More Waxwings

Making my way to Dungeness driving down the A2070 as dawn was breaking, I noticed the unmistakable silhouette of a Waxwing in the road side bushes. A quick hand brake turn and pulling on to the verge opposite I could now see 5 beautiful Waxwings. I took a few shots in the half light before moving off as the road is like a race track.

 TG was already at watching from The Point with a bored look when I arrived. In about an hour of watching c200 Guillemots moved into Hythe Bay along with c15 Red-throated Divers, c20 Kittiwakes were off shore with a few Gannets.
My usual plod around the small fishing boats and containers looking for rarer Buntings and Larks was once again fruitless, but the Glaucous Gull could be seen being fed by the bait diggers on the sand.

Waxwing at Midley

 2 Great White Egrets could be seen on New Diggings from the causeway. On the empty RSPB reserve 2 more Great White Egrets from Dennis's Hide along with 2 Goldeneye and 2 Marsh Harriers.
From Makepiece a red head Smew among the usual wildfowl. In the Sea Buckthorn 2 Chiffchaffs and a Goldcrest.

Pity about the light

 Once the sleet and snow stopped and sun started to come out I thought I go back to the Waxwings especially as BB texted to say that there were 27 at Johnsons Corner which is only c1.5mile further up the road from the 5 I found earlier. Driving across Walland Marsh there were still 100s of winter Thrushes in the bushes. Approaching Midley I could see a car parked ahead with the tell tale camera lens sticking out the window pulling up behind I could see it was Roger and Bob from Sussex photographing Waxwings. I gratefully joined them though the light conditions were poor.

 After having my fill for today of the Waxwings I drove slowly around the marsh seeing many more winter thrushes, a Common Buzzard and from Bell Corner 32 Bewick Swans, 2 Whooper Swans and 2 Black Swans.
Returning to the still empty reserve and making my way to Makepiece to see what Gulls might come in. After half an hour I was not disappointed when an adult Caspian Gull appeared, presumably the bird found by DW yesterday. By now the light was starting to go and I was getting cold so time to go home. Driving up the entrance track MH drove down towards me, we pulled up, MH asked if I had seen the Barn Owl today, as I said no I spotted it in the distance. Leaving MH to get a better look I made my way home.