Dawn at Seaford Head looking towards Friston.A bright(ish), calm morning still produced very little migrants as one would expect for this time of year. Around the golf course and cliff edge there was no sign of any activity, not even out at sea. In Hope Gap a few Chiffchaffs were flitting about, and then the excitement rose a few notches as I spotted a Treecreeper with buffish rear flanks at the top of Hope Gap.
I called over Marc and we both had brief views, so for the time being it was a Treecreeper sp. It then went very elusive and 10 minutes later we re-found it again, and i managed to get the worst possible photo ever which basically shows nothing excpet from a clean white front and buffish rear flanks. As i hunted round the bushes i got good enough views showing no white tips to the primaries; short bill; bronze zig-zag pattern on the wing bar and a short burst of call concluded the identification as a Common Treecreeper. However, this was still a patch tick and a good find due to the dense vegetation.
Common Treecreeper at Hope GapOther bits and bobs about were 2 Blackcaps (not seen by me), 2 Firecrests, 5 Chiffchaffs and a single Common Whitethroat.
After this me and Marc went to Dungeness RSPB. We started at the ARC pit but unfortunately there was no sign of the Penduline Tits. From the hide, a fine drk Garganey showed reasonably well and six female Goldeneye feeding just in front. At the car park a Sedge Warbler finally showed itself and a Little-ringed Plover was sat on the shingle.
By Boulderwell Farm at least six Tree Sparrows were around the nestholes or on the feeders.
On the main reserve were 3 three Slavonian Grebes all in moult and a superb summer-plumaged Black-necked Grebe was on Denge Marsh. On the viewpoint near Hookers Pit a male Bearded Tit showed superbly, only a few meters away and right out in the open filling the scope view. A Cetti's Warbler showed well and on the return trail 2 male Yellow Wagtails with Pied Wagtails. However, no sign of the reported Great White Egret.
