LEO!

On the way home last night after a day in West Sussex yesterday, I spent some time Owling on Walland, where a Long-eared Owl which flew across in front of me landed on a branch. I stopped the car underneath the branch just a few feet from the Owl, we stared at one another for 2-3 minutes before the Owl continued hunting. A brilliant moment and another patch year tick.
  
This morning a strong SW wind and drizzle greeted me at The Point where MH and CP were already in-situ:
07.10-10.00
Brent Geese:  415 up
Shelduck:  3 up  3 down
Pintail: 20 up
Common Scoter: 9 up
Red-breasted Merganser: 2 up
Red-throated Diver:     572  up    29 down
Great-crested Grebe: 49 down  6 on sea
Fulmar: 13 up      9 down
Gannet:  136 up     27 down
Cormorant:  c150 around
Oystercatcher: 7 up
Turnstone: 1 on beach
Kittiwake:  67  down
1w Glaucous Gull:  1 up (CP,MH) which I missed, I was probably doing the numbers!!!!!!!!!
Guillemot: 2 down
Auk sp: 86 down    14 up

As the weather deteriorated I had a look around the Gull roosts for the Glaucous Gull to no avail.
By the time I'd been home for breakfast, the rain had really set in and visibility was very poor so I called it a day.
It would appear all the usual birds were still be found around Dungeness despite the weather.

Quiet!

08-45-10.45 with MH:
Dark-bellied Brent Goose: 473 up
Pale-bellied Brent Goose:     1 up
Great-crested Grebe: 1,432 on sea (my best count this year)
Red-throated Diver: 10 down    3 up
Gannet: c25 off shore
Oystercatcher: 6 up
Turnstone: 1 on beach
Kittiwake: 6 down
Guillemot: 1 on sea
Auk sp: 6 down
Raven: 4 down

A drake and duck Smew was at the south end of the New Diggings, over the road on the ARC another duck 7 Goldeneye and a Great White Egret.
At Scotney the 3 Black-necked Grebes still but little else of note.
The Egret roost this evening was some what disappointing with just 7 Little Egrets and 5 Great White Egrets, though a Bittern dropping into the roost was a bonus.  Once again the Starlings put on a spectacular display especially when attacked by a Sparrowhawk and 1 of 6 Marsh Harriers that flew over. 

A Good Day!

Very quiet on the sea again this morning, just a few Red-throated Divers, Gannets, Cormorants and 178 Great-crested Grebes. A walk from the fishing boats to the lifeboat station and back with AJG, was notable for the lack of birds except the 100s of Gulls on the sands.  A single Curlew on the sands and 21 Meadow Pipits and 3 Stock doves by the road.

At the south end of the New diggings, a Black-necked Grebe, 4 red head Smew and a Great White Egret.

 At Scotney the Little Stint was associating with 16 Ringed Plovers. 2 Black-necked Grebes and the Scaup could be seen from the double bends. 2 Marsh Harriers were hunting the north bank. At the farm 2 Tree Sparrows and 7 Corn Buntings.

 At Horsebones Farm 54 Bewick Swans still and the Whooper Swan, nearby the usual Sparrows and finches at the Baynham farm feeders.

While in the Plodland garden having my lunch the above Great White Egret flew over at roof top level. Although I see them most days from the garden this is the first one to fly right over.

This afternoon at Cockles Bridge a Kestrel sat in the sun, in the fields c1,000 each of Golden Plover and Lapwing being flushed by a couple of Buzzards.

Another short sea watch this afternoon was quieter than this morning the highlight being 15 Brent Geese flying up channel.

On the reserve from Dennis's hide, another Black-necked Grebe, 2 red head Smew and 2 red Goosander of note, the Red-crested Pochard was still on the dipping pond.

Early evening at the Egret roost numbers were lower than usual, 14 Little Egrets, 7 Great White Egrets and the 2 Cattle Egrets. While waiting for the Egrets to come in a Bittern flew over as did 5 Marsh Harriers, Smew, Goosander and Goldeneye were seen, a Sparrowhawk attacked the the Starling flock causing a spectacular display. As I started to leave a Barn Owl came in and appeared to pluck a Starling from its roost. A brilliant end to a very good day!  

Colour ringed Little Stint!

Colour ringed Little Stint, Scotney. (Probably part of a Norwegian Project.)

As it was superb bright frosty morning I decided I'd have a wander around the Scotney complex. 

