Spoonbill Finale

This mornings sea watch from The Point only took 15 minutes before I was sure there was no off shore movement, but there were finches moving on shore.

While plodding around The Point,The Desert and the southern half of the trapping area c600 Goldfinches, c200 Linnets, c50 Meadow Pipits, c30 Chaffinches,c20 Siskins, 3 Brambling and steady trickle of Hirundines flew over. Also seen 46 Chiffchaffs, 6+ Blackcaps, 5 Song Thrushes(Continental)1 Reed Warbler,1 Redstart, 1 Wheatear, 1 Merlin, 2 Sparrowhawks.

At The Patch 7 Arctic Terns, c20 Common Terns, 5 Sandwich Terns and 1 Little Gull among the usual gulls, also 2 Arctic Skuas off shore.

At the ARC a Garganey among the dabblers, the Black-necked Grebe distant as usual, c300 Golden Plover and a Common Sandpiper.

10 very distant Spoonbills off Dungeness 

An afternoon sea watch from the fishing boats with DW, CT and BH  found 4+ Arctic Skuas chasing Terns, a 1w Mediterranean Gull, a few Gannets and a the Yellow-legged Gull on the beach.
On the way out DW stopped to look at some gulls and spotted 10 Spoonbills out at sea. I had already got as far as the ARC when CT called me. I dashed back to see them struggling in the wind a long way out hence the stunning shot of 10 dots.