Visit
Mark Fellowes Nature Photography
Dungeness is unlike any other reserve in the UK - an enormous area of shingle jutting out into the English Channel at its narrowest point. This area is renowned for the diversity of plants (something like a third of the British plant species are found here), insects and birds. This is just about the best time of year to visit Dungeness, as migrant birds are passing through on their way south.
I arrived early, and parked near the nuclear power station, which dominates the landscape. Straight away it was clear that there was some decent passge moving through - hundreds of swallows and sand martins fed in the air, and batches were seen heading out to sea. Blackcaps, whitethoats, whinchat, wheatear, willow warblers and chiffchaffs were common, with most bushes home to a bird moving through, as well as what are probably resident house sparrows and linnets. I started with a couple of hours sea watching, and it didn't take long to pick out my first Arctic skua, far out to sea - a few more were seen passing by. Gannets passed by in small groups, and I even found a harbour porpoise - an unexpected bonus at this part of the Channel. I failed to see any shearwaters, and a possible bonxie was just too distant to be sure.
Moving on to the patch (where warm water from the power station is released into the sea, creating a rich source of food), I worked through the gulls and terns. The highlight was a juvenile little gull (
Larus minutus; click for larger), while Meditteranean, greater-black back, lesser-black backed, herring, common and black headed gulls, as well as little, sandwich and common terns all fed in the up-welling warm water.
Moving back to the car, this meadow pipit (
Anthus pratensis; click for larger) was on the power station fence, along with whinchat, stonechat and a kestrel.
I then moved on to Dungeness RSPB reserve, where even more swallows and martins were feeding over the gravel pits. Near Denge hide I came across the great white egret (
Ardea alba; click for larger), which has been resident here since mid-summer. It's when you compare its size to that of the little egret that you realise how substantial these birds are - bigger than a grey heron. It spent a few minutes half hidden by the reeds before flying to a quieter corner of the reserve.
The highlight of the day was this juvenile red-backed shrike (
Lanius collurio; click for larger). I spent about an hour with this bird, which foraged happily for invertebrates in the short turf, ignoring the passing birders. At times it perched within 10 feet of me, but unfortunately with the light coming from behind. Nevertheless, shrikes are full of charm, and to get such fantastic views was worth the photographic frustration.
There was lots of other movement through the reserve, with a drake garganey, and large numbers of sedge warblers, wheatear and redstart (
Phoenicurus phoenicurus; click for larger) in the vegetation.
I ended my stay at Dungeness with a trip across the road to the ARC pit, passing a flock of 20 or so yellow wagtails. There were small numbers of waders (primarily lapwing, but also dunlin, ruff and knot) as well as the usual ducks. The highlight here was a pair of juvenile black terns, initially located on a spit but then watched as they flew in that characteristic marsh tern manner, feeding on invertebrates from the surface of the water.
My day ended with a marsh harrier passing directly overhead, topping off a superb day's birding - certainly my best since Norfolk over the new year.
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