First I walked from the farm entrance along the cycle path to the red brick bungalow and back. The main lake was like a mirror it was so calm and the Kent end was frozen. The 3 Black-necked Grebes were easy to spot as they swam around together, while on the edge of the lake the Little Stint was associating with 2 Dunlin, I could see that it was colour ringed but to far off to sort out. (I eventually got better views this afternoon in much duller conditions)

20 Ringed Plover ran around the turf along with 4 Redshank, a Curlew and c40 feral Barnacle Geese. On the the far side of the lake 2 Egyptian Geese but no sign of any wild geese. The Scaup was still associating with some Pochard and 3 Little Egrets were around the lake.

 Green Sandpiper, Scotney.

By the time I got back to the farm entrance a light breeze was rippling the lake and breaking the ice. As I wandered up to the farm a Green Woodpecker flew over as did a Marsh Harrier. Round the farm a couple of Tree Sparrows, several Corn Buntings and Green Sandpiper flew over, I continued along the track beside the back lake towards Jury Gap seeing of note 9 Little Grebes, 22 Shelduck, 12 Pintail, 5 Little Egrets, 6 Redshank, 3 Marsh Harriers and 2 Great White Egrets one of which flew back into Kent over me. The fields were virtually bird less with just a few Meadow Pipits, Skylarks and Pied Wagtails, once again no Hen Harrier.   

 Great White Egret in Sussex.

Red-crested Pochard skulking in the reeds!

In January I resisted temptation to twitch a female Red-crested Pochard on Lade pit, so today with news of drake on the reserve I crumbled, joined MH on the bench at the dipping pool twitching a plastic duck.

A Gull and some Egrets!

Most the morning was taken up with domestic stuff, I did manage a brief look at at Scotney in the sleet and snow finding only the 3 Black-necked Grebes of note. Early afternoon at The Point yesterdays 3w Caspian Gull was in the roost, which was often disturbed by dog walkers.

3w Caspian Gull

Early evening 22 Little Egrets, 10 Great White Egrets and 2 Cattle Egrets roosted on the reserve. Around the reserve plenty of the common wildfowl, 8+ Smew, at least 1 Goosander, a Black-necked Grebe, a Barn Owl and regular sightings of Bitterns.

Wet, Wet, Wet!

A very wet night was followed by an even wetter day, it was so abysmal I didn't bother to go out until a message from DW at lunchtime, regarding a 2w and 3w Caspian Gull in the roost on The Point. A short sea watch produced nothing.

 3w Caspian Gull, ISO 2000

 2w Caspian Gull

A soggy Cattle Egret on the chicken shed roof

A single Black-necked Grebe and 4 red head Smew could be seen on the New Diggings through a curtain of rain.

Round Brickwall Farm the 2 Cattle Egrets looked very sorry for themselves.

At Scotney no sign of the Black-necked Grebes, Scaup or any wild geese, even the Barnacle Geese have disappeared leaving just the one lonesome individual. However on the turf from the layby 26 Ringed Plover, 14 Dunlin and a Little Stint that the Bard of Littlestone twitched just to make sure it wasn't a Semi P.

On Walland the Whooper Swan still present but Bewick Swans have decreased to 54.

22 Little Egrets, 8 Great White Egrets and the 2 Cattle Egrets came into roost this evening, the c3,000 Starlings pre roost gathering put on a spectacular display when attacked by 2 Sparrowhawks and 5 Marsh Harriers flew through. 

More of the same!

07.45-09.15 from The Point
Brent Goose: 5 up
Red-throated Diver: 321 up
Fulmar: 3 up  1 down
Gannet:  127 up   18 down
Kittiwake:  36 up
Guillemot: 2 up
Auk: 16 up
Harbour Porpoise: 1 o/s

13.40- 15.00 from The Point
Red-throated Diver: 2 down
Gannet: 7 down
Black-headed Gull: 3854 down (14.00-15.00) presumably to The Patch. Nothing else to count!
Kittiwake: 27 down

The Cattle Egrets were in the usual fields at Brickwall Farm, The Scaup and 3 Black-necked Grebes still at Scotney. 2 Black-necked grebes and 6 red head Smew on New Diggings. More Smew and at least 2 Bitterns at the ARC. On the reserve it would appear from today's reports that there is no change there either.

Tuesday and Wednesday!

