GREATSTONE- ON- SEA
Coastal birding on the Dungeness Peninsula
The rich mudflats of Lade Bay are home to large numbers of wintering shorebirds and gulls at low tide, and when the bay floods Grey and Harbour Seals follow the tide in to feed on fish. Freshwater lakes and riparian habitats inland at Lade, along with farmland at Romney Salts and shingle ridges on the Dungeness NNR adds to the variety of birds on offer.
WHERE TO WATCH
1
Up to 10 species of shorebirds are present at low tide with hundreds of Oystercatcher, Curlew, Dunlin and Sanderling, and lesser numbers of Bar-tailed Godwit, Knot and Turnstone, Grey and Ringed Plovers and Redshank. Thousands of gulls loaf on the sands, including variable numbers of Mediterranean and Yellow-legged Gulls. At high tide, check the sea for flocks of Great Crested Grebe and the occasional Red-throated Diver, Gannet and Common Scoter crossing the bay. The strandline can attract Rock Pipits and the occasional Snow Bunting. Peregrine and Merlin often hunt the bay and foreshore.
2 Scan Romney Salts farmland from the viewpoint by the school for flocks of Lapwing, Golden Plover and Curlew, plus feral geese, corvids, gulls, Stock Dove, Sky Lark, Linnet, Pied Wagtail, Reed Bunting and Meadow Pipit. Redwing and Fieldfare flocks often appear in hard weather. Kestrel, Buzzard and Sparrowhawk are often present.
3
Lade Pits attracts wintering wildfowl and grebes, including Shoveler, Wigeon, Gadwall and Goldeneye, plus the occasional Smew, Long-tailed Duck and Slavonian Grebe. Check around the reedbeds and willows for a chance of Great White and Little Egrets, Bittern, Grey Heron, Water Rail, Snipe, Kingfisher, Marsh Harrier, Long-tailed Tit, Cetti’s Warbler and Chiffchaff. A high tide gull roost can contain thousands of birds on the lakes, including periodically Mediterranean, Caspian or Yellow-legged Gulls.
4
Gorse and Broom scrub attracts wintering Stonechat and the occasional Dartford Warbler. Short-eared and Barn Owls are sometimes seen quartering the shingle ridges in late afternoon behind south lake along with large murmurations of Starlings going to roost as well as corvids, Woodpigeons and winter thrushes (Redwings and Fieldfares).