Out and About

Common Buzzard Walland

A walk this morning from the fishing boats to the lifeboat station and back produced little of note. A few Gannets and Kittiwakes off shore, 8 Turnstone on the beach and a flock of 12 Dunlin flew west.

The lighthouse garden held just a Robin and a couple of Dunnocks. At The Patch several 100s of Black-headed Gulls with a few Common Gulls and Herring Gulls.

 A Great White Egret could be seen from the causeway on the New Diggings.

On the ARC from Hanson 1 Great White Egret, 5 Little Egrets, a Merlin bathing on the far bank, 2 Marsh Harriers, 1 of which was determinedly hovering low over the lake harrying the Coots, 3 Goldeneye including the first smart drake I have seen this winter, Pochard numbers seem to be increasing very quickly with several hundred on the lake.

In the Willow Trail a couple of squealing Water Rails and 2 Chiffchaffs.

In Lydd Wood just a couple of Blue Tits.

Early afternoon at Scotney 1000+ Wigeon and 300+ Golden Plover were of note.

 A plod around the lanes of Walland Marsh found 5 Bewick Swans, several flocks of Golden Plover and Lapwing, 3 Common Buzzards, 6+ Marsh Harriers, a Merlin, a flock of c50 Fieldfare, 2 Mistle Thrushes, a few each of Blackbirds and Song Thrushes and several Tree Sparrows.

Sunset at Walland