Yesterday Tuesday 17th after checking with the BBC weather and double checking with XC Weather I joined DW and GH  on a day trip to Dinant, Belgium to hopefully see the much photographed Wallcreeper that has been present there since December. As we drove off the train at Calais it was raining, c3hrs later as we parked by the river Meuse in Dinant it was still raining. I checked the BBC and XC weather websites on the phone, both still insisted it was a bright sunny day in Dinant.

Spotting the cliffs and Citadel was easy but where to look for the Wallcreeper? Fortunately after a looking at parts of cliffs we ran into a Belgian couple and there young son, the only other birders there, they told us that the bird was seen on the citadel walls early morning and showed us where to view it. The young lad spotted immediately, he got it in his scope and we viewed it at a range of c300mts. Not very satisfactory! It was very mobile and quickly disappeared for an hour before reappearing again in the same place and range again. We carried on waiting and hoping the bird would come closer, eventually after more waiting and rain it did come on to nearer cliff face, once again first spotted by the young lad, it was still quite distant but gave great scope views as it crawled and flitted over cliff face. Photography was near on impossible as it was so dark and dreary and so far away. The image below was my best effort, at 2000 ISO the shutter speeds were still very slow. In hindsight we should probably taken the funicular railway up to the Citadel, where we may have got better views. Weekends would probably be better when more birders are around to track it.

 Despite the weather a good day out in great company and good scope views of the Wallcreeper!

 Whitefront at Scotney today!

I spent several hours today wandering around Scotney soaking up the sun unlike yesterday. A single Whitefront was associating with a few Greylags as I wandered through the farm. A couple of Tree Sparrows flew over as did 4 Corn Buntings, there was much disturbance in the farmyard so Little else was seen there. On the lake the 3 Black-necked Grebes still paddling around together, 2 Tundra Bean Geese eventually lifted there heads to reveal them selves, after much searching the Scaup appeared from under the bank, the Barnacle Goose that has been wandering around on its own for the last week or so was as shy as ever NOT! On the turf 8 Ringed Plovers, 4 Dunlin, 8 Redshank, 2 Curlew and 4 Oystercatchers.

 1 of the 2 Tundra Bean Geese at Scotney today!

 The lonesome Barnacle Goose it can definitely fly!

 The Cattle Egrets showing well at Brickwall Farm this afternoon!

Late afternoon 2 Cattle Egrets, c8 Great White Egrets and c17 Little Egrets roosted. I totally lost count and concentration watching the Starlings spectacular pre roost display, the wild Swans flying in to roost and a Barn Owl hunting near the screen hide. 

No real change!

Last evenings Egret roost was a little disappointing after recent days. 8 Great White Egrets, 22 Little Egrets and 2 Cattle Egrets. A Merlin flashed over the New Diggings and c1500 Starlings put on an impressive pre-roost aerial display. 

This morning was very foggy so I didn't leave home til gone 09.00.

09.20-11.20 from The Point with poor visibility and the accompaniment of the Fog Horn.

Brent Goose: 107 up

Shelduck: 3 down

Red-throated Diver: 61 up    13 down

Gannet: 51 down  15 up

Oystercatcher: 10 up

Auk:  6 down   2 up

Skylark: 4 down

On the New Diggings 2 Black-necked Grebes, 6 red-head Smew and a Great White Egret, over the road on the ARC 2 red head Goosander, 4 red-head Smew and 3 Marsh Harriers of note.

Scotney GP still holds the drake Scaup and 3 Black-necked Grebes, but once again no sign of any wild geese.

On Walland Marsh the wild Swan herd still at Horsebones Farm, Tree Sparrows could be found at the usual sites.  

Late afternoon 10 Avocet on the Cormorant Island at the ARC.

More Egrets!

08.50-09.50 from the fishing boats:

Brent: 11 up

Red-throated Diver: 10 down    4 up

Fulmar: 1 down

Gannet: 129 down

Oystercatcher:  3 up   3 down

Kittiwake:   129 down

Auk:  3 up

The rest of the morning taken up with domestic stuff.

This afternoon the Cattle Egrets were still in the fields south of Brickwall Farm.
At Scotney the drake Scaup still but no wild geese, I was unable to find the 3 Black-necked Grebes but there were at least 2 on New Excavations,
On Walland all the wild Swans present and correct.
Late afternoon at the reserve in the company of DW and GH watching the Egrets come in to roost.
9 Great-white Egrets and a minimum of 23 Little Egrets roosted, a party of 3 Cattle Egrets came in and a few minutes later another 2. It was very dark and they did come in quickly so we may have made a mistake, so it looks like my early evenings are going to be booked for the near future.