Paul Matson's Birding Blog: Wednesday 23rd Septmber

The weekend vanished and into a working week, where the project I've been working on is expected to materialise in to full-time in a couple of weeks, until then I have the odd day to fill.
Migrant birds have seemed a little thin on the ground for this time in September, although each time I went out of the house, hundreds of House Martins and Swallows were filling the sky, none more so than Sunday evening where the numbers must have been in the thousands stretching as far as the eye could see to the South. The numbers have been building as they await the call to migrate South to Africa and I would guess that in another week many would have left. This is wonderful spectacle at this time of year and although I'm sure it's the same in many places in Sussex these masses of hirundines seem happy here feeding over the treetops.

It was a surprise to hear news on Tuesday that an American Flycatcher had made landfall at Dungeness in Kent. One of the Empidonax family, 2 of which (Alder and Willow) were known collectively 'Traills Flycatcher' and 2 records of Alder Flycatcher had been recorded before (I saw one in Norfolk about 4 years ago) - There are about eleven bird species in this North American family that are considered so similar, that accurately identifying the exact species in the field is considered particularly challenging. However, as the day progressed the experts opinion, based on the viewing and good quality pictures, was that this bird was probably an Arcadian Flycatcher - The first ever recorded in Britain and only the second ever in Europe (the first one a dead specimen on the continent nearly 50 years ago).

After a mostly wet day on Tuesday, the bird had been seen going to roost into cover as the light faded. I'd been in London all day Tuesday, but not on Wednesday, so thought there was a decent chance the bird would still be there, as the need to feed up in situ after such a long sea crossing would be paramount and having listened to Gary's experience of excellent viewing including the bird landing on his camera bag, I had to at least try !. However, the skies had cleared overnight which always brings with it the potential for clear-out of grounded migrants.

I arrived early at sunrise and joined the 100 or so birders lined up around the vegetated garden of South View cottage on the edge of the 'desert' area at Dungeness. After 2 hours of waiting and no sign of the bird I joined others in a wider search of the area but to no avail. A brief report by one person who thought they may have seen it on a fence proved fruitless as each bush was scoured, but generally there were very few birds to be seen which indicated that there probably had been a clear-out of migrant birds with the overnight skies completely cloudless. So a resounding no-show for the flycatcher,

Regular groups of Meadow Pipits were arriving from the sea along with flyover Siskins, Linnets a Grey Wagtail and a steady stream of Swallows . Nice to see was a Merlin which whizzed past the group of forlorn birders, a Sparrowhawk and later a Peregrine. Only a couple of Blackcaps, Whitethroats and Chiffchaffs were in the bushes and a single Whinchat and a single Wheatear made up the remainder of migrant birds. A quick look at the sea produced several Gannets 2 Arctic Skuas, Sandwich and comic Terns and a group of what were possibly harbour porpoises.

Relocating late morning to the RSPB reserve (there was little of interest on the ARC pit). A Cattle Egret was in a cow field near the entrance track and a gathering roost of Lapwing and Golden Plover held a single Ruff.

At the back of the first pit 2 Great White Egrets were in the shallows and a 3rd bird flew towards Denge Marsh, making it a 3 Egret species day, which is still a rare occurrence for me in the UK. Only a Yellow Wagtail, Reed Warbler, Stonechat and Lesser Whitethroat were added as migrants on a walk around the reserve, but at least 5 Sparrowhawks were seen and a male Marsh Harrier over the track on the way out.

Headed home early afternoon, despite the disappointment of the Flycatcher performing an overnight vanishing act, Dungeness is always somewhere I enjoy visiting and always with something to see it was well worth the trip.

On the way to pick up Hannah from school, I saw a Barn Owl hunting over a field near Milland around 6.45pm, which is almost a first for me for this area.