Egrets

The 2 Whooper Swans were still with the Mute Swan herd at Midley as I drove across Walland to Dungeness this morning. As I parked on the beach a Merlin flashed by after a Meadow Pipit. A plod along the beach towards the Lifeboat Station found the 3w Glaucous Gull and 2 adult Yellow Legged Gulls on the beach. 3 Red-throated Divers flew west and 26 Common Scoter east. 3 Guillemots were on the sea, a few Auk sp and Gannets were tooing and froing off shore. Highlight was a 1w Arctic Tern moving west. When I got back to the car the wind had got up and showers were threatening to come ashore.

At the ARC I spent an hour on my own in the empty Hanson hide staring at the Bull Rushes hoping that a Penduline Tit might appear. No luck with a Penduline but 2 Bearded Tits dropped into the reed bed frustratingly staying on the outside out of sight most the time and couple Water Rail were squealing. A Kingfisher made 4 fly pasts once attempting to perch on reed by the hide without success. (Oh for some perches to be strategically placed but that seems to be against RSPB rules). A party of 4 Goldeneye was round the Cormorant Island and C100 Golden Plover, c200 Lapwing, c400 Wigeon with smaller numbers of the usual wild fowl regularly being spooked by 2 Marsh Harriers and Sparrowhawk.

On the reserve 4 Great White Egrets and 3+ Little Egrets also a drake Goldeneye per CT and BH. From Firth Hide one the Great White Egrets often comes quite close allowing photo opportunities pity about the light. With the weather deteriorating I gave Dengemarsh and Hookers Pit a miss and went back to the ARC  for another look for a Penduline Tit, no luck, but another glimpse of the Kingfisher flashing by.

At Scotney the feral Barnacle Geese flock still present, c150 Golden Plover, 8 Dunlin and a Redshank on the flood and 2 Marsh Harriers hunting the fields at the back of the pit.

Coming back across Walland the 2 Whooper Swans showing well close to the road, 10+ Tree Sparrows, a Marsh Harrier and a Common Buzzard.