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Message: <blockquote data-quote="joannec" data-source="post: 1287237" data-attributes="member: 30076">Just Can't Keep Away From DungenessDestination yesterday was Dungeness again but it took us awhile to get there, stopping first briefly at Pett where the highlight was a juv wheatear on the shingle contemplating the vast expanse of it's unknown journey. It disappeared while I was looking inland from the seawall so hopefully it crossed the channel successfully. Not too much on the very low level pools but we do hear a cettis explode from the reeds. Onwards to Scotney Pit which is just inside Sussex, pleased to see that many wigeon have returned and many many hundreds of golden plover are on the eastern bank with the lapwings and geese.  Further along between Rye and Lydd we glimpse a falcon on a wire.  Stopping and retracing our tracks we return to find  it's a young hobby.  We get excellent close views of this beautiful fluffy youngster before he flies behind a barn and onto the ground.  He looks hungry.Approaching the power station from the road we are delighted to to see the visible migration of about 40 yellow wagtails making short flights southwards in two flocks.:t:  Plenty more wheatear here  too.So many stops....it's lunchtime before we reach the patch of the outfall pipes of the power station.  It's a glorious day down here on this edge of Kent today, hot even.  Plenty of commic tern passing west and a few black tern too; most birds are far out though and we are unsure whether we see an arctic skua or not so don't count it. About 200 scoter duck fly in a big flock west followed later by another hundred.   I think we've  arrived too late for the good birds.  However the highlight is  what we think are 4 (at least) harbour porpoises right off shore. :king: Two are together right in front of us with at least two more further east.  It's a treat and the first time I have seen them in the channel; they are there for the whole time we are sitting on the shingle and make up for the  too distant to ID birds.Highlight for me at the reserve is finally catching up with the white-winged black tern.  Searching among the black terns at Burrows pit, I'm frustrated by not being able to pick out this juv WW...they're so fast but I settle into just watching them and do eventually clock the subtle differences, it's just marginally bigger and the dark saddle is difficult to see from most angles and by the end of the afternoon I'm finding it more and more.  And the flight style is also subtley different too. So thanks for the tips, John C and F John.Early evening and we call into the ARC, common cranes are still here but mostly asleep.  A wood sandpiper gives nice close views.  Two marsh harriers and a peregrine put in appearances and a high sparrowhawk is over the tower.  Sue finds a ruff; it's beautiful but sadly is hopping on one leg and I notice fresh blood on it's thigh....did it have an unfortunate encounter with a mink or pike....don't know but it looks bad.|<img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite3" alt=":(" title="Frown    :(" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":(" />|Another fabulous day in and around Dungeness... over 80 species!:t:</blockquote>

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