule.

On Friday 11th, we went to a new site in the afternoon Worth Marshes, an area of grazing fields some flooded with hedgerows and The Great Wood. Sparrowhawk and Cetti’s Warblers were seen and a mixed tit flock that contained a couple of Lesser Whitethroats and half a dozen Chiffchaffs were observed on a couple of occasions. Our main target the two Pectoral Sandpipers were easily seen along with a couple of Green Sandpipers. Stock Dove and Buzzard were added to the list as we carried on over a narrow bridge that was a challenge to navigate. We arrived at some duck pools with Gadwall, Wigeon and Shoveler present. Many Migrant Hawkers and Speckled Woods were spotted. We walked back through the pleasant village of Worth after previously looking around the Churchyard. A Ring-necked Parakeet flew over. We then moved onto Sandwich Bay where we saw no less than 11 Grey Partridges calling and interacting and a small group of Curlew.

On Sunday 13th, we met at the Hanson Hide Car Park at Dungeness at 8am and looked across the ARC pit from two places Pintail, Black-necked Grebe, Great White Egret, Golden Plover, 2 Cattle Egrets and a Glossy Ibis were watched. We walked up to the Water Tower Pines where we saw at least 50 Chiffchaffs, Lesser Whitethroats, Blackcap, 4 Greenfinch and 65 Siskin. A stroll back and around Boulderwall Farm and Cook’s Pool gave us more views of the three species of Egret including Little of course and Liz found a Sedge Warbler. A Clouded Yellow was also seen.

We then went onto the reserve where I received a phone call from Martin Casemore to tell us that a White Stork had been spotted I picked it up in the distance being mobbed by gulls. We saw it again around lunchtime at the Bird Observatory where we saw Black Redstarts, Wheatears and Stonechats, the latter in the hand thanks to Dave Walker. An afternoon jaunt to Scotney Gravel Pits was quiet apart from bucket loads of Egyptian Geese and a lone Avocet. Our final piece of birding was Seawatching at the Fishing Boats with more Wheatears. The first hour was quiet and almost by the clicking of a switch I got onto a Little Tern that was soon being pursued by an Arctic Skua and another four appeared with some sitting on the sea. To top it off a flock of three Balearic Shearwaters came sailing by putting a top finish on the day.
93 Species were seen (Lyn will not let us count the heards).